LUNA: Alpha’s Soulmate from Another World

She stopped walking for a moment, looking back at the wall created by magic, then forward with hesitation, but decided to continue walking, pushing aside all doubts. For several minutes, Luna walked in the dim candlelight and silence until she arrived at a large door made of thick wood with an engraved emblem.

She took a deep breath and pushed the wooden door, which made a creaking sound, then stepped into the room behind the door, which turned out to be a vast hall. It was empty and silent. There was nothing there except for old, moss-covered statues.

Luna glanced around and looked up, seeing that most of the hall’s ceiling had collapsed. Still, the remaining intact parts were made of stained glass, which formed a beautiful pattern. It looked somewhat like a cathedral. “It’s almost midnight. Do you think His Majesty will come like on previous full moon nights?” Luna strained to hear a voice coming from behind another large door on the opposite side of the hall from where she entered.

“Of course. I’m sure he will come. That monster won’t pass up the chance to play, right?”

“Hush! Speak appropriately! You know the werewolves are roaming freely in the forest right now.”

“Sorry.”

“Those poor prisoners down there.”

“Well, it’s their fate. If they hadn’t committed such serious crimes against the Empire, they wouldn’t have ended up here.”

“Entering the underground prison is the same as waiting for death.” There was a brief silence, then the voice resumed. “Prigione sotterranea. A secret prison hidden from the public. A place to imprison high-category criminals. Even Vasilos Imperial Prison-Sainte Cloche, known for its tight security and filled with notorious criminals, is different from the prison down there. I’ve heard that once you enter, it’s impossible to get out.” Luna felt her heart stop at those words. “Of course, because those inside become the monster’s prey and toys.”

“You’re right.”

“Should we leave before His Majesty arrives? Guard from a distance. We mustn’t be in his sight, or we’ll become victims. At this time, he won’t hesitate to kill someone. Even Gamma Thymos warned us.”

“You’re right. Let’s go.”

“Do you remember the knight…” Luna couldn’t hear the rest because the two knights guarding had walked away from the door. Luna leaned against the nearest wall and took a deep breath, trying to steady her heartbeat, but no matter how hard she tried, her heart kept racing. She looked down and noticed her trembling hands. Was this the right decision? She could find another way to get to the sacred forest, right? Luna shook her head quickly. No. She couldn’t waver. Gianna had already helped her, even going as far as finding a dark witch.

“I can’t waste any more time!” she whispered. From the conversation she overheard, Luna was convinced she was in the right place, and this empty hall hid the entrance to the rumored underground prison-Prigione Sotterranea. So she ran and frantically searched for the entrance.

Luna’s steps halted when she saw another corridor, this time leading downward. A large statue in front of the corridor well hid it. A feeling of unease washed over her as she saw the dark and gloomy corridor. Still, without further thought, Luna descended the stairs and faced an iron door. She could hear the cries and fearful murmurs of the prisoners inside. She tried to push the iron door, but it was locked.

At least Luna didn’t need to struggle to find the key, as she saw it hanging near the door. For a moment, Luna wondered if this was one of Alkrevas’s traps. He had read her thoughts. She couldn’t build a mental barrier due to the anklet on her leg, so he must know she intended to rescue the two imprisoned witches. But whatever it was, Luna didn’t care. She didn’t mind facing Alkrevas’s wrath as long as she could get out of the underground prison before he arrived.

With that thought, Luna took the key, unlocked the iron door, stepped inside, and locked it again from the inside. Alkrevas couldn’t possibly break down such a strong and heavy iron door, right? She thought confidently. Then she walked through the rows of cells filled with dirty and wounded people. Some of them laughed, reaching out to her for help, while others chose to curl up in the corners of their cells.

Luna looked left and right, searching for Beth until she reached one of the cells at the far right end and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Beth sitting alongside another woman. “Beth!” Luna murmured. The two women immediately turned to her, and Beth stood up, walking towards Luna. “Thank goodness you’re okay.”

“You made it.”

“Yes.” Luna unlocked the cell door and murmured, “You must hurry. It’s almost midnight. Can’t you use magic here? Like teleportation?”

“No. Very strong spells protect this prison.” Was that what the transparent wall was? No wonder Beth’s gemstone shattered, Luna thought to herself. She glanced at the ring Beth wore and didn’t see the gemstone. As if understanding, Beth murmured, “I removed the guiding gemstone before crossing the barrier.”

Luna nodded. Knowing this, she was at a loss for words. “Alright. Let’s get out of here now.” She ignored the cries of the prisoners begging for her help as well; some even dared to grab her dress. Luna’s brown eyes widened in fear before she forcefully pulled her dress away, tearing it.

She ignored all the prisoners, trying not to care, but couldn’t help stopping when she heard one of them say, “We’re all going to die!”

Luna turned to look at the prisoner. “You… you can’t escape from here! You can’t run away!” the prisoner approached and clutched the iron bars. Luna took a breath when she saw the condition of the prisoner-emaciated with a bloodied face, tattered clothes, and a vacant stare. “Your fate is to die here! That monster! He won’t let you live!”Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

“What do you mean?” Beth asked angrily.

The prisoner grinned wickedly. “Once you enter this place, you can never leave!”

“No. That’s not true!” Luna shouted, refusing to accept the prisoner’s words or the conversation she had overheard between the two knights earlier. She then tried to pull Beth away. “Come on. We’d better go.”

“Don’t attract the monster’s attention. Don’t make a sound, move, or show that you’re alive. Never. He will kill you! He will tear you apart! He will eat you! I’ve warned you. It’s all up to your fate.”

“Bastard!” Beth, whom Luna had guessed was quiet and calm for some reason, was easily provoked by the words of the prisoner, who seemed insane.

But Luna didn’t ignore the man’s words. She had already witnessed Alkrevas’s cruelty firsthand, even when the psychopathic Emperor was in his best mind, let alone now, influenced by the full moon, making him a hundred times more dangerous.

“We’d better get out of here before-” Luna didn’t finish her sentence as the noise above them grew louder. She and Beth exchanged glances before running back to the cell. Beth pulled the cloaked woman, whom Luna guessed was the dark witch.

Luna closed the cell door and searched for a hiding spot but found nothing. The satisfied laughter of the prisoner who had warned them turned into a chilling silence as growls and a dark aura suddenly dominated the entire underground prison. Luna held her breath when she heard the sound of claws scraping against stone and heavy footsteps. Some prisoners began to cry and pray, asking for forgiveness from their gods.

Then the tension turned into fear and panic as the thick and sturdy iron prison door was easily shattered and thrown far away. Luna took a breath and ran to the corner of the room, as did Beth and the dark witch, whose name Luna still didn’t know.

Her ears perked up, and her skin prickled when she heard the sound of heavy breathing and low growls. It was silent again for a moment, but it was shattered by a roar that filled the entire underground prison, followed by screams and cries. It didn’t stop. One by one, screams of pain and cries alternated, indicating horrific deaths. The stench of blood filled the air, making Luna’s stomach churn.

“Abigail, isn’t there anything we can do to stop this?” Luna turned to Beth when she heard the question, then looked at the dark witch named Abigail. The woman shook her head.

“No. Magic doesn’t work here. The Emperor’s mana is so pure that his spells have an incomparable strength to mine.”

“Then what should we do-” Beth suddenly stared intently at Luna. “-we have a way. A way to distract the monster.” Luna felt her heart drop to her stomach. She sensed that death was right in front of her.

“We have the one thing that can distract the monster. His soulmate.” Abigail merely observed Luna. “Miss, I know this is presumptuous, but please help us, and we will help you return to your world.”

“But I-” Luna couldn’t finish her sentence. Her body was filled with sheer terror. The sounds of screams and horrific footsteps grew closer. Occasionally, Luna heard cracking noises, as if bones or stones were being crushed, the sound of breaking metal and rubble, and she felt like she was in a thriller movie where the killer was searching for her.

…