I stayed in the pack's place of exile, and Kyle became my new mentor. What he taught was nothing like what Silas had taught before.
It wasn't about using essence to heal. Instead, it was about learning to grow still and sensing the unseen connections that bind all things.
Kyle called it the way of balance.

Every day, I sat quietly in the forest, learning to feel the pulse of life in every blade of grass and every tree.
At first, I felt nothing. My body was like an empty vessel, utterly unresponsive to the flow of energy around me.
But Kyle was patient.
"Don't rush it, Selena. Your soul may be shattered, but that's exactly why they're so sensitive now. Stop trying to force yourself to see. Learn to listen with your heart."
…
A month later, Ethan finally remembered me, the mate-to-be he had abandoned. He sent guards to the healing sanctuary to look for me, only to be told that I had left a month ago.

That was when panic set in.
Ethan mobilized border patrol, ordering them to scour every inch of the pack's territory in search of me. They looked everywhere except the land of exile, a place long forgotten by everyone else.
At the same time, Chloe began flaunting the essence she had stolen from me after settling into her new home.
She used that golden energy—meant to heal and soothe—to force the most brilliant flowers into bloom, filling her garden with impossible beauty.

She also used it to heighten her allure and ensured that everyone who laid eyes on her felt an inexplicable fondness.
The Moon Goddess' gift became nothing more than a tool to indulge her vanity. But it didn't last.
Out of nowhere, the backlash struck mercilessly.
The flowers Chloe had forced into bloom withered overnight, crumbling into ash. The beauty sustained by my essence began to fracture, too. Her skin grew dry, and her hair fell out in clumps.
Night after night, she was plagued by nightmares. She dreamed of a cold, golden moon hanging overhead, silently judging her.
"Ethan… I feel awful," she whimpered, trembling uncontrollably in his arms. "It feels like something inside me is rejecting me. I'm so scared."
Heartbroken, Ethan held her tightly and rushed her to the healing sanctuary.
Silas examined Chloe for a long time, yet he found nothing amiss.
"Strange…" he began. "Her soul has clearly been repaired. So, why is the essence so unstable and hostile that it's draining her life instead?"
"Mr. Vance, what can we do to save her?" Ethan asked anxiously.
Silas let out a sigh before saying, "The Moon Goddess' gift is meant only for a future Luna with a compassionate heart. The energy has a will of its own. Right now, it's rejecting a vessel unworthy of it.
"The one who caused it must be the one to undo it. I'm afraid only Selena knows what's truly happening here."
"But she's gone!" Ethan exclaimed, his voice tight with fear.
…
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in a small wooden cabin, I was deep in my cultivation.
With my eyes closed, my shattered soul spread outward like an invisible web, unfurling across the entire forest.
For the first time, I truly heard something. I could hear the wind whispering through the leaves and the breathing of earthworms beneath the soil.
I also heard a faint, familiar cry coming from the golden energy of a distant pack. It was my essence, and it was weeping.
I focused my mind on its distant lament.
…
Back at the healing sanctuary, Chloe suddenly let out a piercing scream. Her body arched violently, as if something had struck her hard in the chest.
Then, she spat out a mouthful of blood.
In the pooling red on the floor, a single drop of golden liquid shimmered faintly.
Ethan's pupils contracted sharply at that sight. That was my essence in liquid form.
It was only then that he realized I had transferred all of my essence to Chloe. He dropped to his knees in remorse, recalling just how far he had overstepped with me.