The Banished Luna's Awakening

A Friend

Panic exploded inside me.

My heart slammed wildly against my ribs as adrenaline suddenly flooded my weak body.

She knows.

The thought hit so hard that the survival instinct completely took over.

I stumbled backward instantly.

"Child—" Darlah started, alarmed.

I didn't wait.

I turned and bolted out of the room.

"Wait!" Darlah called after me. "Please wait!"

My bare feet slapped against the cold floors as I ran blindly through the unfamiliar hallways. My body still ached horribly, and dizziness blurred my vision, but fear pushed me forward anyway.

I had to get away.

Before they started looking at me with disgust.

Before they decided I was cursed too.

A sob tore from my throat as I pushed myself harder.

I didn't notice the figure turning the corner ahead until I slammed directly into a hard chest.

I crashed hard into someone's chest.

A strong arm instantly grabbed my shoulders to steady me before I could fall backward.

"Whoa—"

I froze.

The man in front of me was tall—far too tall—and built like someone who could easily snap another person in half without trying. Dark hair fell slightly over sharp silver-gray eyes that narrowed at me in surprise.

For one terrifying second, I thought someone had come to stop me.

"Uh-uh," he said slowly, raising a brow. "And where exactly are you running off to in such a hurry?"

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

My chest heaved violently as panic clawed through me.

Behind me, I could still faintly hear Darlah calling my name somewhere down the corridor.

The man's expression shifted slightly as he took in my pale face and trembling body.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," he muttered.

I quickly lowered my head.

"S-Sorry," I whispered shakily.

Then before he could ask another question, I shoved past him and kept running.

The man blinked in confusion as I disappeared down the hallway.

For a moment, he simply stood there.

Then he glanced after me with a faint frown.

"That was odd," he murmured under his breath.

Meanwhile, I kept moving until my legs nearly gave out beneath me.

I had no idea where I was going.

Until eventually I spotted an open archway ahead leading outside. Without hesitation, I hurried toward it. Cool air immediately brushed against my skin.

A garden.

The sight almost made me collapse in relief.

Tall hedges surrounded the area, filled with silver flowers and thick climbing vines winding around stone arches. It was quiet—hidden enough that nobody would immediately notice me there.

Perfect.

Breathing hard, I stumbled deeper into the garden until I found a secluded spot behind one of the massive hedges.

Only then did my body finally give out.

I sank weakly onto the ground, wrapping my arms around myself as I struggled to steady my breathing.

My heart still pounded violently.

*****

Meanwhile, the man caught Darlah just as she turned sharply down the corridor, still half-trying to follow after Lara.

His hand shot out, stopping her by the arm.

"Hey," he said, brows drawn together. "What's going on? Why are both of you running around like that?"

Darlah froze immediately.

The moment she saw him properly, she straightened and lowered her head in a quick bow.

"Beta," she greeted breathlessly.

His gaze flicked past her shoulder, down the hallway Lara had disappeared through.

"I just saw someone running," he muttered. "And now you're chasing after them. What's happening?"

Darlah swallowed.

For a second, she looked uncertain—like she was struggling with how to even explain it.

Then she exhaled slowly.

"One of the patrol units found a girl injured in the forest," she said carefully. "They brought her in for treatment and handed her over to me."

The Beta listened silently, his expression unreadable.

"I treated her wounds," Darlah continued. "She was in critical condition, but she survived."

His brows arched slightly. "And?"

Darlah hesitated.

That hesitation alone made the air feel heavier.

"And when she woke up… after a few days," she said slowly, "She took a bath and I saw her face clearly for the first time."

The Beta's eyes narrowed.

"She looked—" Darlah stopped mid-sentence, as if the words themselves were difficult to say out loud.

"Looked what?" he pressed immediately.

Darlah took a shaky breath.

"She looked like the former Luna," she said at last.

Silence.

Instant, absolute silence.

The Beta went completely still.

For a moment, it was like even the air around them had frozen.

Then he let out a short, disbelieving laugh.

"You're imagining things," he said flatly.

Darlah shook her head immediately.

"No, Beta. I thought so too at first," she insisted. "I told myself it was just a coincidence. But then I noticed something else."

His gaze sharpened.

"What?"

Darlah's voice dropped lower.

"The birthmark on her collarbone."

That alone erased every trace of disbelief from his face.

"I saw it clearly when her sleeve moved," she continued, urgency creeping into her tone. "It's not fake. It's real. And it matches—exactly."

The Beta's expression darkened slowly.

"And when I tried to question her," Darlah added, "she panicked… and ran."

A beat passed.

Then another.

The Beta finally exhaled, his jaw tightening.

"…We need to find her," he said quietly. "I need to see it for myself"

Darlah nodded immediately.

"Yes, Beta."

And without another word, the two of them turned down the corridor.

****

“She couldn’t have gone far,” Darlah said quietly somewhere beyond the hedge.

Goodess.

My entire body tensed immediately. I covered my mouth with my hand and held my breath, terrified they would hear even the slightest sound from where I was hiding.

The footsteps grew closer.

Closer.

I squeezed my eyes shut tightly.

Then, suddenly—

“Ow!”

A startled yelp sounded nearby, followed by the rustling of leaves.

My eyes flew open.

A young woman stumbled directly into the hedge beside me, nearly falling face-first into the flowers. She looked about my age and wore the simple uniform of a servant.

For a second, we both stared at each other in shock.

“Oh my God!” she whisper-yelled, clutching her chest dramatically. “You scared me!”

I panicked instantly and grabbed her wrist before she could make another sound.

“Please,” I whispered desperately. “Don’t scream.”

Her eyes widened slightly at my expression.

From beyond the hedge, I could still hear faint footsteps approaching.

The servant girl looked between me and the pathway nervously before lowering her voice.

“…Are you hiding?”

I swallowed hard before nodding once.

She blinked.

Then, unexpectedly, her expression softened.

Without another word, she quickly grabbed my arm and pulled me lower behind the hedge just as footsteps passed nearby.

“She’s not here,” the Beta’s voice said from somewhere farther ahead.

The girl waited until the voices faded before finally exhaling in relief.

“That was close,” she muttered.

I slowly released her wrist. “I’m sorry.”

She studied me properly then, her brows furrowing slightly as she took in my pale face and weak condition.

“You’re the injured girl they were looking for, aren’t you?” she asked quietly.

I froze.

Before I could deny it, she sighed softly. “Relax. I’m not going to report you.”

Honestly, that almost made me cry.

The girl glanced around cautiously before helping me stand. “You look like you’re about to collapse.”

“I’m fine,” I lied weakly.

She gave me an unimpressed look. “Sure you are.”

Despite the situation, I nearly laughed.

“My name is Nina, by the way,” she said while carefully guiding me out from behind the hedge. “And if you stay here any longer, they’ll definitely find you.”

I hesitated. “Why are you helping me?”

Nina shrugged casually. “You don’t look dangerous. Just scared.”

The simple answer made my throat tighten unexpectedly.

She quietly led me away from the garden through smaller paths and side corridors until the grand parts of the pack house disappeared behind us. Eventually, we reached a quieter area filled with smaller buildings.

“The servants’ quarters,” Nina explained. “Nobody important comes around here much.”

She pushed open the door to a tiny but tidy room before turning back to me.

“You can stay here for now.”

I stared at her in surprise. “What?”

“Well, you obviously don’t want to be found,” she said matter-of-factly. “And honestly? You look too miserable for me to throw back outside.”

A weak laugh escaped me before I could stop it.

Nina smiled slightly before her expression softened again. “You don’t have to tell me everything,” she said gently. “But whatever happened… I’m guessing you ran away from somewhere bad.”

My chest tightened.

I lowered my gaze before answering carefully, “I just… couldn’t stay there anymore.”

That was the truth, at least.

Nina nodded slowly, not pushing further.

“Then stay here until you figure things out,” she said. “I’ll help cover for you.”

Before I could even process her kindness properly, she suddenly narrowed her eyes at me.

“But first, you need food.”

I blinked.

“You look like a gust of wind could knock you unconscious,” she added.

A few minutes later, she returned with warm soup, bread, and water.

The moment the smell reached me, I realized just how starving I actually was. Embarrassment burned through me when my stomach growled loudly.

Nina burst out laughing.

“Thought so,” she teased while handing me the tray.