Chapter 8: Secrets in the Moonlight
The weight of Elder Magnus's words still lingered as Celestia sat in the dimly lit library, surrounded by centuries-old tomes and faded scrolls. The air smelled of parchment and candle wax, and the quiet hum of the flames crackling in the nearby hearth was the only sound breaking the silence.
The Lunar Saints.
The words echoed in her mind like an unanswered question, heavy with meaning yet still veiled in mystery.
If Astraea had wielded this power, why had her name been erased? And more importantly—what did it mean for Celestia?
She had spent the last few hours searching through the Saints Moon Pack's archives, but there was barely any mention of Astraea or the prophecy she was tied to. It was as if an entire piece of history had been deliberately erased.
A frustrated sigh left her lips as she rubbed her temples.
"You'll go blind if you keep staring at those pages without rest."
Celestia looked up to see Rhea Solis, the pack's Omega healer and one of her closest confidants, leaning against the wooden doorway with a knowing smirk.
"I don't have time to rest," Celestia admitted, closing the book in front of her. "There has to be something here. Magnus said the prophecy of the Lost Luna's Return was buried—but that doesn't mean it's completely gone."
Rhea hummed thoughtfully as she stepped further into the library, her silver-blonde hair catching the candlelight. "You're not wrong. But you're also looking in the wrong place."
Celestia raised an eyebrow. "And where exactly should I be looking?"
Rhea gave her a mischievous grin. "Where the elders don't want us to look."
---
*The Forbidden Archives
Minutes later, the two of them stood before a heavy iron door deep beneath the pack's fortress. This part of the stronghold was rarely used, a place where the oldest and most dangerous knowledge was hidden away.
"This is where the restricted texts are kept," Rhea whispered. "If there's anything left about Astraea or the Lunar Saints, it's in here."
Celestia pressed a palm against the cool metal, her heart hammering in her chest. If they were caught here, it wouldn't be taken lightly.
"Are you sure about this?" she asked.
Rhea gave her a deadpan look. "You just found out you might be the reincarnation of a lost Luna with powers no one understands. Are you really going to let a door stop you?"
Fair point.
Taking a deep breath, Celestia pushed, and the door groaned open with a heavy creak. The scent of dust and old magic filled the air as they stepped inside.
Tall shelves loomed around them, filled with scrolls wrapped in leather bindings and books that hadn't been opened in centuries. The faint glow of enchanted runes shimmered across some of the covers, a silent warning that these were no ordinary texts.
"This feels illegal," Celestia muttered.
Rhea smirked. "Probably."
They moved quickly, scanning the shelves for anything that could be linked to Astraea, the prophecy, or the Lunar Saints.
Then, Celestia's fingers brushed against an old, tattered book bound in deep blue leather. The Moon's Oath.
Her heart skipped a beat.
She pulled it from the shelf and opened it, her breath catching as she saw the faded inscription on the first page.
"To those who walk in the moon's shadow, beware the truth that was hidden, for it shall awaken once more."
Her fingers trembled slightly as she turned the pages. What she found inside made her blood run cold.
---
*A Dark History Unfolds
The book told a tale that had been long forgotten.
The Lunar Saints were not just Lunas—they were something far greater.
They were the chosen ones, marked by the moon itself, gifted with abilities beyond any normal werewolf. But their power came at a cost.
"In the age of the First Luna, the Saints Moon Pack thrived under Astraea's rule. She was beloved, revered, and feared in equal measure. Her connection to the moon granted her the power to heal, to foresee the future, and to bend the very shadows of night to her will. But as her strength grew, so did the fear among the other packs. They whispered of a power too great for a single wolf to wield."
Celestia swallowed hard, continuing to read.
"And then, one fateful night, under the blood moon, Astraea vanished."
The words seemed to burn into Celestia's mind.
"Some claimed she had betrayed her pack. Others believed she had been taken. But the truth was far more dangerous—Astraea was never meant to exist."
Celestia's breath hitched.
Rhea, who had been reading over her shoulder, muttered, "That… doesn't sound good."
Celestia turned another page, her pulse racing.
"The elders of old feared the Lunar Saints, believing their power to be unnatural. And so, they erased them. Every record, every mention, every bloodline connected to the Lunar Saints was wiped from history—until the prophecy foretold their return."
Rhea let out a low whistle. "So they didn't just erase Astraea. They erased an entire bloodline."
Celestia nodded slowly, her thoughts spinning.
Was this why her visions had started? Why the Lycans were moving? Because the Lunar Saints were meant to return?
But if the Lunar Saints had been wiped out, that meant—
Celestia herself should not exist.
---
She took a shaky breath, closing the book. "We need to show this to Darius."
Rhea hesitated. "Are you sure? This is dangerous knowledge, Cel. If the elders hid this for centuries, they had a reason."
Celestia met her friend's gaze. "And if the Lycans already know about the prophecy, then we're already running out of time."
A silent understanding passed between them.
Before they could move, however, a voice cut through the darkness.
"You shouldn't be here."
Celestia spun, her body tensing as a figure stepped from the shadows.
Elder Selene.
The older woman's piercing gaze locked onto them, her expression unreadable. For a long moment, the silence stretched, thick with unspoken tension.
Then, instead of reprimanding them, Elder Selene sighed and closed her eyes.
"So… it has begun."
Celestia's pulse pounded. "You knew?"
Selene met her gaze, and for the first time, Celestia saw not just an elder, but a keeper of secrets too dangerous to reveal.
"I was hoping the prophecy wouldn't awaken in my lifetime," Selene murmured, stepping toward them. She reached out, her fingers brushing the cover of The Moon's Oath with something like regret. "But it seems fate has other plans."
Celestia clenched her fists. "Tell me everything."
Selene exhaled slowly before nodding. "Then listen carefully, child. Because from this moment forward, there is no turning back."
---
End of Chapter 8.