Chapter One: The Slave with No Name

  The stone corridors of Astravel’s palace were cold, just like the people who ruled it. Ashley walked barefoot through the dimly lit halls, carrying a heavy bucket of water. The rough edges of the metal bit into her palms, but she kept moving. Servants weren’t allowed to rest.

  She passed a massive tapestry woven with gold threads. It depicted the royal bloodline of Astravel, standing tall in their werewolf forms. Only royals could shift. That was the law of the kingdom.

  Ashley had no wolf. No noble blood. At least, that’s what she had always been told.

  But the dreams…

  Every night, she saw a kingdom in flames, wolves slaughtered in the streets, and a woman’s voice calling her name. And always, there was the crescent moon, glowing over a battlefield soaked in blood.

  Ashley shook the thoughts away. It didn’t matter. The past was nothing but ashes now.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  A Harsh Reality

  "Ashley!"

  She turned just as a sharp slap cracked across her cheek. Pain stung her face, but she refused to cry out. Lady Marion, one of the palace nobles, stood before her, eyes cold with cruelty.

  "You clumsy rat," Marion sneered. "You spilled water on my gown yesterday. Do you know what that means?"

  Ashley kept her gaze lowered. She knew what it meant.

  "Punishment."

  The guards grabbed Ashley’s arms. Fear clawed at her chest, but she bit her lip, refusing to beg.

  Marion smirked, stepping closer. "You don’t belong here, orphan. You’re nothing. No family, no bloodline… nothing but a stray dog pretending to be human."

  The words should have meant nothing. But they struck something inside her. A spark—an anger she didn’t understand.

  She clenched her fists. The air around her felt… strange. The torches on the walls flickered as if responding to something unseen.

  Marion noticed it too. She frowned. "What the—"

  A loud boom echoed outside the palace walls.

  The ground trembled beneath them. The guards released Ashley, staggering to keep their balance.

  Shouts erupted from the corridors. Something was happening.

  Marion turned away from Ashley, suddenly more interested in the commotion. "Find out what’s going on," she ordered the guards.

  Ashley didn’t wait to be dismissed. She grabbed the bucket and hurried away, heart pounding.

  Whatever was happening outside, she had a feeling it was just the beginning.

  —