Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted - Chapter 284

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.

Just the dead leaves crunching with my every movement and my breathing.

I turn in a slow 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 should go. Only the pond breaks the monotony.

My eyes are drawn 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 a moment, I think I see something moving beneath the surface. But when I look closer, there’s nothing.

There aren’t even reflections on the surface.

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

When I throw a pebble into it, it sinks without a single ripple.

Note to self: Don’t go swimming.

“Okay, Ava. You wanted to connect with your magic. Is this what that looks like?”

As if 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 just imagined it.

I strain my ears, trying to catch the sound again. Nothing.

If this is my magic, it’s… Horrifying.

Like I’m supposed to be some sort of evil overlord. Dead trees. Creepy, murky water. No signs of life whatsoever.

Definitely doesn’t seem like the kind of thing I want associated with my magic.

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

This is just a nightmare.

The pond catches my eye again, and I make my way closer. There’s some sort of glint in the inky water, and I’m pretty sure it’s important, whatever it is.

I edge closer to the water, my eyes straining to catch another glimpse of that elusive glint. It’s maddening, like trying to catch light with my bare hands. Every time I think I’ve spotted it, it slips away, dancing just beyond my focus.

“Come on,” I mutter, leaning forward. My reflection should be visible on the surface, but there’s nothing. Just that darkness that swallows everything.

The strain makes my eyes ache, and I give up to walk around, rubbing them to ease the tension building behind my temples.

This isn’t working.

I’m going about this all wrong.

But what the hell 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 what else can I do?

I’ve been…

Fuck.

Wait a second.

I’m relying too much on what I can see, on what my physical senses are telling me. But this place… it’s not real. Not in the way the physical world is. It’s connected to my magic somehow.

Feeling like a dunce, I 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 magic.

At first, there’s nothing. The world around me feels empty, devoid of the energy I’m searching for. But as I push harder, shoving away all thoughts of the physical world, I sense… something.

It’s faint at first, barely a whisper against my magical senses. But it’s there. A warmth, a golden glow that seems to emanate from… the pond?

My eyes snap open, and I stare at the inky black water with newfound understanding. There, beneath the surface, is a source of magic. It pulses gently, like a beating heart, warm and inviting.

Thunderstruck, I can only laugh. “Oh, hell no. There is absolutely no way I’m going in that water. Not even for a little bit of magic.”

The very thought of submerging myself in that black water sends a shudder through me. Who knows what else might lurk beneath the surface? No, thank you. I’ll find another way.

But how? The magic is there, I can sense it now. It calls to me, begging for me to reach it. But it might as well be on the moon for all the good it does me here on the shore.

I pace along the edge of the pond, my mind racing. There has to be a way to access that magic without taking a dip in nightmare fuel. Maybe if I concentrate hard enough, I can… I don’t know. Connect with it?

Settling down on the dead leaves at the water’s edge, I close my eyes again. This time, instead of just sensing the magic, I try to reach for it. In my mind, I imagine tendrils of my own power stretching out, seeking that golden warmth.

Nothing happens, of course.

“Son of a bitch!”

Seriously, what’s the point of this magic when I can’t do anything with it?!

I push harder, straining with all my might to make some kind of connection with that tantalizing source of power. Sweat beads on my forehead from the effort.

Still nothing.

It’s there. Tantalizing, just beyond reach.

But nothing.

No connection between us.

With a cry of frustration, I slam my fist into the ground. Dead leaves crumble beneath my hand. “Why won’t you just—”

My words cut off as I feel… something. A spark. A connection.