Blessed Luna Rising

🌙 BLESSED LUNA RISING BLESSED LUNA RISING When the moon chooses you, the darkness comes looking. Prologue — The Night the Moon Turned Red The night Luna was born, every wolf in the kingdom stopped howling. Every bell in the capital rang at exactly midnight. And the moon turned red. Old people still whispered about that night. They said the sky had opened. They said the ancestors had returned. They said a child had been born carrying a blessing powerful enough to save the kingdom—or destroy it. But nobody knew the child's name. Nobody except the woman who held her. “Please,” the young mother whispered, tears running down her face. “Take her somewhere safe.” Outside the small wooden house, horses thundered across the frozen ground. Men were searching for them. The mother looked toward the window. Torches were appearing between the trees. “They found us.” The old woman holding the baby tightened her arms. “What about you?” The mother looked down at her daughter. For one beautiful moment, everything became silent. The baby opened her eyes. They were silver. Not grey. Not blue. Silver—bright as moonlight. A strange mark appeared on the baby's wrist. A crescent surrounded by seven tiny stars. The old woman gasped. “The Luna Mark…” The mother closed her eyes. “So the prophecy was true.” A loud bang shook the door. “Open!” The mother kissed her daughter's forehead. “Remember this,” she whispered. “No matter what they tell you, you were never born to serve darkness.” The door cracked. The old woman ran toward the secret passage. “Go!” She disappeared into the forest with the baby. Behind her, the house burned. And that was how the kingdom lost its princess. For seventeen years, everyone believed she was dead. They were wrong. Her name was Luna. And tonight, she was coming home. Chapter One — The Girl Beneath the Moon Luna had always hated the night. It wasn't because she was afraid of darkness. She was afraid of what happened when the moon came out. Every full moon, the same dream returned. A burning house. A woman crying. A silver moon hanging above a forest. And a voice calling her name. Luna… She would wake before discovering who was calling. Tonight was different. Tonight, the voice was louder. Luna. Her eyes opened. She sat upright. Her small bedroom was completely dark. The candle beside her bed had gone out. Luna stared toward the window. Moonlight spilled across the floor. Then she noticed something strange. Her wrist was glowing. The crescent-shaped mark she had possessed since childhood was shining silver. Luna slowly touched it. The moment her fingers made contact, a wave of cold rushed through her body. She heard footsteps outside. Someone was walking toward her house. She froze. Three knocks sounded at the door. Knock. Knock. Knock. “Luna?” It was her guardian, Mara. Luna jumped out of bed. “I'm coming.” She opened the door. Mara stood outside, but something about her looked different. She was frightened. “What's wrong?” Luna asked. Mara stared at Luna's glowing wrist. For several seconds, she said nothing. Then she whispered: “They know.” “Who?” “The people who have been searching for you.” Luna's heart stopped. “Searching for me?” Mara grabbed her hand. “You have to leave.” “Leave where?” “Anywhere but here.” A horn sounded in the distance. Mara's face went pale. “They're here.” Luna looked through the window. Torches were moving between the trees. Dozens of them. “No,” she whispered. Mara pulled a small leather bag from beneath the bed. “Your mother left this for you.” “My mother?” Luna stared at the bag. She had spent seventeen years believing her mother was dead. Mara had never spoken about her. “Who was she?” Mara swallowed. “Your mother was the last Queen of Asteria.” Luna stepped backward. “That isn't possible.” “It is.” Another horn sounded. Closer this time. Mara placed the bag in Luna's hands. “Inside is the truth.” Luna opened it. There was a silver necklace. A small golden key. And an old photograph. She stared at the photograph. A beautiful young woman smiled back at her. Luna knew that face. She had seen it in her dreams. “That's…” “Your mother.” Luna's fingers trembled. “Why did you lie to me?” “Because the truth would have gotten you killed.” Suddenly, the front door exploded open. Mara pushed Luna toward the back entrance. “Run!” “But you—” “Don't look back!” Luna ran. She entered the forest barefoot, clutching the mysterious bag against her chest. Behind her, she heard shouting. Then silence. “Mara?” She stopped. Her eyes filled with tears. She wanted to go back. But something inside her told her not to. So she kept running. Until she reached the edge of the forest. The trees suddenly ended. Before her stood an enormous stone wall. Beyond it was a kingdom she had never seen. A kingdom she had never known existed. Asteria. Luna stared at the golden towers glowing beneath the moonlight. Then she looked down at her wrist. The Luna Mark was brighter than ever. A voice whispered behind her. “You finally came home.” Luna turned. A young man stood beneath the trees. Dark hair. Silver eyes. A sword at his side. He looked at her mark. His expression changed. “You're the one they've been waiting for.” “Who are you?” He stepped closer. “My name is Kael.” “And how do you know me?” Kael looked toward the kingdom. “Because everyone in Asteria has been waiting seventeen years for the return of their lost princess.” Luna's breath caught. “Princess?” Kael nodded. Then he looked at the sky. The moon was turning red. Again. “The prophecy has begun.” And somewhere deep beneath the castle, something ancient opened its eyes. Something that had been waiting for Luna. Something that had never forgotten her name. Luna.