I walked ahead, while Ethan trailed behind me, moving like a shadow of himself.
Before long, we arrived at the heart of the pack. Every werewolf who saw me instinctively stepped aside, their eyes filled with awe and fear.
My destination was clear—the house that should have been mine.

At that moment, the place was surrounded by members of the Council of Elders. From inside, Chloe's piercing screams rang out without pause.
I pushed the door open and saw her curled on the bed, her skin wrinkled and mottled. Her once-beautiful face was now twisted into something grotesque and terrifying.
The moment Chloe saw me, her eyes blazed with resentment. "It was you! You monster! You did this to me!"
I ignored her screams and calmly turned to the First Elder, saying, "The Moon Goddess' gifts were never meant for corrupted souls. Her state today is the result of her own greed and cruelty. She has brought this upon herself."
The First Elder looked at me, conflict flickering in his eyes. In the end, he nodded and made way for me.
I walked to Chloe's bedside and wasted no time in revealing the memories I had stripped from her soul.

The entire pack saw the truth—how she had plotted against me and murdered her own older sister, Layla.
A collective gasp ran through the crowd. Almost immediately, the looks they gave Chloe shifted from pity to disgust.
"It was she who killed Layla!" one werewolf exclaimed.
Another said, "Oh my goodness! We almost made a murderer our Luna!"

"She's utterly vile!"
With the truth laid bare, Chloe snapped. "It was you! You destroyed everything I had!"
Using the last of her strength, she sprang from the bed and lunged at me in a wild frenzy. "Ethan is mine! The title of Luna is mine! What right do you have to take it from me?"
Even then, I didn't move and simply raised my hand.
The golden essence within Chloe could no longer endure the filth of her soul. In the next instant, it shattered into countless points of light that dispersed into the air.
But I didn't reclaim it. Instead, I let it return to its own world.
Chloe's body froze in midair before floating down like a withered leaf and settling lightly on the floor.
She wasn't dead, but the fire of her soul had dwindled to a mere flicker. Her life hung by a thread, and she would remain trapped forever in that aged, hideous body, a shell of what she once was.
Then, I looked at Ethan. He had dropped to his knees, and tears were streaming down his cheeks.
He lifted his head, his eyes pleading as he called out, "Selena…"
A moment later, he crawled toward me and clutched the hem of my robe. "I'm sorry. I was wrong. C-Can we start over?"
Seeing Ethan in such a pitiful state, I couldn't help but find it amusing.