Ten

The System, hearing Seren’s lament, tried to console her.

[Well… at least you’re an overpowered Omega.]

Seren snorted. “Yeah, overpowered and overworked. I feel like my brain’s about to fry.”

She sighed, dragging herself to the bathroom and took a look at herself on the bathroom mirror. 

The faint silver sheen still glimmered in her hair, her skin almost luminous. Her reflection looked like someone halfway between divine and wolf, halfway between Selune and chaos.

Her lips twisted. “Great. Just great. I’m becoming a walking chandelier.”

She splashed her face, bathed quickly, and returned to her room, her movements sluggish but deliberate. Sitting before the vanity, she began applying lotion, muttering, “Father gave me the green light to reject the Luna position, so I’m going to do just that. First, I need to freshen up.”

The System pinged.

[Confidence detected: 32%. Recommended action: confrontation.]

[New Quest Available: Reject the Alpha.]

[Difficulty: Insane.]

[Reward: +10 Self-Will / +5 Emotional Fortitude. And maybe some self-respect.]

[Penalty: None.]

Seren laughed hollowly. “Oh, great. Now I’m getting mental health rewards too? How considerate.”

She sighed again and went to her closet. The gown she chose was deliberate—a plain, silver-threaded linen that shimmered faintly when light caught the sleeves. Modest but striking, it gave her an ethereal glow she both loved and loathed.

She lifted the lamé dress over her head and promptly got tangled in it.

[Emotional Status: Nervous.]

Seren scoffed. “Nervous? Ha! I’m not nervous at all. Not even a single bit of nervousness in me. I’m just about to reject an Alpha in front of half the pack, that’s all.”

[Host, you could’ve fooled me.]

“Yeah, could’ve fooled myself too,” she muttered, straightening the dress. She took one last look at her reflection. “Alright, let’s get this over with.”

---

She stepped out of her room and found Lord Nightwind still seated at the dining table, engaged in lively banter with the butler, Gerard.

“Father,” she called softly.

Both men turned. Aldrik’s eyes immediately lit up. “You clean up so well, my dear! Look how the lamé matches your hair. Isn’t that so, Gerard?”

The butler smiled warmly. “Indeed, my lord. My lady looks most radiant today. Quite… divine, if I may say.”

Seren flushed crimson. “Oh, stop,” she mumbled.

Aldrik laughed heartily, clearly delighted by her embarrassment. “What is it you wanted to say, my dear?”

Seren took a deep breath. “I’m going over to the Alpha’s Hall—to reject our mate bond. Therefore, I’ll no longer be the Luna.”

Aldrik froze for a heartbeat, then nodded with surprising calm. “Of course, dear. Do what you must. We’ll begin preparations for your departure on Dawnhallow.”

Then he practically waved her off, grinning like a proud father. “Go on, off you go!”

Seren blinked. “That was… easier than expected.”

[He’s probably relieved you’re not dragging him into another Alpha-sized headache.]

“Fair point,” she muttered under her breath.

---

Outside, she spotted a carriage waiting—but not the same one from the mate ceremony.

The coachman was new.

He appeared to be in his mid-to-late twenties, with short, tousled white-gold hair that glinted faintly under the sunlight and pale, luminous gray eyes that seemed almost translucent. He was lean but strong, his uniform a deep navy lined with faint silver glyphs. The gloves he wore shimmered faintly along the seams with intricate runic designs.

She looked at the vehicle itself—sleek, elegant, hovering just above the cobblestones. No horses, no harness. Only a single glowing rune marked with a symbol resembling 𐌷 where reins should’ve been.

It looked like Santa’s sleigh if Santa had gone steampunk noble.

The coachman bowed slightly. “Lady Nightwind. Where do you wish to go?”

“The Alpha’s Hall,” she replied curtly.

“As you wish, my lady. Please, step in.”

She paused, studying him. “How may I address you, coachman?”

“I am Darin Myrren,” he said with a respectful incline of his head. “But you may simply call me Darin, my lady.”

“Alright, Darin. Why are there no horses?”

He blinked, slightly confused. “Because this is a Moon Carriage, my lady.”

Right on cue, the System chimed in.

[Moon Carriages: Floating carriages powered by divine runes, primarily used by nobles.]

Seren’s eyes widened slightly. “That’s… incredible. But we didn’t ride this during the mate ceremony, and I didn’t see you then.”

“I was only assigned today, my lady,” Darin replied.

“Assigned by who, and why?”

“The Alpha himself,” Darin said. “You are to be his Luna, after all.”

Seren rolled her eyes. “Not for long.”

She tilted her head. “So… how does it work exactly? Can you show me?”

Darin hesitated, then nodded politely. “Of course, my lady.”

She followed him to the coachman’s seat and watched as he pressed his palm—covered by his runic gloves—against the glowing sigil. A faint hum vibrated through the air. Silver light began to pulse along the seams of his gloves and into the rune.

The ground beneath them trembled slightly, then—smoothly—the carriage lifted into the air.

Seren’s mouth fell open. “Whoa! That was amazing! Can I do that too?”

Her enthusiasm caught Darin off-guard. His cheeks flushed faintly. “Y-yes, my lady. As long as your Divine Magic is at the Crescent Phase of the Moon-Touched Tier, you can operate a Moon Carriage.”

Seren’s excitement dimmed. “Right. The what now?”

[Translation: You’re still a beginner, Host.]

‘Ugh. You could’ve just said that without killing my vibe.’

[Knowledge is power.]

‘You’re such a buzzkill.’

Then she smiled faintly at Darin. “That’s pretty cool. I’ll get in now—I won’t take more of your time.”

“Take all the time you need, my lady,” he said, scratching the back of his neck shyly before holding the door open for her.

Seren climbed inside and instantly sank into the plush seat. It was soft—luxurious even. She stretched her legs and smirked. “Nice. My butt will be okay this time. Hopefully the journey’s bump-free.”

[It’s a flying carriage. You’d have to try pretty hard to find a bump in the air.]

“True,” she muttered, smiling to herself.

Moments later, the carriage began to rise, and the manor grounds shrank below. Seren leaned her head against the window, the soft hum of runes filling her ears.

[Host, while we’re on the way… would you like to learn about the levels of Divine Magic?]

Seren groaned. “Can’t I just learn that in school?”

[Everyone in the Lunaris Realm already knows this before school.]

“Of course they do,” she muttered under her breath. “Just my luck. Fine. Hit me with another lecture, Professor Buzzkill.”

[Initiating: Divine Magic Cultivation Overview.]

Seren sighed, closing her eyes. “I should’ve stayed a w******l critic…”