The Prophecy’s Second Half

The wind outside howled as if the moon itself mourned. Inside the pack's gathering hall, the air was thick with unease. Cinder sat at the head of the long wooden table, Jason by her side. Elda Frost, the eldest and wisest of the werewolves, stood in the center of the room. Her gnarled hands clutched an ancient scroll, its edges frayed with time.

Elda's voice was soft but steady as she began, "There is more to the prophecy than I first shared."

Cinder's heart skipped a beat. She had thought she knew everything about the Lunar Eclipse Prophecy. It had guided so many of her decisions, but now it seemed there was a deeper secret.

Jason leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "Why haven't you told us this before, Elda?"

The old woman sighed, her silver hair catching the flickering light of the torches. "Because revealing it too soon could have caused despair. But now... now you must know the truth, Cinder."