Sem escolha

That day started like any other in my life. The irritating sound of the alarm clock jolted me awake at seven in the morning. There I was, lying on the same old metal bed, staring at the familiar cracks on the ceiling of my room at the orphanage. It was the kind of place where each day felt like a repeat of the last, like an old tape playing the same monotonous song.

I got up slowly, put on my worn clothes, and headed down to the dining hall. The voices of the younger children filled the air, laughing and playing in the courtyard. I used to be like them, but now, with my 18th birthday just behind me, things were different. My time there was running out, and soon I'd have to leave. To where? I had no idea.

While I was eating breakfast, one of the caretakers called me over.

"Selene, can you go pick up the bread from the bakery?"

"Sure," I replied, taking the money she handed me. It was a simple task, something I'd done dozens of times before.

I stepped outside and felt the morning chill wrap around me. The path to the bakery was always the same. I passed the cracked sidewalks and faded storefronts, nodding at familiar faces along the way. But that day, something felt different.

As I walked, I had the unsettling feeling that I was being watched. I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and glanced over my shoulder, but there was no one there. Just the empty street and the cold wind, making dry leaves dance in its wake. I tried to shake it off, but a shiver ran down my spine.

On my way back, carrying the bag of bread in my arms, I saw a man standing in my path. He was tall, with a stern appearance, dressed in a dark overcoat that seemed almost too heavy for him. His eyes, black as the night, were fixed on me.

"Selene?" he said, as if my name were something sacred.

I froze for a moment, clutching the bag of bread to my chest.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" I asked, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

"There's no time for explanations here. They're coming, and you're not safe."

My heart pounded. I didn't know who he was or what he wanted, but something about the urgency in his voice made me uneasy.

"Who's coming?" I asked, my voice shaking despite my best efforts to sound defiant.

Before he could answer, a deep sound echoed through the streets: a howl. It wasn't the sound of an ordinary dog. It was primal, something that reverberated through my bones.

The man stepped forward and grabbed my arm firmly but not harshly.

"Run. Don't look back."

Something in his piercing gaze compelled me to obey. Without thinking twice, I dropped the bag of bread and started running. He guided me through narrow streets and alleyways, his steps quick and purposeful, until we finally stopped in front of an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town.

"What's going on?" I asked, breathless, trying to make sense of why my life suddenly felt like a nightmare.

"You need to listen carefully. My name is Kael, and I'm here to protect you."

"Protect me from what?" I crossed my arms, suspicion lacing my tone.

He took a deep breath, as if carefully choosing his words.

"You're not who you think you are, Selene. You belong to an ancient bloodline, destined to protect something far greater than you can imagine."

My first instinct was to laugh, but the sound came out nervous, almost hysterical.

"You have to be joking. I'm an orphan, that's it. I don't have a bloodline or a destiny or anything close to what you're saying."

Before he could respond, something moved in the shadows. I turned my head and saw a wolf step out of the darkness. It was enormous, with thick fur and glowing yellow eyes that seemed to peer straight into my soul.

"That's... a wolf?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.

"Not just a wolf," Kael said calmly. He positioned himself between me and the animal. "He's part of what we're trying to protect."

The wolf didn't growl or attack. It simply stood there, staring at me. It was both terrifying and mesmerizing.

"Why is it looking at me like that?" I asked, trying to keep my distance.

"Because it can sense who you are," Kael replied, his gaze unwavering. "It knows what you don't yet understand about yourself."

I shook my head, taking a step back.

"No. This is crazy! I'm not any of that. I'm just... just a regular girl."

Kael sighed, as if he'd expected my reaction.

"Believe what you want, but the truth is about to reveal itself."

Before I could say anything, a new sound filled the warehouse: footsteps. Many footsteps. I turned toward the door, fear growing in my chest.

"Who's there?" I asked, but my voice was drowned out by the sound of the door being kicked open.

A group of men stormed in, all moving with an eerie, predatory grace. They didn't seem entirely human; there was something more to them, something that made every nerve in my body scream in warning.

Kael pulled a blade from inside his coat and stepped in front of me.

"Don't let them touch you," he said, not looking back at me. "No matter what happens."

And then, everything erupted into chaos.

The men lunged, and the wolf sprang from the shadows, attacking with a ferocity I had never seen before. Kael moved like he wasn't human either, taking down two men at once with swift, precise strikes. I, on the other hand, stood frozen, completely overwhelmed.

Then one of the men came for me. He reached out, his hand almost brushing against my arm. But before he could touch me, something inside me erupted. A surge of energy coursed through my body, exploding outward like a silent thunderclap. The man was thrown across the room, slamming into the wall and collapsing, unconscious.

Everything stopped. Kael, the wolf, and even the attackers all turned to stare at me.

"What... what was that?" I whispered, staring at my trembling hands.

Kael smiled, despite the chaos surrounding us.

"Welcome to your true self, Selene."