All Chapters of The Luna’s last breath : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

The throne felt heavier without him.Aria sat alone at dawn, the great hall would have been silent, except for the distant sounds of rebuilding. Sunlight poured through the high windows, revealing dust and broken stone. The Sovereign crown lay untouched on the arm of the throne—she had not worn it once after returning.She had no need for symbols.She had already paid a heavy price.Her hand rested on her stomach, fingers stretched out protectively as the second heartbeat pulsed steadily, stronger than before. As if it understood what had been lost.“I’m still here,” she whispered. “I’ll always protect you.”The child answered with warmth.Outside, the land was healing. Rivers ran clear again. Storms eased. Borders that had bled magic for ages finally stilled.Everyone called it peace.Aria knew better.Peace built on sacrifice always waited for its due.The first council under her rule was a tense one.Alphas filled the chamber, cautious but respectful. They watched her carefully—n

Mercy did not put a stop to violence. It postponed it.The Purifiers scattered after Aria’s confrontation,their plans based on something else. Fear replaced with something more dangerous—humiliation. They did not return to their packs. They did not surrender.They rebuilt. The first attack came at twilight.A Sovereign-born safehouse, recently built as a training center and home to the children in the northern hills burned quietly, warded against screams. By the time help arrived, the stone walls were blackened and empty.No bodies.Only blood.Aria sensed the danger from the capital—a sharp, piercing pain that tore through her chest and left her gasping. She staggered, clutching the edge of the balcony as the second heartbeat surged violently in answer.“No,” she whispered. “Something is not right.”The Guardian appeared instantly, its light flaring bright and alarmed.“A child has been taken,” it said.Aria’s expression changed. Rage—cold and absolute—settled into her bones.“No

The first blow didn’t reach her.A spear flew from the crowd, wicked and desperate, its intent loud with hatred. It ripped through the air and shattered like glass inches from Aria’s chest.Silver-black light rippled outward, not as an attack, but as instinct.The valley went still. Aria stood frozen, heart pounding, power pulsing violently beneath her skin. The second heartbeat screamed in her ears, sharp and furious.“I…didn’t—” she began.But the crowd was already in chaos. “Did you see that?”“She didn’t even move!”“She’ll kill us all!”Fear snapped into violence, and violence transformed into attack. Stones were thrown. Then blades drawn. Then fire.A disaster that would go down in history was about to unfold. Aria raised her hands, voice cutting through the chaos. “Stop!”They didn’t, they were determined to end this tyrant for good.A man lunged at her, eyes wild, blade in hand.Before Aria could think—The ground erupted.A shockwave tore through the valley, tossing bodi

For centuries, the secret chamber beneath the palace had not been opened.Heavy dust covered the surface of the stone etched with symbols far older than packs and older than crowns. The air itself felt heavier, as if it remembered what had been done here and knew it should never be done again.Dax stood at the threshold, fists clenched.“Aria,” he said slowly, “we can still stop this. There has to be another way.”She did not turn.Candles were lit around her in a perfect circle, their flames burning silver instead of gold. The mirror lay shattered at her feet, its broken pieces reflecting fragments of her face hollow, calm, resolute, afraid.“If I don’t do this,” Aria said quietly, “Maelith will keep turning children into weapons. She’ll keep hunting us. And one day… she’ll win once and for all.”Dax took a step toward her. “Then we protect you with everything we’ve got. We move you. We fight.”Aria finally faced him, eyes bright with unshed tears, pain in them. “And how many die w

The sudden silence felt different.Not the peaceful kind of silence, but the kind that was caused by people who stop being truthful.Aria sensed it in the way guards could no longer meet her gaze. In how council members spoke carefully, choosing their words smartly, like walking on egg shells.“They are hiding something,” she said softly to Dax that night.He nodded grimly. “Maybe they are afraid to tell us.”The second heartbeat pulsed, uneasy.“Fear,” Aria scoffed. “It’s almost as if it rules the world.”The truth arrived before dawn.Lior burst into Aria’s chambers unannounced, face pale, breathing hard.“The inner sanctum has been breached,” he said. “Someone disabled the magical shield from inside.”Aria was already on her feet.“Where is the child?” Aria demanded.Lior swallowed hard. “Gone.”The rescued child.Taken from the most secure chamber in the palace.Dax’s self control snapped.He slammed his fist into the wall, the stone floor cracking under the strong impact. “Who?”