Tears of Selene.

Tears of Selene.
Aria’s POV

The morning feels heavy though the sky is bright, and every sound in the Kingdom seems softened by weariness, the scrape of boots, the murmur of voices, the occasional groan of the wounded who try to shift on their beds. The battle is over for now, yet its shadow lingers in every corner, clinging to the walls, to the air, to the hearts of those who survived. I move among them with quiet words and steady hands, but inside, I know I am running on what little strength remains. Each time I pulled Lilith’s darkness from a wound, each time I poured light into flesh that was slow to heal, I felt something of myself leaving me, a part of me fading like smoke carried away by the wind. When I step away from the courtyard where the healers tend the injured, I do so quietly, not wishing to be stopped. I tell myself it is only a short walk, only a moment away, but the truth is, I cannot bear the thought of them seeing how weak I feel.
The path that winds beyond the gates leads down toward the line of trees where the forest begins, the grass still wet with dew, the earth soft beneath my feet. The sunlight filters through the branches, pale and golden, touching everything with gentle warmth, and for the first time since dawn broke, I can breathe without tasting blood or smoke. Yet the ache remains, deep in my bones, and I know it is not something rest alone can cure. I follow the sound of water, faint at first but growing clearer as I walk, a steady song that tugs at me, promising calm, promising renewal. Still, I feel the weight of doubt in my chest. What if my light has already begun to fade while Lilith gathers her strength?
It is then that I hear it. A voice, faint at first, rising above the song of the stream, clear and beautiful in a way that makes me stop where I stand. It is singing, but not like any I have ever known, the melody carried on the morning breeze as though the forest itself holds its breath to listen. Each note is both strange and familiar, soft but powerful, a sound that reaches into me and soothes my soul. I follow it without thinking, my steps slow but certain, until the trees open and I see her.
A girl sits at the edge of the stream, her feet trailing in the water, her dark hair tumoring loose around her shoulders. Her dress is bright with colours that catch the sunlight, reds and golds and blues, as though she wears a piece of the morning sky. She looks up when I approach, her face gentle, her eyes holding something far older than her years, and though she seems no more than a wandering gypsy, there is something in her that makes the air feel different, charged with light. The song fades as she smiles at me. In her hand is a small glass bottle, clear as crystal, filled with a pale liquid that glimmers faintly as though it carries the light of the moon itself even under the day’s sun.
“You are tired,” she says, her voice soft and musical, and though her words are simple, they cut straight to the truth I have been trying to hide. “You have given too much of yourself. Drink this, and let your strength return.”
I stop a few paces away, my breath caught in my throat, my heart uncertain. I do not know her. I do not know what she offers me. In a world where darkness takes so many shapes, how can I trust what is placed so easily into my hands?
“What is it?” I ask, my voice low, cautious.
Her smile deepens, and there is no trick in it, no malice, only a kindness that feels older than the earth beneath us. “It is the tears of Selene,” she says gently, lifting the bottle toward me. “Tears shed for her fallen children after the battle. They are given to heal, to restore what has been broken. Drink, and you will find what you have lost.”
For a moment, I hesitate, the weight of doubt still heavy in me, but then I look at her eyes and see no darkness there, only light. My hand trembles as I reach out and take the bottle, the glass cool in my palm. I lift it slowly to my lips and drink. The taste is unlike anything I have ever known, cool and sweet, but burning with warmth as soon as it touches my throat. It spreads through me like fire and water both, rushing through every vein, filling the hollow places, stitching together the pieces I thought had broken. My shoulders straighten, the ache in my limbs lifts, the dim flame in me surges bright again, stronger than before. I draw a deep breath, and it feels as though my chest is filled with light.
When I lower the bottle, empty now, she is still watching me, still smiling. “You are stronger than you believe,” she says. “You can be stronger still. Your bond with Darius is where your true strength lies, and that is what Lilith fears most. She will try to break it, for she knows if it holds, she cannot defeat you.”
Her words strike deep, both comfort and warning, and I want to ask her who she really is, though a part of me already knows. How does she know everything about me? About Darius and Lilith? The sunlight shifts, and her skin begins to glow, faintly at first, then brighter, until she shines with a radiance that is not of this world. Her outline blurs, her hair turns to silver light, her dress to rippling beams of fire, and I can no longer pretend she is a simple gypsy girl.
“The Moon Goddess,” I whisper, awe trembling through me.
Her smile is the last thing I see before she becomes too bright to look at, and then the light folds in on itself, vanishing like morning mist, leaving me alone at the water’s edge. I am not the same as when I came. My strength hums in my veins, brighter than before, touched by her hand, blessed by her gift. I walk back to the Kingdom with steps that no longer drag, my heart steady, my spirit renewed.
When I return to the wounded, I do not fail. I move among them, placing my hands upon them, and where I touch, Lilith’s darkness recoils and vanishes, retreating as though it fears me. Their wounds knit faster, their breathing eases, their skin warms with returning life, and soon they are rising, their voices filling the courtyard with hope once more. I glance toward the sky where the blood moon waits, five days from its peak, glowing faintly even in the daylight, and I whisper a vow only the Goddess can hear. We will be stronger, and even if her tear has to flow for those fallen in battle, I will protect as many as I can.