The Mystery Of Luna Hiera

“I… I’m pregnant, Alpha,” she whispered. “Your child.” Silence. Richard didn’t move. Even his eyes seemed frozen. His breath caught. It was as if the world had sucked all the air from his lungs in one swift motion. His tongue was tied, but only for a moment. “What did you say?” his voice was flat, almost like a death rattle. Irena bowed her head, then slowly looked up. “I’ve confirmed it. At Tabib Sirah.” And as the name left her mouth, Richard exploded. A hard blow landed on the stone table beside him. Small bottles of potions fell, one of them shattering. The scent of herbs mingled with the tension in the air. “What are you doing, Irena?!” Richard’s voice echoed off the stone walls. His eyes widened, his jaw clenched, and he strode quickly toward Irena. “Tabib Sirah?! Are you crazy?!” Irena took a step back, her body trembling. “He’s the only one I can see. I have no one else, Alpha.” “Sirah is my father’s eyes and ears! His tongue is sharper than a starving wolf’s!” Richard restrained himself from shouting louder. But every word that came out of his mouth felt like a burst of flame. “Do you realize what you’re doing?! This isn’t just about you! It’s about the entire kingdom! About me! About—” He stopped. His eyes fixed on Irena’s still flat stomach. That gaze wasn’t love. It wasn’t happiness. It was fear. The fear of an Alpha who knew all too well that one small mistake would shatter the throne he’d fought so hard to protect. Irena held back her tears. “I don’t know where to go. I’m panicking and scared.” Richard laughed short, dry, bitterly. “Funny. You’re scared, then you bring us to the brink of destruction?” He turned his face away, turning his back on Irena. Both his hands clenched. His shoulders rose and fell, holding back the anger that was about to explode. “This child…” he whispered softly. “This child must not be born.” Those words felt like a hammer striking Irena’s chest. Her legs went weak, but she remained standing. “What do you mean…?” her voice broke. Richard turned slowly. Those sharp eyes stared directly into hers. “Abort it.” One word. No emotion there. Just an order. Irena froze. Her chest felt tight. The world seemed to spin. “No…” she whispered. “Alpha… no…” “Don’t call me with that weak voice,” Richard said, his tone cold. “Do what needs to be done. Before it’s too late.” Irena began to cry. Not because she was weak. But because the wound was too deep to be explained in words. “How could you… say that? Isn’t… aren’t we in love?” Richard didn’t answer. “I know I’m nobody. I know our relationship… shouldn’t exist. But this child isn’t a curse, Alpha. It’s life.” She touched her stomach gently. “It’s part of you…” Richard still stared at her. But this time, the intensity in his eyes wasn’t as sharp as before. There was a small crack behind his cold facade. But his tongue remained sharp. “And that part… will kill you if it stays there.” Irena shook her head weakly. “I won’t kill this child. Even if your father hangs me from the highest pole in Skygarden.” “Then leave.” The words were cold. Light. As if Richard had just discarded something unimportant from his life. Irena held back her tears, then spoke hoarsely, “Am I… just a burden to you?” Richard fell silent. His breath was heavy. “Alright, I’ll go,” Irena finally said. “I won’t let this child grow up in the shadow of fear.” She walked toward the door. But before opening it, Richard spoke. “Go to Mount Veyla. That’s where Nyari lives. The witch can open a path to the human world. A world where they can’t reach you.” Irena fell silent. Honestly, her heart warmed because there was still care for her within Richard. Next, Richard took the pendant and hung it around her neck. “This will protect you. My mother gave it to me to fight dark magic. Now… you need it more than I do.” “Go, there’s not much time left for you.” And sure enough, a loud knock echoed from outside the room. The guard’s voice reverberated. “Alpha Richard! King Aldric is summoning you to the throne room!” Irena paled. Richard gripped her hand tightly. “Our time is up,” he said quickly. “Use this underground passage. At the end, there’s a path leading to the mountain’s base. That path isn’t guarded. Find Nyari. Tell her I sent you.” Irena looked at his face, trying to remember every contour and glance of his eyes for the last time. Tears began to fall, unstoppable. Irena’s steps into the corridor felt like surrendering her soul. The cold stone closed behind her, slowly… and as the last sliver of light vanished from her eyes, her heart shattered. She didn’t cry out loud. She just walked, one step at a time, along the long corridor, with tears falling slowly and her heart feeling broken. In her hands was a map. Around her neck was a pendant. And in her womb was a love she had to save, even if it meant sacrificing everything. *** Richard’s footsteps echoed softly in the stone corridor of Skygarden Palace. The night sky hung heavy outside the window, and the scent of damp earth after the dew seeped into the main meeting room. At the end of the room stood Aldric Archiles, tall and sturdy, like an ancient mountain that never crumbled. A soldier opened the door. “Enter,” said the deep voice, without even turning around. Richard stepped forward, his body solid and calm. He stopped a few steps from his father, then bowed slightly. "Father called me?" Aldric turned slowly, his eyes glowing like embers in a cave. "Irena is missing." Richard showed no expression. "I know." "And you know why I called you." Richard took a deep breath, then spoke softly, honestly yet firmly: “Because I am the father of the child she once carried.” The atmosphere froze. Aldric remained motionless. “So it’s true.” His voice lowered, like thunder waiting to strike. “You planted your seed in the palace maid.” “Yes.” “You’ve dishonored the blood of Archiles.” “I know.” Richard raised his head. “But I’m responsible. And I... have ended it all.” Aldric narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?” “The pregnancy,” Richard said slowly. “It’s been terminated. I made sure of it myself.” Aldric stared at him sharply, as if trying to pierce his bones. “You were capable of killing your own child?” Richard clenched his jaw. Then nodded. “Because I knew… if I let it be born, that child would be destroyed by its own father. So I chose—to be the executioner of my own blood… so it wouldn’t become the cause of war and destruction.” Aldric didn’t respond immediately. He stared at his son, trying to read the lie. But Richard’s face gave nothing away. He was a stone. He was a shadow of himself. But suspicion lingered. “Then where is that woman now?” Aldric pressed. “I don’t know,” Richard replied calmly. “After everything was done, I let her go. She no longer matters.” “You’re lying.” Richard neither denied nor confirmed it. Aldric took a step forward, his voice rising. “You want me to believe that you aborted your own bloodline… then let that traitorous w***e escape so easily?” Richard remained calm. “I don’t want Father to believe it. I’m just saying what needs to be said. The rest is up to Father to judge.” “She could take your heir out of the palace. She could give birth outside the realm. Your child could return twenty years from now, bringing revenge!” Richard replied in a lower voice, but no less sharp. “And if that happens, then let me deal with it.” Aldric laughed coldly—short, bitter. “You’re too soft, Richard. Too human.” “Or too aware that this throne isn’t just about blood. It’s about who dares to make the dirtiest decisions to protect it.” Aldric turned away. “Enough. I won’t argue about this. The fact you can’t deny is that Irena is gone. She didn’t ask permission. She fled. And that’s enough to call her a traitor.” Richard remained silent. But he knew… this was coming. “Starting tonight, I order all palace guards, border hunters, and the eastern wing troops to search for her. Alive… or dead.” Richard did not respond. “If you are still hiding her…” Aldric turned to stare sharply at his son. “Then I will burn that traitor before your very eyes.” Richard clenched his hands tightly beneath his cloak. His face remained cold, though his chest was pounding.