Capítulo 3 The Sanctuary of Shadows

The moment I crossed the threshold into the sanctuary, it felt as if the air itself shifted. It was warmer inside, but not in a comforting way. It wasn't the warmth of a crackling fireplace on a cold night-it was heavy, electric, like the air before a thunderstorm. Every instinct in my body told me I shouldn't be here, yet I kept moving forward, one shaky step at a time.

The interior of the sanctuary was nothing like I had expected. The circular walls were lined with wooden beams carved with intricate symbols that seemed to glow faintly under the flickering light of torches. At the center of the room, a massive fire pit burned, its flames licking upward in hues of gold and blue. Around the fire stood a group of people, their faces shadowed but their presence undeniable.

They were waiting for me.

"Selene," Kael said, his voice low but steady. He stood slightly behind me, as if encouraging me to step forward on my own.

The weight of their stares made my skin crawl. I wanted to speak, to demand answers, but my mouth felt dry, and my thoughts were a tangled mess.

Finally, one of them broke the silence.

"She looks like her."

The voice belonged to a woman-tall, with dark skin and piercing amber eyes that seemed to glow in the firelight. Her hair was braided tightly against her head, and she carried herself with the kind of authority that made you want to stand up straighter just by being near her.

"Like who?" I asked, my voice cracking slightly.

"Your mother," the woman said, her gaze unwavering.

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My mother. A figure I had imagined in countless dreams but never truly known.

"You knew her?" I managed to ask.

The woman nodded. "We all did. She was one of us."

The air in my lungs felt thin, like I couldn't quite catch my breath. "What do you mean, one of you?"

Kael stepped forward then, his presence reassuring even though I still didn't fully trust him. "Selene, this is the clan. These are the people your parents fought alongside. Your bloodline is deeply tied to theirs. That's why you're here."

Another voice chimed in, this one deep and rough, belonging to a man with a broad build and a scar running down the side of his face. "She doesn't look ready. Bringing her here could be a mistake."

I bristled at his words, the fear in my chest giving way to irritation. "I'm right here, you know. You don't have to talk about me like I'm not."

The man narrowed his eyes at me, but before he could respond, the woman held up a hand, silencing him.

"Forgive us," she said, her tone softer now. "You've been thrown into a world you don't understand. I imagine it feels overwhelming."

"You could say that," I muttered, crossing my arms.

The woman stepped closer, stopping just a few feet away from me. "My name is Nyra. I'm the leader of this clan, and I swear to you, we mean you no harm. But there are things you need to know. Things your parents never had the chance to teach you."

I swallowed hard, my throat tight. "Like what?"

Nyra gestured toward the fire. "Sit with us. We'll explain everything."

I hesitated, glancing back at Kael, who gave me a slight nod of encouragement. The wolf, who had been lying quietly near the entrance, stood and padded over to the fire, settling down beside it like it belonged there.

Taking a deep breath, I moved forward and sat on the edge of the circle. The others followed suit, their faces illuminated by the flickering flames.

"Your bloodline," Nyra began, her voice steady and clear, "is one of the oldest and most powerful in existence. We call it the Lunar Lineage. Your ancestors were the guardians of the Balance, a fragile state that keeps the human world and the primal forces in harmony."

"The Balance," I repeated, the words foreign on my tongue.

"Yes," Nyra said. "For centuries, our world has coexisted with forces most humans cannot see or comprehend. Wolves, like the one you saw tonight, are part of those forces. They're not ordinary animals-they're primal spirits, embodiments of nature's raw power. And your bloodline is connected to them."

I glanced at the wolf, its glowing eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my skin prickle. "Why me? Why my family?"

"Because your lineage was chosen," Nyra said simply.

"Chosen by who?"

"By the spirits themselves," she said, her tone reverent. "Long ago, your ancestors made a pact with the primal forces. In exchange for their protection, your bloodline would serve as their guardians, ensuring the Balance remained intact."

I shook my head, trying to process her words. "But I didn't agree to any of this. I didn't even know this world existed until today."

Nyra's expression softened. "I know it feels unfair. Your parents didn't want this life for you, which is why they hid you away. But the Balance is breaking, and the forces that oppose it know who you are. They will stop at nothing to destroy you."

My stomach churned at the memory of the men who had attacked us earlier. "Who were they?" I asked. "The ones who came after me?"

"They're part of a group called the Umbra," Nyra said, her voice laced with disdain. "They seek to shatter the Balance and unleash chaos. Your power threatens their plans, which is why they're hunting you."

The weight of her words pressed down on me, threatening to crush me. "What kind of power?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Nyra exchanged a glance with Kael before answering. "The energy you unleashed earlier-that's just the beginning. Your connection to the primal forces runs deep, and in time, you'll learn to harness it. But for now, it's raw, unpredictable, and dangerous."

"Dangerous to who?"

"To everyone," Nyra said bluntly. "Including yourself."

I stared into the fire, the flames dancing as if mocking the storm inside me. My life had always been so small, so insignificant. Now, I was being told that I was part of something ancient and powerful, something that could tip the scales of the entire world.

"What happens now?" I asked, my voice hollow.

Nyra's gaze softened. "Now, we train you. You need to understand your power, your connection to the pack, and the role you were born to play. Without that knowledge, you won't survive what's coming."

The word survive sent a chill through me. This wasn't just about learning who I was-it was about staying alive.

I looked around the circle, at the faces of the clan members. Some were wary, others curious, but there was no mistaking the undercurrent of urgency in their expressions.

"I don't know if I can do this," I admitted, my voice cracking.

"You can," Kael said from across the fire, his tone firm. "Because you have to."

Nyra nodded. "Your parents believed in you, Selene. Now, you need to believe in yourself."

Their words lingered in the air, heavy with expectation. Part of me wanted to run, to pretend none of this was real. But another part-the part that had unleashed that strange power earlier-was awakening. It whispered that I couldn't ignore this, that it was only the beginning.

I clenched my fists, the flickering flames reflecting in my eyes.

"Then teach me," I said, my voice steady despite the fear gnawing at my chest. "If this is my destiny, I need to understand it."

Nyra smiled, a hint of pride in her expression. "Good. Because the real fight begins now."