Chapter 5 The Sanctuary

The whole walk would have been pleasant if it weren't for the relentless stares of nearly every person in the estate. I started to feel somewhat appreciative towards celebrities because I couldn't understand how they managed to do it. It was hard enough to ignore the gazes that trailed after me, but eager kids that followed behind me like I was the most interesting thing, and relentless people even going as far as calling me the name I was soon getting tired of, was beginning to grate on my nerves. Sacred Wolf. There wasn’t anything sacred about me. I didn’t even believe in God, talk more of a moon goddess. Never been a fan of religion. In my opinion, It was a human-made construct brought up by God knows who to keep people under their made-up rules, and their minds limited and restricted to a false belief. The fact that these people watched me with a reverence that seemed almost religious and acted like I was some kind of savior made my skin crawl with irritation. I just wanted to go home to my little cramped apartment, far away from these strange people. “How can they even tell I’m the Sacred Wolf?” I managed to bite out the sacred word. I hated how it sounded when it escaped my lips. My gaze was fixated ahead, dismissing their gaze and scooting closer to Liam and Wilona who offered some kind of ease in this uneasy situation. Wilona’s gaze shifted to me, her eyes filled with a glint of knowing. “A unique power source radiates from you, one similar to the one we get from a full moon,” her gaze shifted to the sky, a soft smile gracing her lips, “Our wolves are irresistibly drawn to it.” I didn't know how to feel about that. “Can your wolves feel it too?” I asked, my voice tinged with uncertainty. “Yes. But we’re starting to get used to it.” Wilona replied. As we ventured towards the woods, an unexpected surge of fear coursed through my body. The last time I had been in the woods wasn’t a good experience in the least. Then in an unexpected gesture, Wilona’s hand suddenly found mine, causing my breath to hitch as it caught me off guard. She squeezed my hand and offered a reassuring smile. “I can smell your fear,” she said softly. Well, that explained a lot. “You don’t have to be scared. No one is going to hurt you here.” she added. “Besides, Devyn would kill us if anyone did.” Liam cut in, a chuckle escaping his mouth. Devyn. I don’t know why but the mention of his name stirred a mix of emotions within me. I was almost eager to see him, then I remembered that grating attitude of his. There was a building that stood a distance away from the woods. Its architecture bore the unmistakable mark of age and majesty. As we got closer, I could see its stone walls clearly, adorned with Ivy and rose vines. The structure was similar to a castle but not half as huge as one. “This is our sanctuary. It’s like a church where we worship the moon goddess.” Liam said, his voice dripping with admiration. He gently pushed open the massive iron doors, and a subtle creak echoed through the silent Hall. As I stepped inside, I was taken aback by the interior. It was something straight out of a Harry Potter movie. The walls were carved with golden symbols and figures that seemed to come alive the more you looked at them. There were no chairs around, just artistic tapestries that hung on each of the four large windows and a statue that stood in the center of the room. The statue was carved into a beautiful naked woman made from an otherworldly blue stone. She appeared to be in a dancing stance, her outstretched arms cradling a large radiant sphere. At her feet was another statue of a man and a wolf crouched in glorification, their heads bowed. An elevated stone marked with intricate patterns stood in front, and above it, a wide space in the roof allowed sunlight to fall directly on the stone. “That’s the altar.” Wilona’s voice rang out from behind me. I didn't even know when I had gotten to the altar. I found myself inexplicably drawn to it as if some invisible force was pulling me towards it. My fingers began to trace along the elaborate maze of lines etched into it that all led to a round dent in the center of the altar. The moment my fingers skimmed the center, I fell into a trance. I was still in the sanctuary, the altar standing right in front of me but everything felt entirely different. My gaze moved to the opening in the roof, where a magnificent blue moon like nothing I had ever seen shone brilliantly. When I looked back at my hand on the altar, a thin stream of blood winded through the maze and when it converged at the center, I felt an immense surge of energy course through my whole body. I gasped audibly and quickly yanked my hand away from the altar. There was no blood or blue moon anymore. Everything was back to normal. “What happened?” Wilona was by my side in a second, her features etched with concern. “I-I don’t know.” I couldn't even explain what just happened. Traces of the energy I had felt earlier still streamed through my body. “We should head back,” Liam said and I nodded my head. I suddenly felt tired, like touching the altar had drained every strength in me. I made a mental note to never touch it again. The walk back was quiet and less discomforting. I was already starting to get used to the prying eyes and too tired to even care about them. As we approached the house, I immediately noticed the unfamiliar car parked in a spot that hadn't been occupied when we left. Liam, ever the gentleman, opened the door for Wilona and me to step in. Immediately we got in, a familiar deep voice echoed through the room, and my heart instantly began to race against the confines of my chest. “Where the hell have you been!”