MARKED BY THE MOON; SHE WHO SHINES IN BLACK

Dahlia's POV

There I was—sitting in class, my heart pounding still replaying what just happened in my head. Did I just escape bully with the help of a system? I gazed back to meet the stare of the furious faces of my bullies. Their disappointed faces gave me a kind of relief. Students chuckled from all angles of the class as no one dared laugh aloud in Ms Hale's class. Once she turned from the board, everything went silent.

[SYSTEM NOTE: USER INSTINCT RESPONSE – ACTIVATED. LEVEL: 1.]

Oh sure, System, no big deal. I just dodged a glitter bomb mid-class like some plus-sized ninja. That's totally normal. It happens every day, right?

By the time Ms Hale resumed her creepy lecture, I was no longer hearing her words. My head was buzzing, but not in a cute, romantic way. More like a horror movie sound effect before the killer shows up. A lot was going on in my brain, each time she mentioned the bloodline, something shifted in me. Something I couldn't explain, and I was sure it wasn't the newfound system.

I survived the rest of the class pretending to take notes but really just scribbling "WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO ME" a dozen different ways in the margins of my notebook. The bell rang, and the rest of the students filed out like they'd been freed from prison. I walked more slowly and carefully, as though the floor might fall out from under me.

Back in my room, I slammed the door, locked it, and threw my backpack across the bed. Then I stood in front of the mirror. Just stood and stared at my reflection, with the hope of seeing who I was gradually turning into.

And then I saw a faint flicker of black glow in my body. This wasn't my usual under-eye circles or the normal shadow of forgotten joy that had clung to me since I lost my Grandmother. It was a soft black shimmer under my skin. Like my bones were glowing. It was like something was moving under my flesh, and didn’t care if I was scared. It remained on my skin like it was sent there.

“What the hell…” I whispered.

I leaned closer and rubbed my eyes. Maybe they aren't seeing properly again. I mean, a lot had happened since I clocked seventeen. I might have also lost the ability to see well. But the glow was still there.

[SYSTEM ONLINE. MOON-BLESSED CONFIRMED. BLOOD ACTIVATION IN PROGRESS.]

“Oh come on,” I groaned. “What does that even mean? Blood activation? I’m not a damn iPhone.”

I slapped my cheeks, but there I was, still glowing.

The mirror stared back at me as it knew too much, and I stared harder.

Was this what the students who had bullied me earlier in class saw? Was that why they threw that perfume bottle? Maybe my black glow scent was disturbing their nostrils. They're wolves and good with scents.

I stepped away and began pacing. My hoodie because too hot, my skin tingled like I was about to burst out of it. I pulled it off, and the glow danced across my forearms, like moonlight trying to sneak out of my pores.

I did what any rational girl would do. I ran to the bathroom, shut the lights, and locked the door like I was about to perform a ritual. In the darkness, the glow got stronger.

Faint black veins shimmered beneath my skin, weaving patterns up my arms like vines. My body didn’t feel like mine anymore. It felt ancient. Like someone had lived in it before me.

I sank to the floor.

“What are you turning me into?” I asked the empty room.

[SYSTEM RESPONSE: UNLOCKING HERITAGE MEMORIES. STANDBY.]

“Yeah, well, I didn’t consent to any of this,” I muttered. “So go ahead and keep your creepy blood stories to yourself.”

Suddenly, my vision swirled. I was no longer in the bathroom.

I saw flashes—memories, maybe. Or hallucinations. A giant black wolf running through a silver forest. A woman with glowing eyes whispering my name. A burning castle. And moonlight—everywhere.

I came back to the bathroom floor, gasping as I had just drowned in myth.

“Okay,” I whispered. “I’m either the chosen one or I need very strong meds.”

Still buzzing, I dragged myself back to my bed. I lay down like someone who just escaped a cult meeting. I promised I was never going to skip meals again, but right now it's not looking like I was ready to keep that promise. There was no way I would go out this way.

The System was quiet now. But my skin wasn’t. It hummed like it was waiting for what I didn’t know.

There was a knock on my door.

I sat upright. My heart nearly exploded. Who the hell would knock on my door? No one ever knocked on my door. People avoided me like I was contagious. I hope the knock wasn't coming from my head again.

I tiptoed to the door, peeked through the peephole, but all I saw was an empty hallway.

Another knock came, and this time it was from the window.

I turned slowly. Then I saw a note stuck to the glass. I opened the window and grabbed it.

"We saw what happened in class. Don’t think you’re safe now."

There was no name or signature on the note, but I didn't need anyone to tell me who they were. The twin. Brigg. Chloe. The Royal Rejects of course.

My fingers trembled with full power, but not with fear. This would be the first time since I was admitted to Northmont High that I wasn't feeling helpless, thanks to my newfound system.

I shoved the note into my drawer and shut it.

I went back to the mirror. The glow was still there. Like it had always been inside me, waiting.

"I dare them," I muttered.

And the System responded:

[SYSTEM MODE: READY. USER STATUS: AWAKE.]