The ruins of the Vale Manor still smoldered beneath a blood-drenched sky.
Nyra moved through the wreckage with measured steps, her heart a storm but her mind razor-sharp. The explosion had cracked open more than just stone—it had shattered whatever remained of the girl she used to be.
She was done asking for answers.
Now, she would take them.
A piece of the shattered bloodline book clung to her side beneath her cloak. Silverleaf pages—untouched by the fire. Protected by her magic. And within those pages, one name kept repeating:
"The Moonborne shall awaken with blood on their tongue and shadows in their bones."
Nyra was no longer just unclaimed.
She was chosen.
⸻
Elsewhere – The Woods Near the Nightveil Outpost
Kael's horse skidded to a halt.
The air smelled of smoke and magic. The closer he got to the Vale estate, the heavier the energy pressed against his skin. He dismounted, shoving through thick brambles, heart pounding.
When he reached the clearing, all that remained of the manor was a blackened shell.
And standing at the edge of the wreckage was someone he didn't expect.
Lorien.
Alive. Bleeding. Furious.
"She was here," Lorien spat, yanking off a broken pauldron from his armor. "She cracked the foundation of the damn mountain. What the hell is she?"
Kael didn't answer immediately.
Because the truth was, he didn't know.
Not anymore.
"She's more than we ever allowed her to be," Kael said quietly.
Lorien stepped forward, jaw tense. "You need to end this. Now. Before she tears through the rest of the pack."
Kael looked out at the ashes and shook his head.
"She's not out for the pack."
"Then who?"
Kael met his brother's eyes. "Us."
⸻
Bloodfang Border – Hidden Tunnels
Nyra emerged into the underground hideout that only a few knew even existed. She'd memorized the passage when she was locked in Bloodfang territory—when escape was just a fantasy and her only friend was silence.
Now it was hers.
Waiting inside were five figures—rogues, outcasts, witches. People she'd quietly recruited over the past year. All waiting. All loyal.
And at their center: Iris.
A Bloodfang exile with venom in her smile and blades strapped to her thighs.
"Took you long enough," Iris said, tossing Nyra a canteen. "You smell like vengeance and trauma."
Nyra chuckled, her voice hoarse. "Good. That means I'm on schedule."
Iris cocked her head. "Did you get what you needed?"
Nyra nodded and pulled out a silverleaf page.
"They lied about everything. The Council. Kael. My mother. They buried the truth because they feared the Moonborne bloodline would break their rule."
Iris's eyes widened. "You mean… you?"
Nyra nodded once. "I wasn't meant to be Kael's Luna."
She turned toward the map carved into the stone wall.
"I was meant to be his replacement."
⸻
Council Hall – Midnight Summit
Elder Marek's voice echoed through the chamber like a storm wrapped in thunder.
"We must eliminate her."
"She is of our blood," protested one of the younger councilwomen.
"She is a threat," Marek snapped. "The Moonborne are cursed. That power should've died with the old bloodlines."
"But it didn't," said a cold, unfamiliar voice.
The room fell silent.
From the shadows stepped a tall figure—cloaked, hooded, face hidden behind a mask of obsidian and bone.
Marek's eyes widened. "You were exiled."
The figure chuckled. "Exile ends when the prophecy breathes."
"Who sent you?"
"No one. I heard her magic. She is awake."
"And what will you do?" Marek asked warily.
The figure pulled back their hood, revealing glowing crimson eyes. "I will finish what the Council failed to do… and silence the Moonborne."
⸻
Cliffhanger:
As Nyra stared at the glowing sigils on the rogue's map, she traced one specific point with her fingertip.
"The next piece of the bloodline," she murmured.
"What is it?" Iris asked.
Nyra's voice dropped, dangerously soft.
"The Moon Trials."
And from far above them, in the cold night air, a black-winged shadow watched… waiting for her to make her next move.