Lahat ng Kabanata ng MOONBORN: THE REJECTED MATE'S RISE : Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

Aria's POV Then, there was a storm that came in too hard, like it was chasing something. Suddenly, thunder cracked like the sky was breaking apart, making the surroundings shake, and rain lashed the windows of the cabin, wind whistling through the cracks like an angry whisper.I held my child close and tightly, my heart was pounding faster with every flash of lightning. He’d been sick for days, burning up with fever, barely conscious. But tonight—something felt different. As his small body had gone still. Too still. I pressed my lips to his forehead. “Kaelen?”His eyes snapped open. Wide. Glowing, but not like a child’s eyes—older. Empty and endless.And then he spoke softly.His voice wasn’t his own. It echoed like wind in a hollow cave. Very deep and cold.“The one who touches the crown will bleed the realm; The heart that loves you most will betray you first.” My breath caught, and I froze.Kaelen’s body stiffened. His hands clawed the blankets, and then—he let out a long breath a

Aria's POV We don't have to stay. We rode in silence as no one said a word beneath a bruised sky, the forest whispering with every gust of wind. I could feel the Moonwell calling me, and pulling at something deep in my chest like a string wound too tight.Kael was not here anymore; he was gone. The traitor was still hidden among us. But I was starting to feel some changes like I didn’t know who I was anymore.Elias rode beside me, his eyes locked on the trail ahead, but I knew he was watching and observing me too. He always did.The moment we reached the old grove, I didn't waste time; I slipped off my horse and stood still. My boots echoed into the soft moss. This place hadn’t changed.The olden trees stood like silent sentinels around the clearing. The Moonwell itself shimmered in the center—a round spring of still, glowing water. No one comes here anymore. Not unless they had a reason.I had one.I knelt beside the water, staring into its silver surface. My reflection rippled. I

Aria's POV Immediately, I stepped back into the Shadow Labyrinth. I knew that this time was going to be different.It wasn't fear clawing at my chest anymore. It was a purpose.I came to destroy her—the doppelgänger. The one wearing my voice. My memories. My face. She had played with my son’s trust, walked among my soldiers, and killed a man I once bled beside.No more running. No more confusion.I was done hiding from the shadows.The forest inside the labyrinth shifted as I moved. And all the trees turned blacker, taller, and the air pressed in tight, like I was walking through someone’s breath.I clutched my blade tightly. It wasn’t just for fighting. It reminded me that I was still real. Still me. And I feel confirmed.The fog thickened ahead. And then I saw her.The first version of me.She stood in the clearing, barefoot, trembling.Her hair hung limp across her face, her skin pale. Her voice was soft—too soft—as she whispered, “I can’t do this. I was never strong enough. We sh

Aria's POV They called it a coronation.But even from miles away, I could feel the lie in the bones of the land.Magnus, in his decision, had chosen the ruined capital of Astrid for his stage—what was left of it. Its temples were so scattered into pieces, and its banners were all burned to ashes. Still, it stood, just barely, like a corpse propped up for one last dance.We watched from a high ridge cloaked in mist. I had a spyglass holding in one hand and a blade in the other. I couldn’t breathe right. The air smelled of iron and rot.Cato stood silently to decide for me. His jaw was tight, his eyes narrowed. Elias lingered in the shadow of a stone archway behind us, muttering wards under his breath. Even he looked shaken.I lifted the spyglass. There it was. The stage.Draped in black silk, and Iit shaped like a throne circle, surrounded by red torches that burned without firewood—enchanted, no doubt.At its center stood Magnus. Robed in night, tall, gaunt, hollow-eyed and smiling l

Aria's POVI wake up screaming. Not because of a dream. Because of the silence.For one terrible second, everything feels normal. The fire crackles. The night wind presses gently against the windows. My body is heavy with sleep and exhaustion. My hand moves without thought, instinct, not choice, to my stomach.Nothing answers me. No quiet hum of life that has been with me every second since I first realized I was no longer alone.My breath stutters. “No,” I whisper. “No… no, no, no.”I sit up too fast, pain slicing through my spine, but I barely feel it. Panic crashes into me like a wave, cold and brutal. I reach inward, past fear, past exhaustion, reaching for the bond.The bond that has always been there.And then, it snaps. The rupture is violent. Not a fading. Not even weakening. A tear.It feels like someone is taking their hands and ripping something out of my chest. I scream as pain explodes through me, sharp and blinding, stealing the air from my lungs. I fall forward, clutc