Moonlight Princess

Out of the ashes

'The rose is the flower and handmaiden of love, while the lily is the emblem of beauty and purity. When these flowers bloom, so does hope.'

My nana's words come to mind as the smell of roses and lilies awakens my senses.

I feel as if the fog in my mind has been lifted.

The scattered thoughts began to gather.

Confusion, anger, pain, and fear. That's what I felt as the urge to run overtook my body.

The pitch-dark room was now gleaming with the moonlight reflected through the shattered glass. I lifted my body from the ground, the chains holding me down long broken, and at that moment, like a phoenix born from its own ashes, I felt alive again.

I climbed out the tiny window and let the fresh air fill my lungs.

The cloudy night sky was a sight I never thought I would get to enjoy again. Drops of rain hit my body as the flowery scent invaded my being. I felt attracted to it as if it had enchanted me, completely dominating my very being. Before I knew it, I had started to follow it. My subconsciousness wanted me to follow it.

But the sound of an alarm broke me out of my trance.

I knew it was only a matter of time before the nurses realized I was gone, but I wouldn't let myself fall prey to them again.

I was finally out.

And so I ran into the cold night, not caring what my destination could be. Anywhere was better than here.

Anywhere was better than at the Institution.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Three months after escaping the Institution...

I still have nightmares about the time I spent there. I barely ever sleep, and when I do, I find myself screaming in the middle of the night. I spent three months wandering aimlessly, not knowing what to do with my life but doing everything I could to survive.

I was no saint. Stealing, selling drugs, beating creditors on behalf of my employer... I did everything I could, trying my best to endure.

I was someone who couldn't even look at a corpse, but now, I have lost count of all the people I killed. The only thing that gave me peace was the thought that they deserved it. They were all criminals. That's how my head made peace with my heart after every single corpse left behind.

But I never killed an innocent.

So, when my employer asked me to kill an elderly man just so he could demolish his property and build a casino, I couldn't do it.

Instead, I fought with those who came after him.

I saved Mr. White, and in return, he took me in.

He provided me with shelter and food, and when he died, he left all his riches as my inheritance. It is thanks to him that I now have money.

And it is thanks to him that I have found a purpose in my life.

As part of my inheritance, he left me a letter and a map.

A map filled with cities and establishments not shown on the human map or GPS. There were all places inhabited by people like me. People who are different.

People who are... supernatural.

Mr. White was a druid. He possessed knowledge far beyond his years, and he knew what I was.

A troubled werewolf who needed answers.

Mr. White guided me to a place called the Shadow Wolf pack and told me to look for the Alpha, as he would help me.

Now, a year after escaping the Institution, I find myself in the middle of the woods, mesmerized by the beautiful scent of roses and lilies.

In front of me, the silhouette of a man shone under the moonlight.

"My mate... the Moon is witness to how long I have waited for you."