Chapter 13: Confrontation Between Sisters
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"Are you sure you want to go alone?" Rayne asked worriedly, as they had agreed he would wait outside.
Lyra nodded: "There are some things I need to face alone."
Pushing open the familiar door, Lyra felt a sense of disorientation. Everything was just as she remembered, yet subtly different. The maids saw her and curtsied in surprise.
"Lyra?" Eileen's voice came from the stairs, "What an unexpected visit."
Lyra looked up to see her sister gracefully descending the stairs. Eileen was two years older than her, with similar features but sharper. In her previous life, Lyra had always admired her clever and capable sister, until...
"We need to talk," Lyra said calmly.
Eileen raised an eyebrow: "Of course. Let's go to my room."
Eileen's room was as neat and elegant as ever, with various honors she had earned at the Training Camp hanging on the walls. Lyra noticed a small box in the corner, carved with the Karen family crest.
"So, how is life with the Greyson Family?" Irene poured two cups of tea, handed one to Lyra, "Is Rayne treating you well?"
Lyra took the cup, but didn't drink: "Very well. In fact, much better than I expected."
Irene's smile stiffened slightly: "Is that so? I heard he has a peculiar temper, especially during Full Moon Night."
"Just rumors." Lyra looked directly into her sister's eyes, "But I've been having some strange dreams lately, about the Training Camp."
Irene's fingers tightened slightly: "What kind of dreams?"
"I dreamed someone told me Rayne wanted to kill me." Lyra observed her sister's reaction, "Then I ran away, was hunted down, and finally... died. The strange thing is, the person who told me all this looked very much like you."
Irene's face turned pale instantly, but she quickly regained her composure: "Just nightmares. You've always been prone to nightmares."
"Is that so?" Lyra put down her teacup, "Then, could you explain why the Training Camp records show that I left a week early, when in fact I disappeared on the Full Moon Night?"
Eileen's eyes flashed with panic: "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I think you do." Lyra stood up and walked toward the box engraved with the Karen family crest, "Just like you know why Karen gave you this box."
Eileen abruptly stood up: "Don't touch that!"
Lyra turned to face her sister: "Why? Is there something inside that I shouldn't see? Perhaps evidence of your conspiracy with Karen?"
Eileen's expression changed from panic to cold: "You've changed, Lyra. You weren't like this before."
"People always change." Lyra repeated what she had said to Rayne at the wedding, "Especially when they discover they've been betrayed by those closest to them."
Eileen sneered: "Betrayal? I'm just taking back what was rightfully mine. Luna's position should have been mine! Father chose you only because your Silver Fern affinity was stronger, but you don't deserve it at all!"
These words were like a key, unlocking another door in Lyra's memory. In her previous life, Eileen had indeed been jealous of her being selected as the Greyson Family's Luna candidate.
"So you and Karen worked together to set me up." Lyra's voice was ice-cold. "You told me Rayne wanted to kill me, making me flee right into Karen's trap."
A flash of surprise crossed Eileen's eyes, quickly replaced by malice: "How did you know... No, it doesn't matter now. Yes, I did that. But the plan went wrong. Rayne wasn't supposed to go find you; he was supposed to lose his mind on Full Moon Night, unable to leave the castle."
Lyra felt a pang of heartache: "You killed me, and you killed Rayne too."
Aileen sneered: "Stop pretending like you're the victim. You stole everything that should have been mine! Now you're back again, continuing to enjoy Luna's glory. But not for long."
Lyra watched her sister vigilantly: "What do you mean?"
A dangerous light flashed in Aileen's eyes: "Karen has a new plan. This time, neither you nor Rayne will survive. The trial of Moon Shadow Valley is about to begin, and both of you will... accidentally die there."
Lyra felt a chill: "The trial of Moon Shadow Valley?"
"On the full moon night a month from now," Aileen said smugly, "A Wolf Clan traditional ceremony that happens once every ten years. All Alphas and their Lunas must attend. There, your fates will end once again."
Instead of showing fear, Lyra calmly said: "Thank you for the warning, sister. This time, I'll be prepared."
The smile froze on Aileen's face: "You think you can change anything? Fate is already sealed."
Lyra turned to leave, stopping at the doorway: "Fate is never predetermined, sister. This, I understand better than anyone."
