Lahat ng Kabanata ng Luna by Contract, Mother in Secret : Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

Into the DepthsDawn’s first light crept through the forest canopy as Aria, Caden, and Elara set out from the watchtower, Rollan nestled securely in Aria’s arms. The air was sharp with the scent of pine and damp earth, but an undercurrent of unease lingered. They moved swiftly and silently, their footsteps muffled by the thick layer of fallen leaves. Caden led the way, his eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of Darius’s loyalists, while Elara followed close behind, her cloaked form blending into the gloom.Aria’s mind churned with doubt. Elara’s knowledge was invaluable, but her past as a loyalist gnawed at Aria’s trust. Can we rely on her? She glanced at Caden, his jaw set in a hard line. He hadn’t spoken much since they left, his skepticism toward Elara palpable.As if sensing her thoughts, Caden slowed his pace, falling in step beside her. “I don’t like this,” he muttered, his voice low. “She was one of them. How do we know she’s not leading us into a trap?”Aria’s grip tighten

The Price of PowerThe courtyard of Darkfang Keep was a battlefield, the air thick with the scent of blood and the clash of steel. Aria stood at the heart of it, her dagger slick with crimson, her breath coming in sharp gasps. Rollan was cradled in her left arm, his tiny body pressed close, his mark glowing faintly against her skin. Caden fought beside her, his wolf form a blur of black fur and lethal grace, his jaws snapping as he tore through loyalists with brutal efficiency. Elara’s magic crackled in the air, her hands weaving shields of light to protect their small group from the relentless onslaught.But the loyalists were many, and Darius’s forces pressed in from all sides, their eyes alight with fanatical zeal. Lena stood among them, her once-familiar face twisted with betrayal, a cruel smile curling her lips as she raised her sword. “You should have stayed hidden, Aria,” she taunted, her voice carrying over the din. “Now you’ll watch your family die.”Aria’s blood boiled, her

The forest stretched endlessly before them, a tapestry of gnarled roots and whispering leaves that seemed to close in with every step. Aria shifted Rollan in her arms, his small weight a constant reminder of the stakes they carried. His mark—a crescent etched into his skin—glowed faintly beneath his sleeve, a beacon of hope and danger in equal measure. Beside her, Caden hacked through the undergrowth, his machete glinting in the dappled light, his jaw set with the resolve she’d come to rely on. Behind them, Elara clutched the relic, her sharp eyes darting to every shadow.“We’re nearing the river,” Caden said, his voice cutting through the forest’s hum. “Silverfang territory lies just beyond.”Aria’s stomach tightened. The river was no mere crossing—it was a divide between safety and the unknown, guarded by Alpha Lyra, whose reputation for ruthlessness preceded her. They pressed on, the air growing heavy with moisture as the roar of water grew louder.When they broke through the trees

The Heart of the RuinsThe morning sun pierced the dense canopy above the ancient ruins, its golden rays filtering through gnarled branches to dapple the forest floor. The adventurers huddled around a small campfire, its feeble flames licking at the damp wood they’d scavenged. The air was heavy with the scent of moss and the metallic tang of blood, a grim reminder of the ambush they’d barely survived the night before. Their victory had come at a cost—exhaustion weighed on their limbs, and wounds marred their bodies, some shallow, others deep enough to warrant concern.Aria knelt beside Torren, her healer’s hands steady despite the tremor of fatigue in her arms. She pressed a poultice of crushed herbs against a gash on his forearm, her brow furrowed as she worked. The rogue winced but said nothing, his sharp eyes fixed on the flickering fire. “You’ll live,” she murmured, tying a bandage with practiced precision. “But you need to stop throwing yourself at every blade that comes our way.

Shadows of EldenwoodEldenwood was a town of whispers and watchful eyes, its cobblestone streets winding like a serpent’s coils. The group—Aria, Caden, Elara, and Torren—trudged through the gates, their boots heavy with mud and exhaustion from their battle with the Hollow One and their desperate flight. The air hung thick with the scent of woodsmoke and something sharper—fear, perhaps, or suspicion—while the town’s eerie silence pressed against them like a living thing. Shuttered windows and shadowed alleys greeted their wary glances, and the creak of an ancient sign swaying in the breeze was the only sound breaking the stillness.Aria shifted Rollan, her young son, in her arms, his small weight a tether to her resolve amid the unease gnawing at her core. “It’s too quiet,” she murmured, her voice barely audible over the wind’s soft moan. She scanned the empty streets, her healer’s instincts prickling with the sense that something was amiss.Caden’s hand rested on his sword hilt, his b