Chapter 46 The Challenge That Wasn't
POV: Luna
The announcement goes up on the training board the next morning.
"Darius Kane challenges Luna Eclipse to sanctioned combat. Tomorrow at dawn."
I stare at the notice, my stomach twisting.
Nova reads it over my shoulder and groans. "Are you kidding me? After what he pulled yesterday?"
"He's trying to finish what the sabotage didn't," Aria says, joining us. "This is a trap."
"Maybe." I pull the notice down and fold it carefully. "But I can't back down. Everyone will think I'm scared."
"You should be scared," Sienna says quietly. "Darius is a fourth year. He's been training way longer than you."
"I know."
But what choice do I have? If I refuse, I look weak. If I accept, I might get seriously hurt.
Either way, Darius wins.
"Don't do it," Nova pleads. "Just tell him no."
"I can't."
By lunchtime, the whole school knows about the challenge. Everywhere I go, people whisper and stare. Some look excited. Others look worried.
A few look at me like I'm already dead.
Ryder pulls me aside after afternoon training.
"You don't have to accept this," he says. "Challenges can be refused if there's reasonable cause. And sabotage counts."
"If I refuse, everyone will think I'm using the sabotage as an excuse."
"So what? Better to look cautious than stupid."
I appreciate his concern, but my mind is made up.
"I'm doing it."
Ryder sighs. "Then we train. Tonight. You need to be ready for whatever he throws at you."
We spend the evening in the practice arena. Ryder pushes me harder than ever, showing me defensive moves and counter-attacks. By the time we finish, I'm exhausted and covered in bruises.
"Get some sleep," Ryder tells me. "You'll need it."
But sleep doesn't come easily. I lie in bed staring at the ceiling, my muscles aching and my mind racing.
Tomorrow I fight Darius Kane.
Tomorrow I either prove myself or get destroyed in front of the entire school.
When dawn finally comes, I'm already awake and dressed. Nova insists on walking with me to the arena.
"You've got this," she says, though her voice wavers. "Just remember what Ryder taught you."
The arena is packed. It seems like the entire student body showed up to watch. They line the raised platform where sanctioned fights take place, talking excitedly among themselves.
I spot my friends in the crowd. Aria gives me a thumbs up. Sienna looks terrified. Lyric is recording on her phone.
And there, on the opposite side of the arena, stands Darius.
He looks calm. Confident. Like this is just another training exercise for him.
Professor Thorne steps into the center of the platform to officiate.
"This is a sanctioned challenge between Darius Kane and Luna Eclipse. Rules are simple. Fight until submission, knockout, or I call it. No lethal force. No shifting unless both parties agree. Understood?"
"Understood," Darius says.
"Understood," I echo.
"Fighters, take your positions."
I climb onto the platform, my heart pounding. Darius is already there, rolling his shoulders and stretching like he's warming up for a casual jog.
The crowd quiets.
Professor Thorne raises his hand.
"Begin on my mark. Three. Two. One—"
"Wait."
Everyone freezes.
Darius lowers his hands and steps back.
"I forfeit."
The arena erupts in confused whispers.
"What?" Professor Thorne frowns. "You're withdrawing?"
"Yes." Darius looks directly at me, that same cold smirk on his face. "She's not worth my time. I have better things to do than beat up a first year."
My face burns with humiliation and rage.
"You challenged me," I say through gritted teeth. "You can't just walk away."
"I can do whatever I want." Darius hops down from the platform. "Maybe next time, Eclipse. When you're actually worth the effort."
He walks away, his friends following behind him, laughing.
The crowd doesn't know how to react. Some people are disappointed. Others are confused. A few are laughing at me.
I stand there on the platform, alone, feeling like the biggest idiot in the world.
Professor Thorne clears his throat. "Well. That's that, I suppose. Everyone back to your classes."
The crowd disperses slowly, still whispering. I climb down from the platform, my hands shaking with anger.
Nova rushes over. "Luna, I'm so sorry. That was—"
"Humiliating," I finish. "That was humiliating."
"He's playing games," Aria says. "He wanted everyone to see you standing there like a fool."
"Well, it worked."
We walk back toward the dorms in silence. My mind is spinning. This is the second time Darius has canceled a challenge at the last minute.
First during initial training, and now this.
Why?
"He's scared of you," Sienna says quietly.
I look at her. "What?"
"Think about it. He sabotages your training. He challenges you publicly. But then he backs out. Twice." She meets my eyes. "He's scared of what happens if you actually fight him and win."
"I wouldn't win."
"Maybe not now. But you're getting stronger. And he knows it."
The thought sits uncomfortably in my chest. Could she be right? Is Darius actually afraid of me?
"Either way, he's messing with your head," Nova says. "And it's working. You're all twisted up about this."
She's not wrong.
We reach the dorms, and I collapse on my bed, staring at the ceiling again.
"The full moon is tonight," Nova reminds me gently. "Your first full shift. You need to focus on that, not on Darius."
I'd almost forgotten. Tonight is the Moon Circle ceremony. My first time shifting completely under the full moon's power.
And I'm nowhere near ready.
"What if I can't control it?" I whisper.
"You will. Ryder will be there. We'll all be there."
But her reassurance doesn't help. Because if I lose control during my first full shift, Darius doesn't need to beat me in combat.
He wins anyway.
I'll prove that I'm exactly what he thinks I am.
Weak. Unstable. Dangerous.
"Get some rest," Nova says, pulling the curtains closed to block out the daylight. "You need to be sharp tonight."
I close my eyes, but sleep doesn't come.
All I can think about is Darius's smirk as he walked away.
And the full moon rising tonight.
Waiting for me.