The Last Moon Wolf

CHAPTER 10: SECRET MESSAGE

“Aria.”

The voice came from the darkness again.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

I couldn't see the creature clearly, only those two silver eyes watching us from the end of the hidden passage.

Rowan moved in front of me.

“Stay behind me.”

His voice was quiet, but there was something different about it now.

His wolf was awake.

I could feel it.

The same strange pressure that had filled the tower returned, crawling beneath my skin.

Kael stepped beside Rowan.

“Don't move.”

Lucian glanced behind us.

“The passage is sealed.”

“I noticed,” Kael said.

“Good. Just checking.”

The creature took one step forward.

The sound of its claws against the stone made the entire passage seem smaller.

I held my breath.

Nyx stirred inside me.

Do not let it touch you.

“What is it?” I whispered.

Not yet.

“What do you mean, not yet?”

Nyx didn't answer.

The creature moved again.

Rowan's wolf growled.

This time, the sound wasn't coming from inside Rowan alone.

I heard it too.

Deep.

Ancient.

Familiar.

The creature stopped.

Its silver eyes narrowed.

Then it spoke.

“Keeper.”

The word echoed through the passage.

Rowan's body stiffened.

“What did you call her?”

The creature didn't answer.

Instead, it turned its head toward Rowan.

“Guardian.”

Rowan took a step forward.

“Who are you?”

The creature disappeared.

One second it was standing there.

The next, the passage was empty.

Kael immediately moved toward the spot.

Nothing.

No footprints.

No door.

No hidden entrance.

Just cold stone.

Lucian exhaled.

“I officially hate this academy.”

I couldn't take my eyes off the darkness.

“What was that?”

Kael turned toward me.

“I don't know.”

“You're always supposed to know.”

His expression tightened.

“I'm not the one pretending everything is fine.”

“I never said everything was fine.”

“You've been hiding things since the first day.”

“So have you.”

That silenced him.

For a moment, we simply stared at each other.

Then Rowan spoke.

“We need to leave.”

Kael looked at him.

“Why?”

“Because that thing wasn't here to attack us.”

Lucian frowned.

“How do you know?”

Rowan's eyes shifted toward me.

“It was warning us.”

A cold shiver ran through me.

“Warning us about what?”

Rowan didn't answer.

Instead, he walked deeper into the passage.

I followed.

The tunnel eventually opened into a small circular room.

There was a stone table in the middle.

On it sat an old silver box.

Kael approached it cautiously.

“Don't touch it.”

Lucian raised an eyebrow.

“You say that after everything we've already touched tonight?”

“Yes.”

“Fair.”

I stepped closer.

The box had the same crescent symbol as my pendant.

My pendant began glowing.

The silver light reflected against the walls.

Then the box opened by itself.

Inside was a folded piece of black parchment.

My name was written across it.

ARIA VALE.

I stared at it.

Nobody spoke.

“That's impossible,” Kael whispered.

I reached for the parchment.

The moment my fingers touched it, the silver crescent beneath my collarbone burned.

The room filled with light.

And a voice whispered inside my head.

If you found this message, then Nyx has awakened.

My breath caught.

I looked at Rowan.

He heard nothing.

The voice continued.

Aria, you must listen carefully.

Do not trust the Council.

Do not trust the academy.

And above all...

Do not trust Gideon.

My heart stopped.

Gideon.

The name felt like a stone dropping into my stomach.

I read the message again.

The handwriting was elegant but hurried.

I recognized it.

I didn't know how.

But I recognized it.

My fingers trembled.

“Who wrote this?”

Kael stepped closer.

“What does it say?”

I folded the parchment against my chest.

“I don't know.”

Kael stared at me.

“Aria.”

“I said I don't know.”

He didn't believe me.

Neither did Lucian.

But Rowan wasn't looking at the parchment.

He was staring at me.

“What?”

He shook his head.

“Nothing.”

“Tell me.”

“My wolf knows that handwriting.”

The room went silent.

I looked down at the parchment.

“How?”

“I don't know.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because I don't have the answers.”

His voice wasn't angry.

It sounded frustrating.

Almost as frustrated as I felt.

I unfolded the parchment again.

More words had appeared beneath the first message.

Three wolves will stand beside the Moon Wolf.

One will protect her.

One will betray her.

And one will remember what was forgotten.

My eyes moved slowly across the words.

Three wolves.

Kael.

Lucian.

Rowan.

I looked at them.

None of them spoke.

Lucian gave a nervous laugh.

“Well, that's comforting.”

Kael's expression remained unreadable.

“It's a prophecy.”

“No,” I whispered.

They looked at me.

“It's a warning.”

A new line appeared.

The first has already begun to choose.

Kael's eyes narrowed.

“What does that mean?”

The parchment went blank.

Then the silver box slammed shut.

The lights disappeared.

A scream echoed somewhere above us.

Lucian immediately turned toward the passage.

“That came from the tower.”

Kael moved first.

We ran.

By the time we reached the hidden door, the academy was in chaos.

Students were running through the halls.

Teachers were shouting.

The alarm bells had started ringing.

Kael grabbed a passing student.

“What happened?”

“The west wing!”

The student was breathing heavily.

“Something broke through the wards.”

Kael released him.

“We need to get there.”

We rushed toward the west wing.

The closer we got, the colder the air became.

Silver light flickered along the walls.

The academy's protective runes were failing.

One by one.

Kael stopped beneath a glowing rune.

“This shouldn't be happening.”

Lucian looked at the cracked symbol.

“Can they be repaired?”

“Not from inside.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means someone outside is breaking the barrier.”

My stomach tightened.

The barrier.

Nyx had mentioned it.

The door.

The Hollow.

Everything suddenly felt connected.

Then I heard something.

A whisper.

Not Nyx.

Not the strange creature.

Someone else.

“Aria.”

I turned.

No one was there.

Then a piece of paper slid across the floor toward me.

I picked it up.

There was only one sentence.

COME TO THE OLD GREENHOUSE ALONE.

My pulse quickened.

Kael noticed the paper.

“What is that?”

I folded it quickly.

“Nothing.”

His eyes hardened.

“Don't lie to me.”

“Why do you care?”

“Because people have been disappearing since you arrived.”

The words hurt.

I knew he didn't mean them the way they sounded.

But they still hurt.

I looked away.

“Maybe I'm the reason they're disappearing.”

Kael's expression changed.

“That isn't what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean?”

He stepped closer.

“I mean someone wants you to believe you're responsible.”

I stared at him.

“Why?”

“Because you're easier to control when you're afraid.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Lucian broke the silence.

“Whatever this is, we shouldn't split up.”

I looked at the note.

The old greenhouse.

I didn't know who had sent it.

But somehow, I knew I had to go.

Not because I trusted the message.

Because I needed answers.

“I'll go.”

Kael immediately shook his head.

“No.”

“I need to know who sent it.”

“We'll go together.”

The note suddenly burned in my hand.

I dropped it.

The paper turned to ash.

Lucian stared at the floor.

“Well, I guess that's one way to make a decision.”

Rowan crouched beside the ashes.

He touched the floor.

His eyes changed.

“What?”

He looked up.

“They're already there.”

“Who?”

He pointed toward the window.

“The person who sent the message.”

We all turned.

A figure stood outside the academy.

Too far away to see clearly.

But I knew one thing.

Silver eyes.

The figure lifted one hand.

Then disappeared into the trees.

My pendant became hot.

Nyx spoke.

Go.

I frowned.

“What?”

Go to the greenhouse.

I thought you said not to trust anyone.

I don't trust them.

Then why go?

Because the message is from someone who knows your mother.

My heart stopped.

“What?”

Kael looked at me.

“What did you hear?”

I stared toward the forest.

“My mother.”

Lucian's expression changed.

“What about her?”

I swallowed.

“The message was connected to her.”

Rowan stood.

“Then we're going.”

The four of us moved through the academy grounds.

The old greenhouse stood beyond the eastern gardens, abandoned for years.

Broken glass covered the roof.

Dead vines wrapped around the walls.

The door was slightly open.

Kael raised his hand.

“Stay behind me.”

We entered.

The air smelled of damp earth and old flowers.

Moonlight streamed through the broken roof.

At the center of the greenhouse stood a small wooden table.

And on the table was another silver box.

This one was larger.

My pendant glowed before I even touched it.

I stepped closer.

The box opened.

Inside was a photograph.

I picked it up.

My breath caught.

A woman stood in the picture.

Long dark hair.

Hazel-green eyes.

The same silver crescent pendant around her neck.

My mother.

Beside her stood a man.

I knew him immediately.

My father.

They were standing in front of Blackmoon Academy.

But something was wrong.

The photograph was dated eighteen years ago.

And behind them was the same academy tower we had just escaped.

My fingers trembled.

“They were here.”

Kael stared at the photograph.

“Your parents?”

I nodded.

“Before I was born.”

Rowan looked over my shoulder.

Then his expression changed.

“There is someone else in the photograph.”

I looked again.

Behind my parents stood a young boy.

Dark hair.

Amber eyes.

A small crescent-shaped scar beneath his eye.

Rowan went completely still.

Lucian noticed.

“Rowan?”

He didn't answer.

I looked at him.

“Do you know him?”

Rowan stared at the photograph.

His voice was barely audible.

“Yes.”

My heart pounded.

“Who is he?”

Rowan looked at me.

Then at the photograph.

And finally back at me.

“That is the boy from my dreams.”

The greenhouse went silent.

Before anyone could speak, the silver box began shaking.

A final message appeared inside it.

THEY LIED ABOUT YOUR PARENTS.

THEY LIED ABOUT YOUR PAST.

AND THEY LIED ABOUT ROWAN.

Then the box snapped shut.

A loud c***k echoed through the greenhouse.

The protective barrier around Blackmoon Academy shattered.

Somewhere in the distance, something began to howl.

Nyx whispered inside my head.

Aria...

They've opened the first gate.

And this time...

they aren't coming for your power.

They're coming for you.