Luna Everleigh's POV
***
The moment Morganna unleashed the power of the Moonlit Relic, the world itself seemed to shudder.
A pulse of unnatural energy surged from the artifact, crackling like a storm as the very air twisted and darkened. The ground beneath us trembled, splitting apart as ancient runes glowed with a malevolent light.
And then, the sky ripped open.
A darkness unlike anything I had ever seen poured from the void—a swirling abyss of shadows, writhing and whispering in voices that did not belong to this world.
A shape emerged from within.
The Devourer.
It was monstrous, shifting between forms as if it could not decide what it wanted to be. Clawed hands reached from the abyss, followed by a face that wasn't a face at all—just a void, an endless hunger given form.
A single breath from it made the ruins wither.
Rhydian grabbed my arm. "Luna, we have to—"
The Devourer moved.
Faster than anything I had ever seen.
Its presence slammed into us like a force of nature, throwing me backward as my vision blurred with stars. I hit the ground hard, the impact rattling through my bones.
I heard Rhydian snarl, felt his power flare as he threw himself between me and the creature. But even his strength—it wasn't enough.
The Devourer wasn't something that could be fought like a mere beast.
It was older than time. It was hunger.
And Morganna had just set it free.
A laugh rang out above us—her laugh, triumphant and filled with madness. "Finally," she breathed, eyes gleaming with exhilaration. "The gods abandoned us, but I shall remake this world in my image."
I forced myself to stand, my body screaming in protest.
The Devourer turned its attention to me.
And in that moment, the Moonlit Relic called to me.
Its pull was like a thread winding around my soul, tugging insistently, whispering in a voice I barely understood.
The power that Morganna had stolen—it was mine.
And if I didn't take it back, we were all going to die.
—
To be continued...