Chapter 14: Blood Under the Moon
530 Words
The courtyard erupted into chaos.
Dust swirled through the air as Kael, in his massive Lycan war form, faced Magnus across the cracked stone ground. His black fur shimmered under the moonlight, and his glowing golden eyes locked onto his enemy.
A deep growl rolled from Kael’s chest.
Magnus only smiled.
“So this is the legendary Lycan King,” he said calmly, twirling his sword once before gripping it firmly. “I expected nothing less.”
Without warning—
Kael attacked.
The giant wolf lunged forward with terrifying speed. His claws tore through the stone floor as he leapt toward Magnus.
But Magnus moved just as quickly.
He rolled to the side, barely avoiding the deadly strike, then slashed his sword across Kael’s shoulder.
Clang!
The blade scraped against Kael’s hardened skin, leaving only a shallow wound.
Kael roared, swinging a massive claw toward Magnus.
Magnus jumped backward, landing lightly several feet away.
The rebel wolves watched nervously.
Even they could tell the difference in strength between the two Alphas.
Above them, on the balcony, Aria gripped the broken railing.
Her glowing hands trembled as she watched the fight below.
Every time Kael was struck, her heart tightened painfully.
“Stop… please stop…” she whispered.
But the battle only intensified.
Kael lunged again, faster this time.
His jaws snapped inches from Magnus’ head.
Magnus ducked and drove his sword toward Kael’s chest.
But Kael slammed his paw into Magnus’ body before the strike could land.
Boom!
Magnus crashed into a stone pillar, cracking it in half.
The courtyard shook.
The royal guards cheered.
But Magnus slowly stood up again.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Yet he was still smiling.
“Now this,” he said while wiping the blood away, “is a real fight.”
Above them, the moon suddenly shone brighter.
The silver glow surrounding Aria spread across the balcony floor.
Strange symbols began forming in the light beneath her feet.
Aria gasped.
“What… is this?”
The air grew colder.
A soft whisper seemed to echo inside her mind.
Not words exactly.
But a feeling.
A pull.
It was coming from the moon.
Below, Kael suddenly froze.
He felt it too.
His glowing eyes lifted toward the balcony.
“Aria…” he murmured.
Magnus followed his gaze.
And when he saw the symbols glowing around her feet—
His expression finally changed.
Not excitement.
But shock.
“That… shouldn’t be happening.”
Aria’s body lifted slightly off the ground as the silver light surrounded her.
The Moon-Bound power was growing stronger.
Much stronger than before.
The energy spread across the entire courtyard.
Every wolf present dropped to one knee instinctively.
All except Magnus.
His eyes narrowed dangerously.
“So the legends were true,” he said quietly.
Behind him, one of the palace doors slowly creaked open.
A shadow slipped into the courtyard unnoticed.
A figure wearing the uniform of a royal guard.
But their eyes glowed a strange red.
They pulled a dagger from their cloak and whispered:
“Tonight… the Moon-Bound dies.”
The assassin began moving silently toward the balcony.
Toward Aria.
And no one had noticed.
Yet.
- Writer
