His Cursed Luna

8. Disheveled Isabella

The old maze loomed before her like a beast of ancient times—breathing, watching, waiting. The dense, gnarled hedges curled like skeletal fingers, shifting and rustling despite the absence of wind. Vines slithered over the mossy stone walls, pulsing faintly as if whispering secrets to one another. Shadows flickered in the dim glow of the enchanted lanterns, their eerie golden light barely piercing through the thick mist weaving along the ground.

Penelope stepped forward, her heartbeat steady, her expression unreadable. The scent of damp earth and blooming nightshade filled her lungs as she moved, her legs carrying her forward as if they knew the path by heart. The twists and turns of the maze stretched endlessly, a labyrinth of fate carved by time itself, yet each step felt familiar.

Then, she came upon it—the first trial.

Her path was sealed by an enormous wall of water, shimmering like liquid glass, a translucent barrier rippling with every shift of energy. Embedded in its surface were five colored blocks, each pulsating with a faint glow—red, blue, green, yellow, and silver. The moment her eyes landed on them, something within her stirred.

A memory.

Her fingers instinctively brushed against the silver block, the cool metal humming beneath her touch. A door materialized within the watery wall, parting the shimmering surface like silk. She knew what silver meant—blessings. A gift from the Ancient Assembly.

Her breath hitched as the puzzle fully revealed itself.

Her stomach coiled in disdain. The same damned puzzle.

The last time she stood before this wall, she had been naive, blind to the web of deceit spun around her. Isabella had used this moment against her, twisting it into a cruel trap that had left Penelope humiliated, powerless.

Not this time.

A slow, dangerous smirk stretched across her lips. I know your tricks now, Izzy. And this time, I’m ready.

Steeling herself, Penelope stepped through the silver passage, the watery barrier parting like an obedient servant. A wave of icy energy cascaded over her skin, sending chills down her spine before the door behind her melted back into the wall, sealing her inside.

On the other side, her gaze flickered to the yellow block—a symbol of cunning and intelligence. A silent reminder of what had been stolen from her in the past. Her fingers curled into fists at her sides.

She remembered the treacherous way Isabella had used the puzzle to her disadvantage. An expression of contempt crossed Penny's face as she thought of a plan to get revenge on Izzy - her smirk twisted into a sneer as she plotted her retribution. She was determined to make Izzy pay for her actions, and she was not going to let anything stand in her way.

Penelope entered the door and crossed the watery wall. Her eyes solemnly looked at the yellow block. As soon as the door disappeared on the wall, Isabella showed up. Her eyes widened as she discovered Penelope on the other side of the barrier. Her calm aura intimidated Isabella once again.

“How did you manage to cross?” She asked in shock as she stepped towards the wall. She knew her father plotted this one to block Penelope’s progress, but for some reason, Penelope reached the wall faster than her and even managed to solve the puzzle.

“I was lucky,” Penelope smiled, watching Isabella’s every step.

“Here, let me help you, cousin,” she smirked as she pushed the yellow block all of a sudden. The earth beneath Isabella shook, digging a hole out of nowhere, exactly where Isabella was standing.

“Aah!” A scream left Isabella’s lips as she realised she had fallen on a well. Her skin burnt as she touched the wall of the well, only to discover it was silver-coated. A shiver ran down her spine again. This well was created for Penelope and not for her. Her eyes looked up towards the sky to discover Penelope standing tall on the ground. Her eyes held no expression.

“Oh no, Izzy, I must have pushed the wrong block by accident. I am so sorry,” her words were touchy but lacked emotions as if a doll was speaking. Isabella trembled again, realising Penelope had said the exact words her father asked her to spill after capturing her cousin. Did she eavesdrop on their conversation somehow?

“How do you…” she trailed off, not knowing what to say. There was no way Penelope could have overheard her conversation with her father.

“Cousin, I will be back with some help,” Penelope spoke, turning her heels to leave.

Her hand accidentally pushed the red block on her way, creating a blast of fire around the silver-coated well. Isabella screamed again, trying to hide from the fire. The scent of blood became evident in the air, which brought a memory back to Penelope. Her eyes could still see the silver-coated well, which was created for her burial. Isabella accidentally pushed the block to emit a fiery blast afterwards to burn her in the ashes. This puzzle was put in the maze in an attempt to kill her. Her face and her left arm were burned due to the fire, but she survived in a miracle way. The burns took a long time to heal, causing her humiliation. Her uncle named that an accident and blamed Ancient Maya for not checking the maze thoroughly for any unwanted enchantments.

Even after everything, Penelope was chosen as the Crowned Princess because of her bloodline. She won the majority vote in the trial in her past life - some were out of pity, and the rest were for her father.

She will definitely survive; after all, she is half Lycan and has an inner wolf, unlike me, Penelope thought to herself as she walked away. She knew the maze very well, and hence it didn’t take her long to run into the next obstruction. Another magical barrier was created to hinder her way. She stared at the tall architecture, admiring the beautiful encryptions on the wall. This one was created by Ancient Maya, and she could tell that. The encryptions were one of the old tongues they used to speak in Goldenrealm. She had to learn it when Elijah intended to impress the packs from the southern border of the kingdom.

Penelope sighed, reminiscing her past. Her finger touched the wall in four particular spots, reading the instructions. The huge architecture trembled, and a hole appeared in the wall. The Princess walked past the obstruction with ease.

Penny didn't waste a single second; she flew through every obstacle in the maze with the knowledge and wisdom of her past life. She quickly conquered every challenge and soon reached the end. Drawing a small knife, she ripped her gown in several places, then made a few cuts on her arms and removed her hairpins to dishevel her hair. Her face changed from a blank expression to one of the tears as she sprinted out of the maze like a frightened kitten, concealing her true identity from the watchful eyes. The determination and calmness disappeared from her eyes as she reentered the garden, screaming for help.

“HELP! Someone, please help Izzy!” She screamed at the top of her lung.

The Ancient Assembly rose hastily from their seats, their eyes wide with shock, as Penny's dishevelled state became apparent. The Lycan King was no exception - he, too, stood up, and the royal guards immediately dashed to their princess. Penny fell to her knees in the middle of the garden, her screams piercing the air as tears rolled down her cheeks.

She kept pleading for help, her voice becoming more desperate as she babbled, "Izzy... I couldn't help her... I am so sorry."

This made the king shiver, and without delay, he rushed down the stage towards her.

"Where is she?" he asked, his tone forceful and urgent.

"Uncle! She fell on the silver-coated well, and then there was fire," Penelope answered, her voice still trembling with emotion.

The king's face contorted with rage, and he bellowed, "What do you mean there was a fire? Tell me now!"

His voice echoed through the garden, and the guards stepped forward, ready to take action. Penelope, still trembling, pointed towards the maze and said, "I don't know. There was a puzzle…. I tried to help her, but she fell on the well instead."

The king's face darkened, and he commanded the guards to search the area for his beloved daughter, whereas Penny smiled inwardly. When Isabella appeared in the garden in her previous life, she didn’t even bother mentioning Penelope. Luckily, Penelope was never affected by silver since she had no wolf. She climbed up the well herself and trailed behind Isabella at a distance since she couldn’t keep up with her. Her uncle was displeased seeing her alive. She kept her head hanging low as the rage of revenge built up in her heart again.

The royal guards rushed into the maze, following the Lycan King, and the Ancients trailed behind him. But the Lycan Queen remained still, her expression unreadable, as she heard the news of her beloved daughter.

When the King arrived at the well, he found Isabella lying there, her body half-burnt and unconscious.

"Izzy!" he bellowed, desperately trying to reach out and help her, but Ancient Maya quickly restrained him.

"Careful, William, it is silver," she cautioned.

She then raised her arm and chanted something, and a light surrounded Isabella's torso, lifting her up. The King held her close, his heart aching with pain.

“This puzzle! What is it doing here, William?” Ancient Gerald questioned, his voice full of confusion and disbelief.

William gritted his teeth, his fury rising as he thought of the wh0re who had managed to get past the enchantments he had set up, and his daughter Isabella fell into the trap instead. He could not accept the fact that he had laid a trap for Penelope either, as it would cost him his throne.

He inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself as he directed his furious gaze onto the Ancients, snarling, "I trusted you, and yet you laid a trap in the maze - attempting to kill my daughter?"

His words were filled with contempt and disbelief, and his tone was forceful and full of disapproval as he tried to push the blame on the Ancient Assembly.

“But I didn’t place this enchantment here,” Ancient Maya uttered, her voice trembling with fear.

“Wasn’t it your responsibility to create the enchantments with safety, Ancient Maya?” William growled, his voice full of accusation and anger.

“But, uncle, the puzzle of death belongs to us only. How could Ancient Maya use it as a trap?” A sudden sweet, scared voice silenced William in a blink. His furious gaze fell on Penelope, standing timidly before him, her eyes filled with fear and tear.