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 movement and

circle, taking in my surroundings. The forest 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

ripple in sight. I approach the water's edge, peering into its

even reflections

chill runs down my spine. Whatever this pond is, it might look like water, but I have a feeling it's something else

pebble into it, it sinks without a

self:

You wanted to connect with your magic. Is this what

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

trying to catch the sound

my magic, it's…

sort of evil overlord. Dead trees. Creepy, murky

doesn't seem like the kind of thing I want

I met the Moon Goddess, it was bright and beautiful. Refreshing.

just

make my way closer. There's some sort of glint in the inky

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

visible on the surface, but

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

This isn't working.

about this

am I supposed to do? I can't see anything. I can't hear anything. I'm not about to try drinking the water, even if someone tells me it's the source of all magic. So

I've been…

Fuck.

Wait a second.

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

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