ELARA; THE LUNAR ALPHA のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 41 - チャプター 50

Kael’s POVThe night was still, the kind of stillness that settled deep into your bones. A crescent moon hung low in the sky, its soft glow casting pale silver light over where we had stopped to rest. The air was cool but not unkind, carrying the whisper of leaves shifting with the breeze.It was peaceful, almost unnervingly so.Luca had fallen asleep.I crouched near the fire, feeding small twigs into the flickering flames. The warmth did little to chase away the tension that had settled in my muscles, but it was a welcome comfort nonetheless.Elara sat across from me, her posture rigid at first, as if she were still expecting another ambush. But slowly, her shoulders relaxed, and she let out a breath.I noticed the exhaustion in her eyes before she tried to hide it, pressing her lips together as if to force herself to stay alert.Wordlessly, I pulled out the small rations we had left and ate. The dried meat was tasty, a few foraged herbs, and some roots I had gathered earlier. I

Kael’s POVThe forest was quiet. Too quiet.Even as Elara walked beside me, her steps careful but sure, I felt something shift in the air. An unease that crept beneath my skin like a warning. I had learned to trust those instincts long ago. They had kept me alive.My senses sharpened. We had traveled deeper into unfamiliar territory, the trees thicker, the shadows stretching long as the sun began its descent. Luca stirred in Elara’s arms, letting out a soft noise in his sleep. Even in his weakened state, he could probably feel it too.It seemed we had entered another Clan.Something was wrong.I scanned the trees, my breath steady but controlled.“Elara,” I said quietly.She stopped immediately, sensing the change in my tone. “What is it?”I didn’t answer. Instead, I listened. Watched.Then, I heard a faint rustling in the trees ahead. Footsteps, too controlled to belong to an animal. My grip tightened. Someone was here.“Stay behind me,” I muttered.Elara didn’t argue.A figure stepp

Elara’s POVThe forest had changed as we ventured deeper into it. The trees seemed to loom closer, their twisted branches clawing at the sky, casting long shadows over the path. I could feel the pulse of the forest in my bones, like it was alive, watching us.“ We have gotten into the forbidden border. Show no fear.” Luca said.There was an unsettling silence in the air, the kind of silence that made my skin prickle and my heart race.Kael didn’t speak much, but I could tell by the way his eyes darted around the trees that he, too, sensed it. His posture was tense, every step calculated, as though he were preparing for something unseen.It wasn’t long before we found it—the haunted part of the forest.The first sign was the mist, rolling in thick and fast, covering the ground in a silvery fog. The temperature dropped sharply, and I shivered, pulling my cloak tighter around me."Should we keep moving?" I asked, trying to ignore the tightness in my chest.Kael paused, looking ahead into

Luca’s POVIt was indeed a long journey with different obstacles. I had to endure so much pain. At the same time I got the chance to experience Elara's care. The journey was long and exhausting, and filled with more dangers than I cared to count. My body ached from wounds that still bled, and my strength was draining fast, but I pushed forward. I had to. I was also influenced by the spirits of the dark forest. I saw myself betraying Elara but I believe it was only its usual trick.I just wanted to get back on my feets.Find the other survivors of my pack, regroup and get shelter.Elara walked ahead of me, her movements cautious, yet there was something about this place that made her slow down, it was not out of fear, but reverence. The cave stood behind a waterfall, hidden from the world like a portal to another realm. The sound of rushing water echoed around us, masking any noise from outside.Mist rose around the entrance, curling like ghostly fingers, adding to the illusion that t

Elara’s POVI wasn't paying attention to her anymore. I was hurt by the fact she wanted to keep hiding. She didn't want me to find out she was my mother.The roar of the waterfall was deafening, yet my mind was louder.I stood at the edge, staring into the churning waters, my emotions tangled into a knot so tight I wasn’t sure I’d ever unravel them.I was angry.But at what?At my mother for not telling me? At Luca for keeping the truth hidden as well? At the universe for making my life one endless series of secrets and half-truths?I had spent years hoping to see her someday. I even thought that she was gone, or just a distant, unreachable shadow in my memories. Now, here she was, real and alive, yet she had chosen not to say a word.I was breathing deeply as the cold mist from the waterfall clung to my skin.I wanted to be furious. I wanted to scream.But beneath all of that, there was a deeper ache, a longing I had buried so deep that even now, standing within reach of it, I was af