Episode 1

The soft morning light filtered through the thin curtains of the room, warming Eliza's face. Outside, the birds sang in harmony with the light wind that danced among the trees of the forest. It was a normal day for many... but not for her.

Eliza stretched in bed, still with her eyes closed, feeling her heart beat faster. She knew, she felt in the depths of her soul that something was different, special. It was the full moon that was approaching, and that night, she would turn eighteen, the day when she would finally meet her wolf.

The door opened with a light push and an animated voice invaded the room:

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" said Caio, her older brother, with a smile that lit up his face. "Today is the big day!"

Eliza opened her eyes, laughing as she saw him come in with a small, improvised cake and two lit candles.

"Happy birthday, pest," he said, placing the cake on the dresser and sitting on the edge of the bed. "Eighteen years old... you're finally going to meet the other part of you."

She sat up, her eyes shining with emotion.

"I can hardly believe it. I've waited for this moment my whole life."

Caio watched her affectionately. Although he tried to appear relaxed, there was pride in his gaze. He had raised Eliza since their parents died, protecting the pack. Seeing her get there, strong, determined, was his greatest achievement.

"Mary must be coming already. The way she is, I bet she'll arrive screaming," he commented, laughing.

Eliza laughed too, knowing it was true. Mary, her best friend, was also turning eighteen that day. The two had always dreamed of experiencing this moment together, and now it had finally arrived: meeting their wolves and perhaps their mates.

"Are you nervous?" Caio asked.

"A little," she admitted. "What if my wolf doesn't like me? What if I'm not strong enough?"

Caio held her face with both hands, seriously.

"Eliza, you are stronger than anyone I have ever known. Your wolf will be proud of who you are, and so am I."

She smiled, feeling her heart warm. Nothing else mattered. That night would change her life forever.

And the moon goddess was already watching everything from above, smiling at the destiny she had traced, a destiny that neither Eliza, nor Caio, nor anyone could imagine.

Before Eliza could respond to her brother, the front door was thrown open and a familiar voice echoed through the house:

"ELIZAAA! Where are you, moon girl?!"

Eliza and Caio laughed together.

"I told you," he commented, getting up.

Mary entered the room without asking permission, as she always did. Her brown hair was tied up in a messy bun, and she wore a loose blouse with the pack's symbol printed on her chest. There was a sparkle in her eyes and a smile impossible to ignore.

"Today is the day!" she exclaimed, jumping on the bed next to Eliza. "Are you ready? Because I'm nervous like I've never been in my life!"

"And you think I'm not?" Eliza replied, laughing and hugging her friend. "I've dreamed about this so many times... Today everything changes, Mary."

"Yes! Today we become real wolves," Mary said proudly, then winked at Caio. "And what do we have for breakfast, brother owl?"

"Improvised birthday cake and wild berry juice," he replied with a smile. "The official transformation menu."

The three laughed, and for a moment, everything seemed light, just another birthday, another sunny morning. But deep down, they all knew that that night would bring more than they expected.

"Shall we go to the lake later?" suggested Mary. "Just the two of us, like when we were kids. We can talk, calm down... prepare our souls."

Eliza nodded. The hidden lake in the forest had been their refuge since they were little, a sacred place where they always felt closer to the moon goddess.

"Yes, let's go," said Eliza, determined. "I want to be at peace when she arrives."

Caio watched the two with a mixed feeling of pride and concern. He knew that the awakening of a wolf could be intense, transformative... and painful. But he believed in them. Eliza was like her parents, made of courage, fire, and loyalty.

And as the sun rose in the sky, marking the beginning of the day, the moon watched them, silently, waiting for its moment to shine.

The day passed faster than Eliza expected. After breakfast with Caio and Mary, she barely had time to breathe. The older women of the pack were already waiting for her at the matriarch's house, where preparations for the ceremony had begun since sunrise.

"Eliza! Come in, dear," called Yara, one of the pack's advisors, with her welcoming smile and hands always busy with herbs and sacred fabrics.

The interior of the house was filled with strong aromas: lavender, sage, myrrh. In the center, a circle of moonstones shone with a faint but constant glow. It was there that the young women would kneel at night, under the open sky, to receive the goddess's call.

"Today you will be marked," said Yara, approaching with a small silver container in her hands. "Not only as a wolf, but as a woman of the Golden Mist. This is a rebirth, Eliza, and you must be ready in body, mind, and spirit."

Eliza nodded, feeling a chill in her stomach. Mary soon entered behind her, with her eyes wide with excitement. Both were guided to ritual baths with herbs, in a warm spring protected by the elders. There, in silence, they washed themselves, while prayers were murmured to the goddess.

When they came out, they were dressed in light white fabric tunics, embroidered with lunar symbols. The clothes seemed simple, but they carried the weight of tradition. Each line, each seam, had meaning.

"These tunics are only worn by those who are about to unite with their wolf," explained Yara as she braided Eliza's hair with small silver feathers. "And at the end of the transformation, you will burn them, leaving behind everything you were until today."

The sun was beginning to set on the horizon when Caio arrived to pick up Eliza. She was different, her eyes shining with expectation, and an ancient energy seemed to surround her. Mary also radiated emotion, although she couldn't stop biting her nails.

"You look beautiful," said Caio, looking at his sister with a silent pride.

Eliza walked to him and held his hand.

"Thank you for everything, Caio. If I'm ready today, it's because you never let me give up."

He just hugged her tight, swallowing his emotions.

"Let's go. The clearing awaits us, and the moon... too."

Eliza, 18 years old

Caio, 25 years old, Eliza's brother

Mary, 18 years old, Eliza's best friend

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