Chapter 335
Elyra stood in the heart of the Temple of the Moon Ascendant, surrounded by ancient stone pillars that had borne witness to centuries of history. The air was thick with the weight of secrets, and the moonlight filtering through the cracks in the ceiling cast a pale glow over the sacred space. It felt as if the very walls were whispering to her, urging her to uncover the truth.
Across from her, Luna Althea moved with an unsettling grace, her presence filling the room with an ancient power. Elyra could feel the weight of her gaze, the unspoken knowledge that seemed to hang between them. Althea had always been cryptic, her intentions shrouded in mystery. But now, Elyra could sense a new urgency in her words.
“Althea,” Elyra began, her voice tentative but resolute. “I need to know more. The prophecy… it doesn’t make sense. How is it that one of us must fall for the other to rise?”
Althea’s eyes softened, but there was a hardness beneath the surface, as if she had already made peace with the sacrifices required. “The prophecy is not about salvation, Elyra,” she said, her voice low and filled with a quiet resolve. “It’s about survival.”
Elyra furrowed her brow. “Survival?”
Althea nodded. “The packs are in danger, Elyra. The balance between light and shadow has already begun to fracture. This isn’t just about you or Dain—it’s about the survival of everything we hold dear.” She walked to a stone pedestal in the center of the room, where an ancient scroll lay, its edges frayed from age. Carefully, she unrolled it, revealing symbols that seemed to pulse with an energy all their own.
Elyra approached cautiously, her eyes scanning the ancient text. The prophecy was written in a language she didn’t fully understand, but the words seemed to resonate with her. As Althea’s fingers traced the symbols, she began to speak again, her voice carrying the weight of countless generations.
“Long ago, the Moon Goddess foresaw a time when the Luna Ascendant would rise, bringing balance to the world,” Althea began. “But the rise of the Luna Ascendant could not come without a price. The light could not exist without the shadow.”
Elyra felt a shiver run down her spine. “But Dain…” Her voice faltered. “He’s the one embracing the shadow. Is it too late for him?”
Althea turned to her, her expression unreadable. “It is not too late, Elyra. But you both have to make a choice.” She walked to the far side of the room, where a set of intricate carvings adorned the wall. The symbols on the wall mirrored the ones on the scroll, but this time, they seemed to come alive, swirling and shifting as if responding to the presence of the shard.
“No,” Elyra said, shaking her head. “This can’t be the only way.” She turned to face Althea, determination hardening her voice. “I won’t let it end like this. There has to be another way to save Dain.”
Althea’s expression remained somber. “You are not the first to wish for such a thing, Elyra. Many before you have tried to break the prophecy. But in the end, balance must be restored. The choice you face is one no one else can make for you.”
Elyra’s gaze dropped to the shard in her hand. She could feel its power, the pull of both light and darkness tugging at her heart. The shard had already chosen a path for her, but was that path the only way forward?
She wasn’t sure. But one thing was certain—she wasn’t going to give up on Dain. Not yet.
-: As the scroll revealed the final line of the prophecy, Elyra’s heart pounded. “Light cannot exist without shadow.” Could she find a way to rewrite the prophecy before it was too late?
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