Luna Everleigh's POV
***
Riven led me through the darkened halls, his presence as unsettling as ever. His red eyes gleamed in the dim light, his smirk filled with secrets.
"You're enjoying this," I muttered, crossing my arms.
"Of course," he admitted easily. "It's not every day I get to witness history unfolding before my eyes."
I scowled. "Just tell me what you know."
His smirk faded slightly, replaced by something more solemn. "Lunar Guardians were both revered and feared by the wolves," he said, voice low. "They were the only beings who could tip the balance between war and peace. A single choice could determine the fate of an entire kingdom."
A chill crept down my spine.
"But the last Lunar Guardian…" He tilted his head. "She didn't get to choose."
The weight of his words settled heavily inside me.
Before I could respond, Kael stormed into the room, his expression tight with urgency.
"We have a problem," he announced.
Riven arched a brow. "We always have problems."
Kael ignored him and turned to me. "I found something."
I followed him into the war chamber, where an ancient scroll lay unrolled across the wooden table. The parchment was fragile, the ink faded, but I could still make out the words.
A prophecy.
My hands trembled as I read the words aloud.
"When the moon finds its lost flame, the darkness shall rise anew. The cursed bond will awaken, and a choice must be made—sacrifice or destruction."
The room felt too small, the air too thin.
I looked up at Kael, my heart pounding. "This is about Rhydian and me."
Kael nodded grimly. "And it's been written long before you ever set foot in this kingdom."
I turned to Riven, but for once, he wasn't smirking. His expression was unreadable.
"What does it mean?" I whispered.
His crimson eyes flickered. "It means that no matter what you do, Luna…" He exhaled. "Your fate has already been sealed."
My stomach twisted.
No.
I refused to believe that.
Before I could argue, the doors slammed open.
A familiar figure stepped inside, his dark cloak billowing around him.
Damian.
His cold blue eyes locked onto mine, filled with something I couldn't name.
"I came to warn you," he said.
Rhydian and Kael tensed beside me, ready for a fight.
But Damian didn't move.
He just looked at me.
And then he said the words that shattered my world.
"My family was responsible for the massacre of the last Lunar Guardian."
***
(To be continued…)