Loving Luna

The Woman Who Should Have Been Dead

The white door opened silently.

Cold air spilled out from the darkness beneath Blackwood Estate.

Then she stepped through.

A woman in ivory stood at the bottom of the stone stairs.

Her silver hair fell over one shoulder.

Her blue eyes were soft.

Too soft.

"Evelyn..."

Her voice shook.

"My little girl."

The silver key slipped from Evelyn’s fingers and hit the stone floor.

"Mother?"

Her whisper broke the silence.

Mason immediately grabbed her arm.

"Don’t move."

Tears welled in Evelyn’s eyes.

"She died."

Cassian’s expression hardened.

"Yes."

The woman smiled sadly.

"I know what you’re thinking."

Evelyn took a step forward.

Mason tightened his grip.

"No."

"That’s my mother."

"We don’t know that."

"I know her voice."

Lucian’s quiet laughter echoed from somewhere in the darkness beyond the doorway.

"Do you?"

The woman’s smile faded.

"Don’t listen to him."

Luna studied her closely.

Something was off.

The woman cast no shadow.

But she wasn’t transparent either.

She looked... Remembered.

Not alive...not dead.

Like a memory that had learned how to breathe.

Alden slowly stepped up beside Luna.

"What do you see?"

"The truth," the Keeper whispered.

Luna frowned.

"No."

"I see... pieces."

Alden nodded.

"Same."

Darius stayed beside Luna.

One hand rested lightly on the small of her back.

Not holding her back.

Just grounding her.

"What is she?" he asked.

Cassian answered.

"A verdict."

Everyone looked at him.

"The Chamber of Verdicts preserves those whose final choice shaped history."

Ethan frowned.

"So she’s..."

"Not alive."

Cassian looked toward Evelyn.

"But not fully gone either."

The woman smiled at Evelyn again.

"I’ve waited so long."

Evelyn’s breathing turned uneven.

"You left me."

Pain crossed the woman’s face.

"I know."

"You promised you’d come home."

"I know."

"You lied."

The woman lowered her head.

"I did."

Mason whispered to Evelyn,

"Stay here."

She looked at him.

"I need answers."

"You need to stay alive long enough to hear them."

The woman stepped forward again.

The silver lock on the white door glowed.

"You deserve the truth."

Cassian suddenly drew his sword.

"Don’t take another step."

The woman stopped.

Her eyes met his.

"You remember me."

"I remember who you were."

"And now?"

"I don’t know what you are."

The woman’s smile faded.

"Fair."

Luna noticed something then.

Whenever the woman spoke honestly...

The silver light around her got brighter.

Whenever Lucian whispered...

Darkness spread under her feet.

She wasn’t being controlled.

She was being pulled.

Between two truths.

Between two worlds.

Luna squeezed Darius’s hand.

"She’s fighting it."

He nodded once.

"I see it."

The woman looked straight at Luna.

"You carry Solara’s soul."

Luna stayed calm.

"I carry Luna’s."

A small smile touched the woman’s lips.

"Good."

Darius glanced at Luna.

"I like that answer."

She smiled without looking away.

"I’m getting attached to it."

The woman continued.

"My name was Elara Veyra."

Evelyn closed her eyes.

"I know."

"I wasn’t murdered."

Everyone froze.

Evelyn stared at her.

"What?"

"I chose to die."

"No."

Evelyn shook her head hard.

"No, they said—"

"They lied."

Mason looked at Cassian.

"You knew?"

Cassian didn’t answer.

That was answer enough.

Darius’s voice went dangerously quiet.

"You let Evelyn believe her mother was murdered."

Cassian met his gaze.

"It was safer."

"For who?"

Cassian didn’t respond.

Elara did.

"For everyone."

Evelyn’s eyes filled again.

"You chose death over me?"

Elara’s face broke.

"No."

"I chose the world..."

Her voice cracked.

"...because I believed someone else would protect you."

Silence.

Evelyn let out a broken laugh.

"Nobody did."

The words hit harder than any blade.

Elara covered her mouth.

Pain flooded her face.

"I know."

"No."

Evelyn stepped forward even as Mason tried to stop her.

"You don’t."

"My childhood wasn’t noble."

Her voice rose.

"It wasn’t some beautiful sacrifice."

"I waited every birthday."

Another step.

"I waited every winter."

Closer.

"I waited until I finally stopped believing you’d come back."

Elara’s tears fell freely now.

"I’m sorry."

"You don’t get to be sorry."

The silver light around Elara flickered violently.

Lucian laughed again.

"There it is."

Darkness spread across the floor.

"The wound."

Luna finally understood.

"He feeds on grief."

Alden nodded.

"Always has."

Lucian’s voice grew stronger.

"Tell her the rest."

Elara’s face tightened.

"No."

"Tell her."

The darkness climbed her dress.

She fought it.

"I won’t."

The silver mark on Evelyn’s wrist burned.

She cried out.

Mason caught her before she fell.

Lucian’s voice turned colder.

"If you refuse..."

The darkness reached Elara’s throat.

"...I’ll tell her myself."

Elara looked at Evelyn.

Pure fear filled her eyes.

"Evelyn..."

"You must never become the Balance."

The courtyard went still.

Cassian whispered,

"...No."

Evelyn stared.

"What?"

"The chamber lies."

Lucian laughed.

"Does it?"

Elara shook her head desperately.

"It consumes every judge."

Cassian closed his eyes.

Luna looked at him.

"You knew."

His silence said everything.

"The Balance doesn’t preserve peace."

Elara’s voice shook.

"It destroys whoever carries it."

The silver mark on Evelyn’s wrist spread further.

Thin lines crept toward her elbow.

Mason stared at it.

"No."

He pulled her close.

"We’re leaving."

The chamber trembled.

The white door opened wider.

A thousand whispers poured out from the darkness below.

Ancient judges.

Ancient verdicts.

Ancient sacrifices.

One voice rose above the rest.

"Balance..."

Another answered.

"Judge..."

Then dozens more.

"Evelyn..."

"Evelyn..."

"Evelyn..."

The voices echoed until the whole estate felt like it was saying her name.

She pressed her hands over her ears.

"Make them stop."

Mason looked at Darius.

"Do something."

Darius stepped toward the staircase.

The black mark on his wrist flared.

Immediately...

The black lock on the white door started turning.

Cassian shouted,

"Stop!"

Darius froze.

"What?"

"If Command goes in first..."

Cassian’s face went pale.

"...the chamber will crown you."

Silence.

Luna’s golden mark responded.

The gold lock turned slightly.

Then stopped.

Choice.

Command.

Balance.

All three locks were waking up together.

Lucian whispered from below,

"Perfect."

Luna looked into the darkness.

"What are you doing?"

His laughter echoed through the stone.

"I’ve spent a thousand years trying to open that chamber."

The white door creaked wider.

"I never needed a key."

The third lock turned on its own.

"I just needed all three of you."

The chamber shook.

Ancient light burst from the doorway.

A massive circular hall appeared beneath the estate.

Three empty thrones stood at its center.

One of black obsidian.

One of pure gold.

One of shining silver.

Above them floated a fourth throne.

Broken.

Waiting.

Cassian stared in horror.

"The First Crown..."

Lucian’s voice filled the chamber.

"Welcome home."

At that exact moment, Luna felt Darius’s hand tighten around hers.

Not from fear.

From pain.

She turned.

His eyes were completely black.

He looked at her like he was fighting through a nightmare.

"Luna..."

His voice was strained.

"Run."

Before she could respond...

He drew his sword.

And pointed it straight at her.