Chapter Fifty-Six

The Gate Between Worlds

The forest was quiet when she left the village behind.

Dawn had not yet broken, and the moon hung low — silver and soft, though its edges shimmered faintly red, like a wound reopening. The wolves followed Selene as far as the river, then stopped, watching her with glowing eyes.

She looked back once, her heart twisting. “Stay. The next path isn’t meant for you.”

They obeyed, bowing their heads. The oldest among them — a black wolf with a single white streak across his muzzle — whined softly, as if he understood.

Selene smiled faintly. “Guard them. I’ll come back.”

Then she crossed the river.

The water glowed silver under her feet, rippling where her boots touched the surface. On the other side, the air felt heavier — thick with unseen energy, humming with faint whispers.

The border between realms.

She’d read about it in the scrolls of her ancestors — how Kimberly had torn it open once to reach Lucien, and how the Shadow King had rebuilt it to keep the balance intact.

Now, centuries later, it pulsed again, calling her name.

Selene stopped before a cluster of ancient stones half-buried in moss. Carvings glowed faintly on their surfaces — sigils that shimmered between light and dark.

She raised her hand. The moonstone pendant around her neck pulsed once, and the symbols answered — flaring to life.

The air rippled. The forest blurred.

And the world… shifted.

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The Shadowlands.

Cold. Endless. Beautiful.

Selene stepped into a sky of swirling mist, where stars shimmered beneath her feet instead of above. The ground was black glass streaked with veins of silver light, glowing faintly with each step she took.

It was silent — not the silence of death, but of anticipation.

“This is it,” she murmured. “Lucien’s realm.”

The shadows stirred, sensing her presence. They moved around her — not attacking, but watching. Testing.

“I’m not your enemy,” Selene said softly. “I’m his heir. The Luna of the New Dawn.”

The shadows trembled — then retreated.

A faint voice carried on the wind.

“Brave words for one so young.”

Selene turned sharply. “Show yourself.”

The mist parted — and from it, a figure emerged. The same one from her dream. Cloaked, tall, faceless, but no longer distant.

This time, its eyes glowed violet and gold.

“You came,” it said, its voice still layered — both gentle and commanding.

“You called,” Selene replied. “Tell me why.”

The figure studied her. “Because the void stirs. The world forgets what was done here. The seals that bound the Blood Moon are weakening.”

Selene frowned. “But Kimberly and Lucien—”

“Are gone,” the figure interrupted. “Their light lingers, but their guardianship ended long ago. You are the first born of both lines. The only one capable of holding both realms in harmony.”

She looked around. “Then tell me how to restore it.”

The figure’s voice lowered. “By finding the Heart of Shadow.”

Selene blinked. “That’s a myth.”

The air seemed to hum in amusement. “So was the Blood Moon — until it burned.”

“What is it?” she asked.

“The fragment Lucien left behind when he bound the darkness. The last piece of his essence, hidden where neither light nor shadow can reach.”

Her heart raced. “And if the void finds it first?”

The figure’s form darkened. “Then all that was built will fall.”

Selene took a deep breath. “Then I’ll find it before they do.”

“You’ll need guidance,” the figure said. “The Shadowlands aren’t kind to those born of both worlds. Your light will draw predators.”

“Then I’ll be ready.”

The figure tilted its head. “You sound like her.”

Selene’s chest tightened. “Kimberly?”

“Yes. But even she never walked this path alone.”

“Then who will walk it with me?”

The mist thickened — and from its depths, a low growl echoed.

Selene turned just as a creature emerged — enormous, wolf-like, its fur black as void, its eyes burning silver. But when it met her gaze, it bowed its head.

The figure spoke. “Your guardian. A gift from the balance itself.”

The wolf padded forward, lowering itself until its glowing eyes met hers. Selene hesitated — then placed her hand gently on its snout.

Warmth flooded through her — a bond forming, deep and fierce.

“What’s his name?” she asked.

The cloaked figure’s voice softened. “He will answer to none but you.”

Selene looked at the wolf, smiling faintly. “Then… I’ll call you Kaen.”

The beast blinked once, approving.

The figure began to fade, its edges dissolving into the mist.

“Wait!” Selene called. “What happens now?”

Its voice echoed faintly as it vanished.

“Find the Heart before the void does. Follow the river of glass. When the moon turns red again, the gate will seal.”

Then it was gone.

Selene stood in the vast emptiness of the Shadowlands, the only sound her heartbeat — and the faint rhythm of Kaen’s breathing beside her.

She looked toward the horizon, where the black sky shimmered faintly with a sliver of red.

The beginning of something ancient.

Something waiting.

She took a step forward, her voice steady. “Let’s go, Kaen.”

The wolf growled low — then leapt beside her.

And together, they began their descent into the forgotten realm — toward the secret Lucien left behind… and the awakening that could change both worlds forever.

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