POV: Luna
The howls grow louder.
Closer.
Everyone in the Moon Circle tenses, but the Headmaster's voice cuts through the panic.
"Hold your positions. Do not break the circle."
The standing stones around us begin to glow, pulsing with ancient magic. The Moon Circle isn't just a gathering place. It's a fortress.
"The wards will hold," Professor Cael says calmly. "Continue the ceremony."
But everyone's focus is broken. We're all listening to those howls. Counting them.
Too many.
Way too many.
"Focus," the Headmaster commands. "The moon's power is at its peak. Draw on it. Let it strengthen you."
I try to focus on the moon above, massive and silver and impossibly bright.
And something happens.
The pull I've been feeling intensifies. Not just from the moon. From something deeper.
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