Novel & Cerita The Moon Over The Ruined Castle

“My instincts rarely fail me, and I believe he’s the one who caught you both off guard.” “I think so,” I said. I’d had the same thought ever since the night of the Moonhunt" “I always knew that young lad was up to no good.” There was silence for a while. “Come with me,” Mom said, standing and leading me out of the living room. I followed, curious. She opened a door to a dark room, frozen in time. With a flick of her wrist, the lights buzzed to life. A round table sat at the center, cluttered with cards and strange artifacts.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the pack braced itself for the battle to come, the moonlight casting a silvery glow over the determined faces of those ready to defend their home. Suddenly, the ground beneath the pack’s courtyard trembled violently, cracks spreading like spider webs across the earth. The skies above darkened, swirling with ominous red clouds, and a low, guttural rumble filled the air. Then, in a deafening roar, fiery red portals erupted across the horizon, burning bright against the darkness.

I’ve been up for days planning this, researching the castle, figuring out the movements of the staff and guards, and for what? It might be enough, I think, as I walk down the street, cutting between alleys and crossing intersections until I reach a run-down block of apartment buildings near the outskirts of town. There was once a great crystal castle built in this same area, overlooking the lake and valley where the new city of Moonrise now rests. Now, it’s nothing but rubble and the forest has taken it back, new growth trees bending in the wind as the storm funnels over the lake.

The moon hung high over the castle, its silver light cutting through the shadows that clung to every corner of the fortress. Hazel walked the quiet halls alone, her boots muffled against the stone floors. Though the battle had ended, a lingering unease clung to her. Victory, she knew, was never absolute. Darkness had a way of hiding, waiting for the moment to strike again.

The world burned red. The moon hung low over the mountains like a wound that refused to close, its bleeding light painting the valley in shades of ruin. Kaelira had seen many horrors in her lifetime, but nothing like this — the sky itself unraveling, the air trembling with the heartbeat of something that should have stayed dead. They rode hard through the night. The forest below was nothing but black shapes and whispers. Each time she looked up, she swore the moon pulsed faster, like it was watching them.

I’ll take that as opposed to nothing at all. “What’s his opinion on Valerie, Miss Stone Queen?” Nate inquires as we file out of the back door of the academy. The night sky is illuminated by the full moon, casting a silvery glow over the castle’s expansive grounds. The Moon Festival is in full swing, a sea of students and their families spread out across the lush lawn that stretches to the edge of the massive woods. The trees, dark and towering, create a mysterious backdrop, their shadows dancing in the moonlight. Lanterns hang from branches and poles, their soft light adding a warm, festive touch to the cool night air.

If I ever got into trouble for leaving the party, I’d tell them I lost my way of finding the bathroom. After wandering through corridors, winding stairs, and hallways, I didn’t find anything remarkable, especially Rad’s vanity portraits and statues of himself. At the last entrance, I went through, I was outside, standing on top of the castle wall. It was already evening with seven moons orbiting in different phases. The closest was a full moon shining over the middle of the city. When I turned to the stars, it was the most fascinating I had ever gazed upon. Instead of constellations like on Earth, they were beautiful murals of animals, people, and landscapes. “This is it, Sam.” I smiled to m

He looked at me worriedly, but he could not hide his excitement that this could be my time. “You worry too much, darling.” Mom chimed in, bringing some of her special lemon cupcakes. The refreshing scent of the pastry made me hungry, so I got up right away to get two as soon as she placed the tray on the center table. “It’s a full moon tomorrow night, so expect your kids to be bitey,” she winked at me. “Mom,” I groaned, my eyebrows snapping together, hating the joke. I took a bite of the cupcake, not smiling.

"Who's there?" The sound of the wind scraping the castle walls was barely audible above Luna's voice. Her hands clasped the shredded sheet she had wrapped around herself like armour as her voice failed in the huge room's darkness. Through the tall, gothic windows, the pale light of the crescent moon crept through, creating skeletal shadows on the stone floor, and every element of the chamber seemed to breathe, to hum with invisible eyes.

Not the mythical, innate kind Eleanor had thrown in her face. When the castle was as complete as pebbles would allow, they stood back to admire their work. The wind immediately knocked over a section of the wall. Emma giggled. “It’s a ruin! Like that castle in Scotland you showed me pictures of, Daddy.” “A very modern ruin,” Marcus agreed, smiling. He took out his phone. “Photo. For posterity.” They squeezed together, the wind whipping their hair across their faces, the grey sea a dramatic backdrop. Marcus held the phone at arm’s length. “Say… pebbles!”