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.

with my every

stretches out in 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 go. Only the

still, not a ripple in sight. I approach the water's edge, peering into its depths. For a moment, I think I see something moving

even reflections on the

it might look like water, but

throw a pebble into it, it

to self:

your magic. Is this what that

in response to my words, a gentle breeze stirs the branches overhead. It carries a whisper, so faint I'm not sure if I actually heard it or

to

this is my

overlord. Dead trees. Creepy, murky water. No signs

doesn't seem like the kind of thing I want associated with

the Moon Goddess, it was bright and

is just a

catches my eye again, and I make my way closer. There's 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

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

to walk around, rubbing them to ease the tension building behind my

This isn't working.

about this all

anything. I'm not about to try drinking the water, even if someone tells me it's the source of all magic. So what else can

I've been…

Fuck.

Wait a second.

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

or hear or smell, I reach out with