Chapter 18 The Rising Of The Blood Moon
Chapter 18 The Rising Of The Blood Moon
Ever since the Queen’s whisper through my dreams, Crescent Pack had moved in darkness and fear of the unknown - silent, watchful, preparing. Theron’s command had doubled the guards. Every flash of light felt like a sign, every breeze that blew was like a whispered war.
As I stood at the balcony of the courtyard, I held onto the cold stone rail with my palms. The moon was still pale against the clouds. It looked ordinary, not yet blood-red. I could feel it humming in my veins already as the prophecy wasn’t waiting for dawn, It was stirring now.
As I watched the moon, I wondered if it could also sense the weight of what was coming. The air was so still that I could even hear the sound of my heartbeat. The campfires below flashed like trembling stars scattered across the courtyard, like small lights that were fighting against something endlessly dark. I suddenly heard a sound from a distance like something was coming for me. It scared me and my heart began to beat faster.
I heard footsteps approach softly behind me.. It was when I heard the voice that I knew I was just imagining sounds.
“Seems you couldn’t sleep” Rae’s warm and calm voice broke the silence.
I didn’t turn. “Sleep?” I murmured. “When the sky itself feels like it’s holding its breath?”
He came to stand beside me,brushing his shoulders against mine. “Lyra says the Hollow Flame is gathering near the borders. Theron thinks they’ll move once the moon bleeds.”
I held onto the railing tighter than before. “Then we have until tomorrow night.”
Rae nodded and said, “This time Aria, you are not fighting alone.”
I exhaled slowly, watching my breath fog the air. “I know. But it still feels like it’s waiting for me - the prophecy, the fire, the darkness. Like everything I touch either burns or breaks.”
Rae watched me gently as if he was searching for a thing. “You think you’re cursed.”
“Aren’t I?” I whispered. “Everywhere I go, danger follows. Maybe the Hollow Flame isn’t hunting Crescent. Maybe it’s just hunting me.”
He hesitated, then said softly, “Maybe it’s because you’re the only one who can end it.”
Our eyes met and for a second, the world went still. Rae’s hand brushed mine like a fleeting touch, yet it grounded me more than any rune or spell.
“Come,” he said, finally breaking the silence. “Mira is waiting in the courtyard. She said it’s time for the runes.”
The training grounds were alive with motion. Warriors had forged blades, tested arrows, murmured battle chants. The scent of ash and herbs lingered in the cold air. Mira stood at the center, chalking protective runes into a circle.
“You are here already, Aria,” she said without looking up. “Good. We don't have much time before the moon turns.”
I stepped into the circle as Mira beckoned. Rae stood nearby, ready but watchful.
“These symbols,”Mira explained, drawing an intricate pattern around my armor, “bind the soul to purpose. They will shield your mind when the Hollow Flame tries to break it.”
“The Hollow Flame feeds on fear,” I murmured, remembering the Queen’s whisper.
“Yes, And it fears only one thing in return which is the real flame, YOURS.”
I felt a tightening in my chest. “I don’t even know what that means.”
“You certainly will,” Mira replied, her voice low but certain. “First, you must make peace with your fire.”
When Mira pressed her palm against my wrist, the mark of the Ember Queen flared, molten gold under my skin. The warmth spread through my veins and then to my chest.
I began to see different visions, flashes of the Ember Queen standing at the top of a burning mountain of armies kneeling before her light, of a crimson sky splitting in two. And through it all, a single voice whispered: “The Blood Moon shall rise, and through fire, the world shall choose its fate.”
I gasped for breath and startled backward. Rae caught me, his arms steady against my trembling body.
“What did you see?” he asked.
I shook my head breathless. “The Queen… and something else. A place… burning fields, a valley of ash.”
Rae’s expression darkened. “Ash Vale.”
Mira’s eyes widened. “That’s where the Hollow Flame is gathering.”
A heavy silence fell. The Blood Moon was no longer a distant prophecy but now a countdown.
By dusk, the Crescent Pack was ready for war. Wolves lined the borders, eyes gleaming gold under the light. Theron’s voice was loud, strong, commanding, and unyielding.
“Tonight, the moon will bleed,” he declared. “And so will those who dare to threaten our land.”
I stood behind him with my armor filled with runes, my pulse was roaring like thunder. Rae fastened the last strap on my gauntlet as his fingers brushed mine.
“Stay close,” he said quietly.
“I wasn’t planning to run,” I replied with a soft but steady tone.
He smiled faintly. “Good, because I’d come after you.”
They laughed briefly but it was fragile.
The first streak of red bled across the moon and the air grew thick, heavy with the scent of iron and storm.
Mira’s chant rose in the distance, casting protection spells into the night. The mark on my wrist began to glow again. This time brighter, hotter and alive.
“Aria…” Rae began, but his voice was lost as the ground trembled under our foot..
We heard a roar from distant, beyond the valley. It was inhuman,hoarse and filled with hate. Thousands of shadows began to move between the trees with shining eyes and unnatural fire.
The Hollow Flame had arrived.
Theron drew out his blade. “Positions!” he barked.
My flames flared to life and my eyes began to reflect the burning moon.
Rae took his place beside me as his sword was gleaming.
The moment the Blood Moon rose fully into the sky, I could feel it with me as a pulse deep within my soul was calling me to the heart of the storm.
I knew this wasn’t just another battle but the beginning of the prophecy.
"The night the world would finally remember the name of the Ember Queen.”