The Alpha Who Regrets Losing Me Chapter 92 – The Forgotten Road

The World Governnt’s gray road stretched through the forest like an unnatural wound. Its stones were too smooth, its edges too sharp, its silence too conscious. As Elara walked, she understood that this road had not been built only for vehicles to pass. It had also been designed not to leave traces. The soil did not sink, no leaves broke, and footsteps did not travel as far as they should have. It was as if the road swallowed those who crossed over it and remained as though it had never been touched.

Kael was walking on her left. Rowan was on her right. Talon was a little behind, watching the surroundings with the two remaining wolves from Blackthorn. The young guard had stayed behind Rowan. Lucien’s blue-marked man moved a little farther from everyone, but still close enough not to leave the road. No one trusted one another. Despite that, they were walking in the sa rhythm. When Elara noticed this, she did not like the thought that crossed her mind. Sotis war could imitate the place of trust.

The fourth line was still beating inside her chest like a dark compass. The direction of Black Moon Archive remained steady, but as the road continued, the air around them began to change. The scent of the forest faded. Wet leaves, moss, and soil gave way to old tal, cold stone, and the air of rooms that had been closed for far too long. Elara had never slled this scent before. And yet, it felt familiar. That familiarity did not belong to her, but to the thing inside her.

The Moon Spirit did not speak for a long ti. This silence no longer frightened Elara imdiately, but it did not comfort her either. Because when the Moon Spirit went silent, the emptiness inside her grew. Sotis old Elara’s warmth stirred in that emptiness, and sotis the cold sense of direction from the fourth line beca heavier. Elara was no longer walking with a single voice inside herself. This crowd sotis felt as if it would tear her apart, and sotis, strangely, as if it was keeping her standing.

After a while, Kael’s voice was heard. "The road is too clean."

Elara looked at him. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Things that stay clean in nature are either new or deliberately kept clean."

Rowan spoke without taking his eyes off the road. "Or everyone who passes over it is being recorded."

Talon grunted from behind. "This conversation did not comfort at all."

Elara answered in a dry voice. "No one here is assigned to comfort you."

The corner of Kael’s lips moved faintly. Rowan said nothing, but Elara felt that he had heard her answer and calmly placed it sowhere inside himself. She would not have noticed such small things before. Now even people’s silences had separate textures. Kael’s silence was usually the waiting state of fire. Rowan’s stood like a door that had not been closed. Talon’s was distrust, the young guard’s was respect and unease, and Lucien’s man’s was the shadow of soone used to carrying another person’s orders.

When the road sloped slightly downward, the forest began to thin. The trees opened, and a wide, empty stony area appeared before them. At first glance, it looked like the remains of a bridge. The gray road ca to the middle of the stony ground, then suddenly ended. There was no continuation on the other side. Only mist. Not smoke, not morning fog either. It was denser, duller, a mist that refused to show itself.

Rowan stopped. "This area was not on the maps."

For the first ti, Lucien’s man whispered as if speaking to himself. "It should not be."

Kael turned to him. "Sentences like that usually end with sothing bad."

The man did not answer.

Elara took one step forward. The mist felt as if it was looking at her. It was not moving, but it was not still either. There was a very thin vibration inside it. The fourth line slowed in her chest. Then it deepened. The direction of Black Moon Archive passed directly through the mist.

The Moon Spirit finally spoke. "The forgotten road."

Elara asked inwardly, "What does that an?"

"So places are not hidden," said the Moon Spirit. "They are removed from mory. Not only erased from maps. They are taken from those who know them too."

Elara’s gaze fixed on the mist. "Then who rembers this place?"

The Moon Spirit’s answer ca lower. "Vessels."

That word chilled Elara from within. Other vessels. The first failed attempt. The mory stone. Black Moon Archive. Everything was curving toward the sa dark center. In that mont, Elara understood that this road would not only take them to the archive. It would also asure whether the archive would recognize them.

Rowan ca beside her. "What do you feel?"

"This road was made forgotten."

Kael stepped to her other side. "Then do we have to pass through it?"

Before Elara could answer, a very thin sound ca from inside the mist. Like a whisper. But it was not a word. It was more like the creaking of the hinge of a very old door. The young guard instinctively stepped back. One of the wolves behind Talon growled.

Lucien’s man said, "We cannot enter here."

Elara looked at him. "Why?"

This ti, the man’s voice ca harsher. "Because Lucien’s border ends here. Beyond this point, no family line, no pack right, no old agreent works."

Kael’s eyes narrowed. "So for the first ti, you gave good news."

"No," said the man. "It ans no one inside can claim you. But it also ans no one can protect you."

When Elara heard this sentence, she felt a strange calm. Not being claid and not being protected. Neither looked like freedom. Both resembled loneliness. But maybe the thing called choice began exactly in the place between the two.

Kael looked at Elara. "If we go in, I may not feel the pack bond."

Rowan added, "And I may not feel the border line."

Elara looked at them one by one. "So inside, you will be alone."

Kael’s answer did not delay. "No. We will only be away from old powers."

Rowan’s voice ca quieter. "Sotis those two can be the sa thing."

Elara understood that he was saying this for himself too. Who was Rowan without Lucien’s line? Who was Kael without the Blackthorn call? Who was Elara without being trapped between the Moon Spirit and old Elara? Maybe Black Moon Archive was not an answer, but a larger darkness opening into those questions.

The mist rippled for a mont, and three shadows appeared inside it. They were not human. Not exactly animals either. Their shapes changed as if one mont they were wolves, one mont won, and one mont only long traces of moonlight. Talon reached for his sword. Kael lifted his hand. "Wait."

One of the shadow beings bowed toward Elara. It had no face, but Elara felt that it was looking at her. Then a voice ca from within the mist. It was not the woman’s voice. Not the Moon Spirit’s either. It was older, more scattered, as if many won were speaking from very far away at the sa ti.

"The vessel has co."

Elara’s breath caught in her throat. Kael imdiately turned to her, but did not touch her. Rowan’s gaze remained on the shadows.

The voice continued. "Fire walks beside her. The path walks beside her. The scent of packs remains behind her."

Talon spoke sharply. "Who are you?"

The shadow did not even turn to him.

Elara took one step. "We are going to Black Moon Archive."

The mist grew a little thicker. "The archive does not record the one who arrives. It opens what is rembered."

Rowan asked in a low voice, "What does it want?"

Elara could not answer. Because the fourth line in her chest had suddenly begun to beat faster. The Moon Spirit stirred inside her. "Do not say its na."

Elara paused inwardly. "Whose na?"

The Moon Spirit did not answer.

The shadow ca a little closer to Elara. "What is the na of the moon inside you?"

Kael’s body tensed all at once. The silence on Rowan’s face sharpened. Talon and the young guard looked at each other. Elara did not understand why the question was dangerous, but she felt her body react as if it did. The dark line in her chest went cold. The Moon Spirit fell completely silent.

Elara spoke slowly. "I do not know its na."

The shadow remained still for a long ti. Then another whisper spread from the mist. "Not yet."

That answer cut through all the exhaustion inside Elara. Not yet. So the Moon Spirit had a na. And if that na was known, sothing would change. Maybe control. Maybe a call. Maybe annihilation.

Kael spoke very low. "I don’t like this conversation."

Elara did not take her eyes off the shadow. "Neither do I."

Rowan took one step forward. "What do you want in exchange for passage?"

For the first ti, the shadow turned to Rowan. "The road opens to those who know themselves. Not to those who hide themselves."

Rowan received that sentence silently. Elara felt the invisible weight on his shoulders shift for a mont. This mist was reading not only Elara, but all of them.

Kael’s voice ca dark. "We need a road, not riddles."

This ti, the shadow turned to Kael. "You do not seek a road. You seek a return."

Kael’s jaw tightened. Elara felt sothing old move inside him. Blackthorn. Old Elara. Regret. All of them stirred at the sa ti. But Kael did not step back. "Not anymore."

"Are you certain?"

Kael’s gaze did not shift to Elara. That mattered. He did not say the answer to draw strength from her. He said it from within himself. "No," he said. "But I will not return to the sa place anyway."

The mist went silent for a mont. Then the shadow turned to Rowan. "And you?"

Rowan’s voice remained calm. "I keep the path open."

"And if the path calls you back?"

Rowan’s answer did not co imdiately. Elara felt him weighing Lucien, the family line, his own pack, the border house, and his old decisions all at once. Then Rowan spoke. "Then I will first ask why it is calling."

The shadow inclined slightly, as if pleased. "Those who learn to ask can sotis return before they are too late."

Elara saw that this touched Rowan. Because being too late was not only Kael’s story. Rowan had also closed so doors too late with his own silence.

At last, the shadow turned to Elara. "What are you searching for?"

Elara’s answer was not ready. She wanted to say Black Moon Archive. She wanted to say finding the woman. She wanted to say learning about the other vessels. She wanted to say understanding what was happening to herself. But none of those were the full answer. The mist would not accept them. Because the mist could hear the emptiness behind words too.

Elara slowly breathed in. "I no longer want to only answer whoever is calling ."

The shadow waited. Elara continued. "I do not want to learn who I am from their mouths. Not from the World Governnt, not from Lucien, not from the packs, and not from the voice inside . I am looking for the truth."

"Truth hurts."

Elara’s voice ca lower. "Lies and things kept hidden already hurt."

This ti, a very faint sound spread through the mist. It was not crying. It was not laughter either. It was more like the air that cos from inside when the door of a forgotten room is opened. The shadow pulled back. The mist before them parted to both sides, and a narrow passage appeared within it.

Lucien’s man tensed. "I will not go beyond this point."

Talon looked at him. "I’m not surprised."

The man turned to Rowan. "I must report this to Lucien."

Rowan’s answer was calm. "Report it."

The young guard took one step forward. "Alpha, I am coming."

Rowan looked at him. "You do not know what this is."

"Neither do you."

Rowan was silent for a brief mont. Then he inclined his head very slightly. "Then keep your eyes open."

Talon looked at Kael. "We continue as two from Blackthorn. I will send the rest to the northern line."

Kael nodded. "We need speed. Not a crowd."

Talon’s gaze shifted to Elara. "Is walking with her always like this?"

Kael looked at Elara for a mont. Then he turned back to Talon. "No. It gets worse."

Elara turned her head slightly. "I can hear you."

Kael’s voice ca low but warm. "I know."

That small mont created a strange warmth between them even at the edge of the mist. Rowan watched it. This ti, he did not try to hide his jealousy, but he did not act on it either. Elara felt the controlled burn in his gaze. This burn was not as open as Kael’s fire. It was quieter, more determined, and maybe because of that, it felt like it would last longer.

When Elara walked into the mist, Kael moved to her left and Rowan to her right. But at the very first step, the mist pushed both of them a little away from her. Not physically. In a stranger way. Their voices beca muted, their presence blurred. Elara could see them, but their feelings remained farther away. The red line weakened. The blue line thinned. The fourth line, on the other hand, grew stronger.

Elara stopped.

Kael noticed imdiately. "What happened?"

His voice ca from far away. Elara’s throat went dry. "I feel you less."

A very brief panic flashed across Kael’s face. Rowan’s eyes imdiately followed the movent of the mist. "This place is suppressing the bonds."

The Moon Spirit whispered inside her. "No. It is not suppressing the bonds. It is separating which ones are yours and which ones belong to them."

When Elara heard this, she could not answer. Because all at once, she had moved slightly away from Kael’s warmth, Rowan’s coolness, the pressure of the packs, the World Governnt’s trace, and Lucien’s border. For the first ti, she heard the emptiness inside herself more clearly. It did not feel like freedom. It felt like nakedness.

Kael took one step toward Elara. The mist moved between them. Elara instinctively raised her hand. "Don’t co."

Kael stopped. This ti, his stopping hurt Elara more. Because in the past, Kael not coming would have hurt her. Now his stopping showed that he had truly changed. And change was sotis heavier than an apology.

Rowan’s voice ca. "Elara, can you keep going?"

Elara followed his voice. "Yes."

Kael spoke lower. "Are you sure?"

Elara looked at him. "No," Then she turned to the narrow passage inside the mist. "But if I stop, this road will decide for ."

Kael said nothing. Neither did Rowan. Both of them continued walking beside her, but this ti they could not be as close to her as before. The mist did not allow it. Or maybe the road wanted this specifically. Elara’s choice, in this space, was not asured by holding soone’s hand, but by walking on her own feet even when a hand was offered.

As the road continued, the surroundings changed. Long black stones appeared on both sides. On every stone, there were erased faces. So had their eyes carved out. So had no mouths. So had marks around their necks that resembled the mory stone worn by the woman. As Elara passed between them, she felt not that the stones were looking at her, but that they were trying to rember her.

She stopped before one stone. The face on it had been completely erased. But beneath it, there was an old inscription. Elara could not read it. The Moon Spirit read it. "Third vessel. Bond completed. Body did not endure."

Elara’s breath stopped.

From a distance, Kael asked, "What does it say?"

Elara did not want to answer. But she did not lie either. "One of the vessels before ."

Rowan ca closer, but the mist held him at a certain distance. "How many are there?"

Elara looked around. The stones stretched on into the mist. They were not too many to count. But knowing there was more than one was enough.

"Many," she said.

The Moon Spirit read another stone. "Fifth vessel. Moon awakened. Na spoken. Body remained empty."

Elara’s insides turned to ice. The part about "na spoken" reminded her of the shadow’s question. What is the na of the moon inside you?

Kael saw the change on her face. "Elara."

"I am not supposed to know its na," Elara said.

Rowan understood imdiately. "The Moon Spirit’s?"

Elara nodded. "If the na is spoken, sothing happens."

The Moon Spirit spoke sharply inside her. "Not every na is a door. So are locks. So are knives."

Elara wanted to close her eyes, but she did not. Because the faceless won on the stones felt as if they were looking at her even without eyes. Other vessels. Failed attempts. Bodies, bonds, nas, seals. This story had not begun with her. Maybe it had been planned to end with her.

At the end of the road, the mist did not thin. On the contrary, it beca more orderly. As she passed between the black stones lined on both sides, Elara felt that she was no longer walking through a road, but through a mory that resembled an old graveyard. On every stone, there were erased faces, broken inscriptions, and unfinished stories. So had been completely forgotten. So had been ant to be forgotten.

Then Kael suddenly stopped.

Elara felt the warmth on her left cut off. Kael’s breathing had changed. This ti it was not anger. It was not tension before battle either. It was sothing older, more personal, and torn from sowhere deeper. When Elara turned her head toward him, she saw that Kael’s eyes were fixed on one of the stones ahead of them.

The stone was larger than the others. The face on it had not been completely erased. Ti and mist had worn it down, but its features could still be made out. A fine face. Long hair. A stone around the neck that looked like darkened moonlight. And beneath the face, several lines carved in the old script.

Rowan stopped at the sa ti.

This ti, his silence changed too. Normally, when Rowan wanted to hide sothing, his face would close. Now it did not. On the contrary, he looked as if a door locked for years had been broken open from the inside. Elara understood that both of them recognized the sa stone. But not from the sa place. There was blood in Kael’s gaze. In Rowan’s, there was loss.

"Who is this?" Elara asked.

Kael did not answer. Rowan did not speak imdiately either. The Moon Spirit stirred heavily and coldly inside Elara. "Read."

Elara looked at the inscription on the stone. She did not know the words, but when the fourth line moved in her chest, the aning slowly opened inside her mind.

Vessel from the Blackthorn Pack.

Moon bond completed.

Protected by fire.

Loved by the path.

Na spoken.

Body did not return.

Elara’s throat went dry. Kael’s voice finally ca. It was very low. "That is impossible."

There was an expression on Rowan’s face Elara had never seen before. Not completely pain, not completely fear. More like soone seeing, for the first ti, the gravestone of a mory he had buried for years.

Elara asked slowly, "Did you know her?"

Kael’s jaw tightened. "She was the woman my brother tried to protect before he disappeared."

Rowan’s voice ca quieter than Kael’s. But it was heavier. "And she was the woman I loved."

With that sentence, the mist thickened a little more around them. The erased face on the stone seed, for an instant, to look at Elara. The darkened stone around her neck shone with a pale light.

The Moon Spirit whispered inside Elara. "Now you are beginning to understand why you were called to the archive."

Elara fixed her eyes on the face carved into the stone. Black Moon Archive was not only the place where the enemy hid its secrets. It was also the grave of Kael’s family, Rowan’s past, and the vessels destroyed before Elara.