chapter 15
1224 Words
Darkness.
That was the first thing Luna felt.
Not fear.
Not pain.
Just… emptiness.
Like she was floating in a void where nothing existed—not even time.
Then slowly…
A sound.
A heartbeat.
Steady.
Strong.
Familiar.
Her brows twitched slightly.
Warmth followed.
Arms around her.
Holding her.
Protecting her.
“Luna…”
The voice reached her through the darkness.
Deep.
Rough.
Filled with something she couldn’t ignore.
Concern.
Her breathing hitched.
Kael.
Her eyes fluttered open slowly.
The first thing she saw…
Was him.
His face hovered above hers, tense, exhausted, but the moment their eyes met—
Relief flooded his expression.
“You’re awake.”
His voice was low, almost fragile.
Luna blinked slowly, her vision still adjusting.
“What… happened?” she whispered.
Her throat felt dry.
Her body… heavy.
Kael didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, his hand moved gently to her cheek, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.
“You lost control,” he said finally.
The words hit her like a distant echo.
Fragments of memory rushed back.
The power.
The energy.
The fight.
Him.
Her eyes widened suddenly.
“I hurt you—”
She tried to sit up, but pain shot through her body, stopping her instantly.
Kael held her carefully.
“Easy,” he murmured. “You’re still weak.”
Her breathing became uneven.
“No… Kael, I attacked you…”
He shook his head.
“You came back.”
Silence.
Her chest tightened.
“I almost didn’t,” she whispered.
That truth hung heavy between them.
Kael didn’t deny it.
Because he knew.
He had seen it.
Felt it.
How close she had been to losing herself completely.
His jaw clenched slightly.
“But you did,” he said firmly.
His thumb brushed her cheek gently.
“And that’s what matters.”
Her eyes softened, but fear still lingered deep inside them.
“It didn’t feel like me…” she admitted. “It felt like something else was controlling me… feeding me power… and I didn’t want it to stop.”
Kael’s expression darkened.
“That’s how the curse works.”
A chill ran down her spine.
“It gets inside you,” he continued. “It takes your emotions, your thoughts… and twists them. Makes you believe the power is worth it.”
Her fingers tightened slightly against his shirt.
“And what if next time… I don’t come back?”
The question was quiet.
But it carried fear.
Real fear.
Kael didn’t answer immediately.
Because the truth…
Was dangerous.
“There won’t be a next time like that,” he said finally.
Her brows furrowed.
“What do you mean?”
He hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then—
“I won’t let it happen again.”
Her heart skipped.
“You can’t control this, Kael…”
“No,” he said.
His gaze locked onto hers.
“But I can protect you.”
Something about the way he said it…
It wasn’t just reassurance.
It was a promise.
A dangerous one.
Before she could respond—
A sudden presence cut through the air.
Cold.
Sharp.
Unfamiliar.
Kael felt it instantly.
His body tensed.
His head turned toward the forest behind them.
“We’re not alone,” he said quietly.
Luna’s heart jumped.
“Hunters again?”
He shook his head slowly.
“No…”
His eyes narrowed.
“Something else.”
The air shifted.
Heavier than before.
Even Luna could feel it now—the strange pressure creeping into her chest.
Then—
A voice.
Calm.
Cold.
“And here I thought I would find destruction…”
A figure stepped out of the shadows.
Elegant.
Composed.
Dangerous.
Luna’s breath caught.
This wasn’t like the others.
Not a hunter.
Not a monster.
Something… worse.
“Interesting,” the man continued, his gaze settling on her. “You survived the awakening.”
Kael stood slowly, placing himself between them instantly.
“Don’t take another step,” he warned.
The man smiled faintly.
“And here I thought you would be more welcoming, Alpha.”
Kael’s eyes darkened.
“Say what you came to say and leave.”
The man’s gaze flickered between them.
Then—
“I came for her.”
Luna’s heart stopped.
Kael’s aura shifted instantly.
Violent.
Possessive.
“No,” he said.
Simple.
Final.
The man tilted his head slightly.
“You don’t understand,” he said calmly. “This is bigger than your bond… bigger than your little rebellion against the curse.”
Luna’s fingers tightened unconsciously.
“What do you mean?” she asked, her voice barely steady.
The man looked directly at her now.
And something in his gaze…
Made her feel exposed.
Seen.
“You really don’t know, do you?”
Her heart pounded.
“Know what?”
A pause.
Then—
“Who you are.”
Silence fell instantly.
Kael’s body went rigid.
“Don’t—”
But the man continued.
“Your bloodline is not ordinary,” he said calmly. “You were never just a human caught in the wrong place.”
Luna’s breath hitched.
“No…”
Her voice trembled.
“That’s not true…”
The man smiled faintly.
“It is.”
A step closer.
Kael growled lowly.
“Stop.”
But the man didn’t.
“Your blood carries the origin of the curse itself.”
Everything stopped.
Luna’s world tilted.
“The… origin…?”
Her voice barely came out.
Kael’s fists clenched tightly.
“Enough,” he said dangerously.
But the damage was already done.
Luna’s mind raced.
“That means…”
Her heart pounded violently.
“I’m not just connected to it…”
The man’s smile deepened slightly.
“You are the key to it.”
A tear slipped down her cheek.
“No…”
Kael turned to her instantly.
“Don’t listen to him.”
But doubt had already taken root.
Her chest tightened painfully.
“Kael…” she whispered.
His eyes softened slightly when he looked at her.
“I don’t care what he says,” he said firmly. “You’re still you.”
The man chuckled softly.
“How touching.”
His gaze sharpened again.
“But the truth doesn’t change.”
A pause.
Then—
“She will either destroy the curse… or become it.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Final.
Luna’s breathing became uneven.
Kael stepped closer to her again.
“You’re not alone in this,” he said quietly.
Her eyes met his.
Fear.
Confusion.
And something deeper.
Trust.
“But what if he’s right?” she whispered.
His expression hardened.
“Then we fight it.”
A beat.
“Together.”
The man watched them for a moment…
Then smiled faintly.
“Enjoy your time,” he said. “Because soon… you won’t have a choice.”
And just like that—
He disappeared into the shadows.
Gone.
But his words remained.
Echoing.
Haunting.
Luna stood there, frozen.
Her hand slowly moved to the mark on her arm.
Still faintly glowing.
Still alive.
“The origin…” she whispered.
Kael stepped behind her, his hand gently covering hers.
“You’re not a curse,” he said softly.
She closed her eyes briefly.
“But what if I am?”
He pulled her slightly closer.
“Then I’ll still choose you.”
Her heart trembled.
Because now…
The real battle hadn’t even started yet.
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