Luna Aurora novel (Alpha Fenrir)

The air in the sanctuary felt heavier than usual, thick with unspoken truths. Elyra sat on a stone bench, the shard cradled delicately in her hands, still faintly pulsing from the overwhelming vision she'd seen earlier. Althea stood before her, a solitary figure bathed in moonlight. The ancient guardian's silver hair shimmered as if it had captured the light of the stars themselves, but her eyes carried a weight that no amount of beauty could conceal.

"You saw him, didn't you?" Althea's voice broke the silence, soft but firm.

Elyra nodded slowly, her hands tightening around the shard. "I saw Dain... lost in shadow. He was... different. Cold. Empty."

Althea stepped closer, her long robes flowing like ripples in a still lake. "What you saw was not set in stone. The shard reflects potential futures, not certainties. But the further he strays from balance, the harder it will be to bring him back." Elyra looked up, her jaw tight. "Then why does it feel like every path leads to the same ending? Him lost. Me alone."

Althea's lips pressed into a thin line, her expression unreadable. "Because you do not yet understand the cost of balance."

Elyra stood abruptly, the bench scraping against the stone floor. "Then tell me!" she snapped, her frustration boiling over. "Tell me what this prophecy really means. What aren't you saying?"

For a long moment, Althea said nothing. The silence stretched, broken only by the distant hum of the shard's energy. Finally, the ancient guardian spoke, her voice tinged with a sadness that made Elyra's chest tighten.

"You think I've always been this," Althea said, gesturing to herself. "A guardian of balance. A keeper of the Moon's prophecy. But once, long ago, I was like you-full of hope, love, and an unshakable bond."

Elyra frowned, confused. "You mean... you had a mate?"

Althea nodded. "His name was Kael. He was my light, my anchor. Together, we believed we could defy the prophecy, find another way. But the shadows are insidious, Elyra. They do not break you all at once. They whisper, they tempt, and before you realize it, they've taken everything."

Elyra's throat tightened as she saw the faintest glimmer of tears in Althea's usually stoic eyes. "What happened to him?"

Althea turned away, her voice trembling despite her effort to stay composed. "Kael embraced the shadow, believing it would make him strong enough to protect me. At first, he resisted its pull, but the power... it changes you. I tried to save him, to bring him back. But in the end..." She paused, taking a shaky breath. "In the end, I was forced to destroy him."

Elyra staggered back, her hands flying to her mouth. "You... you killed your mate?"

Althea turned back to face her, and Elyra saw the raw pain etched into her features. "I had no choice. The shadows consumed him completely. He was no longer the man I loved but a vessel for destruction. By ending him, I saved the packs. But the price..." She touched the pendant around her neck, a simple crescent moon. "The Moon Goddess cursed me with immortality so I would carry the weight of that choice forever."

The words hit Elyra like a blow. She tried to speak, but the lump in her throat made it impossible. Finally, she managed to choke out, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I see the same choice in your eyes," Althea said, stepping closer. "You will face the same trial, Elyra. The shard has already shown you the danger that lies ahead. Dain is walking a path that will lead him to the same fate as Kael unless you stop him." "No," Elyra said quickly, shaking her head. "I won't let it come to that. I can save him."

Althea's gaze hardened. "And what if you can't?"

"I have to!" Elyra's voice rose, echoing through the sanctuary. "He's my brother, my twin. I can't just... give up on him."

Althea's expression softened slightly, but her eyes remained sad. "I thought the same of Kael. And I was wrong."

The weight of Althea's words settled heavily on Elyra's chest. She turned away, staring at the shard in her hand. Its pulsing light seemed to mock her, a constant reminder of the impossible choices ahead.

"There has to be another way," Elyra said softly, almost to herself. "The prophecy can't be absolute. If Dain and I are connected through this bond, then there must be a way to break it without destroying each other." Althea hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line. "Prophecies are rarely what they seem," she admitted. "But breaking the bond... it would come at a cost. Are you willing to risk everything to defy fate?"

Elyra didn't answer right away. Her mind swirled with doubts and fears, but beneath it all was a flicker of hope. She looked back at Althea, her voice steady. "If there's even a chance to save him, then I have to try." Althea studied her for a long moment, then nodded. "Very well. But know this: the longer you wait, the stronger the shadows' hold on Dain will become. If you want to save him, you must act soon."

Elyra nodded, clutching the shard tightly. The pain in her palm was nothing compared to the ache in her heart. She closed her eyes, her resolve hardening. She wouldn't let Dain fall-not like Kael.

But as the shard pulsed again, another vision flashed in her mind. This time, it wasn't just Dain she saw it was herself, standing alone in the ruins, surrounded by darkness. And in her hand was the shard, glowing brighter than ever, but her bond with Dain was gone. Elyra begins to question if the prophecy can be broken.noveldrama