The world was nothing but shadows when Aria opened her eyes. She wasn’t in Kael’s room anymore — or anywhere she recognized. The ground beneath her glimmered faintly, like silver dust, and the air hummed with energy.
She turned slowly. The trees around her weren’t real — they shimmered like smoke and light, whispering her name.
“Aria…”
The voice came from everywhere and nowhere. Soft. Ancient. Female.
“Who are you?” she asked, her voice trembling.
A figure stepped out of the mist — tall, radiant, her hair flowing like moonlight itself. The mark on Aria’s skin flared in response.
“I am the one who blessed your bloodline,” the woman said. “And cursed it.”
Aria’s throat went dry. “The Moon Goddess?”
The woman smiled — sad and distant. “Once. But your kind forgot me long ago. Now, my g
