The Last Gift

Selene’s gaze lingered on Sophia.

“Every one of your kind has their aim, their motive, what they want, what they need,” Selene said softly. “And perhaps that is where the greed comes from.”

Sophia listened, her hand still resting on the altar.

“Sometimes greed is good,” Selene continued. “Sometimes greed helps you move forward, to become better. It pushes people to strive for more, to reach for things they otherwise wouldn’t dare to dream of.”

She paused, her expression turning thoughtful.

“But too much of everything is bad. Too much of said greed will create a pitfall. A downfall that those involved wouldn’t even recognise. They would be so consumed by their desire that they wouldn’t see the ground crumbling beneath their feet.”

Sophia nodded slowly in understanding.

“And that is Victoria’s issue,” Selene said. “She is so greedy that she cannot see what is good and what is bad. What is evil and what is beneficial. She has lost the ability to differentiate between the two. And that is what will make her fall. That is the exact reason why she will fail.”

Sophia was quiet for a moment, letting the words settle. Victoria had always been driven by an insatiable hunger for more—more power, more control, more of everything she believed she deserved.

“Victoria cannot see beyond her own desire,” Selene said, as if reading her thoughts. “She has blinded herself to the truth. And that blindness will be her undoing.”

There was a beat of silence after that. Sophia expected Selene to continue, but the goddess was quiet, which meant Selene was done with that conversation.

She exhaled slowly, then spoke.

“I know the writings on the altar were to you. That everything was a plea, with a foretelling mixed in too about me.”

Selene smiled gently.

“I know. But it was not yet time for me to send you, so I did not answer their pleas. But you already know that, and this is not a time we should be speaking of the past.”

She paused, and something in her expression shifted. Her form seemed to flicker, the sunlight growing dimmer for just a moment before steadying again.

“This is the last time I may appear in this form,” Selene said, her voice carrying a note of finality. “I have expended most of my power, and the laws binding me from interfering are pulling me back.”

“But before I go,” she continued, “I must tell you something. And I must show you something.”

Sophia’s heart beat faster.

“What is it?”

Selene’s gaze softened.

“Close your eyes.”

Sophia hesitated for a moment, wondering what was going on. But she trusted the goddess, and so she closed her eyes.

“Calm yourself,” Selene said softly. “And think of something.”

Sophia frowned slightly.

“I should just think of something?”

“Think of the future,” Selene replied. “But be more specific. Perhaps five days into the future, perhaps more, perhaps less. But not only that. Think of an event you would like to see. Something you would like to know.”

Sophia was quiet, her mind racing. There were so many things she wanted to know. The future. Whether they would survive. Whether they would be happy.

She exhaled slowly, trying to clear her thoughts.

And then she focused.

The war.

She thought about what else Victoria could be planning. Whether Victoria would have the opportunity to turn things in her favour.

And then—

Her eyes snapped open.

She was no longer in the shrine but in the West.

The air was cold and dry, and the sun hung low on the horizon. She was standing in the midst of a crowd of Enclave warriors. Their armour gleamed in the pale light, and their faces were hard and determined. They were marching forward, their boots pounding against the earth in unison.

And then it shifted.

Suddenly she was inside a tent. The fabric walls fluttered slightly in the wind, and the dim light of a single lantern cast shadows across the space.

Victoria stood at the centre of the tent, her face twisted in annoyance. Her arms were crossed, her jaw tight.

“It’s been five days since we began marching into the North,” she snapped. “Why are we so slow?”

A warrior stepped forward—a captain, perhaps. His armour was more ornate than the others, and his voice was steady despite Victoria’s fury.

“Luna, it’s because the North is not so close. It is far. And besides, there are numerous warriors with us. We cannot move as quickly as a small group.”

Victoria’s expression darkened.

“I don’t care about excuses. I want results. I want the Northern Pack crushed beneath my heel.”

The captain bowed his head.

“We will be there soon. And the pack in the North will not know what hit them.”

Victoria smiled then, a cold, predatory curve of her lips.

“Of course they wouldn’t.”

Sophia’s breath caught in her throat.

The vision shattered, and she was back in the shrine.

She coughed, her body lurching forward as if she had been holding her breath the entire time. The cold stone of the altar was solid beneath her hands, grounding her in the present.

“What happened?” she asked, her voice hoarse.

Selene smiled.

“You saw what you wanted to see. That is your gift, child. Do not forget you are my representation. And though there are restrictions to your gifts, you can use your visions this way. You can be specific in what you want to see. It may not work all the time, but it will help you.”

Sophia was quiet, her mind still reeling from the vision.

Selene continued.

“And also, you should not forget that you can take what makes one of your kind. That power will come in handy after all.”

Sophia looked up.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

Selene’s smile widened, but there was something bittersweet in it.

“It is not me you should thank. But the one you took as your mate.”

Sophia frowned at that.

“What do you mean? He’s not the one who gave me this gift.”