Chapter 32

Noelle shivered as the cold air brushed against her exposed skin, her breath hitching when their fingers traced the tattoo on her back. The intricate mark—a crescent moon entwined with silver vines—was unmistakable. 

Gasps echoed through the chamber as the elders and warriors who had gathered in the lit room stepped closer, their eyes wide with shock and reverence.

"She bears the mark…" Elder Horace whispered, his voice barely audible, yet filled with an emotion that sent ripples of energy through the room.

Noelle clenched her fists, willing herself to remain still. She had no memory of this mark, nor any recollection of the past they claimed she belonged to. 

For as long as she could remember, she had been a rogue—a survivor, nothing more. But now, these strangers were looking at her as if she were a lost treasure finally reclaimed.

"The lost Luna Queen," one of the warriors murmured. "She has returned."