“Maybe, just maybe someone saw your chats with the AI, you know? Stuff like that happens,” Mira said, trying to sound reassuring.
She carefully wrapped the necklace back up and handed it to Ria. Ria accepted it slowly, her fingers trembling against the velvet box, still visibly stunned. The heat of the diamonds felt heavy like a brand.
“Who was he?” Ria asked quietly, turning her frantic gaze to Mira.
“Oh, come on Ria,” Serene cut in with a mocking laugh swirling the remaining wine in her glass. “A girl like you doesn’t just magically know a guy like that.”
She smirked wickedly before lifting her drink back to her lips. “Anyway birthday girl, you—”
“Happy birthday Ria.”
Another voice interrupted the venomous remark.
Ria turned sharply and found Dan standing just on the edge of the firelight, holding out a plush bouquet of red roses. A soft relieved smile spread across Ria's face as she accepted the stems.
“Dan,” she whispered, her heart finally slowing down. “Thanks for coming I..”
“Dan!”
Serene suddenly squealed throwing herself dramatically into his arms before Ria could even finish. Dan stiffened awkwardly at first, his eyes darting to Ria before he forced a polite strained smile onto his face.
“Serene, can you just at least act normal for once?” Mira snapped, glaring at the girl with pure irritation.
Serene slowly released him, rolling her eyes with a theatrical sigh. “Relax Miss Perfect. What now?”
“Ladies,” Dan interrupted quickly, stepping between them before the tension could grow any worse. “Today is Ria’s birthday, and I actually have something important to say.”
His gaze shifted back to Ria, his amber eyes softening. “Come with me.”
“Go on, birthday witch,” Serene muttered under her breath, a sly, knowing smile playing on her lips.
Mira shot her a vicious look, but Serene immediately looked away, completely unfazed.
Ria ignored the toxic comment burying her anxiety as she followed Dan toward the center of the bonfire. Music played loudly around them vibrating through the sand, while small groups of students danced nearby under the pulsing glow of the flickering flames. Dan stopped walking near the heat of the fire and gently took Ria’s hand in his.
“Everyone,” he announced, his voice carrying nervously over the music. “I’ve wanted to say this for a long time. And since today is Ria’s eighteenth birthday… I’m hoping she’ll finally give me a chance.”
The crowd reacted immediately. Murmurs, sharp whistles and soft laughter rippled through the gathering of students. Dan turned fully toward her, locking his gaze onto her pale face.
“Ria Smith, will you be my girlfriend?
Ria’s breath caught completely in her throat. Her heart pounded wildly against her ribs. No one had ever confessed to her before. She was always the invisible girl,Slowly she looked over her shoulder toward Mira who smiled warmly and gave an encouraging nod.
“I…” Ria began softly, the word trembling on her lips.
“Dan,” Serene’s voice suddenly cut through the silence.
The playful tone was entirely gone from her voice.
“Remember the story.”
The atmosphere on the beach shifted instantly. The music seemed to fade as a heavy, toxic quiet rushed over the students. Ria turned sharply toward the girl.
“What story?”
Dan’s expression stiffened into granite, but his fingers still held her hand. Ria looked between both of them, her stomach twisting into a tight knot.
“Serene what are you talking about?”
Serene avoided her eyes, suddenly staring down at the sand.
“Ria, don’t listen to her,” Mira said quickly, stepping forward to block Serene. “She’s probably just jealous.”
“No!” Ria snapped suddenly pulling her hand completely away from Dan’s grip. She took a step back her eyes scanning the crowd. “Can someone please tell me what’s going on? Why did everyone suddenly go quiet?”
Nobody answered.
“I...” Serene started but Mira stepped in and pinched her arm hard, digging her nails into the girl's skin.
“Stop it,” Mira hissed through her teeth.
“Stop what? Ria shouted, turning toward her only friend, her voice cracking with betrayal. “Mira, I want the truth. Right now.”
She looked back at Serene, her chest heaving as she breathed hard.
Serene slowly freed herself from Mira’s grip, wiping her arm before stepping closer to Ria, a cold and cruel smile spreading across her lips.
“Ask your mother why people call her a witch,” Serene said her voice dropping to a harsh whisper that carried perfectly through the quiet. “And ask what really killed your father.”
Ria froze, the blood draining from her face.
Serene leaned in slightly, her scent sour with malice. “It runs in the blood, Ria.”
A cruel, mocking laugh escaped her lips.
Ria looked at Mira, but Mira immediately looked away, guilt written across every line of her face. Ria turned to Dan, her eyes pleading, but he avoided her gaze too staring at his boots. Her chest tightened painfully, a physical ache lancing through her heart.
Everyone around her had gone silent.
The sound of rain suddenly filled the air, heavy, freezing droplets beginning to pour from the dark sky, instantly hissing against the edges of the bonfire. Ria stepped back slowly, her body shaking from the inside out.
Then, she turned and ran.
“Ria!” Mira called after her, her voice desperate over the sound of the downpour.
But Ria didn’t stop. The freezing rain soaked through her clothes instantly, pasting her hair to her face as hot tears streamed freely down her cheeks. She kept running across the wet sand, away from the light, until she finally collapsed behind a parked car,
Clutching her purse tightly against her chest, she slid down onto the wet ground. Her heart ached violently, a deep, hollow wound. The rain poured endlessly over her trembling body as she curled into a ball and cried.
After what felt like hours she shakily pulled out her phone.
The soft, blue glow of the screen illuminated her tear-streaked face. The AI interface was open, the loading light pulsing quietly.
“M-Mobo…” she whispered brokenly into the microphone, her voice shuddering against the glass. “They said I’m a witch. They said my mother is one too.”
Her voice cracked, a sob catching in her throat. “All this time… she hid everything from me.”
She hugged her knees tighter against the cold steel of the car. “I just want to disappear somewhere nobody knows me. Somewhere peaceful. Somewhere I won’t be recognized… not even by my mother.”
Tears blurred her vision again, distorting the digital light.
“I want someone to love me genuinely Mobo. Someone I can call my first love.”
For a long moment, the phone remained completely silent. The algorithm didn't type.
Then, Mobo’s voice spoke softly from the speaker, “Ria… go home. Ask your mother the truth then get some sleep.”
Ria shook her head violently against her knees. “No. I don’t want to hear anything from her.” Her expression darkened with a raw, bitter pain. “Right now, I’d rather marry a ruthless stranger than stay with someone who lied to me my entire life.”
“Ria,” Mobo warned gently, the digital cadence glitching slightly. “Be careful what you wish for.”
“I don’t care,” she whispered into the rain. “I just want to leave. Even if it’s only for one year.”
A brief and terrifying silence followed. The blue light on the screen flared blindingly bright for a single second.
“Your wish is granted, Ria.”
Ria frowned immediately, wiping the water from her eyes as she looked down at the screen. “What did you just say?”
No response came. The phone had gone entirely black, the battery instantly drained to zero.
Still shaking and numb from the cold, Ria eventually stood up and walked back to the house through the endless rain. The house was completely dark and quiet when she entered the front hallway. Carefully, she unlocked the front door and tiptoed up the stairs to her room, making sure her wet boots didn't wake her mother.
Once inside, she locked the door behind her, leaning against the wood.
Her body trembled violently from the cold and absolute emotional exhaustion. She stripped off the soaked gown, changed into dry pajamas, and collapsed onto the mattress.
Almost instantly, a heavy, unnatural sleep claimed her.
“Hey… Charlotte!”
Cold, freezing water splashed violently across her face.
Ria gasped, coughing as she jolted upright on the hard ground. Her surroundings were completely terrifyingly different.
A massive, ancient citadel stood high on a jagged cliff nearby, built from brilliant white stone like something pulled straight from a fantasy movie. Tall, imposing towers stretched into the gray sky while silver flags danced wildly in the biting wind.
Children ran across a stone courtyard nearby, laughing and chasing butterflies, dressed in elegant, modern clothing unlike anything she had ever seen. Nearby, rows of armed men were training, the sharp ring of iron swords echoing through the air.
Ria’s breathing quickened into a panic. She looked down at her own body. She was dressed just like them. A stunning silver outfit was wrapped tightly around her body, decorated with shimmering, intricate details that caught the sharp sunlight.
“Charlotte!”
The angry, commanding voice shouted again.
Ria looked up sharply. A tall heavily built man stood directly before her, his hand resting on the hilt of a sword at his side. His cold, dark eyes locked onto hers with pure irritation and disgust.
“Because I threw you out last night for failing to clean yourself properly, you decided to sleep out here?” he barked, his voice laced with absolute contempt. “You left your husband hungry, you useless woman.”
Ria’s blood ran entirely cold.
“H-Husband?”
Before she could even react or pull away, the man reached down, grabbed her arm roughly, and yanked her upright off the cold stone.
A sharp spike of pain shot through her wrist instantly from his grip.
“Are you deaf?” he snarled, leaning into her face. “Or is the trash you drank last night finally rotting your brain, worthless Luna?”
Ria stared at his face in absolute horror. This wasn't Dan.
“How did I end up married to someone like you?” he continued angrily, releasing her arm with a harsh shove. “Now move. The Moon from the Royal Pack arrives today. Go clean up this mess immediately.”
He shoved her aside and stormed off toward the citadel, his heavy boots clicking against the rock.
Ria staggered backward, her mind completely disoriented, the world spinning around her. A little girl nearly bumped into her hip while running past after a butterfly.
Ria quickly reached out, grabbing the girl's small shoulders gently to stop her. “Wait… please. Where am I?”
The little girl stopped, blinking up at her with a strange, hesitant look. “Shadow Pack,” she answered slowly, surprise written all over her face.
Ria’s heart pounded even harder against her ribs, a suffocating weight pressing on her lungs. She pointed a shakily, trembling finger toward the large man who had just walked away.
“W-Who was that?”
The little girl looked even more confused now, tilting her head as she stared at Ria’s silver dress.
“That’s Alpha Klein,” the girl said softly. “Your husband.”
She tilted her head further, her eyes wide. “How could you forget your own mate?”