The ancient bells of the Moon Temple echoed through the valley, their deep chimes rolling over the mountains like a warning carried by the wind. Each strike seemed to hang in the air a second too long before falling away, swallowed by mist and pine. The sound traveled down into the villages below, rattled shutters, and made animals lift their heads. It was the third toll of dawn. The day of the Moon Blessings. Lyra Ashwood tightened the worn gray cloak around her shoulders as she climbed the endless white stone steps leading to the sacred temple. The wool was thin at the elbows and patched twice at the hem, but it was the only thing she owned that kept the mountain cold out. Her boots felt strangely heavy. Not because of the climb. She had walked farther on less. It was something else, a pull, like the stones themselves were trying to slow her down—or maybe draw her forward. She couldn't tell which. Why am I so nervous? She pressed her palm against the cold stone railing and ke
Last Updated : 2026-07-28 Read more