THE MOON GOODNESS REJECTED MATE

THE ONE WHO KNOWS

Lyra didn't take her eyes off the stranger.

"Who are you?"

she asked again.

The young man remained silent for a moment.

Then he glanced around the forest before looking back at her.

"My name is Damian

"Damian," Lyra repeated.

She still didn't trust him.

"How do you know about this mark?"

Damian's eyes moved toward her covered palm.

"I've seen it before."

"Where?"

"That's not something I can explain here."

Lyra frowned.

"Then where can you explain it?"

Damian looked down the narrow path behind him.

"There is a place nearby."

Lyra immediately shook her head.

"I'm not following a stranger into the forest."

A faint smile appeared on Damian's face.

"Good. You shouldn't trust strangers."

Lyra raised an eyebrow.

"Then why are you asking me to follow you?"

"I'm not asking you to trust me."

He turned toward the path.

"I'm giving you a choice."

Lyra watched him carefully.

"What kind of choice?"

"You can continue walking alone and hope you eventually discover what that mark means."

He paused.

"Or you can come with me and speak to someone who might know."

Lyra's heart skipped.

"Someone who knows what this is?"

Damian nodded.

"Maybe."

"Who?"

"You'll find out when we get there."

Lyra sighed.

Everyone in this forest seemed to enjoy keeping secrets.

First the mysterious voice.

Now Damian.

She looked down at her palm again.

The strange mark had stopped glowing.

She remembered what the voice had told her.

There is another path you must follow.

Maybe this was the path.

"Fine," she said.

Damian looked back at her.

"But if you try anything—"

"I understand."

He started walking.

Lyra followed several steps behind him, keeping her distance.

As they moved deeper into the forest, she noticed that Damian seemed to know exactly where he was going.

He never hesitated.

He never looked at a map.

He simply followed the path as though he had walked it many times before.

"How long have you known about this place?"

Lyra asked.

Damian didn't turn around.

"Long enough."

Lyra sighed.

"You're not very good at answering questions."

"Neither is the voice that brought you here."

Lyra stopped walking.

Damian stopped too.

She stared at him.

"How do you know about the voice?"

For the first time, Damian looked genuinely surprised.

"I didn't say anything about a voice."

Lyra's heart began to race.

"You just did."

Damian studied her face.

Then his expression became serious.

"Lyra, who exactly has been talking to you?"

She opened her mouth to answer.

But before she could say anything, a strange sound came from somewhere ahead.

Both of them turned toward the trees.

The forest suddenly became silent.

Damian's expression changed.

"Stay behind me."

Lyra frowned.

"What is it?"

"I don't know."

The strange sound came again.

This time, it was closer.

Lyra felt the mark on her palm begin to warm.

She looked down.

A faint silver glow appeared beneath her skin.

Damian noticed it.

His eyes widened.

"That's impossible."

Lyra looked at him.

"What?"

He stared at the glowing mark.

"You're already awakening."

Lyra's heart pounded.

"Awakening to what?"

Damian didn't answer.

Instead, he looked deeper into the forest.

And whatever he saw made his face suddenly pale.

"Lyra...."

"What?"

"We need to leave."

She looked behind them.

"Why?"

Damian's voice dropped to a whisper.

"Because someone else knows you're here."