Kamrynn’s POV
I took a step forward, my legs trembling under the weight of what I was about to propose. The room seemed to grow heavier, the air thick with anticipation. Every eye was on me, and I could feel the burden of their expectations pressing against my chest. But I had no other choice. If I didn’t try, I would never forgive myself.
“I can break the curse,” I repeated firmly, though the words felt strange coming out of my mouth.
The silence that followed was deafening. Alpha Orion’s brows furrowed deeply, his skepticism apparent in the way his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes narrowed, and his voice was sharp.
“How exactly do you plan to do that, Kamrynn?” he demanded. “You can’t just say something like that without proof. This is no ordinary curse.”
I swallowed hard, feeling the intensity of his doubt like a weight pressing against my resolve.
“I have the power to commune with the dead,” I began, my voice trembling slightly. “I can go to the underworld and find the sorceress who cursed the Amethyst line and convince her to undo it.”
Rmonica gasped, her hand flying to her chest. Her expression was a mix of horror and worry.
“Kamrynn, no! You’re pregnant-your life is not your own anymore. You can’t endanger yourself, or your babies!” Her voice cracked with emotion, and I could see the tears welling in her eyes.
Thalia stepped forward, her face pale and filled with guilt. “She’s right. It’s not worth the risk. Please, Kamrynn. Don’t do this because of me.”
But before I could respond, Kyven’s voice cut through the air like a blade.
“Let her try.”
All eyes turned to him. He stood tall, his jaw set, his expression filled with a desperate kind of hope.
“If there’s even a chance that she can succeed, we have to take it.” He looked at me, his eyes softening. “Kamrynn, if you can do this, I’ll owe you a debt I could never repay.”
His faith in me strengthened my resolve. I nodded, determination coursing through me. “I’m going to do it,” I said firmly.
Marwynn stepped forward then, her face grave. “You need to be careful, Kamrynn. The underworld is not a place for the living. It will try to trap you, distract you. You must stay focused. Promise me you’ll be cautious.”
“I promise,” I whispered.
Marwynn turned to Alpha Orion. “We need an altar,” she instructed. “One that can channel the energy required for this journey.”
With a curt nod, Orion barked out orders, and the room erupted into motion. Warriors and pack members alike worked quickly, arranging candles in a perfect circle around me, placing herbs and stones in strategic locations to protect me from harm. The smell of sage and lavender filled the air, mingling with the tension that hung heavy over the room.
When the preparations were complete, Marwynn gestured for me to sit in the center of the altar. I lowered myself to the ground, the cool stone pressing against my legs.
“Close your eyes,” Aryna’s voice echoed in my mind, calm but insistent. “Clear your mind of all doubts. Control your breathing, slow it down. Focus on the void.”
I obeyed, shutting out the world around me. My breaths came slow and steady, the rhythm of my heart slowing as I let go of my fears. The darkness behind my eyelids seemed to expand, enveloping me in its quiet embrace.
And then, I felt it.
A sudden, jarring shift, as if the ground beneath me had disappeared. My body felt weightless, and when I opened my eyes, I was no longer in my body. I hovered above it, staring down at myself, at the circle of candles, and at the worried faces of those watching me.
Before I could process what was happening, a powerful whoosh filled the air, and the scene disappeared.
I was falling.
The darkness swallowed me whole, the sensation of falling stretching on endlessly. My stomach churned, my heart pounding as the abyss seemed to pull me deeper and deeper into its depths. Finally, I landed hard on cracked, dry ground. The impact sent a jolt of pain through my body, and I groaned, pushing myself up onto my hands and knees.
When I looked around, my breath caught in my throat.
The ground beneath me cracked like brittle bones underfoot, the dry earth spreading outward in jagged veins that seemed endless. The sky above was a swirling mass of dark gray and black clouds, pulsating like a living organism. Flickers of crimson lightning cut across the oppressive canopy, illuminating the eerie landscape in brief, unsettling flashes.
Everywhere I looked, despair hung thick in the air, pressing down on my chest like an iron weight. The air smelled of decay, damp earth, and something acrid, like burnt flesh. My stomach churned.
Shapeless forms drifted around me, their translucent bodies warped and stretched as though molded by pain itself. These were the lost souls-wandering, aimless, their faces frozen in expressions of agony. Their wails and sobs filled the air, a chilling symphony of sorrow that seemed to echo forever, as though time had no meaning here.
And then there were the creatures. They lurked in the shadows, their grotesque forms slithering, prowling, or flitting just beyond the edges of my vision. One moved closer, its glowing, soulless eyes fixed on me. It resembled a twisted amalgamation of a wolf and a serpent, with elongated claws that scraped against the cracked ground as it slithered forward. My breath hitched as I stumbled backward, forcing myself to look away.
I couldn’t stay here. The longer I stood still, the more vulnerable I became.
But where was I supposed to go? I spun in a slow circle, my heart pounding in my chest. I had no idea where the sorceress was supposed to be. I could so easily get lost in this place of torment and to top it off, I was on a time limit. The endless expanse offered no clues, no signs of direction. My mind raced as I recalled Aryna’s warnings: Trust the moon goddess. Trust your instincts.
I inhaled deeply and began walking, each step cautious and deliberate. The crunch of brittle ground beneath my shoes felt deafening against the silence that lay between the tormented cries. Every shadow, every flicker of movement made me jump.
Then I heard it.
“Kamrynn…”
I froze, my heart stopping in my chest. It was faint but unmistakable-Sherelle’s voice.