###Chapter Nine :The Drawing of the Moon

I didn't sleep that night.

Neither did Ronan.

He hovered close but never pressed. He didn't tell me what to do, didn't try to convince me of anything. He just stayed.

That was enough.

But when the sun rose, I had made my decision.

I stepped outside before dawn, cold morning air shredding my skin. It was dark still, the moon low and silver and throwing long shadows.

Amara was waiting.

She stood at the edge of the clearing with her arms crossed. "You're ready."

I swallowed hard. "You don't even know what I'm going to say.

Amara smirked. "I know it all, my dear."

But Ronan had snuck in back of me, as always quiet. I could sense his gaze on me, unwavering, potent.

I took a breath. "I'm going to fight."

Amara tilted her head. "Against Kael?"

I hesitated. "Against anyone who tries to oppress me."

Her smirk widened. "Good answer."

The trees rattled and the wind started picking up. It was the feeling of my power settling under my skin, unfamiliar no more — no more a thing to be afraid of.

Amara stepped closer. "Then it's time you wake up."

I frowned. "I thought I already"

She pressed her palm against my forehead.

The world exploded.

Fire and moonlight twisted up into me, an old thing that stirred in my bones as a rush of energy slammed through me.

I gasped, stumbling back. My body was light, buoyant — as if the ground had ceased to be connected to me.

And I felt it all, for the first time.

The moon's pull. The forest breathing around me. My candle whose flame wants to be lit.

I wasn't just a girl anymore.

I was something more.

I opened my eyes, breathless. The glow in my hands was not flickering this time. It was steady. Controlled.

Mine.

Amara nodded approvingly. "Now you're ready."

Ronan exhaled behind me. "Damn."

I seized his shoulder and my heart thundered. "So what now?"

He smirked. "Now it's our job to let Kael know he picked the wrong fight.

I closed my fingers into fists, so I could feel the power banging my skin.

For the first time since any of this began

I knew I was strong enough.

And I was ready to prove it.

Arden fucking own her power

A visceral, movie-style "awakening" moment

Ronan is there to support her with a bit of humor

The Quiet Before War

The air smelled like rain.

Storms were coming.

Not just the sky-splitting kind, but the world–shattering kind.

Pretty much what I do — I did — only I huddled at the edge of the clearing, my body quivering with new energy. My power is no longer to be feared. It was part of me. And soon, I'd have to use it.

Ronan was propped against a nearby tree, sharpening his knife. He has not said much since I woke up. But I felt him watching me. Always watching.

Amara sat on a fallen log drawing circles in the dirt with a stick. Her silver eyes darted to me. "You're thinking too much."

I huffed. "You keep saying that."

"Because it's true." She tossed the stick aside. "Doubt makes you weak. "As soon as you step into that battlefield, you better know who you are."

I clenched my fists. "And if I don't?"

Ronan finally spoke. "Then you die."

I turned to glare at him. "So reassuring."

He smirked. "I will try."

Amara rose, wiping her hands. "The pack is moving. Kael won't wait much longer."

I swallowed hard. "Then neither will we."

Ronan's golden eyes met mine. "This is it."

I nodded.

No more running. No more doubting.

The war was coming.

And I was ready to face it.

Final reflection on the eve of a war

Tension + ascertain from Arden

Ronan and Amara and her hugging

The First Strike

The wolves came at dusk.

I felt them before I saw them — power thrumming in the air, the metallic tang of blood and dirt on the breeze.

Ronan stood next to me, those golden eyes focused on the treeline. Amara was at my other side, her silver gaze unreadable. The resistance was behind us, drawn tight — waiting.

Then the first howl rang out.

A warning. A promise.

The dark of the woods shifted, red pearls flickering in the night.

Kael.

He stepped boldly into the clearing as if he owned the planet, his pack trailing behind. He didn't look worried. He looked amused.

"Little moon," he said, his voice slick as silk. "Come to surrender?"

I moved forward, silver light flowing over my fists. "Not even close."

Kael laughed and shook his head. "Brave." His eyes darkened. "And foolish."

The muscles of Ronan's arms coiled alongside me. "She's not alone."

Kael's smirk widened. "Neither am I."

A stiff breeze blew across the glade.

And then—

Everything exploded.

The wolves lunged.

Ronan pivoted in the air, golden shards slicing through flesh as he crashed into Kael. The battleground erupted, claws shredding, bodies colliding, growls and snarls electrifying the charging air.

A wolf charged at me.

I didn't hesitate.

I held my hands out in front, white light exploding from my palms. The explosion threw the wolf backward, among the trees.

Another came at me.

Through this time I didn't go — faster, slicker than ever before. The power coursing through my blood propelled me onward. I spun around and drove my dagger into the wolf's flank.

Blood hit the ground.

I was wheezing, as if I'd just run a marathon, my heart pounding.

This was real.

This was war.

I glanced just in time to see Kael drive Ronan into the dirt.

My stomach dropped. "No"

Kael's bloodred gaze flickered to me.

He smiled.

And vanished.

I barely had time to react before he was behind me, his claws around my wrist.

"Let's finish this," he said, in a whisper.

And then we were engulfed in darkness.

The start of war escalatory action

 Arden during actual battle utilizing powers

Kael making his move

Enemy Prisoner of War

I hit the ground hard.

My breath came hard as my palms skidded along a slick rock wall. My power brimmed beneath my skin, but just as I was about to—

A jolt of energy hit me with crushing force.

Pain.

It was not physical, but it stung — like my power was being choked.

I groaned and rolled to my hands and knees. The air was moist, carrying the scent of dirt and blood.

Where was I?

From the darkness came a muffled chuckle.

I forced myself to look up.

Kael.

Arms crossed, a few feet from me, his glowing red eyes. We were in some kind of subterranean chamber — the rock walls, the flickering torchlight surrounding the perimeter. The air had a wrongness about it here, thick with magic I didn't understand.

I swallowed hard. "What did you do to me?"

Kael smirked. "Relax, little moon. I didn't hurt you."

I clenched my fists. "If I'm so powerful, why don't I experience it?

He squatted down in front of me, cocks his head. "Because you're not ready for it."

Rage flared in my chest. "You think this is going to make me listen?"

Kael sighed. "Arden, think. Do you honestly think Ronan's petty little rebellion can prevail?" And his voice softened, as if he were … patient. "You were never meant to be their savior."

I gritted my teeth. "And, I don't know, you're supposed to be mine?

But when Kael smiled, it was dangerous. "Not mine. Ours."

My stomach twisted.

His red eyes darkened. "You are the Lunar Rebirth. You exist to return things back to normal. But balance also didn't mean rescuing them." He leaned closer. "It means destroying the ones who cast this curse on us to begin with."

I willed my eyes up to his. "And what about the wolves that don't pursue you?"

Kael's smirk faded.

For the first time, his mask cracked — just a little bit.

"You already know the answer to that," he said softly.

I felt a cold shiver run through me.

I had spent so many years afraid to release.

But Kael?

Kael had no time to be stopped.

I exhaled shakily. "Well, then you know the answer I would give."

Kael sized me up for a long second.

Then, slowly, he smirked. "We'll see."

I glared at him. "Ronan will come for me."

Kael chuckled. "I'm counting on it."

Arden shamed — but defiant

Kael giving more of his warped truth

Setting up the tension that's about to unfold around Ronan's rescue