Chapter 1

I stood in the trial hall, surrounded by complete silence. All eyes were on me, cold and unfeeling. Every gaze felt like a blade piercing my soul, and I could hardly breathe.

“Omega Selene Blackthorn,” the Clan Leader's voice was heavy, as if each word was weighted with judgment, “you are accused of plagiarism and the betrayal of our pack.”

I lowered my head, unwilling to meet anyone’s gaze.

I couldn’t let them see the fear and despair in my eyes. I had been raised in the Blackstone Valley, considered a prodigy, the Omega with the greatest potential.

How had it all come to this? How could they label me a traitor?

“Do you admit to copying Alpha Kael Stormfang’s spirit imprint?” The Clan Leader’s voice cut through the silence again, sharper than a blade.

“I… I didn’t,” I whispered, my voice hoarse, barely a sound.

I knew this was a lie. I hadn’t plagiarized. Alpha Kael had made up the accusation, using his influence to tear me apart. He knew what I was capable of, what I could become, and he feared me. So he had orchestrated this entire plot, to ruin me.

But now, I couldn’t argue. I was powerless. I could only bow my head and accept this false accusation. No matter what I said, no one would believe me.

“Alpha Kael Stormfang, please step forward to testify,” the Clan Leader finally declared, turning to Alpha Kael.

I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, but I knew, I could feel him there. The silver robe, the cold air around him. The man who had once sworn to stand by my side, now standing as my accuser.

Alpha Kael slowly walked toward me and stopped right in front of me. His gaze was distant, cold, filled with the same indifferent superiority that I had seen before. His eyes held no warmth, no compassion—just the unmistakable contempt.

“I am here to testify,” Alpha Kael said, his voice like ice, unwavering.

From his coat, he produced the spirit imprint stone and handed it to the Clan Leader. The stone glowed with a cold, pale light, as if it was some relic from the underworld, emanating an aura of suppression that I couldn’t shake off.

“She plagiarized my spirit imprint,” Alpha Kael continued, his voice betraying no emotion. “This is the truth. I wrote it myself, and she had no right to it. She doesn’t have the talent to create such work.”

My heart felt like it was being torn apart. The man I loved, the one who had promised me a future together, was now pushing me into the abyss.

“Please, execute the imprint ritual,” the Clan Leader ordered.

Alpha Kael raised the imprint stone in his hand. The flame ignited immediately, engulfing the stone in a blazing fire. The heat was unbearable, searing through my body. I could feel the pain all over me, deep within my soul.

“Endure, my Luna,” Alpha Kael whispered in my ear, his voice too soft, too cruel. “This is for our future.”

His hand was on my shoulder, and his voice, so gentle, felt like a blade. His affection was nothing more than a tool for his control.

I couldn’t bear it anymore. The flames were burning my skin, my soul. I couldn’t scream; the fire was consuming everything. All I could feel was the overwhelming agony. I wanted to disappear, to escape. But there was nowhere to run.

Just before I lost consciousness, I heard the faintest soul transmission from Beta Sable and Alpha Kael:

“Everything is going according to plan. Her bloodline power has finally been triggered.”

Alpha Kael’s voice followed: “Once her bloodline power is awakened, we’ll be able to fully activate the ‘Shadow King’s Imprint.’”

I realized, in that moment, that it was never an accident. It was their plan from the start. My blood, my power, had been the prize all along.

As the flames consumed me, I felt my body fall into the abyss—the Blood Moon Cliff.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in a strange place. There were no flames, no trial hall. I looked up at the moonlight, and it bathed my face in a soft glow.

I wasn’t dead. My body, though beaten, still breathed. But what I felt wasn’t just pain; I felt power—something unfamiliar, something raw.

I opened my eyes wide. A strange energy stirred within me, and I could see a dark golden mark glimmering in my eyes. It was unmistakable: the sign of the awakening of the Shadow Queen bloodline.

“I’ve been reborn…” I whispered to myself.

I knew everything now. I knew their lies. I knew their plan. And I knew that I had power, power I could use to take control of my destiny.

Yet, despite knowing everything, a single thought lingered in my mind, making my heart tremble: “What if he really does love me this time?”