Chapter 4 From Weak To Strong

• “Again,” the voice boomed across the clearing, sharp and unyielding.
• Lily groaned, gripping the hilt of her wooden practice sword, sweat dripping down her face. “I’ve been at this for hours, Caelum. My arms are jelly!”
• Caelum, her mysterious mentor and envoy of the Moon Goddess, crossed his arms. His silver hair shimmered under the moonlight, and his piercing golden eyes held no sympathy. “And yet, the world won’t pause because you’re tired, will it? Again.”
• Grinding her teeth, Lily swung the sword in a wide arc, her muscles screaming in protest. It wasn’t perfect—her movements were still clumsy—but there was a fire in her eyes now, a stubborn determination that hadn’t been there before.
• “Better,” he said, his tone begrudgingly approving. “But your stance is still weak. An Alpha won’t hesitate to knock you down if you leave yourself exposed like that.”
• “I’m not fighting an Alpha,” Lily snapped, panting. “I’m fighting my past.”
• Caelum tilted his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Good. Then let’s make sure you never lose to it again.”
• ---
• The night wore on, and the stars above seemed to burn brighter as Lily continued her training. Every muscle in her body ached, but she didn’t stop. Each swing of the sword, each dodged strike, brought her closer to something she had never felt before—control.
• “Why do you push me so hard?” Lily asked during a brief break, her voice is now laced with frustration.
• Caelum crouched beside her, his golden eyes is serious. “Because the Moon Goddess chose you for something far greater than you can imagine. You’re her bloodline, Lily. That means your strength isn’t just for you—it’s for the entire pack, the entire realm.”
• “And what if I fail?” she whispered, the vulnerability in her voice surprising even herself.
• Caelum smiled softly. “Again? Then get back up and try again. That’s what makes you her descendant, Lily. You don’t stay down.” Lily let down a deep sigh, until now she can't fully believe that she's a descendant of the Moon Goddess, she can help to wonder now, what possibly Damon would think and react if he knows about her bloodline?
• Days turned into weeks, and Lily’s abilities began to awaken in ways she couldn’t have imagined.
• “Focus, Lily,” Caelum instructed as they stood in the center of a lush forest. “Feel the energy around you. Nature isn’t separate from you—it’s a part of you.”
• Lily closed her eyes, her fingers brushing against the bark of a towering oak tree. At first, there was only silence. Then, slowly, she felt it—a hum of life beneath her fingertips, a connection to the earth that sent shivers down her spine.
• “Good,” he said softly. “Now command it.”
• Her eyes snapped open. “Command it? How?”
• “Use your voice,” he said simply.
• Lily hesitated, then took a deep breath. “Grow,” she whispered, her voice is trembling with uncertainty.
• At first, nothing happened. But then, the ground beneath her feet trembled ever so slightly, and the oak tree’s branches stretched upward, its leaves glowing faintly under the moonlight.
• “I… I did it,” Lily breathed, her eyes wide with awe.
• Caelum nodded, his expression proud. “You’re only scratching the surface of what you can do, Lily. Imagine the possibilities.”
• ---
• Later that night, Lily sat by a crackling fire, her thoughts is swirling. She had spent so much of her life feeling powerless, insignificant. But now, with every passing day, she was becoming someone entirely new—someone she barely recognized but couldn’t help admiring.
• “Do you feel it?” Caelum's voice broke the silence, his gaze is fixed on the flames.
• “Feel what?” Lily asked.
• “The shift,” he said. “In you. You’re not the same girl who stumbled into this forest weeks ago. You're not the weak wolf rejected by her mate. You’re becoming who you were always meant to be.” An ache crossed over her chest, sadness suddenly made her stare at the flickering flames of fire in front of them.
• --
• One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Caelum led Lily to the edge of a cliff overlooking the vast wilderness. The wind whipped through her hair, carrying with it the scent of pine and freedom.
• “Why did the Moon Goddess choose me?” Lily asked, her voice is so low over the wind. “I’m no one special. I was just… Lily.”
• Caelum turned to her, his expression is so hard to read. “Because even the smallest flame can light the darkest path. She saw something in you that you couldn’t see in yourself.”
• Lily swallowed hard, her chest tightened. “I don’t want to be weak anymore. I don’t want to depend on anyone to tell me who I am. I want those wolves who belittled me feel small when they see the new me."
• “Then don’t,” Caelum said simply. “You’ve already proven you’re stronger than you think. Now it’s time to embrace it.” She looked from distance, where she can see half of the territory of Alpha Damon.
• ---
• As the days went by, Lily threw herself into her training with renewed vigor. She mastered her ability to command nature, learned to fight with precision and grace, and discovered a confidence she never knew she possessed. It's hard, it's indeed hard for her. But then, everytime she feels like giving up, Damon's hurtful words keep on making her doing her best. And maybe, that's the only thing that makes all the memories with the past worthy.
• ~
• One evening, as she stood in front of a mirror in her small cabin, she barely recognized the woman staring back at her.
• “Who are you now, Lily?” she whispered to herself, while slightly moving her body into a different corner.
• The answer came in a voice that was steady and unwavering. “I’m the daughter of the Moon Goddess. And I’ll never let anyone dictate my worth again, not even you...Alpha Damon.
• But as she stared at her reflection, a question lingered in her mind, unspoken yet it was undenia
• ble:
• When the time comes, will I be strong enough to face Damon—and myself?