Beneath the Moon We Broke

en stood next to Damon, breath catching in her chest, everything around them still reeki

dead. But whatever clung to them? It hadn't gone. It was stil

n light and dark. Shadows were long. Longer than usual. Everything felt...

She was already turning, already

smells like dust and old truths. The place was older than mo

some scrolls that smelled like burnt paper an

t her hand on some weird symbol. The stone crac

thing: a scroll. On black

d forward. "

ked at Damon. "It's prophecy," s

d. He didn't do fate. Not after

hed it. And th

and bound by fire, shall

roken, shall decid

dy s

ere shaking. Da

d. Barely a whispe

n both of you. Older than your paren

. Something bitter. "So we're supposed to

supposed to understand w

ire around here. Some believed it-called them fated. Other

her lap. The moon above her felt... t

is," she mumbled. "I

Then: "

sat beside her, not t

ant it eith

long. Heavy. Everything t

e it?" she ask

ing," he said. "And we're

t few days,

le. Talking about "trials," "sacrifice," all the good s

ity can the dar

Raven fought like hell-bare hands, elemental bursts, everythi

idn't heal with time. It just sat there. Pressing. Watching

they gathered

ood. Voice ca

, "isn't just theirs. If

ress

he weight of it all? It stayed. Sat on her chest like a stone that refused

fall-we a

ssure,

n her knuckles. She needed to feel something solid. Something real. No

par. Didn't say anyth

g passed between them. Not soft. Not romant

t get t

t

t

e we're not alone

the wind feels like it's holding its breath. Raven stood next to Da

ce cut throu

" he said. So

ked. "Ab

walking away. Pretendin

lower than she ex

kno

ut it didn't feel heavy this time. Just... full. Then

e it to

might bite her. Then fina

get

looked like they were listeni

early light that doesn't warm anything. But the land? It felt di

. Like a hum

se of the Great Tree-older than memory, older than even the pack's oldest

ame scroll in hand. Worn. Like it

was hidden. Lost, honestly

ds felt like they carved t

h. Torn by fate.

end the realm... or

dn't b

finally spoke. "Where's the pr

ed. "There is one.

led the

ether, the path will begin. One soul healed. One sou

y it. They both knew. That night in the

wasn't co

it," she

answer. He d

comed it. Others? They looked at Raven like she w

the stone circle. Fire crackling

real. And Raven and Damon have bled for this p

p. Young. Nervous. "What

That

d, slow. No Alpha gr

at every damn night? If I'm

there it was again-that

don't feel like ruin. I feel l

ightened. But sh

tanding because we believe this pack deserves a future. If fate

t cheer. But they did

r didn't sound the s

ed in, watching leaves drift past

p. Quiet again

dled it,

"No. I survived i

de her. Not touc

te, the world didn'

didn't prod. Just sat there like he'd finally f

. "Do you think the pack

Some do. Some are wait

. "Sounds a

hat matters." He paused.

the river, watching the ripples

to want it to

eyes. "You rehe

Nope. Pure im

ghed-quiet, t

k on his elbows. "So.

er, her voice calm. "Next? We stop s

it didn't fe

f her hand across her mouth. "I

ere. Maybe he did. "I keep thinking about what Kael said... '

Not the Alpha mask. Just Damon. The weight he carrie

both been shredded. And stitched

moon, on nothing. "Wh

up together. But we won't." Like she ne

A kid-barely more than a pup-came panting, wide

y r

entinels standing around like they wer

wolf. Shaking. Filthy. Covered

one guard said. "Didn't

d, flinched. Looked at her like it wante

slow. "You're no

, shak

ad. Magic sparked-but quiet. Not like before. T

-the black stuff moved. Pu

was already staring at

d. Couldn

k to the sanctuary. It didn't bite.

Raven walked beside

s the bond?" she

ed at he

no

ether, it's like... something

red. "Even when we were

ially

e others were waiting-Elara, Kael, the r

ng at Raven like she was glowing. "So

e said quietly. "Something

ke she was both miracle and threat. "Y

. Her magic buzzed like static. B

e. Not

...

st maybe-tha

didn't

ck a bit stiff, like moving would ruin so

out in that creaky chair, neck at that weird angle people always wake

t want to

tsteps. She didn't

e," Damon said. Voice

want to go in. Feels like... I do

t-too-far thing they'd been doing. Like even thei

ean th

ttered. "The quiet.

nd. Just that silence again. Not

e added. "The stillness. Made

d n

most embarrassed. "Still feels w

look like he was trying

till dragging around our worst selves?

eah. But maybe they don

ile. Just a twit

anna g

. I wanna stay broken a little

idn't matter. Like there weren't scars. Li

. Just two people wre

y... that

orning...

oo still. Like the fores

oming back, slowly. Not normal-normal, but... better.

d was packed. Not angry. Not happy either. Just... wired. People bu

ady. "You saw it," she said. "You felt it. That wasn

crossed-called out: "Or maybe it's just

didn't

dy for someone who hadn't slept. "But I felt something real. Not power. N

e. People shifted.

scared. So are we. But if this pack

"the first test," like he wasn

ven's brain wo

bove her head that didn't look like any sky she'd ever known. And

d. And yeah, it sounded like her own

e you?"

ut not kindl

ire. Heat. Screaming wind.

e shadow whispered. "You do

-panic, heartbe

outside her door.

it too?"

d. No poi

t the border," he said

others. No twitching. No growling. Jus

" he told Raven. "Yo

That w

ed, doing that whole shoulder

t-whatever it is-it's not just feeding anymore.

did a thing.

d. "That light you use

is fists. "Then

warned. "It's... thinking. Adaptin

w days?

buried in scrolls. Damon and Raven-

anymore. It hit like a blade. They sta

half-dead from exhaustion.

r, they sat on the cliff. J

ou think we were eve

it matter? We chose thi

"Even if it

hen at least we

u always say t

know what's real. Right no

er hand. This ti

e quietly. No dr

in the trees, in the

been wa

till

eyes open, just... staring. The ceiling. The silence.

up. Walked. No shoes

the edge of the

re. Sitting on that same damn l

again," he said

him. Shoulders

we're changi

I think we a

that thought d

unraveling thoughts or shif

but didn't want you to know who was talking. The trees? They weren't just sw

mething pulsed. Something watching. N

yw

dawn crept in, they were called. Inner sanctum. Undergroun

ay that didn't come from sleep. "It hasn't been opened in

t... reacted. Like it knew

amatically. Just... sl

s. The kind you don't r

t a scroll. The scroll. The one

he spoke. "This is it. The real d

me undone like it had just been waiting.

ten... different. More

d it out

by pain, un

by time, b

consumes hea

ned fire shall

ie

something scratched below the e

lter... all light s

ust stood there, breathing l

nce. "So... that's i

him. Not scare