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Chapter 18: The Darkness Within
Last Updated:
2024-10-20 21:22:14
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Luna couldn't sleep. The winds outside her cottage howled, and the moonlight filtered across the window, casting awry shadows on the stone wall. She lay on her back, gazing up to the ceiling on the goings-on explained by Selene.The dreams, the power of the relic, the whispers…all were true. She had fought so hard to be strong, to claim the place from which she thought she stemmed, but thus far, it was clear such power could extract an awful price. Was she then merely a vessel for something darker, something that existed far in the past and was eternally latent and thus uncontrollable? She squeezed her life through her closed eyes, desperate to expel those thoughts, but to no avail; they kept sneaking back in."Shhh." The soft knocks on the door broke the silence. Any heartbeats could be heard by now. In one swift motion, Luna sat herself upright while wrapping a blanket around her."Luna?" Jax whispered. This voice, though calm, was laden with an urgency that was unmistakable.She p
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The morning dawned quietly. The sun rose over the village, casting a slight shadow, but the normal sounds of life-birds chirping, trees rustling seems muted, as though it somehow sensed even in the early days of disturbing darkness.Sitting on the edge of her bed, Luna stacred dully at the relic resting in her palm. It felt heavier that day-plate armor feeding on her emotions, taken on her fears. Her heart thudded a staccato in her chest, but there were no whispers now. The silence, however, gave her more shudders than it provided comforts-it was the awfully still calm before the storm.The soft rap on the door jolted her out of her reverie."Come in," she called out in a strangely empty tone.And the door creaked open. And in stepped Alec. One beady eye, his searching gaze passed over her face. "You didn't sleep, did you?"Luna shook her head with difficulty under the grip of the disc. "No. Too much Todo weighs on one's mind."Alec's brow nearly crinkled into a frown; he walked over
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Chapter 21: A Shattered ReflectionLuna's shriek echoed across the stillness of the forest as the twisted reflection of herself—this shadowy version—loomed close by with that haunting, cruel smile. It said nothing. It filled all crevices of Luna's mind. Dark Luna stretched her hand toward her, fingers straightened-and all of a sudden she was feeling a tug somewhere within her, yanking her closer to it. Alec and Jax were screaming her name, their voices frantic yet muffled as if miles away, even though they were standing beside her.“This is the time I really needed Kade’s understanding” Alec turned to Jax with a pitiful face. Kade had gone back to seek more knowledge on the Relic.“I know the knowledge he seek will be helpful when he gets back” Jax added.You belong to me.The dark Luna had stopped whispering; it had become a command. Luna's body acted of its own accord, stumbling forth towards the dark figure. She wanted to fight back, but nothing could alter her path, like a strong
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Luna felt a perception of floating in the sea of darkness. Air was thick; it felt suffocating, but there was nothing to indicate any motion. Nothing could be seen. She was hanging on to the gentle, slow, rhythmic thud of her pulse - a sound that was strangely compatible with the pulverized night and the darkness coiling around in tandem with her very breath.A weak and distant thought flashed through her mind. Am I dead? But that thought seemed to twinkle and vanish away into the distance, as she felt something - a soft and pulsing heat in the middle of her chest.The relic.Heaviness remained on her chest, a vase burning her from the inside, heavy and extremely hot. That was the only thing that tethered her and kept her from vanishing into the void entirely.A voice-escalating calm and soothing pierced through the suffocating silence."Luna, wake up."It was not dark Luna in this case. It appeared neither to be Alec nor Jax. It felt familiar, yet so distant."Luna," that voice comman
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The dogs will be named: Silence and Eternity. The blink will be unending: thus the effigy of hopes and dreams incised into the Tern, lingering for an eternity there-in. Luna's heart raced as she looked back at the clearing, arriving at the crater of a life-shattering decision. In her mind, she replayed Kael's offer over and over while feeling the chill of his gaze, cold and expectant.Embrace or fight darkness.Alec and Jax stood close, the tension between the three a charge in the air. Kade was standing in the shadows, inscrutable, the gold of his eyes betraying an intensity wrought strictly for her.Luna closed her fists, the relic's warmth pulsating against her chest like a warning. Uncertainties fluttered through her mind, torn between the seduction of darkness and her fear of being consumed by it.But she had no chance to respond; a hush of silence permeated the air through Alec’s low, deadly voice: “You can’t actually be considering this?” He had clenched his jaw, and his eyes w
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The shadows swallowed them, cold and suffocating: Luna could see absolutely nothing, not even her hands in front of her face. She could sense Alec, Jax, Kade all around her, all of them tense as if a prelude to static which was a little breathtakingly delayed; Before she could resist even that the darkness further in a codified way just grimly closeted in.The pulse thudded in her ears. She forced herself to breathe and some calm within her, remnants of the laughter of the woman-"When you will embrace the darkness with your arms, the world shall bow before you"-threatened to clutch at her within a vise."Luna!" A sharp voice came through the void, streaked with urgency. "Stay with us!""I'm here," Luna called back, her voice shaking more than she wished. She reached out her hand, fumbling in the darkness, until she could feel his. "I'm here."Without warning, the oppressive shadows pulled back; it felt like they were shedding the layers of skin. Luna blinked as her vision cleared, rea
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All went silent with some creepy, obscure sound reigning the place of the temple as such frightful and trembling words emanated from Luna while making an equally frightful choice."I choose... neither."Silence followed, punctuated only by Lambert's scintillating hold. Even the shadows willed themselves not to come on. Kael's mother blinked her disbelief, narrowing her cold stare slowly. Elara, Guardian of Light, stepped forward at the surprising conviction of her silver eyes. "Neither? Kael's mother hissed, spitting fire with the venom of the same. "You may not refuse both. This is your fate!”Though her legs were still trembling, Luna stood firm and unwavering now. Her voice was hearty, strong-hearted. "I dare not accept for darkness to flow deep in my veins. Not even the radiant light. I shall choose my own path and find another way."Alec exhaled, relieved, beside her, his gaze softened with admiration. "Oh, Luna..."Kade nodded, and a little smile curled at the corner of his lip
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Malachai's expression darkened, and the smile faded from his lips. "Be careful, Amara. You've made plenty of mistakes yourself. Want me to remind you of them? Start with bringing Luna here."Luna’s eyes jumped back and forth between them, her voice carrying the questions. “What does he mean, Amara?”Amara hesitated and in that moment, the laughter of Malachai echoed again, sharp and biting. "Oh, she didn't tell you? The relic, the visions, even your awakening - it was all her doing. You didn't find this path by chance Luna. You were chosen for it."“Amara?” Luna’s voice shook. Betrayal sliced through her like a knife."It's not what he's making it sound like," Amara said quickly, her tone desperate. "I…yes I guided you here but only because you're the only one who can stop this."“You used me!” Luna shouted, stepping back. “You knew I was a pawn in this, and you said nothing?”Before Amara could respond, Malachai took another step closer, his voice dripping with venom. "But now, you s
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The group hurried on, the anxiety taut as a string preparing to clash with the coming storm. The trees flanking them rustled eerily in the wind, a far-off sound of growling carried in the breeze.Alec pressed the blade tighter, his voice low but sharp. "We have to move. Now."Luna glanced up, the light of the moon pouring down on their path. “How far to the nexus?”Amara pointed east. Her voice was sharp. “Less than a mile, but it’s through thick brush, and Malachai will have traps laid out.”Jax smiled as he drew his twin daggers from their sheathes. “Traps are him. Getting past them is on us.”Selene looked at him witheringly. “That’s easy to say when you don’t have to walk in there.”Jax winked. “That’s why I’m charming. To keep morale up.”“Can we focus please?” Alec growled, clearly losing his patience. “Luna, you stay close to me. If anything comes at you—”"I can take care of myself," she interrupted, her tone authoritative. "I'm not helpless, Alec."He sighed then ran his hand
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The woman hesitated and gazed at the moonlit sky, her doubt showing for the first time in her eyes. It was the first time uncertainty had shown in her eyes. “Because of the relic... it’s not just a source of power. It’s the key.”Jax frowned. “A key to what?”“To the Moon Gate,” she said quietly.Luna’s breath hitched. “The Moon Gate? That’s just a legend.”The woman shook her head. "No, it's real. And if Malachai opens it, he will unleash a power that will consume this world and everything in it."The voice of Selene was laced with skepticism. "How do you know all of this?"The woman's eyes hardened. "Because I saw it before. I was there when the last gatekeeper fell. I watched Malachai betray his blood to gain the relic."Luna’s heart clenched. “His own blood?”The woman nodded her head. "Malachai didn't only kill your parents, Luna. He killed his brother- your father."The news came like a thunderclap. Alec stood frozen, with his fists clenched at his sides. Jax’s mouth fell open,
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She looked up at Luna and said in a voice that was quiet yet steady, ”It’s not a matter of liking it Jax. It is the matter of doing what needs to be done”.Alec paced for a while and then turned to her, his face more than angry but also desperate. "Necessary? Luna, losing your connection to the moon—your power—it's not just a solution; it's a death sentence for who you are."Selene crossed her arms and leaned against a tree. "She's not wrong, Alec. Without the moon's power, you won't just lose your strength, Luna. You'll lose your identity as a wolf."Luna shook her fists, attempting to steady her shaking hands. “I know what it means. I’ve thought about it ever since... ever since the relic bonded with me. If this is the price to stop Malachai, then it’s worth it.”“Worth it?” Alec echoed, his voice rising. “Do you hear yourself? You’re speaking like you’re expendable.”Jax’s tone was sharp. “We all are scars when Malachai stops. Or do you think we’ll come out of this no one SCAR?”“T
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The silence was deafening, cracked only by the popping sounds from the flames. While Pack members wore varied expressions, Luna stood in the center, her gaze flicking between them.“I’m going,” she said firmly, her voice the only sound in a silent afternoon.“No, you are not,” Alec said, growling, his golden eyes fixed on hers. “We already talked about this. It’s a trap, Luna.”Luna hugged her arms across herself, looking back at him with equal intensity. "Of course it's a trap," she said, "but if we do nothing, Malachai wipes everything out. He'll come to open the gateway Alec."Jax leant against a tree, arms folded, neither happy nor sad. “She’s right. We cannot afford to just idle, waiting for him to tell us what he wants done next.”Alec turned toward him, his voice rising. "And you think the solution is to send her straight into his hands?"Jax smirked, but it did not have any humor in it. "I did not say that. But we lack the luxury of time, don't we?"Selene stepped forward, he
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Alec pulled Luna's hand, his voice calm yet demanding. "We're leaving. Right now."The woman stepped back into the shadows, her parting words doing so. "It is in your hands, Luna, to keep the balance. Do not allow the darkness to wear you out in this way".As they ran to the open space of their territory, Luna’s mind was filled with questions, doubts and fears. But there was one thing that was clear: the match wasn't over.And the second time they encountered Malachai, running would be out of the question.The group barely returned to the safety of their territory when the forest erupted with sinister howls. Alec paced in the clearing by the fire pit, his nervous energy had him moving much more than normal. His wolf energy crackled in the air, right then as he was very frustrated.“We can’t keep running,” Alec growled, his golden eyes flashing. “The Pack of Malachi is closing in and every moment we waste, we’re losing the ground on.”Selene crossed her arms and leaned against a tree,
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Alec growled and stepped closer. “Don’t listen to him, Luna. He’s just trying to mess with your head.”"Am I?" Malachai's smile widened. "Or am I finally revealing a truth that even the moon has hidden away?"As they had no time to answer, the ground under their feet began to tremble. The deep bass note vibrated in the air and Luna felt her chest burning awfully at the place where the relic’s energy was still there.“What’s happening?” she gasped, clutching her chest.Malachai's eyes sparkled with victory. "The awakening, Luna. The power of the relic has already begun to stir within you. Soon, however, you'll come to realize that light cannot exist without darkness; even your eyes will be blinded by the truth."The hum got louder and an opening in the ground, glowing with a light from another world, appeared between them. Luna’s knees buckled as the power inside her surged, threatening to devour her.“Luna!” Alec shouted, catching her before she fell.Selene reached for her too, a pan
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Alec paused, as if he were selecting his words very carefully. "Luna, you and I… there’s a connection. Something deeper than I can put into words. It's the reason I've always felt such a strong urge to protect you."Luna’s breath hitched. “A bond? Are you saying we’re—”“Soulmates,” Alec confirmed, his voice steady.Selene stared at him, shocked. "And you're just now telling her this? Alec, what the hell?""That's not so easy," Alec said, defensively. "I didn't see it that way until now. The moon showed me in the Lunar Chamber."Luna’s head spun with the confusion of a million questions wanting to pour forth from her. Another growl snapped her back to the present, however."We need to move," Alec said, urgently. "Malachai won't stop until he has Selene, and his Pack is crawling all over the forest."Selene’s aura flared again, but this time it was weaker than before. “If he wants me, let him come fight me himself.”"Don't be reckless!" Alec snapped, frustration boiling over. "You are
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Luna's vision gradually returned—an interplay of silvery light, whiffs of cool air caressing her skin and the faint harmony of power all over her. She blinked and understood she was no more in the clearing.The expanse was huge and bright where walls were made of glittering crystals that it felt like they were going to pulsate with the rhythm of a heartbeat. Above her a huge moon hung there as if suspended, casting its ethereal glow.“Where… where am I?” Luna murmured.A soft groan escaped that drew her attention. A few feet away lay Selene, her form also curled in a silver aura. Luna scrambled beside her and started shaking her gently.“Selene, wake up!”Her eyes opened slowly, still flashing brightly with that unearthly silver. She got up, glancing around in bewilderment. “What place is this?"“I don’t know,” Luna admitted, helping her up. “But I think it’s connected to the relic—and the moon.”“The Lunar Chamber.”Both women turned at the voice. There was a form, cloaked in shadow
