Rebirth Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 156: Echoes Of Another Life

Tiana’s POV

I was getting so frustrated. The wooden staff felt like it was a part of me, but every time Cecilia swung at me, I barely blocked in time. I was sweating like crazy, and my breathing was super ragged. Cecilia was too good; her movements were so precise and fast.

"Again," she said, her eyes staring right through me. I swallowed hard and gripped my staff tighter. My muscles were killing me, and my legs felt like jelly. But I couldn't stop now. I had to keep going.

Cecilia pretended to swing at me from the left, and then she actually swung at my ribs. I barely dodged in time, and the tip of her staff scratched my side. Ow! That hurt.

"You're still hesitating," Cecilia said, stepping back. "Your body knows what to do, but your mind is getting in the way." She looked at me like I was disappointing her or something.

I nodded, trying to catch my breath. I knew she was right. I just needed to relax and trust myself. But it was hard when Cecilia was being so tough on me. I gripped my staff again, ready to try again. Hopefully, I won't mess up this time.

I swallowed, my pulse hammering in my ears.

"I don’t understand," I admitted, breathless. "Erika was a warrior, wasn’t she? Why does it feel like I’m learning from scratch?"

Cecilia studied me, her expression unreadable. "Because you are not Erika."

The words hit harder than I expected. I had thought having a strong body, a powerful wolf, would make things easier. That all I had to do was step into Erika’s skin, and the rest would follow. But it wasn’t that simple.

Before I could respond, something strange happened.

A sharp, electric jolt ran through my skull. My vision blurred, and suddenly, I wasn’t in the clearing anymore.

I was on a battlefield.

The scent of blood and smoke filled the air. Bodies littered the ground, and a vicious snarl echoed through the chaos. My heart pounded—not in fear, but in something else.

Victory.

A woman stood at the centre of the slaughter, her black hair slicked with sweat and blood. She held a sword in one hand, her golden eyes burning with rage.

“Fall back! Regroup at the ridge!” she commanded.

Her voice—my voice—rang with authority. The warriors obeyed without question.

And then it was gone.

I stumbled back, gasping. The forest rushed back into focus, and I was no longer standing among the dead. I was here. I was in Erika's body.

But my hands were shaking.

Cecilia’s sharp gaze locked onto mine. “What did you see?”

I forced my breathing to steady. “A memory,” I whispered. “But it wasn’t mine.”

Her face darkened. "Erika’s past."

I nodded slowly.

These weren’t just echoes of another life. They were pieces of her, lingering inside me.

Before I could say more, Cecilia stiffened. Her hand shot out, gripping my wrist in warning.

“Someone’s coming.”

My breath caught.

She grabbed me and pulled me behind a huge tree, her grip tight. I could hear footsteps crunching through the leaves and twigs. They were heavy and slow, like whoever was making them was trying to be quiet but wasn't doing a great job.

A deep, rough voice spoke up. "Looks like the coast is clear." Another guy laughed. "Yeah, because nobody's stupid enough to cross into Silver Fang territory." My heart basically stopped when I heard that. Silver Fang was Corvin's pack. Just thinking about it made my blood run cold.

I carefully peeked through the leaves to get a look. There were three warriors, all dressed in dark armor, moving through the trees. They were scanning the area, looking for any sign of movement. One of them suddenly stopped and sniffed the air. "Do you smell that?" My heart started racing, and I felt this wave of panic wash over me.

Another man inhaled deeply, then frowned. "Blood."

My stomach twisted. My arms were still marked from training. I had been bleeding earlier.

They’re going to find me.

Cecilia’s grip on me tightened, her silent warning clear: Don’t move.

"We should check the area," one of them muttered.

The first warrior hesitated. "Could be a rogue. Or some injured animal."

The third man narrowed his eyes. "Or a trespasser."

My heart was racing, and I could feel it pounding in my throat. The warriors were getting way too close, and I was freaking out. Cecilia leaned in, her lips brushing against my ear. "If they see you, run," she whispered. Run? Are you kidding me? I barely knew how to control this body, let alone run from a bunch of trained warriors.

My wolf was stirring inside me, but I knew shifting now would be a death sentence. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay still. Please don't look over here. Just as I was thinking that, a howl echoed through the forest. The warriors immediately turned toward the sound.

"Must be the patrol team," one of them said. The leader nodded. "Let's go. If it's a rogue, Corvin wants them alive." They took off into the forest, their footsteps fading into the distance. I didn't breathe until the silence stretched out for a while.

Cecilia didn't move, her eyes fixed on the direction the warriors had gone. She was waiting to make sure they weren't coming back. Finally, she let go of my wrist and turned to face me. "That was way too close," she said, her voice low and tense. I nodded, still trying to calm my racing heart.

"They didn’t recognize me," I whispered.

"They wouldn’t have," Cecilia said. "To them, Erika is dead."

A shiver ran down my spine. If they had seen me and if they had mistaken me for Erika because I was in her body, would they have taken me straight to Corvin?

I swallowed hard. "What would Corvin do if he found me?"

Cecilia’s expression darkened. "He would drag you back to Silverfang and rip your mind apart searching for answers. Then kill you himself and burn or decapitate your body to make sure you really die this time.”