Semua Bab Rise of the Forbidden Luna: Bab 61 - Bab 70

The heavy clang of the rusted iron grate closing above my head sounded like the finality of a prison door snapping shut.Instantly, the world became a sensory vacuum of absolute, suffocating darkness. The screaming wind of the Crystalvale blizzard vanished, replaced by a heavy, terrifying silence broken only by the rhythmic, agonizing drip of freezing water echoing somewhere deep within the stone caverons. The air here was entirely different, it was thick, stale, and bitingly cold, carrying the unmistakable scent of damp earth, ancient stone, and centuries of decay.For a long moment, I stood perfectly still on the narrow stone ledge, my back pressed against the frozen wall of the aqueduct shaft. My lungs expanded in ragged, shaky breaths, coughing slightly as the stagnant air hit my throat.Take a breath, Aria, I commanded myself, channeling every ounce of strategic discipline I possessed. Panicking gets you killed. You are a survivor. You are the fated Luna of this pack, and your ch

The rough, coarse linen of the palace wine-bearer uniform bit aggressively against the raw cuts on my skin as I stepped out from the hidden stairwell into the corridors of Ethan’s residence. I pulled the hood lower over my face, to cover my silver eyes and my braided hair from anyone passing by who may recognise me. Every muscle in my body tensed and every single breath I drew felt shallow and entirely frozen in my chest.I kept my head down, staring fixedly at the polished stone tiles beneath my slippers as I marched forward, my steps rhythmic and light."Hey, you," a harsh voice suddenly barked out from the left corridor.Fear rooted me to the spot. I stopped dead in my tracks but my composure never wavered as two heavily armed guards stepped directly into my path, completely blocking the corridor leading to Ethan’s private quarters."What's in the flask, girl?" the second guard sneered, his visor tilting downward as he stared at the silver tray in my hands."Spiced elven wine for

The heavy oak doors of the grand council chamber slammed shut behind the guards, cutting off the final, desperate wails of the scoundrels, Isolde and Julian, as they were violently dragged out into the freezing wilderness. Ragged, desperate breaths racked my chest, torching my lungs as a wave of pure panic gripped me.What if this is all a dream and she isn't really here? What if I blink twice, and the magic snaps back, and the memories of Aria evaporates into the thin midnight air?Cold sweat broke out across my neck. If the memory erase poison had permanently re-wired my mind, my memory could fail me again. A sudden surge of panic and longing drove me into a full, uncoordinated sprint down the citadel's grand stone corridors. I ignored the guards bowing in reverence as I flew past. Bounding up the spiral staircase two steps at a time, my heavy leather boots beat against the stone like cannon fire as I raced toward my master bedroom suite to see Aria.For three long, torturous weeks

The first light of dawn bled through the shattered window pane, casting cold, fractured shadows across the mahogany desk. Beside the pool of gray light, the arrow sat like a corpse on display.I stood over it, the heavy silk of my nightgown offering little protection against the morning chill as Ethan ran a calloused thumb along the shaft."The fletching is made from the feathers of a northern tundra hawk," Ethan muttered, his jaw tightening as he looked up at me. "This wasn't shot by a random rogue, Aria. This arrow belongs to the personal armory of the Northern Border Guard."I stepped closer, the cold stone floor biting into the soles of my bare feet as I reached out to take the weapon from Ethan's grip. The iron tip felt unnaturally heavy, the metal had been built for lethal penetration rather than show.Turning the shaft over in my fingers, I focused on the base of the hawk feather fletching. There, etched directly into the dark wood, was a faint, pressed mark, the double-crescen

The air inside the subterranean vault was thick with the suffocating stench of copper and sweat. Ethan held the lantern high, its flickering amber flame cutting through the pitch-black darkness to reveal the aftermath of our counter-strike.The mechanism of the trap had been triggered.A soldier clad in the dark leather of the Northern Guard had slumped lifelessly against the base of the marble pedestal. His eyes were wide with a glazed, frozen terror, his limbs completely locked in place by the silver-infused toxin of our trap. But as my eyes scanned the scene, a cold dread knotted in my stomach.The artifact’s replica was gone."Look," Ethan whispered, his deep voice slicing through the tomb-like silence as he lowered the lantern to the stone floor.A thick, dark trail of blood smeared across the dust, leading away from the pedestal and disappearing straight into the shadows of the deeper catacombs. The snare had snapped tight, but the thief hadn't been alone."The toxin paralyzed t