Alessia felt a violent jerk, a sensation like being pulled on an invisible thread.
Her awareness snapped back into her own body, but the chilling command still vibrated in the air. "You are the Red Moon blood child… and you must come and answer tonight."
The voice wasn't just in her ears; it was in her blood. It was the ancient echo Vàlká had warned her about, the call that had drawn her mother away. She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream. Her eyes darted toward the house—Luca.
He was still sleeping, his presence a comforting, solid anchor she was desperately trying to reach.
But the pool was calling louder.
The water wasn't silver mist tonight; it was a churning black void reflecting a moon so intensely red it looked like a gaping wound in the sky.
"No," Alessia forced out, stumbling backward. "I won't."
Her resistance was met with an invisible shove. She was propelled to the edge of the pool, her bare feet meeting the cold stone.
