CHAPTER 3—Secrets beneath the moon
1160 Words
The creature was gone.
Only the scorched earth and broken branches remained, as though the forest itself had witnessed a battle it could never explain.
Lyra’s chest rose and fell as she struggled to catch her breath. Her hands trembled at her sides, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t erase the image of the blinding light that had burst from her body.
She had never done anything like that before.
Never.
The stranger slowly lowered his sword, his silver eyes fixed on her.
For the first time since they had met, the cold expression on his face had disappeared. In its place was disbelief… and something else.
Fear.
“You shouldn’t have used your power,” he said quietly.
Lyra frowned.
“My power? I don’t even know what happened.”
He remained silent.
She took a step toward him.
“I saved your life.”
“I know.”
“Then stop speaking in riddles and tell me what’s going on.”
The stranger looked away, his jaw tightening.
“I can’t.”
Lyra let out a dry laugh.
“You can’t? A monster nearly killed us, I somehow made it disappear with a light that came out of nowhere, and you’re telling me you can’t explain anything?”
“I said I can’t.”
His sharp tone echoed through the trees.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Lyra folded her arms across her chest.
“You know, for someone who saved my life, you’re incredibly frustrating.”
To her surprise, the corner of his lips lifted ever so slightly.
It wasn’t quite a smile.
But it was enough to soften the coldness in his face.
“You talk too much.”
“And you’re impossible.”
A faint chuckle escaped him before he caught himself.
The sound was so unexpected that Lyra blinked.
So he could smile.
She wasn’t imagining it.
His expression quickly returned to its usual seriousness.
“We have to leave.”
“I’m not going anywhere until you answer my questions.”
He sighed.
“You’re stubborn.”
“I’ve been called worse.”
A breeze swept through the clearing, carrying with it the scent of rain.
The stranger glanced toward the darkening sky.
“They’ll be coming.”
“Who?”
“The ones who sent that creature.”
Lyra’s stomach tightened.
“There are more?”
He nodded once.
“Many more.”
Silence settled between them.
For the first time, fear crept into Lyra’s heart.
Not because of the creatures.
Because the stranger looked genuinely worried.
“You keep saying they’re after me.” Her voice was quieter now. “Why?”
He hesitated.
Then, slowly, he removed the leather glove from his right hand.
Across his palm was a strange black mark that spread like cracked ink beneath his skin.
It pulsed faintly.
Lyra stared.
“What happened to your hand?”
“A curse.”
Her eyes lifted to his.
“A curse?”
“It has followed my family for generations.”
She had grown up listening to stories about curses whispered around fireplaces on stormy nights.
None of them had ever been real.
At least…
She hadn’t believed they were.
The stranger pulled the glove back on.
“My name is Kael.”
The words hung in the air.
“Kael,” she repeated softly.
“It seems only fair that you know who nearly got you killed.”
Despite everything, Lyra couldn’t help smiling.
“I’m Lyra.”
“I know.”
“Of course you do.”
He looked at her for a long moment before speaking again.
“I’ve known your name for years.”
Her smile faded.
“What do you mean?”
“You were never supposed to grow up in Elden Hollow.”
A chill ran through her.
“What are you talking about?”
Before Kael could answer, the wind changed.
The trees began to sway violently.
Birds burst into the sky all at once.
Kael’s expression darkened.
“They found us.”
From the shadows emerged three figures dressed in long crimson cloaks. Their faces were hidden beneath deep hoods, but each carried a staff crowned with a glowing black crystal.
One of them stepped forward.
“So…” the figure said with a smile that never reached his eyes.
“The lost princess truly lives.”
Lyra’s heart skipped.
Princess?
Again.
She looked at Kael.
He didn’t deny it.
Instead, he moved in front of her, his sword already drawn.
“You’ll have to go through me.”
The cloaked man laughed.
“You’ve grown weaker, Prince Kael.”
So…
He was a prince.
Lyra’s mind spun.
Nothing made sense anymore.
The man raised his staff.
Dark smoke curled around it, twisting into the shape of enormous wolves with glowing red eyes.
“There is no escaping fate,” he said.
The wolves lunged.
Kael met them head-on, his sword flashing like silver lightning beneath the fading light. Every swing sent sparks across the forest floor, but the creatures kept coming, surrounding him from every direction.
“Run!” he shouted.
Lyra took a step back.
She wanted to.
She should have.
But she couldn’t leave him.
Not after he’d risked his life for her.
She looked around desperately.
Her eyes landed on the black crystal atop the stranger’s staff.
Something inside her stirred.
A whisper.
Not from outside.
From within.
“The crystal…”
Her pulse quickened.
Without thinking, she stretched out her hand.
The same silver light from before burst from her palm.
This time, it shot straight toward the crystal.
It shattered.
A deafening c***k echoed through the forest.
The shadow wolves dissolved into mist.
The cloaked figures staggered backward in shock.
“No…” one of them whispered.
“She’s awakening.”
Kael stared at Lyra in stunned silence.
The silver glow surrounding her slowly faded, but the air around her still shimmered with magic.
For a heartbeat, the entire forest stood still.
Then the cloaked leader pointed at her with trembling fingers.
“Kill her before the next full moon.”
The three figures vanished into black smoke.
Silence returned.
Kael sheathed his sword without taking his eyes off Lyra.
“You’ve just started a war.”
Lyra swallowed hard.
“I don’t even know who I am anymore.”
Kael stepped closer, his voice gentler than before.
“Then let me show you.”
He extended his hand.
“Come with me.”
Lyra looked at his hand… then back toward the village hidden beyond the trees.
Everything she’d ever known was there.
Mrs. Briar.
Her home.
Her peaceful life.
If she took his hand…
Nothing would ever be the same again.
The moon rose above the forest, casting its pale light over them.
Slowly, Lyra reached forward.
Their fingertips touched.
And somewhere far beyond the mountains…
An ancient bell rang for the first time in twenty years.
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