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Chapter 21 A Shattered Reflection
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POWERS OF THE MOON BEARER Chapter 22: Bound by Shadows
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
POWERS OF THE MOON BEARER Chapter 23: The Crossroads of Fate
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
POWERS OF THE MOON BEARER Chapter 24: Shadows of Truth
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
POWERS OF THE MOON BEARER Chapter 25: The Choice
The stillness in the temple was filled with charged air ripe with the scent of old magic and inevitable uncertainty. Standing at the center, Luna paused, her heart swaying a Racing match, bound in-between the flow of power settling in her chest and the neediness of her pack all around her. The relic thumped against her skin, matching a thud for a thud with her heartbeat, urging her to plunge herself into acceptance of the power it wanted to confer on her.Alec was having a very hard time against the coils of shadow holding him. "Luna! Don't listen to them! It's possible to break free!"Jax has managed to rise with difficulty, heart pounding. "They want you under their control; you can hold your own!"But locked with her eyes on Kael's mother, that sharp and frigid woman standing before her, sparkling with her promise of power, she never asked for this, wished for none of it. Deep within her very soul, however, the allure was clear: the darkness swirling in her veins, something she sh
POWERS OF THE MOON BEARER Chapter 26 The Re Awakening
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
POWERS OF THE MOON BEARER Chapter 27: Shattered Foundations
The air outside the temple was rife with dust and havoc. Luna and her company staggered out into the night as the earth continued to quiver underneath their feet, the crumbling remains of the temple throwing wreaths of debris into the air behind them. The once-majestic temple, a trophy of ancient power, was being devoured by itself. A sign of olden times flagging down - and maybe about her future as well, thought Luna. Alec held her arm firmly, yet his eyes reflected concern. "Luna, are you alright? What was that thing back there?" Luna was out of breath and wiping the dirt from her face, "I don't know... I didn't mean for any of this to happen." Jax scrutinized the horizon, his body tense. "Whatever it was, it felt like it was pulling on us, a mix of light and dark. It's unnatural." Kade stepped forward and fixated his gaze on the smoking ruins behind them. "It said the balance has been destroyed. That we should build again. But what does that mean?"Luna shook her head, attempti
POWERS OF THE MOON BEARER Chapter 28: The Reckoning
With its glowing eyes trained on Luna, the figure of Balance stood before them motionless; it emanated power, both dark and light. The very ground beneath their feet quaked with every step it took. The rest of them shifted nervously, glancing between balancing force and Luna, their hopes hinging on the side of the earth. "You have until the next full moon," the figure said, its voice a deep, sonorous blend of male and female tones which reverberated in Luna's chest. "After that, the balance will tip. You must decide before then, or the world will be torn apart by the forces you have unleashed."Luna felt her heartbeat speeding up and understood the weight of those words. Her throat tightened, but she made herself say: "What if I don't choose?"The Balance narrowed its glowing eyes. "The world shall fracture beyond repair. The light and dark will consume all before them, and you, Luna, will be the incendiary which ignites this horror. Nobody, in fact, will remain standing, not even th
POWERS OF THE MOON BEARER Chapter 29: The Awakening of the Void
This monstrous figure, surging above them, seemed to grow bigger with each passing moment. Its form transformed from light to dark, a combination of all things Luna despised. With eyes glowing with unearthly light, like the Balance incarnate, there stood something strange-that darkness was deep and damning.The splitting roar sent a tidal wave of nausea through Luna as the earth shook beneath them. The air grew thick and dense, making it difficult to breathe- and it was becoming unbearable to be pinned between two opposing forces.Alec yelled above the racket, his voice gaunt with panic. "Luna! We have to move, now!"But Luna's gaze did not waver from the creature. It was as though the creature locked its piercing gaze into her, pulling her closer. A semblance of familiarity wafted over her psyche with its energy, which tugged at the core of her being. Her heart raced, and the relic about her neck reacted by thrumming violently almost in rhythm with her panic."Luna!" Jax yelled as he
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POWERS OF THE MOON BEARER Chapter 37: Whispers in the Dark
“Seek me, Luna… the darkness is false… not as shallow but as ever deep.” When the whisper thinned, Luna's heart raced and her breath hitched midway. She looked round, but the shadows encircling her remained still."What is it?" Alec's voice quickly stirred her as he saw the expression of concern in her eyes.Luna hesitated; her voice came out in the slightest whisper. "I think… I think Kael is calling me. But not just him. Something else… something buried that we have missed."Alec frowned, his brow knitting together with confusion. "What are you saying, Luna?"Before she could answer him, there was a tremor in the ground, and far away in the forest came a long, low rumble—an ancient and deep warning that struck fear in the hearts of those present. Luna's heart skipped as her eyes met Alec's."The dawn's not coming," she said, her voice quivering. "Let's go."Like a pack, the four of them melted into the darkened forest, following the retreating echo of Kael's call, every step taken
POWERS OF THE MOON BEARER Chapter 36: Echoes of the Fallen
With that, the four of them joined the rest of the pack in an area of the village. They gathered in a solemn circle around them. Luna took a step forward, the weight of her words behind them."We fought the Void and tested us in ways we would never have imagined. Yet he…" Her voice broke as if she needed to collect herself. "Kael sacrificed his life to ensure our return. He was braver than any of us knew."Jax's voice broke as he ended, his vulnerability on his sleeve, saying, "Kael wasn't just brave; he was selfless. He taught us that our strength is in each other. And I… I lost sight of that. But I'm not losing it again."A tear slipped from Luna's eyes, and Alec wrapped his arm around her. "We carry him with us. And we will keep fighting for the bond he protected.""Let's carry out his wish, for ourselves. He won't get us to die for nothing," said Kade, a sorrowful resolve in his voice.A hush fell in the air as the pack members bowed their heads in silent remembrance of Kael.As d
POWERS OF THE MOON BEARER Chapter 35: A Flicker of Hope
Emerging from the dark corridor, Luna, Jax, Alec, and Kade later stood on a clearing touched by moonlight, gasping as fresh air filled their lungs. The hollow grasp of the Void had given way; however, the chill still lingered and served as a reminder of what they had done - and of what they had lost.Alec decided to break the silence first while looking around the woods. "So, is that it?"Jax's expression morphed into the face of sorrows, though relief washed over him. "The Void is gone - for now anyways. I don't know if it's really over." Kade placed an arm on Jax, steadying him. “It’s over as far as we say it is. You fought hard, Jax, against something none of us saw coming, Kael…”The silence that followed was heavy. Then Jax lowered his voice and filled it with regret. “I still can’t believe it. I was so close to losing myself… and to hurting you. I… I don’t know how to face this.” Luna stepped close to him, picked up his hand into hers, and started to stroke it soothingly with
POWERS OF THE MOON BEARER Chapter 34: Shadows in the Light
The hubbub of sound that was left in the wake of Kael's passing crushed typical speech. Luna felt her heart flutter. She stretched her hand out, hoping against hope that there was still a hidden trace of Kael. But her fingers touched only empty space, driving an icy torrent deep into her bones. The once-thought formal presence of Kael was now just a void, a hollowness that looked pleased as it fed off their dejected emotion.Alec broke the silence first, his voice a choked sound. "He is gone. Kael sacrificed himself... for us."Luna swallowed, fighting back tears. "He did it to save us from what the Void was doing. To weaken its hold. But... I can't believe that he is really gone."Kade's grinding teeth directed us (its, casual or formal usage) toward the pulsing shadows in the walls. "If this sacrifice was for the sake of this, then we can't let it go in vain. We must bring Jax back and end this."Sensing their revived hopes, the stone walls widened toward a dark narrow tunnel that t
POWERS OF THE MOON BEARER Chapter 33: Echoes of Betrayal
The giant swallowed them without any conscious knowledge of their descent to depth. Luna felt unsound; the ground under began to fall in, drawing herself down into the depth of the void with her companions. Shadows wrapped her like tendrils, clutching in tight lightning flashes, all that now occupied her attention; she was on the verge of losing consciousness. But almost as it had come, the strange - now had shifted from something into which she could faintly step - an unyielding ground under her feet.The sceneries doomed: she found herself alone in a strange, dimly-lit space that seemed to warp in more directions than one. All of the walls stretched high and were carved upon with symbols that moved and breathed. The only light in the room came from a flickering flame that stood suspended high in midair, casting long shadows upon the stone floor; they danced with pure dread."Hello," Luna called out, her voice echoing into the walls. But there was no answer.Just as panic was creepi
POWERS OF THE MOON BEARER Chapter 32: Into the Abyss
She blinked open her eyes, and the blackness around her began to fade slowly, unveiling a large underground room. The walls were covered in markings of an unknown tongue, faintly glowing in the dim light. All over the air within the chamber, she could sense the ground pulsing as though alive with an invisible ancient force.She remained, breathless, seeking to establish where she was. Jorg had gone to thin air while Alec's voice in her mind called her name. But Seraphine's words kept echoing tauntingly in her head."Where... where am I?" she whispered, her voice hoarse.Then slow, bound footsteps drew near. She managed to lift herself up, aching all over her body, and finally saw emerging from the inky darkness a figure. A familiar countenance that sent an icy chill down her spine.Jax.But something was wrong with him, though. His eyes, strong and alive with feelings before, now dull, drained of vitality. Squaring his shoulders like a sentry, he stood in front of her; a frozen mockin
POWERS OF THE MOON BEARER Chapter 31 Shadows of the Past
As darkness faded away, Luna stood in a great empty plain. It was unreal: nothing, no color, no sound - Nothing but that nameless sense of energy which filled the air. Luna blinked, trying to adjust her eyes to see in the surrounding gloom."Luna!" A voice floated back distantly. Gently familiar. "Is that you?"Luna turned around abruptly, heart pumping. "Alec?" she called, trembling, "Where are you?"In front of her, the landscape rippled like a mirage, the shadows danced like candle flames. In her panic rising, she started to see someone: a figure, just emerging from the shadows."Alec!" She rushed towards him as he stepped into the light, revealing the concern on his face. "I thought I lost you!""I'm right here," he whispered, pulling her into a warm embrace against the immutable background of the unnerving surroundings. "I was so afraid-""What happened?" Luna interrupted, her gaze searching into his eyes. "The Void was…so overwhelming…and then everything just went dark."Concern
POWERS OF THE MOON BEARER Chapter 30: The Choice
As the pack's eyes bore into her moving forward, Luna approached the Void with each step pulling various fear and resolve in her body. Behind her head, she could hear Alec's voice in growing desolation.“Luna, wait!” Alec hollered with a voice cracking with panic. “You don’t have to do this!”“Luna!” Jax practically shrieked, over-urgent. “Think about what you’re sacrificing! There has to be another way!”But the energy of the Void pulsated around her, a magnetic tether pulling her inwards. With each footfall, she felt the relic thrum against her skin; it became more aglow with each step into destiny.I'm not going to let you destroy everything! Luna retorted defiantly. It starts here and now!The Void flexed; light-turned darkness, another terrifying roar escaped it. The air cracked for as far as she could see, and the ground shook underfoot. There was power, then pressure, a stream of energy locking onto her, sensing her determination.“Luna!” Kael's voice, flooded with grief, broke
POWERS OF THE MOON BEARER Chapter 29: The Awakening of the Void
This monstrous figure, surging above them, seemed to grow bigger with each passing moment. Its form transformed from light to dark, a combination of all things Luna despised. With eyes glowing with unearthly light, like the Balance incarnate, there stood something strange-that darkness was deep and damning.The splitting roar sent a tidal wave of nausea through Luna as the earth shook beneath them. The air grew thick and dense, making it difficult to breathe- and it was becoming unbearable to be pinned between two opposing forces.Alec yelled above the racket, his voice gaunt with panic. "Luna! We have to move, now!"But Luna's gaze did not waver from the creature. It was as though the creature locked its piercing gaze into her, pulling her closer. A semblance of familiarity wafted over her psyche with its energy, which tugged at the core of her being. Her heart raced, and the relic about her neck reacted by thrumming violently almost in rhythm with her panic."Luna!" Jax yelled as he
