THE LOST LUNA OF MIDNIGHT ECLIPSE PACK

The rain hammered relentlessly against the windshield, blurring the winding road ahead. Aurelia gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles whitening with each sharp turn. Ravencross wasn't on any map she owned, and her GPS had given up miles ago. The old letter on the passenger seat, its edges worn and faded, was her only guide.

"Come to the town of Ravencross. There are truths about your family you must uncover." The cryptic note had arrived weeks earlier, bearing no name or return address. It had been tucked inside an envelope sealed with a crescent moon insignia. A coincidence, she'd told herself at first, but the dreams that followed had said otherwise.

A wolf. Silver fur gleaming under the moonlight. Eyes like emerald flames boring into her soul. Every night, it came to her, beckoning silently before vanishing into shadows.

Aurelia shook her head and tried to focus. The isolation of the forest pressed in around her. Towering pines loomed on either side, their branches intertwined overhead to form a tunnel of green. The road twisted and turned as if leading her deeper into the unknown.

A sign emerged through the rain, weathered and crooked: Welcome to Ravencross. The letters were barely legible, smothered by moss and grime. She exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

The town materialized moments later, its edges blurred by mist. It looked as if it had been plucked from another era. Cobblestone streets glistened beneath the downpour, and gas lamps cast weak pools of light over the sidewalks. Buildings leaned precariously, their wooden facades worn by time and neglect.

Pulling into what she assumed was the main square, Aurelia parked beside an old diner. Through its fogged-up windows, she could make out the silhouettes of a few patrons hunched over steaming mugs. She grabbed her coat and stepped out, bracing herself against the cold bite of the rain.

The bell above the diner door jingled faintly as she entered. Conversations hushed instantly. Every eye in the room turned toward her.

Aurelia hesitated, water dripping from her coat onto the scuffed floor. The patrons stared openly-worn faces etched with suspicion, their gazes lingering too long. She forced a tight smile and made her way to the counter.

A grizzled man in a grease-stained apron wiped his hands and approached her, his eyes narrowing. "You're not from around here," he said, his tone more accusation than observation.

"No," she replied, forcing her voice to remain steady. "I'm looking for an address. My grandmother's house."

The man's expression darkened. "Who was your grandmother?"

"Margaret Lane," she said, her heart thudding in her chest.

The name sparked murmurs among the other patrons. A woman in the corner crossed herself, while an older man muttered something under his breath.

The grizzled man's gaze sharpened. "Margaret Lane's house is out past the old mill. But if you're smart, you'll turn right back around and leave."

"Why?" The word came out sharper than she intended.

"Bad things happen to folks who stick their noses where they don't belong," he said cryptically, before turning back to the coffee pot.

Aurelia felt the weight of their stares as she left the diner. The rain had eased, but the mist clung stubbornly to the air. She retrieved the letter and followed the directions scrawled inside.

Margaret Lane's house stood at the edge of the forest, its silhouette stark against the darkening sky. The once-grand estate had fallen into disrepair. Shutters hung crookedly from their hinges, and ivy climbed unchecked along the walls.