Chapter Two: The Choice to Follow
230 Words
Morning brought no comfort.
Arin woke with heaviness in her limbs and silence where magic used to live. The elders spoke gently, but their eyes were afraid. Moonlight loss was unheard of. Unnatural.
“Do not chase him,” they warned. “The forest beyond the valley does not forgive.”
But Arin was not asking for permission.
She packed before dawn. No spells. No protection. Only resolve.
The forest swallowed her quickly. Trees rose like walls. Light struggled to break through. Every step reminded her of what she had lost—but also of what she still had.
Her will.
“You shouldn’t have come alone.”
She spun around.
He stood between the trees, exactly as before. Calm. Waiting.
“You stole my power,” she said. “You don’t get to decide where I go.”
He studied her carefully, like someone afraid of breaking something fragile.
“My name is Kael,” he said. “And if you want your moonlight back, you’ll need to trust me.”
Her laugh was bitter. “You already took everything.”
“No,” he said quietly. “I took it so you wouldn’t lose your life.”
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Arin spoke. “Then start walking.
”
Kael turned toward the deeper forest.
And Arin followed—knowing this path would cost her more than magic.
- Writer
