Chapter 17 – The Blood Eclipse Prophecy
543 Words
The forest felt colder after they left the witch’s hut.
Aria didn’t speak; her thoughts were tangled with the echo of the witch’s words. One will not survive. The phrase clung to her mind like a curse she couldn’t shake.
Rylan led the way, silent but alert. Every few steps, he glanced back to make sure she was keeping up. The night air was thick, and even the wind had gone quiet, as if the forest itself feared what it had heard.
Finally, Aria broke the silence. “You believe her, don’t you?”
Rylan didn’t look at her. “Witches don’t lie. They just never tell the whole truth.”
“What if she’s right? What if the eclipse means Kael—”
“Don’t finish that,” Rylan snapped, his tone sharp. “Kael’s stronger than fate.”
Aria stopped walking. “Then why are you so afraid?”
He turned toward her. His silver eyes glowed faintly in the dark. “Because I’ve seen what happens when the Blood Luna chooses. My mother died on the night of the last eclipse—saving my father.”
The air between them shifted, heavy with something unspoken. For the first time, Aria saw the pain behind Rylan’s calm façade.
Before she could respond, a low growl rumbled nearby. Then another. Eyes glimmered between the trees—wolves, surrounding them. But their scent wasn’t Kael’s pack.
Rylan cursed. “Rogue wolves. Move.”
They ran, weaving through the woods as shadows chased behind. Aria’s heart pounded. The sound of paws grew closer, snapping branches underfoot.
Suddenly, a wolf lunged at her from the side. She ducked, claws flashing instinctively, and slashed across its throat. Blood sprayed the ground. Another came from behind, but Rylan tackled it midair, snapping its neck.
By the time the last wolf fell, the clearing was silent again—except for their heavy breathing.
Rylan glanced at her, a smirk breaking through the tension. “You fight better than half the pack.”
Aria wiped blood from her cheek. “Maybe you shouldn’t underestimate me next time.”
He chuckled, but there was something softer in his gaze now. “I never did.”
They made camp near a frozen stream, the moon reflecting off the water like silver glass. Aria sat near the fire, watching the flames flicker.
“Rylan,” she said quietly. “If the Blood Luna really demands a sacrifice… would you—”
“Let it take Kael?” he interrupted, his voice sharp. “Never.”
She looked up, startled.
He turned toward her, his expression unreadable. “I’d rather die myself than see him gone. He’s my brother… even after everything.”
The silence that followed was deep and fragile. Aria understood him more in that moment than she ever had. Beneath all the anger, the rivalry, the pain — there was love. Twisted, broken, but real.
As dawn began to rise, Rylan looked toward the horizon. “The eclipse is coming soon. We need to get back before the bond decides for us.”
Aria nodded, her heart heavy. She didn’t say it out loud, but deep down she already knew—
The night of the Blood Eclipse would change everything.
- Writer
