Lahat ng Kabanata ng Loving Luna : Kabanata 171 - Kabanata 180

The first creature appeared at the edge of the western road just as the last of the freed prisoners were making their way toward the House. Its enormous body seemed trapped between several different forms, none of which belonged together, but what frightened Luna most was how quickly the people nearest the entrance stopped reacting to it.A woman who had been running toward the House slowed until she was walking. A few steps later, she stopped altogether and looked around the valley.“Why am I outside?”The man beside her appeared equally confused. “Where are we?”Another howl carried through the valley, and Luna understood that the creatures were already affecting them. She hurried to the woman and caught her by the shoulders before she could wander toward the western road.“Go inside the House.”The woman frowned. “Why?”“Because you’re in danger.”“What danger?”Luna glanced toward the creature, and the woman followed her gaze. Fear immediately filled her face, but it lasted only a

The command "RUN" echoed in everyone's minds within the cave. But Luna did the opposite. She clung tighter to the Origin's wrist as the dark water began to pull the ancient being down. Meanwhile, Darius wrapped his arms around Luna's waist, desperately yanking her back to stop her from being dragged in too."Luna, let go!" Darius yelled."No!""It literally told us to run!""It's scared!""That's not exactly comforting!"Aurora grabbed the Origin's other arm, with Onyx holding onto her from behind. The creature writhed, flickering between human and wolf forms, making it incredibly hard to maintain their grip. Below the surface, dozens of dark hands latched onto the chains. The Origin's red eyes widened.Suddenly, Luna's fire vanished. Not just weakened, but completely gone. She felt the absence immediately, followed by something far worse: her anger, then her fear, all disappeared. For a bizarre moment, she just stared into the black water, feeling absolutely nothing."Darius?"He hea

Darius kept his hand on Onyx's shoulder, as if he could somehow physically prevent the eastern city from taking him. "The last heir to what?"Onyx just stared at the dark horizon. "I have no idea."Darius's jaw tightened. "That answer is starting to really annoy me.""I'm not holding anything back.""You knew the city had been trying to get to you since Blackwood.""I felt *something*. I just didn't get what it was."Aurora moved closer, looking at the spot where Onyx's eyes had briefly flashed silver. "Can you still feel it?""Yeah.""Is it telling you what to do?"Onyx shook his head. "No. That's what freaked me out. Commands are way easier to understand."Luna instantly got it. "It feels... natural."Onyx looked at her. "Like I'm remembering a road I've never been on."That statement silenced everyone. They knew enough about inherited wolf memories to understand just how dangerous that could be.Meanwhile, Silas was unfolding the silver sheet again, while Kael checked out the footp

The platform glided into the eastern city without a whisper, lowering Luna, Darius, Cassian, and Onyx through a round opening in the ice ceiling. Their feet landed on a floor of polished silver stone, and the ice sealed back up above them. Aurora vanished from sight.Onyx just stared up, his hands balled into fists, silver light still flashing in his eyes, long after the last bit of Aurora was gone.“She’ll find another way in,” Luna said.Onyx turned to her. “You can’t know that.”“No,” Luna conceded.He gave her a sharp look.“But I know Aurora,” Luna added. That actually helped more than any fake reassurance would have.Darius stepped away from the platform, taking in the city around them. It was beautiful, almost too much so, which immediately made him suspicious. Silver towers soared under a massive glass dome that held back the ocean, with bridges arching between buildings that looked carved from ice, but weren't actually frozen. Light pulsed through channels beneath the streets

Seven hours had sounded like plenty of time until Caelan explained what would happen at midnight.The closing of the city gates was only the beginning. Once the final lock engaged, every passage connecting the eastern city to the surface would seal. The frozen boundary above them would harden, and no Guardian, including Onyx, would be able to open it again until the city entered another succession cycle. According to Caelan, that might not happen for centuries.Cassian stood in front of the Reserve chair without touching it. Darius remained a few steps behind him, near enough to help if Cassian asked but far enough away to show that he had no intention of taking over the decision.Luna could see how much effort that restraint cost him. Only a few weeks ago, Darius would have demanded another answer, challenged every rule Caelan gave them and probably threatened to break the chair if no one offered a better solution. Now he kept his hands at his sides and allowed his brother to face a