Fire and Moonlight

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Luna stood at the edge of the Moon Clan's camp, the cold night air pressing against her skin, but it did nothing to cool the fire raging inside her.

Her celestial powers had awakened—too soon, too violently. She could still feel them coursing beneath her skin, raw and untamed. Every breath felt heavier, as though the universe itself was pressing down on her, waiting for her to understand.

But she didn't.

Not yet.

She clenched her fists, trying to shake off the lingering sensation of him.

The Sun Prince.

His touch had done something to her—something she couldn't explain. And worse, it had done something to him.

The mark.

She knew he had it now, even if he didn't understand it yet. The celestial bond that had formed between them was ancient, dangerous. It wasn't just a curse; it was a link—one that pulsed like an unseen chain between their souls.

And if he had any idea what it truly meant, he would stop at nothing to break it.

"You're not sleeping."

Luna turned her head slightly, sensing Ahava before he even spoke. He stepped up beside her, his sharp eyes scanning the distant horizon. The glow of the Sun Clan's fires flickered in the distance, reminding them that the war was far from over.

"I couldn't," she admitted, her voice quieter than she intended.

Ahava was silent for a moment. "The others are worried. They saw what happened today."

She exhaled sharply. "Let them worry. They should be afraid."

"You should be afraid too, Luna." Ahava's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. "You awakened something you don't understand, and it nearly tore you apart. And the prince…" He hesitated. "You marked him, didn't you?"

Her jaw tightened. "I don't know what I did."

Ahava studied her, his expression unreadable. "Then we need to find out. Before he does."

Because if the Sun Prince understood the power now tethered to him…

Luna didn't know if he would try to kill her for it.

Or claim her.

---

The Sun Prince's Struggle

The mark burned.

Again.

The Sun Prince sat alone in his chambers, his jaw clenched as another pulse of searing pain shot through his chest. It wasn't just pain—it was pulling at him, demanding something he didn't understand.

And it was because of her.

Luna.

The name itself was poison, yet it sank deep into his bones, refusing to be ignored.

He threw his shirt aside, stepping toward the large silver mirror in his chamber. The celestial symbols on his chest still glowed faintly, their silvery light in direct contrast to the golden fire of his own powers.

A curse. A bond. A war within him.

He gritted his teeth, pressing his palm over the mark as if he could force it to disappear. But it wouldn't. It never would.

Not as long as she existed.

A knock at his door.

He didn't move. "Enter."

One of his generals stepped in, bowing. "My lord, the Moon Clan is stirring. Their warriors are restless, and their forces are preparing to move."

The prince didn't respond immediately. His fingers still hovered over the mark, his mind caught between hatred and something far more dangerous.

"Let them move," he said finally, voice like steel.

The general hesitated. "And what of their leader?"

The prince's lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile.

"Luna is mine to handle."

And when he saw her again, he would handle her.

Either by war.

Or by something far worse.

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