The Blood Moon Queen
1615 Words
Episode 17: The Blood Moon Queen
The chamber fell into absolute silence.
Lyra stood in the center of the ancient altar.
Her eyes were no longer silver.
They were crimson.
Dark energy moved beneath her skin like living shadows.
Elena stared at her sister.
“Lyra…”
Lyra slowly raised her head.
A strange smile appeared on her face.
“Kneel.”
The single word shook the chamber.
Kael immediately dropped to one knee.
Not because he wanted to.
Because an invisible force had pushed him down.
Adrian struggled to remain standing.
“Elena…”
He gripped his sword.
“Stay behind me.”
Elena ignored him.
She walked toward Lyra.
“Lyra, look at me.”
Lyra's head tilted.
“Why?”
“Because you're my sister.”
For a moment, Lyra's crimson eyes flickered.
Silver.
Just for a second.
Elena saw it.
“That's you.”
Lyra's face trembled.
“Elena…”
Then the darkness returned.
“Get away from me!”
A shockwave exploded.
Elena was thrown backward.
Adrian caught her before she hit the ground.
“Elena!”
She looked at Lyra.
“She is still inside.”
Adrian nodded.
“Then we'll bring her back.”
Suddenly, a deep laugh echoed through the chamber.
Malric.
“You cannot save her.”
Elena turned.
“You're wrong.”
Malric smiled.
“The Blood Moon has chosen its Queen.”
He pointed toward Lyra.
“She is no longer your sister.”
Elena's eyes hardened.
“She will always be my sister.”
Malric raised his hand.
“Then prove it.”
The entire chamber shook.
The crimson light above Lyra became brighter.
A crown of dark energy formed above her head.
Kael whispered,
“The coronation has begun.”
Elena looked at him.
“What coronation?”
“The Blood Moon is giving her its power.”
“How do we stop it?”
Kael stared at Lyra.
“We don't.”
Elena's expression changed.
“What?”
“Once the crown is complete, the Blood Moon Queen will be born.”
“And Lyra will disappear?”
Kael nodded.
“Her body will remain.”
“But her soul…”
He swallowed.
“…will belong to the Blood Moon.”
Elena's heart broke.
“No.”
She stepped forward.
“I won't let that happen.”
---
Lyra rose into the air.
Her hair moved like smoke around her.
Black flames surrounded her.
The crown above her head became larger.
Elena shouted,
“Lyra!”
Lyra opened her eyes.
“Why are you still calling me?”
“Because you're my sister.”
“You should fear me.”
“I don't.”
“You should hate me.”
“I can't.”
“You should run.”
“I won't.”
Lyra stared at her.
Something inside her began fighting.
Her hands trembled.
“Elena…”
The darkness tightened around her.
“Help me.”
Elena reached toward her.
“I’m coming.”
Malric suddenly attacked.
A black spear flew toward Elena.
Adrian blocked it.
The spear pierced his shoulder.
“Adrian!”
He fell to one knee.
Malric smiled.
“One distraction is all I need.”
Elena turned.
Malric was already standing beside the altar.
He placed his hand on the ancient crystal.
“Now.”
The entire temple lit up.
A massive crimson beam shot into the sky.
The Blood Moon answered.
The kingdom began trembling.
Far away, thousands of wolves raised their heads.
Then they all howled at once.
Malric laughed.
“The Queen has awakened!”
Lyra's eyes turned completely crimson.
She looked at Elena.
“Run.”
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
Lyra screamed.
“RUN!”
Darkness exploded from her body.
Elena raised a shield.
The force shattered it.
She was thrown across the chamber.
Adrian rushed toward her.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
She stood.
“Take care of your shoulder.”
“I'll survive.”
Elena looked at Lyra.
“We need to break the crown.”
Adrian stared at her.
“How?”
Elena looked toward the three pillars.
“The altar.”
Kael understood.
“The three powers.”
“Exactly.”
“If we combine them…”
“We can break the Blood Moon's connection.”
Adrian looked at his crimson hands.
“But my power belongs to Lucian.”
Elena shook her head.
“Not anymore.”
She held his hand.
“You choose what your power becomes.”
His eyes softened.
“I choose you.”
Elena smiled.
“Then let's save Lyra.”
---
The three of them stood around the altar.
Elena on the silver pillar.
Adrian on the crimson pillar.
Lyra in the center.
But Lyra was no longer in control.
Her hands rose.
Dark energy attacked.
Elena blocked it.
“Lyra!”
Lyra screamed.
“Don't come closer!”
Elena stepped forward.
“You're fighting it.”
“I can't!”
“You can.”
“It hurts!”
“I know.”
“You don't understand!”
“I do.”
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
“I know what it's like to have darkness inside you.”
Lyra looked at her.
For one second, the crimson disappeared.
Her silver eyes returned.
“Sister…”
Elena reached for her.
Lyra grabbed her hand.
The moment their hands touched, silver light exploded.
The black crown cracked.
Malric's smile vanished.
“No!”
He rushed toward them.
Adrian blocked his path.
“You're not getting near them.”
Malric attacked.
Adrian blocked.
Again.
And again.
Their swords collided.
Malric whispered,
“You cannot defeat me.”
Adrian smiled.
“I don't have to.”
He struck Malric's weapon away.
“I only have to stop you.”
Malric's eyes turned black.
“Then die with them.”
A massive shadow rose behind him.
Adrian prepared to fight.
But suddenly another force entered the chamber.
A silver wolf.
The Guardian.
It attacked the shadow.
The two creatures collided.
The chamber shook.
Meanwhile, Elena and Lyra held hands.
“Together,” Elena whispered.
Lyra nodded.
“Together.”
Their powers merged.
Silver and black.
Light and shadow.
The crown cracked further.
Then Adrian joined them.
Crimson energy flowed into the circle.
Three powers.
One force.
The altar awakened.
A voice echoed through the temple.
“The three children have returned.”
Malric stepped backward.
“No…”
The voice continued.
“The Blood Moon cannot rule what was born to destroy it.”
The crown shattered.
Lyra screamed.
The crimson energy exploded.
Elena caught her.
“Lyra!”
Her sister collapsed into her arms.
Her eyes were silver again.
“Elena…”
“You're back.”
Lyra smiled weakly.
“For now.”
Elena frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Lyra touched her chest.
“The darkness is still inside me.”
Before Elena could answer, a deep heartbeat echoed.
BOOM.
Everyone froze.
Another.
BOOM.
Adrian looked upward.
“That's not the Moon.”
Kael's face became pale.
“Then what is it?”
The answer came from the altar.
A crack appeared in the ancient crystal.
And from inside it came a whisper.
“Open the gate.”
Elena stepped backward.
“What gate?”
Her mother suddenly entered the chamber.
Her face was filled with terror.
“The gate beneath the altar.”
Kael stared at her.
“You knew?”
She nodded.
Elena looked at her.
“Mom, what is behind it?”
Her mother didn't answer.
“Tell me.”
Her mother looked at Lyra.
Then Adrian.
Finally, Elena.
“The place where your father was imprisoned.”
Elena's heart stopped.
“Lucian?”
Her mother shook her head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
She whispered,
“The first Blood Moon King.”
Silence.
Malric suddenly laughed.
Everyone turned toward him.
“You finally understand.”
Elena looked at him.
“You knew about this.”
“Yes.”
“That's why you wanted the altar.”
Malric nodded.
“I never wanted Lyra.”
He looked at Elena.
“I never wanted Adrian.”
His eyes moved toward the cracked crystal.
“I wanted what is beneath them.”
The altar suddenly split apart.
A staircase appeared beneath it.
Black mist rose from the darkness.
And then…
two enormous crimson eyes opened below.
Lyra grabbed Elena's hand.
“Sister…”
Elena stared into the darkness.
“What is that?”
Her brother stepped backward.
His face was terrified.
“I know those eyes.”
Elena looked at him.
“How?”
He whispered,
“Because they were the eyes of the one who created our bloodline.”
A deep voice echoed from beneath the temple.
“My children…”
Elena's blood turned cold.
The voice continued.
“You took seventeen years to return to me.”
The entire temple began collapsing.
Malric smiled.
“Now the real king is awake.”
Elena looked toward the darkness.
Then toward her mother.
Her mother was crying.
Elena whispered,
“You knew this would happen.”
Her mother nodded.
“I've been trying to prevent it.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
Her mother looked at Elena.
“The prophecy was never about stopping the Blood Moon.”
She took a trembling breath.
“It was about choosing who would rule it.”
Elena's eyes widened.
“Who?”
Her mother looked at the three children.
Then the darkness below.
And whispered—
“You.”
The crimson eyes beneath the altar suddenly opened completely.
A gigantic hand reached out of the darkness.
And Elena's silver mark began burning.
TO BE CONTINUED…
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