LOGINNova spent the next two days pretending everything was normal.It was one of the most difficult things she had ever done.Every meal with her parents felt like an interrogation.Every conversation with Ava felt like a trap.Every glance at the map hidden beneath her mattress reminded her that she was running out of time.Because Kieran's voice had sounded different during their last connection.Weaker.As if whatever was keeping him alive was beginning to fail.She couldn't explain why she cared.She barely knew him.Yet the thought of him suffering alone in that prison made her chest tighten.And the mark on her wrist seemed determined to remind her of him every few hours.By the third night, Nova had made up her mind.She was leaving.Not forever.Just long enough to find answers.At least, that was what she kept telling herself.The fact that she was packing enough supplies for a week suggested otherwise.A soft knock sounded on her bedroom door.Nova froze.Her bag was still open
Nova couldn't stop staring at the journal.The old leather book rested on the table between them, looking harmless despite the storm it had unleashed.The last Blackthorn prince was alive.Or at least, he had been alive long enough to appear in her dreams.The revelation should have sounded impossible.Instead, it felt like the missing piece of a puzzle she hadn't known she was solving."Tell me everything."Her voice was firm.Neither Lyra nor Kael seemed surprised.They had always known this moment would come.The only question had been when.Lyra slowly sat down.For a moment, she looked less like a queen and more like a mother trying to protect her daughter from painful truths."Before the Moon Kingdom existed, the werewolf territories were divided into seven royal kingdoms."Nova nodded.That part she knew.It was basic history."The Blackthorns ruled the eastern kingdom," Lyra continued. "They were powerful, respected, and feared.""Then what happened?"Kael answered."Nobody ag
For the next three days, Nova did everything she could to ignore the voice.It didn't work.She trained with the royal warriors.The voice returned.She attended council meetings with her parents.The voice returned.She spent hours reading in the archives.The voice returned.No matter what she did, she couldn't escape the feeling that something—or someone—was waiting for her beyond the eastern mountains.The mark on her wrist wasn't helping.If anything, it was becoming more active.Sometimes it glowed faintly.Other times it pulsed with warmth beneath her skin.And twice, it had reacted when she looked at maps of the eastern territories.Nova was officially tired of mysteries.Which was why she found herself sneaking through the palace before sunrise.Again.Ava walked beside her."You know this is a terrible idea."Nova adjusted the cloak hiding her identity."Then why are you coming?""Because if you're caught, I want to be there to laugh at you."Nova smiled despite herself."Yo
Nova barely slept.Every time she closed her eyes, she heard the voice again.Find me.The words echoed through her mind long after the whisper had faded.By dawn, she had given up on trying to rest.Instead, she stood before the large window in her chambers, watching the kingdom awaken beneath the rising sun.The Moon Kingdom stretched for miles beyond the palace walls. Merchants opened their shops. Warriors reported for training. Families began their daily routines.Everything looked normal.Yet Nova couldn't shake the feeling that her life had changed overnight.Her fingers brushed the silver mark on her wrist.It glowed faintly beneath her skin.A reminder that whatever was happening was real.A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.Before she could answer, the door swung open.Ava entered carrying a tray of food."Good morning."Nova looked at her suspiciously."You brought breakfast.""I did.""Voluntarily."Ava rolled her eyes."You sound surprised.""I am surprised."The two fr
Nova couldn't stop staring at her wrist.The silver mark glowed faintly against her skin.A crescent moon surrounded by twisting vines.Beautiful.Impossible.And definitely not there before she fell asleep.She sat on the edge of her bed, her heart pounding.Maybe she was still dreaming.That had to be it.A strange dream. A strange mark. A strange man with golden eyes telling her to find him.None of it made sense.Nova pinched herself.Hard."Ow!"The pain was immediate.Unfortunately, the mark remained."Wonderful."She buried her face in her hands.This was exactly the kind of problem she didn't need.The sun hadn't even risen yet.And somehow her life was already becoming complicated.Again.A knock sounded at her door.Nova nearly jumped out of her skin."Princess?"A servant.Thank the Moon Goddess."Yes?""Your mother wishes to see you in the royal dining hall."Nova groaned.Of course she did.The birthday celebrations weren't officially over yet.Which meant more smiling.M
"Eighteen Years Later"Princess Nova Draven hated ceremonies.Unfortunately, ceremonies loved her.She stood at the center of the grand courtyard of the Moon Kingdom, wearing a silver gown that weighed almost as much as a fully grown wolf. Hundreds of nobles filled the surrounding balconies, watching her with eager smiles.Or judging her.Honestly, it was hard to tell the difference.Nova forced a smile onto her face.The crowd immediately cheered.She wanted to groan."Smile a little wider," her mother whispered beside her.Nova didn't move her lips."I am smiling."Lyra Draven raised an eyebrow."Barely."Nova glanced sideways at her mother.Even after eighteen years, Queen Lyra remained one of the most beautiful women in the kingdom. Strength radiated from her presence. The silver markings of her bloodline glowed faintly against her skin.People still told stories about her.Songs.Legends.Entire books.Sometimes Nova wondered if there was a law requiring every conversation to som
The battle began.Reality shattered.The Hollow Sovereign's corruption exploded outward like a dying star, black-and-silver energy ripping through the ancient chamber in violent waves.The impact alone sent cracks racing across the floor.Stone pillars collapsed.Silver flames burst from the walls.
The Hollow Sovereign smiled.And somehow—That was worse than anything else.The smile wasn't human.It wasn't warm. It wasn't mocking.It was empty.Like a crack spreading through a dying world.Cold black energy poured from the figure's body as it stepped fully through the tear in reality, silver
The sanctuary floor cracked open beneath them.Ancient marble shattered violently while silver-black light erupted upward from the widening fractures, splitting the chamber apart with deafening force.Everyone moved instantly.Kael grabbed Lyra around the waist just as the ground beneath the joined
For one dangerous second—Kael hesitated.The Hollowed attacker saw it instantly.Corruption exploded from the creature’s body like black fire as it lunged straight toward him, hollow white eyes glowing brighter beneath its cracked silver mask.Everything happened too fast.Lucien shouted something







