Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 284 Ava: Yet Another Strange Forest

Shaking off the morbid thoughts clouding my mind, the images of war and supernatural chaos, I breathe deeply and close my eyes.

Focus, Ava. There's work to be done.

Concentrating on that elusive string of connection I can feel deep within me, it's like a gossamer thread. Barely visible, but undeniably present.

I tug at it gently, as if saying hello to an old friend. No response.

I press on, trying to deepen the connection, fumbling along in this strange magical mental space. It's like groping in the dark, unsure of what I'm looking for.

The sound of Lisa's breathing and subtle movements a few feet away threaten to break my concentration, and it's an effort to push those distractions aside, diving deeper into the recesses of my mind. The world around me fades away, replaced by a vast emptiness.

Then, I'm falling.

By now, the sensation is familiar enough for me not to panic, waiting it out as space whizzes past at breakneck speed.

My stomach lurches, instinctual panic taking hold of my body; my mind might understand that I'm not falling, but every physical reflex of mine insists that it is.

And then, a torturous second or two later, it's gone and I'm alone in the middle of what looks like the creepiest forest to exist on the planet.

Gnarled, dead branches wrap together in a dense canopy of trees that block out the majority of light.

Dead leaves litter the ground, crackling and crunching beneath my feet, but there's a shocking lack of underbrush. It's like walking inside an unfinished painting.

There's a pond, of course. Why is there always water? Is it symbolic, or just coincidence?

Unlike the pond where I met with the Moon Goddess, this one is so murkily dark that it seems filled with black water. Just looking at it makes my skin crawl, and I step back reflexively, not wanting to get near the edge—even when I'm a solid ten feet away already.

There's an unnatural quiet to the space. No birds singing. No insects buzzing. Fuck, I'd take a cicada to break up the oppressively creepy environment. But no.

the dead leaves crunching with

every direction, seemingly endless. The trees all look the same—tall, dark, and foreboding. There's no path, no sign of which way I should

back to the water. Its surface remains perfectly still, not a ripple in sight. I approach the water's edge, peering into its depths. For

aren't even reflections on

is, it might look

pebble into it, it sinks

to self: Don't

You wanted to connect with your magic. Is this what that looks

if in response to my words, a gentle breeze stirs the branches overhead. It carries a whisper,

my ears, trying to catch the sound

is my magic,

I'm supposed to be some sort of evil overlord. Dead trees. Creepy, murky water. No signs

seem like the kind of thing I want

met the Moon Goddess, it was bright and beautiful.

is just

some sort of glint in the inky water, and

catch another glimpse of that elusive glint. It's maddening, like trying to catch light with my bare hands. Every time I think

forward. My reflection should be visible on the surface, but there's nothing.

and I give up to walk around, rubbing them to ease

This isn't working.

going about this all

do? I can't see anything. I can't hear anything. I'm not about to try drinking the water, even if someone tells

I've been…

Fuck.

Wait a second.

telling me. But this place... it's not real. Not in the way the physical

close my eyes. Instead of trying to see or hear or smell, I reach out with something else. That intangible sense that's connected to my