Lunar Ascension

CHAPTER ONE Arinaya What if I told you I’m in love with a blue creature? Those were Aiden’s words, not mine. He’s not wrong, though. Aiden’s words haunted the air between us as we stood in his favourite spot, the garden of ballamour, the moonlight casting silver shadows over blossoms that swayed like whispers in the night. The ocean hummed in the distance, its rhythm steady and hypnotic, but my pulse was wild, erratic a melody only he could hear. His fingers brushed my cheek, warm and hesitant, as if testing the reality of my presence.His voice like velvet soaked in fire. “You’re everything I’ve been afraid to want.” The world around us held its breath as he started kissing me, slow and deliberate, like he was pouring all his secrets into me. His lips tasted like a storm, wild and unrelenting, and I gave in, drowning in him, in this moment that felt stolen from another life. Somehow, we ended up on the soft bed of flowers, their petals cradling us like witnesses to a truth too fragile to speak aloud. His touch was both tender and urgent, every movement igniting a fire that consumed us whole. The kiss deepened, raw and consuming, as though we were both trying to fill a void neither of us fully understood. His hands slid to my waist, pulling me against him, and I melted into his touch, the world beyond us fading into nothingness. My fingers tangled in his hair, and a low growl rumbled in his throat, a sound that sent my heart racing and my knees buckling. “You’re dangerous,” I breathed as he kissed my neck down to my thighs while I moaned his name. Gently undressing ourselves, he slid in gently caressing my both breast at the same time increasing his pace every seconds that passed by.We f****d each other passionately trying different style. It felt so good feeling him inside of me. When we had both reached our s****l climax, I lay against him, my body trembling as his fingers traced lazy circles on my skin. Aiden rested his forehead against mine, his breath mingling with mine. “You’re in my blood now, Ari,” he said, his voice raw and low. “And I don’t think I could survive losing you.” I didn’t answer. Words felt too small for a moment this vast. Instead, I let the silence wrap around us, the waves crashing softly in the distance, as if to promise we still had time. The night blurred into a fever dream of tangled limbs and whispered names, the garden holding our passion like a sacred vow of how I lost my virginity that night. My life has always felt like some sort of strange story, one where the world spins in strange circles, just waiting for me to figure it all out. But before that, let me start with something simpler. My name is Arinaya, a weird name there and I’ve spent the past eighteen years of my life in New York City, living what most people would call a “normal” life. Normal, right? I go to school like everyone else, just that I attend an elite school. I study. I attend classes. I sit through the usual teacher rants and deal with the same cafeteria food that makes me wonder if my taste buds are even alive anymore. And, like every other high school girl, I have the usual worries, grades, friendships, and the question of where I fit in this crazy, fast-paced city. But fitting in was never really my thing. You see, even though I was blessed and still blessed with beauty though I try not to think of it too much people still found ways to pick at me. Sure, the guys would stare. But it wasn’t enough to make me feel like I was part of anything. I was too quiet, too withdrawn, always the outsider looking in. In school, my name was mostly whispered if I was mentioned at all. I’d sit in the back of the room, away from the loud, cheerful groups, and focus on my studies. It wasn’t because I had no friends. No, it was because I was too afraid to let anyone get close enough. I guess being bullied a little for my differences growing up didn’t help. People didn’t understand me, well aside from my bestfriend . They didn’t understand why I was always so… different. I never really fit into the mold of the “popular” girls, even if I was prettier than most of them. My dark brown eyes, my long, flowing black hair that shone in the sunlight, and my smooth skin were all things people admired but never really wanted to know. It was easier to keep me as a mystery, a beautiful enigma more like a nerd but a sexy one. My father was a man of few words. He worked long hours, often coming home late, but I never doubted his love for me. In a city where so many were lost in their ambitions, my father’s presence was steady and grounded. He provided, protected, and gave me a life that many could only dream. Yet, there were things about him I didn’t fully understand. Like the way he always looked at me with an intensity that made me uneasy at times. Or the way he would speak to me, in the quiet hours of the evening, of “duties” and “truths” I was too young to comprehend. Those conversations were rare, like fragments of a dream that never quite made sense. And then there was my best friend, Lila. She was the one person who truly understood me. I always thought it was because we went to the same school and we were both in the same grade. Nonetheless, she was one person who didn’t care about the rumors or the labels. While I hid away, Lila made sure to pull me back into the light, reminding me that there was more to life than my self-imposed isolation. “Arinaya, you need to stop being so serious all the time,” she said, as we sat on the steps of the school courtyard, the bright sun casting a warm glow over everything. “Life’s supposed to be fun, you know?” I sighed, flipping through the pages of my textbook absentmindedly. “Yeah, well, fun has always been overrated. I don’t exactly fit into the ‘fun’ crowd.” Lila raised an eyebrow. “That’s because you’re too busy being a mystery. A beautiful, dark-eyed, ‘I-don’t-give-a-damn’ mystery. People are drawn to that, you know.”Fun is enjoying the moment, not the crowd. I smirked. “Great. So I’m like an unsolved riddle. I’ll pass.” “Whatever, Arinaya. One day, you’ll realize you’re amazing just the way you are.” She grinned, her blonde hair bouncing as she leaned back against the stone steps. “Now, seriously, are you going to get off your high horse and come to the movies with me tonight, or are you going to keep pretending you have to study for some test we both know you’re going to ace?” I rolled my eyes but smiled. “You’re impossible, you know that?” “Yup, that’s why you love me.” I laughed, feeling the tension of the day melt away in her presence. Lila was always good for that, making me forget about the world, about the pressure of fitting in, about the weight of expectations. Later that evening, I returned home to a quiet apartment, the usual stillness greeting me as I stepped through the door. My father was at the kitchen table, a cup of tea in his hands, his gaze distant as he stared out the window. “Hey, Dad,” I said softly, closing the door behind me. “How was work?” He didn’t look at me immediately, his focus still on the window, as though he were looking for something or someone that I couldn’t see. After a long moment, he spoke. “Busy. The usual.” His voice was calm, but there was something in it, something almost… weary. I shrugged off my coat and sat down across from him, watching him as he set his cup down on the table, finally turning his gaze toward me. “You alright?” I asked, knowing full well that my father wasn’t the type to talk about his feelings. He gave me a small smile, a rare one. “I’m fine. Just tired, Arinaya.” I nodded, though something inside me told me it was more than that. But my father wasn’t one to open up easily, and I knew better than to press him. Instead, I shifted the topic. “I’ve been thinking of going upstate this summer. Lila found this program. It’s supposed to be really good for some… clarity. You know, a break from the city.” He looked at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. For a second, I thought he might object, but then he sighed. “Sounds like a good idea. Just… be careful, Arinaya.” I frowned, confused. “What do you mean?” He looked at me, his eyes intense, almost like he could see straight through me. “The world’s not always what it seems. And neither are the people you meet.” My breath caught in my throat, but before I could respond, he stood up, walking over to the stove. “Dinner’s almost ready.” I sat there, my mind racing, the strange warning lingering in the air long after the words had left his mouth. What did he mean? What was he trying to tell me?