Celestia: The Cursed Witch

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The rogues bared their teeth at Roxy and Celestia, making the two freeze in place. Roxy gulped and clenched her hand into a fist. She wasn't afraid for herself—but for Celestia, who had been entrusted to her.

“Celestia, when I shout ‘run,’ you run, okay?” Roxy whispered.

“But what about you?!” Celestia asked, on the verge of tears. She could feel herself trembling with fear.

“Run!” Roxy yelled, shifting into her wolf form mid-air.

Forced to leave Roxy behind, Celestia turned and ran, praying to the Goddesses that someone or anyone would show up to help. But her fear deepened when she heard the pounding of paws behind her. One of the rogues had broken off and was now chasing her.

“Oh gods,” she whispered. Her legs were weakening beneath her, but she couldn’t afford to stop because doing so would mean death.

“Kieran! Kieran!” Celestia cried out, desperately hoping he could hear her, though it was nearly impossible. Kieran was still back at the packhouse, a fair distance from the cemetery.

A rogue tackled her into a muddy puddle, forcing a pained scream from her lips as she struggled to kick the wolf away. The rogue snarled, ready to strike the fatal blow, but something deep within her suddenly switched.

“G-Glacies aquae, figere h-hostem!”

Celestia’s eyes glowed as she struggled to utter the spell. Instantly, the air around her shimmered as nearby water particles froze into razor-sharp ice shards that launched toward the rogue. The wolf yelped in pain, and that moment of weakness was enough for Celestia to break free from its grasp.

She scrambled to her feet and continued running, her heart pounding in her chest. Her vision blurred and her breathing grew heavier. Any moment now, she would collapse.

“Kieran,” she whispered into the air.

As if the Goddess heard her call, a massive wolf, far larger than the rogue chasing her, appeared in front of her and blocked the threat. Celestia’s knees buckled with relief. Even though she had never seen Kieran in his wolf form before, she knew without a doubt it was him. He had come for her.

“Kieran,” she uttered and burst into tears. Kieran stepped forward, shielding her from the rogue’s eyes, and growled as a clear challenge for the rogue to make a move.

The rogue didn’t hesitate to accept and lunged to attack, but Kieran, who had the upper hand due to his size and strength, met him mid-air and sank his teeth into the rogue’s shoulder. They crashed to the ground, rolling violently.

They fought tooth to tooth, a savage clash of strength and fury. But only one emerged victorious—Kieran, whose gray wolf coat was now stained with the rogue’s blood.

“Are you okay?” he asked gently. Celestia shook her head, trembling in fear.

“Kier… help Roxy!” she cried out.

“Roxy can handle herself. I need to get you to the pack doctor,” Kieran said, but Celestia refused to move. She couldn’t leave, not without knowing what happened to Roxy.

“No, I won't leave her,” she shouted.

“Roxy!” Kieran yelled. A wolf, slightly smaller than Kieran, appeared from behind the tree.

“There she is,” he added.

Roxy was also covered in blood, but she had no visible wounds. Crying, Celestia gathered her strength, stood up, and ran toward her.

“You’re okay!” she exclaimed. “Sorry, I’m really sorry,” she added.

If it weren’t for her, they wouldn’t have encountered the rogues in the cemetery. If only she hadn’t insisted Roxy come with her to find her biological father—someone she hadn’t even met.

“It’s alright. It was my decision to go with you,” Roxy said. “Thanks, Alpha,” she added.

“Are they members of the Abyss Brotherhood?” Kieran asked.

“No,” Roxy replied. “There were no marks on their wrists,” she added.

“Let’s go back,” Kieran said. “Have Martin clean this mess. I’ll take Celestia to the pack doctor,” he added.

Roxy nodded and bowed.

“Hop on,” Kieran said. “It’ll be faster this way,” he added and crouched slightly. Celestia’s eyes widened as she stared at him.

“You want me to ride on your back?” she asked, needing to confirm what he meant. Kieran nodded.

“Please, darling,” Kieran said, almost pleading. He just wanted to bring Celestia to the doctor as quickly as possible. “I’m really sorry about the blood, but this is the fastest way. I want the pack doctor to check on you,” he added.

Celestia had no other choice but to hop onto Kieran’s back. She could still feel the blood in her palm, sticky and warm, but she didn’t dare jump down. Slowly, Kieran stood up, prompting Celestia to wrap her arms tightly around his neck for support.

“Roxy, we’ll head out first,” Kieran called out before he bolted off into the forest with Celestia on his back.

A few minutes later, they arrived at an unfamiliar house nestled near the far end of the pack’s territory. Kieran came to a halt and lowered himself so Celestia could carefully climb down.

“Go on,” he encouraged.

Celestia nodded and approached the door, knocking softly. It opened to reveal a middle-aged man with kind eyes and a faint scar across his cheek.

“Alpha. Luna,” he greeted with a respectful bow.

“Damian,” Kieran said. “Check her. She encountered rogues in the forest. I want to know if she’s okay,” he added, his voice laced with worry.

“Come inside,” Damian said gently, stepping aside.

Celestia entered the cozy house, and Damian led her to a small examination room. After a few careful checks and cleaning the dried blood from her hands, he looked up with a reassuring smile.

“You’re lucky, Luna. No serious injuries—just a few bruises and scratches, mostly from the fall. I’ll treat them and give you something for the soreness,” he said.

Celestia breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Kieran, who had been pacing by the door. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Outside, Roxy remained behind, waiting as Martin and a few other pack warriors cleared the rogues' body. She stood with crossed arms, eyes scanning the trees.

Word of the incident spread quickly. When Celestia and Kieran returned to the packhouse, Solomon was already there waiting. His expression was stern, brows furrowed as he faced Celestia.

“What were you doing in the cemetery, Celestia?” he asked, his voice firm but not unkind. Celestia lowered her gaze.

“I wanted to find my father’s grave,” she admitted. “I needed answers… I didn’t think the rogues would be there,” she added. Solomon’s expression shifted slightly as he took a breath.

“Peter… I knew him,” he said quietly. “He was a good man. Strong, brave. He was loyal to the witches and protected them until his last breath,” he added. Celestia’s eyes widened.

“You knew my father?” she asked. Solomon nodded.

“Yes. If there’s anything you wish to know about him, you can come to me. I will tell you what I can,” he said. Emotion welled up in Celestia’s chest. She gave a small nod, her voice barely a whisper.

“Thank you.” He sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“You are part of this pack now. Let us help you carry the weight you bear,” he said.

Celestia stood by the window of her room. Her hand brushed the faint bruise on her palm. Today, she nearly lost her life. But she also felt something stir inside her—strength, awakening.

The prophecy loomed, and danger lurked around, but now she had a way to learn more about the man whose blood ran in her veins.