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"I feel we shouldn't go through with this, my goddess," Cancer muttered, his voice thick with emotion. He tore his gaze away from the pond that reflected the scene below-a lone she-wolf lying battered and broken on the muddy ground, clinging to the last fragile threads of life. He had watched countless trials unfold before but this... this was different.

It took all his willpower not to abandon the heavens and intervene directly. Every instinct urged him to save her, but the weight of the Moon Goddess's command anchored him in place.

She lay in a pitiful state, drenched in a mixture of rain, blood, and mud. Sweat clung to her pale skin, and her breathing was ragged, shallow. There were no more tears left in her, not after the ultimate betrayal-a rejection from her mate and the massacre of her family. It was no small tragedy, and in her condition, the odds of her surviving another five minutes were nonexistent.

What the Moon Goddess proposed was unthinkable. If the she-wolf survived this ordeal, she would not emerge unscathed. The power she would inherit could drive her feral, her wolf consuming her humanity. A feral rogue with unchecked strength was a danger to everyone and everything. Her wolf could shift without her consent, hunt without conscience, and destroy entire strongholds if it pleased. It was a fate worse than death.

Cancer clenched his fists. He wanted her to live-desperately-but not like that. His heart wrenched as he looked back at the Moon Goddess. Her expression, as always, was unreadable, a serene mask betraying none of her thoughts. He had spent eons trying to decipher her, to see beyond the veil of her divine composure, but she remained as enigmatic as the stars she ruled.

Her smooth, oval face bore a slight frown, her amethyst eyes-void of any whiteness-narrowed in deep contemplation. Her silken, pale hair flowed around her like liquid light, blending seamlessly with the purple silk gown that clung to her perfect form as if it were part of her being.

 "It is not in my place to question you or your decisions, my goddess, but-"

 "I know, Cancer," she interrupted gently, her voice like a melody that resonated in his very soul. She tore her gaze from the image in the pond to look at him, and he felt as though a million unseen eyes were boring into him. "I know you. Your compassion sets you apart. These trials clash with your nature, and perhaps I should have summoned Taurus instead. He would have faced this head-on without hesitation."

Cancer's cheeks flushed with shame. "I'm sorry for being a disappointment to you, my goddess," he murmured, lowering his gaze to the grassy plain beneath his feet.

Her laugh was light, like the tinkling of wind chimes. "Oh, you silly thing. I was only jesting. You take yourself far too seriously, Cancer. Perhaps learning to laugh would ease your burdens. You are no disappointment, not to me."

He lifted his gaze hesitantly, meeting her warm smile. "It's just... to place this much power in a mortal soul-it feels reckless. If she survives, who could stop her if she goes rogue?"

 "There are always risks," the Moon Goddess replied, her voice steady. "But there are many paths to every outcome. You, of all my guardians, should know that by now."

Cancer nodded reluctantly, though his unease remained. "Are we to help her if she survives? To guide her toward the right path?"

 "No." Her answer was firm. "Interference from our realm rarely ends well. I have faith in her. She will rise to greatness, of that I am certain."