THE LUNAR KINGS SHATTERED CLAIM

CHAPTER:10

Caden fought the wolves with everything he had, each of his movements quick and deadly. “Run, Serenity!” he shouted, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave him alone there. Out of nowhere, Ronan appeared, grabbing me by the wrist with a cruel smile that sent chills down my spine.

“You can't outrun your fate,” he hissed.

Caden lunged at him, breaking his hold on me, and the two of them clashed fiercely. Their claws and magic collided, creating sparks in the night. I saw a dagger on the ground, and without thinking, I grabbed it and stabbed Ronan with the dagger.

He roared in pain, and a range of dark energy burst from him that threw me back, which sent everything around me into a haze of darkness.

When I woke up, Caden was on the ground, injured but alive. Ronan was gone and nowhere to be found.

But I knew this wasn’t the end. The battle was far from over.

Caden, thank Goodness ! that you're alive. “ Where is Ronan and What happened after I passed out”?

Caden didn't say much, rather I'm glad you're awake.

Caden was mute about my question of where Ronan was silence between us lingered in the air, heavy and thick. My heartbeat raced so fast in my chest as I took a few steps away from Cade while trying to process and understand everything that had happened.

Before I could even begin to gather my thoughts, the Oracle appeared out of nowhere. The air shimmered as if reality itself had been ripped apart, and there she stood, her piercing blue eyes locking onto mine with an unsettling intensity.

“You waste time,” she said, her voice echoing unnaturally. “The bond you share holds the key to salvation. Together, you must break the curse before it consumes everything.”

I folded my arms, looking at her. “I don’t even know what this curse truly is. You just show up with Riddle's while the world crumbles. Why should I trust you?”

Caden stepped forward, his voice calm but firm. “She’s right, Serenity. Whatever this curse is, it’s tied to us. We can’t keep running from it.”

I turned to face him, my anger boiling over again. “You knew about this, didn’t you?You’ve been hiding it from the onset. I knew something about you was off, you kept on lying to me whenever I asked!”

Regrets and shame were written all over him. “I only knew bits and small pieces of it. I didn't understand how deeply it involved you until now.”

The Oracle’s eyes moved between us, her face unreadable. “The curse binds not just the kingdom, but your fates as well. It thrives on division and mistrust. If you unite, you may have a chance to break it. But If you remain apart, the curse will prevail.”

I shook my head repeatedly in disbelief. “Unite? With him you say? After everything he’s done? That’s your great solution?”

“Enough!” The Oracle’s voice rang out with power, demanding silence. “Your personal grudges don’t matter in the face of what’s coming. Decide quickly, or the kingdom will fall, and you will go down with it.”

Her words weighed heavily in the air, and before I could argue, she vanished so quickly that she hadn't appeared. I stared at the space where she had stood, my mind racing. How could I trust Caden after everything I had gone through because of him and the things he’d kept from me? And yet, the Oracle’s warning pierced my mind. If I refused to work with him, countless lives would be at risk.

Caden’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Serenity, I know I’ve given you every reason to hate me, but this isn’t about us anymore. But the kingdom, these people need us to fight for them and bring a solution to this to avoid loss of lives .”

I turned to him, my eyes filled with bitterness and betrayal. “You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t care? I blasted out.

I’ve spent my entire life sacrificing for others, Those who took my sacrifice for nothing and now you want me to do it again for you and the people?”

“For them,” he corrected gently. “Not for me.”

Before I could respond, there was a noise in the trees. My eyes turned to the dagger at my waist, that dagger I used to stab Ronan but it wasn’t an enemy that emerged. Instead, it was a group of villagers, men and women who looked battle-worn and determined.

One of them, an older man with a scar that ran down his cheek, stepped forward. “We’ve been watching you,” he said, with a steady voice. “We know who you are. Both of you. If the stories are true, you’re our last hope.”

Caden furrowed his brow. “Stories?”

The man nodded. “The cursed lunar king and the unclaimed mate. The prophecy says your union will break the darkness that’s been spreading around the land. We’ve lost too much already. If you truly are who they say you are, we’ll follow you. But only if you’re united.”

I swallowed real hard, the weight of their words settling heavily on me. These people were putting their faith in a prophecy I didn’t fully understand. How could I possibly let them down?

“We can’t promise anything,” I said cautiously, glancing at Caden. “But we’ll do everything we can to stop Ronan and end this curse.”

The villagers exchanged uncertain looks, as they murmured among themselves before they nodded in agreement. The man with the scar stepped forward again, extending his hand. “Then we’re with you.”

As we began discussing plans, one of the younger villagers, a small girl no older than fifteen, called me aside. Her eyes were wide with fear but filled with determination.

“I overheard something,” she whispered to my ear. “Ronan’s forces are regrouping. They’re planning something big, and it’s happening soon.”

I relayed the information to Caden and the others, and we quickly realized the urgency of the situation on the ground . We couldn't afford to waste any more time. Every moment that passed brought us closer to whatever Ronan was preparing.

As night came, we set up our camp and began to plan and prepare for the coming battle ahead of us.

As I sat by the fire, staring into the flames, doubts came in my mind. Could I do this? Could I trust Caden enough to fight alongside him? What of the people? What would be their fate if I chose to back off after the trust they've in us? And what would happen if we failed?

Caden sat down beside me, his expression unreadable. For a moment neither of us spoke, and there was silence for a long while, the crackling of the fire was the only sound heard between us.

“You’re still angry with me ,” he said finally with a soft voice.

I didn’t even look at him. “Of course I am. But that doesn’t matter right now.”

“It does,” he replied quietly. “We can’t fight and win this if we’re still divided.”

I turned to face him, my eyes narrowing. “Then tell me the truth, Caden. The whole truth, don't hide anything or tell me half-truths, no more secrets. What have you been hiding?”

He let out a loud breath, his eyes turning around as if debating something. Then, after a long moment, he spoke.

“The prophecy,” he said. “It’s not just about the kingdom. It’s about us. Our bond, our mate bond is the key to breaking the curse. But it is also the main reason the curse exists in the first place.”

My breath skipped a beat. “What are you saying because I don't understand?

He met my gaze, his eyes filled with regret and determination. “I rejected you, Serenity. I rejected our bond years ago because I thought it would protect you. But all I did was give the curse a chance to grow. This is my fault.”

His words hit me like a physical blow to my chest. I couldn’t breathe for a moment, the weight of his confession was crushing hard on me. The man who had turned my world into misery, who had kept me in the dark for years, who had kept so many secrets.

The man who caused my people to hate me with much disdain. Who caused my exile was now telling me that everything, “the curse, the suffering all was because of him”.

I stood abruptly, anger boiling in my eyes. “You’ve lied to me from the start. You’ve kept me in the dark while people have died, while I’ve suffered. You're the reason I was alone in the forest, you're the cause for my banishment, Caden. And now you expect me to just forgive you and fight by your side?”

Never Caden I won't do that. I cried profusely as I spoke.

“I don’t expect forgiveness,” he said quietly. “But I need you to understand. I was trying to protect you.”

“Protect me?” I laughed bitterly. “You’ve done nothing but hurt me so deeply, Caden.

The reason I never told you the cause of my staying in the wilderness was because it hurts…...Caden it hurts to tell the story that my father banished me because I was an unclaimed mate, I was rejected , I couldn't heal a young puppy which resulted in its death. Caden all was your fault.

And now you’re telling me that our bond is the only thing that can save the kingdom? How am I supposed to trust you after everything you’ve done?”

I, he stammered, Serenity please forgive.. I never knew you were banished because of that and I wasn't aware you're the mate I rejected until I saw …

Before he could finish his statement, a sudden noise from the woods snapped us both to attention. The villagers were already stirring, grabbing their weapons and preparing for whatever was coming.

Caden and I exchanged a tense glance. Whatever that's coming, we weren’t ready for it. As the shadows in the trees began to shift, I realized that whether we trusted each other or not, the coming battle would test us in ways we couldn’t imagine, and lack of trust might be the least of our problems.