THE HALF-BLOOD LUNA

Chapter 4

I pushed open the door to my chamber and stepped inside. The room was far grander than anything I had ever known, moonlight spilled through the windows bathing the stone walls in silver.

I paused by the window, everything felt unfamiliar the castle the people, the new name, i wrapped my arms around myself and let out a quiet sigh. The silence settled around me like a heavy cloak. I wondered what tomorrow may bring. answers or more questions.

Somewhere in the distance a wolf howled at the moon, its mournful cry echoed through the night. A shiver ran down my spine and with one last glance, I drew the curtains closed and slipped beneath the covers and sleep didn't come easily as my thoughts lingered wandering through the mysteries of the castle.

Morning light slipped through the curtains, it was the same routine the maids bathed and prepared me, I had my breakfast but today someone was assigned to me, a knock sounded at the door

“Come in,” I said carefully. The door opened to reveal a young man stepping inside. He had a soft expression and tousled dark hair; he looked like he smiled often, even when he tried not to.

“My lady, I’m Eric. I’ve been assigned to you as your guard” There was a brief pause as if he was unsure whether he said the right thing. Then, almost awkwardly he offered a polite bow that was just a little too stiff.

I studied him no cold distance no sharp judgment. Just a polite nervous energy like he was trying hard not to mess up

“You don't look like a guard” I said before I could stop myself.

Eric blinked then he let out a small laugh

“I get that a lot, I started not too long ago”

The tension in the room eased slightly

He shifted his weight from one foot to another glancing around the chamber like he was still getting used to the idea of standing inside it.

“I will be outside the door most of the time or wherever you go if that's alright with you”

“It is fine” I sighed

He nodded quickly then added, a little softer

“Good, I mean.. good, I will try not to be in the way”.

For the first time since I arrived at the castle, I found myself almost smiling not because he was impressive or intimidating but because he wasn't.

just someone who seemed easy to be around.

We walked through the castle, we were exploring, the castle felt large, daylight-

labyrinthine, ancient, alive with quiet activities it felt somehow peaceful.

We walked towards the training grounds and I saw knights sparring, it was a nice view i also noticed some servants bowing and some avoiding my gaze when passing some were whispering things like

“human-born” or “an outsider “ and it made me feel uneasy.

Some of the elite ranks passed without acknowledging me, I also caught Kira watching me from a distance.

Then we came across Lucien

“You are settling in” he said, he stood a few steps back with his hands clasped behind his back

“I’m trying” I replied his gaze lingered for a moment, unreadable

“Good, try harder tomorrow” he said and walked past me leaving the air colder than before.

I later met with Olenna, who explained a few things about how the castle hierarchy works, her voice was gentle but firm,

“You are not just learning a place child, you are learning a world that doesn't forgive ignorance” her voice echoed in my head.

The sun had already dipped behind the castle walls and Eric finally led me back to my chambers.

He stayed a respectful distance behind me, humming softly under his breath like he was trying not to make the silence uncomfortable.

“You did fine today” he said and I glanced at him “fine?”

He scratched the back of his neck a little shy

“I mean you didn't insult anyone or get lost for too long, that’s progress”

I let out a small breath that almost turned into a laugh

“comforting” I muttered

“I try” he said with a small grin, we reached my door and he bowed slightly

“I will be outside if you need anything or not, I will still be here”

I paused, “Do you ever stop talking?”

He let out a small laugh

“Only when I'm asleep” he said

something about that eased the tightness in my chest. I slipped inside my room and closed the door, the silence returned instantly but this time it didn't feel as heavy as the night before.

I reflected on my name, Nyra, how things had changed, and how I was in a completely different world, I knew I had to adapt, I wasn't used to being watched closely, not by guards not by strangers not by people who already seemed to have decided what I was. a weak human, an

outsider and all sorts of things.

Back home, I was invisible but here I was visible in a way that felt heavy. I caught my reflection in the polished mirror and the girl who stared back at me didn't look like the same aria, i could feel something was changing bit by bit, because even my eyes seemed unfamiliar here.

Then I noticed a pair of eyes staring at me through the balcony and as I looked it vanished just then, I heard a voice behind my door and I quietly pressed my ear to it to hear clearly, it wasn't Eric, just two women outside the door.

“……the alpha hasn't decided why she is here yet” one said quietly

“The beta himself brought her here, that alone calls for concern” the second person said.

A pause……..

“or curiosity of her being a human?”

“Or a mistake” they whispered those words cut deep into my heart but I pressed myself closer to the door, my pulse quickening

“The council will want answers soon”

The second one continued

“Especially after Lady Kira’s report”

At the mention of Kira, something cold settled in my stomach, i didn't dare make a sound

Then

a third presence shifted and silence fell instantly

“You talk too much” Eric said suddenly, with a different voice from earlier

“Leave,” he added

footsteps followed immediately, fading fast.

The first week came, then the second and third, same routine, the maids kept me busy sometimes, Lucien took a trip with Kira and Nikolai outside the castle, and came back a few days after.

I realized I had no rank, Eric and I had become slightly familiar and I also realized that the castle hadn't accepted me but hadn't rejected me either.

It was getting boring day by day because I had nothing serious to do.

Morning came again, and Vexa and Selene stepped in

“Good morning miss” they greeted

“Good morning, where is Sara?” I asked

“She was assigned differently” Vexa replied

“okay”

I heard some rustling movement outside my chamber. Not hurried, not chaotic. Controlled.

The castle never truly slept. It only shifted.

The warmth of the bath water slowly replaced the stiffness in my body, scented with lavender and crushed leaves that smelled faintly of rain. The maids worked in silence, their hands careful but detached, as though she were something valuable but unfamiliar—like a fragile object placed in the wrong room.

I stared at the tiled ceiling above me.

This was already becoming routine.

And that thought unsettled me more than anything else.

After the bath, I was dressed in soft, neutral clothing—simple enough not to suggest rank, fine enough to remind me I was not a servant. The contradiction made her feel even more uncertain about where she stood.

Breakfast arrived in her chamber shortly after.

The bread was still warm. Fruit sliced neatly. A small pot of tea I didn’t remember requesting.

I ate quietly, listening to the castle through her window.

Distant footsteps. Occasional voices. The faint sound of metal training somewhere far below.

Eric did not arrive immediately. That was new.

I found myself noticing that absence more than I expected.

When a knock finally came, it was lighter than before.

“You’re up,” Eric said as he stepped inside.

He looked the same as yesterday—young, slightly messy hair, that same awkward ease in his posture—but something about him felt more settled today, as though he had decided she was not as intimidating as her presence suggested.

“Apparently,” I replied.

Eric smiled. “Good. That means I didn’t miss anything important.”

“You think I’m important enough to miss things over?”

He paused. That familiar nervous flicker crossed his face again.

“I think the castle would notice if you disappeared,” he said carefully.

I studied him for a moment longer than necessary.

“That doesn’t sound comforting,” I said finally.

“It wasn’t meant to be,” he admitted, then quickly added, “I mean—it is. In a responsible way.”

That made me exhale softly, almost laughing.

“You talk too much,” she said.

“That’s my talent,” Eric replied.

“You have no other talents?”

He gasped slightly, offended playfully. “I’ll have you know I’m excellent at—walking in straight lines and not getting lost.”

I shook my head, and for the first time since arriving, the weight in her chest felt slightly less sharp.

“Come on,” Eric said, stepping aside. “The steward wants to see you today.”

That word shifted something in me.

Seen.

Not welcomed. Not accepted. Just seen.

I followed him out……………