Marked by the Silver Moon

The fight lesson

The scream tore from her throat before she knew it.

Nora jolted upright, sweat slicking her skin. The blanket tangled around her legs, her chest rising and falling in sharp bursts. For a second, she didn’t know where she was. The shadows on the walls looked wrong, too close, too alive.

Her eyes darted around until she saw a soft yellow light spilling through half-open curtains, the faint hum of the city below. Not the foster home. Not him.

Mara’s apartment.

She pressed a shaky hand against her chest, trying to slow her breathing. Just a nightmare. Just a dream.

But then the lamp on the bedside table flickered.

Her pulse jumped. The bulb hissed, flared, and suddenly exploded. Glass scattered across the floor, the light dying in an instant.

Nora gasped and stumbled back, her heel scraping the carpet. “I didn’t— I didn’t touch it.”

Footsteps hurried down the hall. Mara appeared at the door, hair messy, a g*n in her hand. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

Nora shook her head, wide-eyed. “The lamp. It just… broke.”

Mara frowned, lowering the weapon. She glanced at the shards on the floor. “Did you hit it?”

“No. It just…went out.”

Kaia’s voice came from behind Mara. “I told you the kid’s got bad vibes,” she said, yawning as she leaned on the doorframe. “Guess now she kills furniture too.”

Mara shot her sister a look. “Not funny.”

Kaia grinned lazily. “I’m kidding. Mostly.”

Nora crossed her arms, glaring. “You don’t even know me.”

Kaia’s smirk deepened. “Not yet. But I plan to.”

Mara sighed, rubbing her temple. “You both need sleep. I’ll clean this up.”

But Kaia stepped into the room, her gaze sharp now, not teasing. “Actually, maybe what she needs isn’t rest. Maybe she needs control.”

“Kaia,” Mara warned.

“What?” Kaia said lightly. “I’m not saying we throw her into a cage fight. Just… a lesson. Something small. She’s jumpy, scared, and clearly got some kind of spark in her—” she gestured to the broken lamp “—literally.”

Mara hesitated, glancing at Nora. The girl’s hands still shook slightly, but her chin lifted. “I don’t need your help.”

Kaia smiled. “Good. Then you won’t mind proving it.”

The rain had stopped by morning. The rooftop glistened with dew, the city still half-asleep. Kaia stretched her arms, cracking her neck as Nora stood a few feet away in one of Mara’s old hoodies, the sleeves too long.

“This is stupid,” Nora muttered.

“Probably,” Kaia said, circling her. “But stupid teaches faster than smart. First lesson, keep your stance. Feet apart. Hands up.”

Nora copied her, awkwardly. Kaia nudged her elbow. “Not like that. You’re not begging the wind for mercy. Chin down. Guard up.”

Nora rolled her eyes but adjusted.

“Better,” Kaia said, smirking. “Now punch.”

Nora threw a punch. It missed Kaia by a mile.

Kaia laughed. “That was adorable.”

“Shut up,” Nora snapped, cheeks burning.

“Do it again.”

Nora tried again, harder this time. Kaia blocked it easily.

And again.

And again.

Each miss made Nora’s frustration build. Her breath grew ragged, her hair sticking to her forehead. She stumbled, fell once, twice, but got back up every single time.

Kaia’s teasing grin slowly faded. She watched as Nora clenched her fists, eyes burning with something raw. Not fear anymore—fire.

“That’s it,” Kaia said quietly. “Now you’re fighting.”

Nora didn’t even hear her. She swung again, and this time, Kaia caught her wrist mid-air, the impact sharp enough to sting. They both froze for a second, their eyes locking.

For the briefest moment, Nora felt something like static, humming under her skin. The same strange pull she’d felt the night she ran. It scared her.

Kaia let go first, stepping back. “Enough for today.”

Nora frowned. “Why? You're afraid I’ll hit you next time?”

Kaia chuckled. “You’d have to land a hit first.” She tossed her a towel. “You did good, though.”

Nora looked at her, confused. “You mean that?”

Kaia nodded. “You fall, you get up. That’s more than half the people I know can do.”

For the first time, Nora smiled—tiny, hesitant, but real.

Kaia noticed and smirked. “There it is. You do have teeth.”

Mara appeared on the rooftop doorway, holding two cups of coffee. “Training or t*****e?”

“A bit of both,” Kaia said. “She’s got a fight in her.”

“Hmm.” Mara looked at Nora with something like pride. “Try not to break my sister next time.”

“Can’t promise,” Nora muttered, hiding her smile behind the towel.

Later that afternoon, they sat in the small kitchen, the sound of rain starting again outside. Kaia scrolled through her phone while Nora nursed a bruised wrist. Mara was at her desk, filling out reports.

“Hey,” Kaia said suddenly, her tone sharper. “Turn that down.”

Nora blinked. “What?”

Kaia stood abruptly, eyes fixed on her buzzing phone. She answered it, walking to the far corner of the room.

“Yeah?” she said, voice low. “What’s going on?”

A muffled male voice replied on the other end. Kaia’s shoulders stiffened. “Say that again.”

Mara glanced up from her papers. “Everything alright?”

Kaia didn’t answer. She turned slightly, voice tight. “Where?”

The voice crackled again.

Kaia’s jaw clenched. “Got it. Don’t move until I get there.”

She hung up and slipped her phone into her jacket.

“Kaia,” Mara said carefully. “What was that?”

Kaia forced a casual smile. “Nothing serious. Just someone from my crew.”

Mara frowned. “Crew?”

But Kaia was already heading for the door.

“Kaia.”

Kaia stopped halfway, her back to them. “They found the mark.”

Mara froze.

For a heartbeat, the room went completely still.

Nora looked between them, confused. “The mark?” she asked softly.

Kaia didn’t answer. She just pulled her helmet on and walked out into the rain.

Mara’s face had gone pale, her coffee forgotten on the counter.

And Nora, sitting quietly with her bruised wrist and her too-fast heartbeatThe scream tore from her throat before she knew it.

Nora jolted upright, sweat slicking her skin. The blanket tangled around her legs, her chest rising and falling in sharp bursts. For a second, she didn’t know where she was. The shadows on the walls looked wrong, too close, too alive.

Her eyes darted around until she saw a soft yellow light spilling through half-open curtains, the faint hum of the city below. Not the foster home. Not him.

Mara’s apartment.

She pressed a shaky hand against her chest, trying to slow her breathing. Just a nightmare. Just a dream.

But then the lamp on the bedside table flickered.

Her pulse jumped. The bulb hissed, flared, and suddenly exploded. Glass scattered across the floor, the light dying in an instant.

Nora gasped and stumbled back, her heel scraping the carpet. “I didn’t— I didn’t touch it.”

Footsteps hurried down the hall. Mara appeared at the door, hair messy, a g*n in her hand. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

Nora shook her head, wide-eyed. “The lamp. It just… broke.”

Mara frowned, lowering the weapon. She glanced at the shards on the floor. “Did you hit it?”

“No. It just…went out.”

Kaia’s voice came from behind Mara. “I told you the kid’s got bad vibes,” she said, yawning as she leaned on the doorframe. “Guess now she kills furniture too.”

Mara shot her sister a look. “Not funny.”

Kaia grinned lazily. “I’m kidding. Mostly.”

Nora crossed her arms, glaring. “You don’t even know me.”

Kaia’s smirk deepened. “Not yet. But I plan to.”

Mara sighed, rubbing her temple. “You both need sleep. I’ll clean this up.”

But Kaia stepped into the room, her gaze sharp now, not teasing. “Actually, maybe what she needs isn’t rest. Maybe she needs control.”

“Kaia,” Mara warned.

“What?” Kaia said lightly. “I’m not saying we throw her into a cage fight. Just… a lesson. Something small. She’s jumpy, scared, and clearly got some kind of spark in her—” she gestured to the broken lamp “—literally.”

Mara hesitated, glancing at Nora. The girl’s hands still shook slightly, but her chin lifted. “I don’t need your help.”

Kaia smiled. “Good. Then you won’t mind proving it.”

The rain had stopped by morning. The rooftop glistened with dew, the city still half-asleep. Kaia stretched her arms, cracking her neck as Nora stood a few feet away in one of Mara’s old hoodies, the sleeves too long.

“This is stupid,” Nora muttered.

“Probably,” Kaia said, circling her. “But stupid teaches faster than smart. First lesson, keep your stance. Feet apart. Hands up.”

Nora copied her, awkwardly. Kaia nudged her elbow. “Not like that. You’re not begging the wind for mercy. Chin down. Guard up.”

Nora rolled her eyes but adjusted.

“Better,” Kaia said, smirking. “Now punch.”

Nora threw a punch. It missed Kaia by a mile.

Kaia laughed. “That was adorable.”

“Shut up,” Nora snapped, cheeks burning.

“Do it again.”

Nora tried again, harder this time. Kaia blocked it easily.

And again.

And again.

Each miss made Nora’s frustration build. Her breath grew ragged, her hair sticking to her forehead. She stumbled, fell once, twice, but got back up every single time.

Kaia’s teasing grin slowly faded. She watched as Nora clenched her fists, eyes burning with something raw. Not fear anymore—fire.

“That’s it,” Kaia said quietly. “Now you’re fighting.”

Nora didn’t even hear her. She swung again, and this time, Kaia caught her wrist mid-air, the impact sharp enough to sting. They both froze for a second, their eyes locking.

For the briefest moment, Nora felt something like static, humming under her skin. The same strange pull she’d felt the night she ran. It scared her.

Kaia let go first, stepping back. “Enough for today.”

Nora frowned. “Why? You're afraid I’ll hit you next time?”

Kaia chuckled. “You’d have to land a hit first.” She tossed her a towel. “You did good, though.”

Nora looked at her, confused. “You mean that?”

Kaia nodded. “You fall, you get up. That’s more than half the people I know can do.”

For the first time, Nora smiled—tiny, hesitant, but real.

Kaia noticed and smirked. “There it is. You do have teeth.”

Mara appeared on the rooftop doorway, holding two cups of coffee. “Training or t*****e?”

“A bit of both,” Kaia said. “She’s got a fight in her.”

“Hmm.” Mara looked at Nora with something like pride. “Try not to break my sister next time.”

“Can’t promise,” Nora muttered, hiding her smile behind the towel.

Later that afternoon, they sat in the small kitchen, the sound of rain starting again outside. Kaia scrolled through her phone while Nora nursed a bruised wrist. Mara was at her desk, filling out reports.

“Hey,” Kaia said suddenly, her tone sharper. “Turn that down.”

Nora blinked. “What?”

Kaia stood abruptly, eyes fixed on her buzzing phone. She answered it, walking to the far corner of the room.

“Yeah?” she said, voice low. “What’s going on?”

A muffled male voice replied on the other end. Kaia’s shoulders stiffened. “Say that again.”

Mara glanced up from her papers. “Everything alright?”

Kaia didn’t answer. She turned slightly, voice tight. “Where?”

The voice crackled again.

Kaia’s jaw clenched. “Got it. Don’t move until I get there.”

She hung up and slipped her phone into her jacket.

“Kaia,” Mara said carefully. “What was that?”

Kaia forced a casual smile. “Nothing serious. Just someone from my crew.”

Mara frowned. “Crew?”

But Kaia was already heading for the door.

“Kaia.”

Kaia stopped halfway, her back to them. “They found the mark.”

Mara froze.

For a heartbeat, the room went completely still.

Nora looked between them, confused. “The mark?” she asked softly.

Kaia didn’t answer. She just pulled her helmet on and walked out into the rain.

Mara’s face had gone pale, her coffee forgotten on the counter.

And Nora, sitting quietly with her bruised wrist and her too-fast heartbeat, whispered the word again under her breath.

“The mark…”

Her skin prickled, that strange energy flickering beneath it again.

Outside, thunder rolled.

, whispered the word again under her breath.

“The mark…”

Her skin prickled, that strange energy flickering beneath it again.

Outside, thunder rolled.