The village of Eldrin was no longer quiet.
Whispers filled the streets. People spoke of Luna's powers, though most had never seen her. They called her "the girl of storms," "the cursed flame," "the moon child." Some feared her. Others admired her from afar.
But none truly knew her.
Luna had returned only to gather supplies—her body tired from travel, her spirit heavy with everything she'd learned. She kept her hood low and her head down.
But even as she walked the narrow roads, she felt it: eyes watching. Not the usual fear-filled stares of villagers.
This time, it was something else.
She entered an old herb shop near the edge of town—one of the few places that didn't turn her away. The shopkeeper, Elra, had always been kind to her, ever since she was little.
"Luna," Elra said warmly. "You've grown."
Luna managed a tired smile. "So have the rumors."
Elra chuckled and handed her a warm cloth bundle of herbs. "Some fear you… but many of us believe the old stories. That one day, a girl would rise, with the strength of the world in her hands."
Luna's smile faltered. "What if she doesn't want it?"
Elra's eyes softened. "The moon never asks to shine, dear. It just does."
Just as Luna turned to leave, a bell rang behind her. The door creaked open.
A tall boy entered—around her age, with windswept hair, a confident stance, and eyes like polished onyx.
> "You must be Luna," he said.
Luna's muscles tensed.
> "Name's Riven. I've been… looking for you."
Elra stepped between them. "She doesn't need looking for, boy."
> "I come with peace," he said, raising his hands. "I'm not with your enemies. I'm with the ones still fighting them."
Luna studied him. He didn't seem dangerous, but something about his calmness… unnerved her.
Still, she followed him outside.
They walked toward the forest's edge, where no one could hear them.
> "I know about the kings," Riven said. "The power you carry. I also know about him—the one in the shadows."
Luna froze. "My father."
He nodded. "He's getting stronger. Gathering followers. You've already met one—Nia."
Luna's eyes narrowed. "She tried to trap me."
> "She was told to. She didn't want to."
Luna looked away. Her heart ached at the memory. "Why are you telling me this?"
Riven stepped closer.
> "Because I was once one of them too."
Her eyes snapped to him. "What?"
> "I followed your father. I believed in his vision—that magic should belong to the strongest. That order should rule over chaos. That the world needed control."
> "But I was wrong."
Luna didn't move. Her heart pounded.
> "I left him. Risked everything. Because I saw what he did to people who disobeyed. What he did to girls who said no."
There was pain in his voice. Real pain.
> "I don't ask for your trust, Luna. Just a chance… to help you."
Luna's walls stayed up—but her heart cracked open, just slightly.
She nodded once. "Then help me find the last elemental."
Riven's face darkened.
> "That won't be easy. The Spirit King is hidden in the realm between life and memory. A place only the heart can enter. And once you go in…"
> "You might not come back the same."
---
That night, Luna stood under the moonlight, looking at her reflection in a quiet pond. Her face looked the same, but her soul felt heavier. Older.
She had faced enemies. She had found power. But now…
She would have to face herself.
---
Back in the forest, far from sight, Riven knelt before a dark tree. A symbol burned faintly on his neck—a spiral of shadow.
And a voice, cold and sharp, whispered from the bark:
> "Well done, my son. Keep earning her trust."
> "Soon… she will walk straight into our hands."