The night felt wrong.
Not loud. Not threatening.
Empty.
Luna lay awake beside the dying fire, staring at the ceiling of branches above them. The moon hung low in the sky, pale and distant, like it was watching from behind glass.
Silent.
She pressed a hand to her side.
Nothing answered.
No warmth. No pulse.
Just her own heartbeat.
Kael sat nearby, sharpening a blade with slow, steady movements. The sound should have been calming. Instead, it reminded her how fragile everything suddenly felt.
"It's gone," Luna said quietly.
Kael paused. "What is?"
"The connection," she replied. "The moon."
He set the blade down. "Or maybe it's listening."
She shook her head. "No. Before, it felt alive. Now it feels… offended."
Kael frowned. "The council took something they shouldn't have."
"They warned me," Luna said. "And I still crossed the line."
He looked at her sharply. "Saving someone is not crossing a line."
"Killing is," Luna replied. "Even when it's necessary."
Silence stretched.
Finally, Kael asked, "Do you regret it?"
Luna thought of the girl in the courtyard. Of her shaking hands. Of the ash on the wind.
"No," she said honestly. "But I regret what it cost."
She sat up, pulling her knees to her chest. "I made a vow."
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly. "I heard."
"I won't kill again," Luna continued. "Not with the moon's power."
Kael studied her. "You know that makes you vulnerable."
"I know," she said. "But I'd rather be vulnerable than hollow."
The fire crackled softly.
Kael shifted closer. "There are other ways to fight."
"Teach me," Luna said immediately.
He hesitated. "What you're asking for isn't easy."
"I'm not asking for easy," she replied. "I'm asking for the right."
Kael nodded slowly. "Then we start with control. Physical combat. Defensive magic. Boundaries."
She exhaled, relieved. "Thank you."
He met her gaze. "And Luna?"
"Yes?"
"If the council comes again, I won't kneel."
Something in his voice made her chest ache.
"I don't want you to lose everything because of me," she said.
Kael gave a small, fierce smile. "Too late."
Before she could respond, a ripple passed through the air.
Not lunar.
Something colder.
Kael stood instantly. "Did you feel that?"
Luna nodded. "Yes."
A presence settled at the edge of the clearing.
"Still alive. How disappointing."
Adrian stepped out of the shadows.
His form looked thinner now, less solid. Smoke clung to him like a second skin.
Luna's heart hammered. "You should be dead."
Adrian smiled weakly. "You didn't kill me. You disrupted me."
Kael positioned himself in front of Luna. "Leave."
Adrian laughed softly. "You see? This is what happens when gods play games."
Luna stood, stepping beside Kael. "What do you want?"
Adrian's gaze lingered on her. "You shut the veil. You silenced the moon."
"That wasn't my goal," Luna said.
"No," Adrian agreed. "But it was impressive."
He tilted his head. "The council has weakened you."
Luna stiffened. "You don't get to pretend you care."
"Oh, I don't," Adrian said. "But I am a survivor."
Kael growled. "Get to the point."
Adrian's smile faded. "There are others like me. Older. Watching."
Luna's stomach tightened. "Who?"
"Those who remember the first Moonbound," Adrian replied. "Those who were ruled."
He stepped closer, stopping just beyond Kael's reach. "You think the council is your enemy. They are not."
Luna met his eyes. "Then who is?"
Adrian's voice dropped. "The ones who want you to break your vow."
Silence fell heavy.
"If you don't kill," Adrian continued, "they will force your hand."
Kael's jaw tightened. "Threatening her won't save you."
"I'm not threatening," Adrian said calmly. "I'm warning."
Luna took a steady breath. "Why tell me this?"
Adrian's eyes flickered. "Because if you fall, the world burns."
He stepped back, already fading. "And because I prefer a world where I still exist."
His form dissolved into mist, vanishing into the trees.
The clearing fell quiet again.
Luna's hands shook. "He's afraid."
Kael nodded. "That should worry us."
She looked up at the moon, still distant, still silent.
"I won't break my vow," Luna said firmly. "No matter what they do."
Kael placed a hand over hers. "Then we prepare for war without killing."
Luna swallowed. "Is that even possible?"
Kael's eyes were steady. "We'll make it possible."
Above them, clouds slid across the moon's face.
For a brief moment, the light flickered.
Not approval.
Not forgiveness.
Attention.
And Luna knew.
The moon had not abandoned her.
It was waiting.