Chapter 172: The Investigation Begins

Luna Triad gathered. One more time. Me. Sarah. Maya. And Luna my daughter.

"First thing. We need to understand what's happening. How powers are being stolen. Why. By who." I led the meeting. Old habits. Leader instincts.

"I've studied the cases. All victims wake up powerless. No warning. No pain. Just gone." Aria showed files. Hundreds of cases. "No common location. No common age. No common power type. Completely random."

"Or made to look random. To hide a pattern we haven't found yet." Sarah studied the data. Sharp eyes. Detective mind.

"What if it's not random? What if there's a specific target but they're taking others to hide it?" Maya suggested. Smart. Possible.

"Target who? Target what?" Luna asked.

"Us. Luna Triad. The prophecy bloodline. The most powerful beings." I realized. Suddenly clear. "They take random powers to disguise that they're really after us."

"But none of us lost powers. We're still strong. Still capable." Sarah tested her Luna power. Still there. Still working.

"Yet. We haven't lost powers yet. Maybe they're building up. Practicing. Learning. Before they strike at us." I felt it. That old instinct. That warning sense.

"Then we need to find who's doing this. Fast. Before they succeed. Before they take our powers." Luna was fierce. Protective mother. Worried about her children.

"I have a lead. One victim remembered something. A dream. A vision. Right before losing powers." Aria pulled up a file. "She saw a symbol. A mark. Drew it when she woke up."

The symbol appeared. Complex. Ancient. Familiar somehow.

"I've seen this before. Long time ago. Can't remember where." I stared at it. Trying to remember.

"It's Guardian script. Very old. Very rare. Very forbidden." Thomas senior appeared. He'd been listening. "This symbol means 'harvest' or 'collection' or 'taking'. Used in ancient rituals. Banned thousands of years ago."

"What rituals? What were they for?" Sarah asked.

"Power transfer. Taking abilities from one being and giving to another. The Guardians banned it because it was too dangerous. Too corrupting. Too evil." Thomas looked worried. Really worried. "If someone has revived this ritual. If they're using it. We're all in danger."

"Who would know this ritual? Who could perform it?" I demanded.

"Only Guardians. Only those with ancient knowledge. Only those who studied forbidden texts." Thomas thought hard. "But all Guardians alive now are good. Trustworthy. Loyal."

"What about dead Guardians? Could they have taught someone before dying?" Maya asked the hard question.

"Possible. But unlikely. Guardian code forbids sharing forbidden knowledge. Even in death." Thomas was certain. Too certain.

"Unless a Guardian went rogue. Broke the code. Shared the knowledge. Before dying or being killed." Aria spoke quietly. "It's happened before. Once. Three hundred years ago."

"What happened then?" Luna asked.

"A Guardian fell in love with a vampire. Had a child. Was expelled. Lost everything." Aria looked down. "That Guardian was me. And I never shared forbidden knowledge. Never broke that code. Never betrayed that trust."

"We're not accusing you. We're exploring possibilities." I was gentle. Supportive.

"I know. But the timing is suspicious. Power theft starts two years after the Eraser war. Two years after I helped you. Two years after I revealed myself to the world." Aria looked guilty. Worried. "What if someone is framing me? What if someone wants everyone to think I'm responsible?"

"Or what if you are responsible. What if you're stealing powers. Building strength. Planning something." A voice spoke. Cold. Accusing.

We turned. Elder from the Council. With twenty guards. All armed. All ready.

"Aria. You're under arrest. For suspected power theft. For forbidden ritual use. For crimes against supernatural beings." The Elder announced. Formal. Final.

"No. You're wrong. She's not responsible. She's helping us." I stood between them. Protecting Aria.

"Step aside, Lita. This is Council business. Official arrest. Legal authority." The Elder was firm.

"I won't step aside. Not without proof. Not without evidence. Not without truth." I refused.

Through the bond Sarah and Maya stood with me. United. Defensive.

"Then you're all under arrest. For obstruction. For interfering with justice. For protecting a criminal." The Elder signaled. More guards appeared. Fifty. Hundred. Surrounding us.

"You're making a mistake. The real thief is still out there. Still stealing. Still working. While you arrest the innocent." Luna tried to reason.

"We have evidence. Witness testimony. Expert analysis. All pointing to Aria." The Elder pulled out documents. "She's the only one with knowledge. With motive. With opportunity."

"What motive? Why would I steal powers?" Aria demanded.

"Revenge. Against Guardians who expelled you. Against supernatural beings who shunned you. Against the world that took your child." The Elder read from the file. "You're collecting powers. Building strength. Planning to destroy everyone who wronged you."

"That's insane. That's wrong. That's lies." Aria looked devastated. Betrayed. Broken.

"Then prove it. Come with us. Answer questions. Clear your name." The Elder offered. Trap. Obvious trap.

"If she goes with you she'll disappear. She'll be silenced. She'll be killed. Just like before. Just like always." I knew how this worked. How systems worked. How power worked.

"Last chance. Surrender peacefully. Or we take you by force." The Elder gave ultimatum.

Aria looked at me. At Luna Triad. At her only friends.

"Go. I'll surrender. I'll cooperate. I'll prove my innocence." Aria stepped forward. Accepting arrest.

"No. We fight. We resist. We protect you." I grabbed her arm. Held her back.

"You can't fight the Council. You can't fight the law. You can't fight everyone." Aria pulled away. "But you can find the real thief. You can clear my name. You can save everyone."

She walked to the guards. Hands up. Surrendering.

They took her. Roughly. Harshly. Like a criminal.

"Find the truth. Please. Before it's too late." Aria called back. Then she was gone. Arrested. Lost.

We stood there. Helpless. Angry. Determined.

"She's innocent. I know she is. I feel it." Luna was certain.

"Then we prove it. We find the real thief. We save Aria. We stop the power theft." I decided. Final. Absolute.

Through the bond Sarah and Maya agreed. One more mission. One more fight. One more war.

We were Luna Triad. And we never abandoned family. Never gave up on friends. Never quit.

Even at forty eight. Even retired. Even tired.

We'd fight. We'd investigate. We'd win.

One more time. One last time.

For Aria. For justice. For truth.