Chapter 54 Echoes of Paradise
I woke with the strange feeling that something had changed.
Not in the room. Not in the castle.
In me.
The morning light filtered through the thin curtains, drawing soft lines on the still unmade bed. For a moment, I thought Conrad was beside me. His warmth still seemed to linger in the sheets. But the space was empty.
I ran my hand over the mattress, taking a deep breath.
Paradise never lasted long.
I got up slowly, feeling my body silently protest. The healer had been there hours before, performed the ritual, murmured ancient words, assured me I was alright. Physically, at least.
I carefully put on my cloak and walked to the balcony. The kingdom was awakening below, but without the enthusiasm of festive days. There were no flags waving in the wind. No laughter. Only restrained movement and overly attentive gazes.
"They're still afraid," I murmured.
"And they will remain so." Conrad's voice sounded behind me.
I turned. He was serious, dressed for the council, his handsome face marked by weariness and responsibility. He wasn't the wolf from the previous night. He was the king.
"The leaders want answers," he said. "They want guarantees."
I approached, placing my hand on his chest.
"And will you give them?"
Conrad held my hand firmly.
"Not without you."
I felt the weight of that fall upon my shoulders. Marriage hadn't given me rest. It had given me a place.
"Then they need to learn," I replied, "that I am not a fragile symbol. I am part of the solution."
Conrad's eyes darkened slightly.
"That's what scares me."
Outside, a bell rang, calling for the meeting.
And I knew that, from that moment on, my every step would be watched.
Not as a wife.
But as Luna.
We walked together through the castle corridors, but it was impossible to ignore the change in the way everyone looked at me. Before, there was curiosity. Now, there was expectation. And fear.
The doors to the council hall were open.
The pack leaders were already in their places. Some spoke in hushed voices. Others remained in absolute silence. The empty chair—the same one from the previous night—was still there. Untouched. A warning.
Conrad squeezed my hand one last time before turning to his place. I took a deep breath and moved forward alone.
The hall fell silent.
"Luna Maya," announced one of the sages.
The title still sounded strange. Too heavy for something so recent. I kept my chin up and walked to the center of the stone circle. I felt the symbol under my skin respond, a discreet warmth. Attentive.
"We are here because the balance has been broken," said an older leader.
"No," I replied before I could stop myself. My voice echoed firmly. "He was exposed."
Murmurs spread through the hall.
"The erasers don't appear by chance," I continued. "They don't attack indiscriminately. And yesterday, they chose someone among us."
Silence returned. Heavier.
"What do you mean by that?" asked a wise woman, narrowing her eyes.
I looked at each face around me.
"That we're not dealing with a distant threat. They observe. They assess. And they decided that one of you was enough to cause panic."
A leader stood up abruptly.
"So what do you suggest, Luna? Wait until they choose the next one?"
"No," I replied without hesitation. "I suggest you stop pretending this is my problem. Or the hybrids' problem. This is a war against everything that escapes their control."
The symbol under my skin pulsed more strongly.
And in that instant, I felt it.
Something on the other side of the rift.
Waiting.
"The Dead Moon Rift reacted," Kael continued. "And when it reacts without opening, it means only one thing."
"Choice," said one of the sages, his voice trembling.
Kael nodded.
"The Erasers have chosen a target," he confirmed. "Someone in here. Someone with enough influence to create chaos."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
I stood up before Conrad could stop me.
"They don't just want to erase bodies," I said. "They want to erase symbols. Trust. Leadership. They want to make us doubt each other."
Some alphas shifted uncomfortably.
"What if there's already one of them among us?" Steven asked, breaking the silence. His tone was calculated. "Someone marked."
My eyes met his.
"Then that person is already lost." I answered. "Because the Rift doesn't choose allies. It chooses sacrifices."
The symbol on my chest pulsed, hot, alive.
Kael took a deep breath.
"Those who dwell in the Rift of the Dead Moon have awakened," he announced. "And when that happens, the next decision is never ours."
Conrad squeezed my hand.
I knew, in that instant, that the council wouldn't decide anything that night.
The war had already chosen its second name.
The impact of Kael's words echoed louder than any scream.
Some leaders rose immediately, voices overlapping in veiled accusations. Others remained seated, too rigid to react. Fear had many forms, and they were all there.
"This is madness," an older alpha said, slamming his hand on the table. "The Rift doesn't choose people. It's a place."
"Not anymore," Kael replied firmly. "It evolved. Or was forced to."
Steven crossed his arms. “It’s convenient to say this now,” he said. “When everyone knows that her mark”—he pointed discreetly at me—“is linked to darkness.”
Before Conrad could respond, I stepped forward.
“My mark didn’t kill anyone,” I said. “But your fear created the space for it to happen.”
The hall seethed with murmurs.
“The dead leader was emptied,” I continued. “Without blood. Without a fight. The memories ripped away as if they never existed. That’s the work of an Eraser. And they don’t strike at random.”
Kael nodded.
“The chosen one wasn’t eliminated for who he was,” he added. “But for what he represented.”
The younger sage paled.
“He guarded the ancient records,” he murmured. “The treatises on hybrids.”
The symbol on my chest burned.
Conrad stood beside me.
"So it wasn't an isolated attack," he said. "It was a message."
Kael closed his eyes for a brief moment.
"The next selection has already begun," he stated. "And while we discuss, the rift observes."
The castle bell tolled, deep, once.
The bell was still echoing when the hall doors closed on their own with a dry bang.
Everyone fell silent.
"The rift responded," one of the sages murmured, his voice trembling. "It has never done this before."
I felt the symbol beneath my skin burn intensely, as if something were pulling my attention away. I instinctively placed my hand on my chest.
"It's listening," I said. "From the moment the first name was erased."