Luna's scream pierces my ears, and everything around fades back into the forest again. This time, she isn't pretending anymore. A magic circle has appeared under us. I growl. I can feel Liam, but he's gone from my vision. She's blinding me somehow, but I don't care. She can win the visual battle, but my mind is where I need it to be, and crystal clear.
"Stop it, Luna," I growl.
"You think you can beat the curse? She's like you," she hisses. "You're just like her, and once you experience her pain, you'll give in too. You're a wolf, like her, and once your mate is gone..."
"Like you, you mean?"
She freezes, and I snicker. I knew it. I struggle to stand back up, but I feel Liam's hands helping me get back on my feet. Although I can't see him, his strong embrace is all I need. I know he'll never let go as long as I need him. I swallow my tears. I am not giving in to her charade.
"Enough..." she hisses.
"No, you're the one who should have enough," I retort. "Enough of your lies. You know, I knew there was something wrong about that whole curse thing from the start, Luna."
"Shut up!"
"It didn't hit me at first, when I heard the tale for the first time. The wolf and the witch, it fit with everything we knew about the curse, the witches, the Royals. Except that... there was something that didn't make sense. I can't believe I missed it."
She stays silent, but her eyes are glaring at me. The black markings on her body are shining.
"Why would the witches be the one to suffer?" I continue. "It was Nephera's story that made me realize it. If you look at the picture, she was the main victim of that curse. She lost her child, she suffered the most, and went insane until she attacked her own sister. Sure, the man she had once loved went crazy, but... why did the Black Brothers' mom not get affected by the curse? At first, I bought the whole motherly protection thing. Perhaps there is some truth in it… but even if it was true, why would Nephera have been the one driven crazy by the curse, consumed by it? If the Witch Luna had placed the curse, it should have attacked the male werewolves, but not the witches. Why would she have cursed her own daughters? Why would my mother have been cursed, and Clarissa too? Nephera, and all the other witches, just for falling in love with a wolf? Only to be abandoned and suffer more when they would meet their mate. Why?"
She steps back, looking defiant, and I step forward, ignoring all the fatigue and pain. I know I have the pieces to all of this. I can see the doubt in her eyes. She even has trouble keeping up appearances. The witch from before had long red hair, but now, that hair is getting brighter and clearer. I can see behind her mask, behind her spell. I'm breaking free from her magic, and she knows it. The spell is being lifted, and the forest is slowly disappearing. I see the dark sky, the thunderstorm, the fire, the golems. I feel Liam even closer, I see his arms wrapped around me.
"There were two witches in that tale," I continue, determined. "Luna, the original witch, and Luna, the original werewolf, who received magic powers. ...This is the real reason all the witches before me have failed, isn't it? They tried to stop a curse created by a witch, they thought they could reason with her, stop her, that they would be able to relate to the witch. They had no idea what they were really dealing with, and they were all wrong."
I chuckle. Moon Goddess, finally... finally, I'm getting to her. I don't feel sad, nor do I feel happy about it. I'm just... so calm. It's even weird how calm and composed I am right now. I understand, and I see the truth. I take another step, and once again, she retreats. She's almost acting as if she's scared of me now.
"That's right," I whisper. "I know who you really are, why I am the one you couldn't stop. You did this whole charade to try and stop me, but it won't work, not on me. Because I'm not just a witch. We're the same, aren't we? Both werewolf and witch. You're not Luna the Witch, you're the other one in the story. You made me feel your pain. ...Luna the Wolf's pain."
I see the shock in her eyes. She stares at me, completely stunned, her disguise slowly falling in front of my eyes. It's as if while she is recovering her appearance, she finally leaves me, and I feel like Mara again, without any confusion. I'm still half trapped in that strange forest, but at least I see my body for what it is. I glance to the side, and Liam's name is gone from the tombstone, replaced by letters in a language unknown to me... Although I already knew, I can't help but feel relieved seeing that it's gone. I hold Liam's hand a bit tighter, knowing he won't let go of me.
"Luna... you have to stop all of this now," I mutter.
"Don't call me that!" she suddenly yells.
Her scream throws a monstrous blow at us, like a gigantic slap that burns our faces and forces us to step back. For me, it's like a gigantic wave of that dark aura, but Liam's groan lets me know that he felt it too. Still, we manage to keep standing, and I take another deep breath. I need to have more time, save enough energy to fuel up my magic again... I feel drained for now, and I probably used too much during that illusion without even knowing...
"But it is your name, isn't it," I resume, determined. "The only name you knew, the one she gave you. You can take mine or anyone's you want, it won't change a thing, it won't change the past. No matter whose name you put on that tombstone, it can't change the truth, Luna. You can change your name, but you can't really give that pain to anyone."
"You know nothing," she hisses, pushing her white hair back. "You know nothing of the pain I went through. Should I make you lose your mate too so you understand?!"
I growl furiously, warning her. If she touches one hair on Liam's head... I step to make sure I'm still standing between him and her, just in case.
"What?" she smirks. "Are you scared now, brave Mara? Don’t you think you could withstand the pain that I felt?"
"You have to stop that stupid lie of yours! You wanted all the wolves to put the blame on Luna the Witch so you could feel fucking sorry for yourself and have them pity you and hate witches on top of that!"
"That's all she deserves!"
Another blow, and this time, I feel Liam holding and pushing me to stay standing, his growls in my ears. I'm glad he's supporting me, because I don't think I'd have the strength to fight this otherwise. I can endure the pain it blows at my face, but it burns, and I'm too tired to keep standing for now. I hope I can win more time and make her talk, because otherwise, she'll kill us both right here before I can reason with her...
I try to look around, and my vision is starting to adjust and ignore the fake vision of snow around me. I can see the darker, muddy ground underneath, and more importantly, the silhouettes of all the fights happening not far from us. I think I see more of their auras rather than the actual people, though, in particular the bright white and gold ones next to me.
"Nora and Selena?" I mutter.
"You can't see them?" worries Liam.
"Sort of..."
