THE LAST MOON BLOOD.

The moon had been following her for as long as she could remember. Not in the sky. In her dreams. Every night, it appeared exactly the same way—enormous and silver, hanging impossibly low over a dark forest. And every night, someone stood beneath it. A woman. Elara could never see her face. She only knew that the woman was waiting. Waiting for her. “Come closer.” The voice was always soft. Almost familiar. Elara would take one step forward. Then another. And just when she was about to reach her— the woman would disappear. The moon would turn red. And Elara would wake. Tonight was no different. She stood barefoot in the strange forest, her white nightdress brushing against the grass. The air was cold. Too cold. She wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the woman standing beneath the silver moon. “Who are you?” Elara asked. The woman didn't answer. “Why do you keep coming into my dreams?” Still nothing. Elara took a hesitant step forward. The woman finally raised her hand. A silver light began glowing beneath Elara's feet. She looked down. A strange symbol had appeared in the earth. A crescent moon surrounded by three thin lines. Elara's heart began pounding. “What is that?” The woman finally spoke. “You have forgotten.” “Forgotten what?” The woman looked toward the moon. “Who you are.” The silver light suddenly became blinding. Elara raised her hands to shield her eyes. Then she heard another voice. A man's voice. Deep. Distant. Terrified. “Run.” Elara turned. There was no one there. The woman was gone. The moon had turned crimson. And something enormous moved behind the trees. Elara stepped backward. “What is that?” The forest shook. Branches snapped. A pair of golden eyes opened in the darkness. The creature lunged. Elara screamed— And woke. --- She sat upright in bed. Her chest rose and fell rapidly. For several moments, she didn't move. The room was dark. Quiet. Normal. Elara pressed a hand against her heart. “Just a dream.” She whispered it like a prayer. “Just a dream.” Outside her small bedroom window, dawn had begun to break over the village of Lunaris. The first rays of sunlight touched the distant mountains. Elara pushed the blanket aside and stood. She had dreamed of the moon again. She hated those dreams. They had started when she was a child. At first, they came once every few months. Then once a week. Now almost every night. And lately, they had begun changing. The woman was closer. The symbol was clearer. And the voice telling her to run had never appeared before. Elara walked toward the small wooden table beside her bed. A silver pendant rested there. She picked it up. It was the only thing she had ever owned that seemed to belong to a life she couldn't remember. Her mother had given it to her years ago. She had never explained where it came from. Only one instruction had ever accompanied it. Never take it off. Elara slipped the chain around her neck. The pendant was cold against her skin. Then— It warmed. Elara frowned. She touched it. The silver crescent suddenly pulsed once. A faint light moved through it. She jerked her hand away. The light disappeared. Elara stared. Her breathing slowed. “Mother?” No answer. She quickly pulled on her dress and left the room. --- The village of Lunaris was already awake. Women carried baskets toward the market. Children chased one another through the narrow streets. Farmers prepared their horses. Smoke rose from chimneys as breakfast was prepared in nearly every home. It was an ordinary morning. At least, it should have been. Elara walked toward the small bakery where her mother worked. She pushed open the wooden door. Warm air filled her face. Her mother stood behind the counter, arranging loaves of bread. “You're early.” Elara smiled. “I couldn't sleep.” Her mother's hands stopped moving. Only for a second. Then she continued. “Another dream?” Elara nodded. Her mother's expression tightened. “What happened this time?” “There was a woman.” Her mother looked up. “What woman?” “I don't know.” Elara hesitated. “She said I had forgotten who I was.” The color drained from her mother's face. Elara noticed. “Mother?” “Don't listen to dreams.” “But—” “Dreams are nothing.” Her mother's voice was sharper than usual. Elara stared at her. “You're frightened.” “I am not.” “You are.” Her mother turned away. “Elara, there are some things you don't need to understand.” “That's what you always say.” Her mother remained silent. Elara stepped closer. “Who am I?” Her mother froze. “What?” “You heard me.” Elara touched the pendant beneath her dress. “Where did this come from?” Her mother slowly turned. Her eyes went directly to the pendant. For several seconds, neither spoke. Then her mother whispered, “Take it off.” Elara frowned. “You told me never to.” “I know.” “Then why—” “Take it off.” Elara obeyed. Her mother immediately took the pendant from her. She closed her fingers around it. “Never wear this outside the house again.” Elara stared at her. “Why?” Her mother's eyes filled with something Elara couldn't understand. Fear. “Because there are people who would kill you for it.” Elara's heart stopped. “What?” Her mother stepped closer. “Listen to me carefully.” Her voice dropped. “If anyone ever asks where you got that pendant, you tell them you don't know.” “Mother—” “You tell them nothing.” “But why?” Her mother looked toward the window. The village square was visible outside. A group of riders had just entered Lunaris. They wore dark blue cloaks. And embroidered across their chests was a golden crown. Royal guards. Elara's mother went completely still. “Oh, gods.” Elara looked outside. “What is it?” Her mother grabbed her arm. “Go upstairs.” “Why?” “Now.” Elara had never heard fear in her mother's voice like that. She obeyed. --- The riders stopped in the center of the village. There were six of them. Their horses were magnificent, their armor polished, their swords resting at their sides. The villagers slowly gathered around them. An older soldier dismounted. “By order of the Crown of Aurelia,” he announced, “we are searching for a fugitive believed to be hiding within this province.” Whispers spread through the crowd. A woman near the fountain crossed herself. “What fugitive?” The soldier unrolled a parchment. “A young woman.” He looked around. “Approximately twenty years of age.” Elara's heart began beating faster. The soldier continued. “She may be traveling under a false name.” Upstairs, Elara stood frozen beside the window. Her mother pulled the curtains shut. “Do not look outside.” Elara turned. “Why are they looking for a woman?” Her mother didn't answer. “Mother.” “Quiet.” “Is it me?” Her mother looked at her. That was enough. Elara's stomach dropped. “What did I do?” “Nothing.” “Then why are they looking for me?” “I don't know if they're looking for you.” “You're lying.” Her mother closed her eyes. A loud knock sounded downstairs. Both women froze. Another knock. Then a voice. “Royal inspection.” Elara's mother grabbed her shoulders. “There's a small room behind the pantry.” “What?” “Go there.” “I'm not hiding.” “You are if you want to live.” Elara stared at her. Her mother's hands trembled. That frightened her more than the soldiers did. “Go.” Elara ran. --- The pantry was small and dark. She squeezed behind the shelves as her mother descended the stairs. The front door opened. “Good morning,” a soldier said. “Good morning.” “We're conducting a search.” “For what?” “A young woman.” Elara held her breath. “Everyone in the village is being questioned.” Her mother remained silent. “Do you have a daughter?” A pause. “Yes.” “How old?” “Seventeen.” Elara frowned. She was twenty-one. Her mother had lied. The soldier's footsteps moved closer. “Where is she?” “She isn't here.” “May we search upstairs?” “No.” Silence. Then the soldier laughed softly. “You understand that refusing a royal search can be considered treason?” Elara's mother said nothing. The footsteps moved again. Closer. Closer. Then— A loud crash came from outside. The soldier turned. “What was that?” Another guard shouted from the street. “Commander!” The soldier rushed outside. Elara waited. Her mother ran toward the pantry. “Come.” They hurried into the kitchen. “What happened?” “I don't know.” Her mother opened the back door. “Go to the forest.” Elara stared at her. “You want me to leave?” “Just for today.” “Why?” Her mother took her face in both hands. “If anyone finds you, do not tell them your name.” Elara's eyes filled with tears. “Mother…” “Go.” She pushed the pendant back into Elara's hand. “Take it.” “But you said—” “I was wrong.” Elara stared at her. Her mother whispered, “Whatever happens, don't let them see the mark.” “What mark?” Her mother's expression changed. She looked at Elara's wrist. A faint silver crescent had appeared beneath her skin. Elara hadn't noticed it before. “What is that?” Her mother didn't answer. “Mother?” “Go!” Elara ran. --- The forest swallowed her quickly. Branches scratched her arms as she moved deeper between the trees. She didn't know where she was going. She only knew she couldn't stay. Behind her, she heard voices. “Search the forest!” “She couldn't have gone far!” Elara ran faster. Her lungs burned. Her heart pounded. Then the ground beneath her feet suddenly began to glow. She stopped. Silver light spread through the grass. The same symbol from her dream. The crescent. Three lines. Elara stared at it. “No…” The pendant around her neck became hot. A wind rose around her. The trees bent. The sky darkened. And somewhere far away, in the royal capital of Aurelia, every bell in the kingdom began to ring. One. Two. Three. The sound traveled across mountains and valleys. Inside the royal palace, the king stood abruptly from his throne. An ancient court sorceress dropped to her knees. Her face had gone white. “Your Majesty…” The king stared at her. “What is happening?” The woman looked toward the windows. Her voice trembled. “The Moonblood.” The king's expression changed. After centuries of silence, the forbidden bloodline had awakened. And deep within the forest, Elara stared at the silver light surrounding her. She had no idea what she was. No idea why the kingdom feared her. And no idea that, from that moment onward, her life would never belong to her again.