Chapter 120: DISTANCE BETWEEN US

LUNA LEENA POV

The next morning felt heavier than the last. I woke up before Damian, my body tired even after sleeping. The scar on my wrist was glowing again, a soft red light pulsing under my skin. The voice has become a constant companion now. It whispered at random moments, sometimes soft, sometimes sharp. I still didn’t know where it was coming from or what it truly wanted. It just felt like something inside me was watching. Waiting.

I slipped out of bed quietly and went to check on the children. They were already awake, playing with wooden swords in their room. When they saw me, their faces lit up.

“Mummy!” Elara ran to me and hugged my legs tightly.

I smiled and bent down to carry her. For a moment, everything felt warm. But as I held her, the scar burned hotter. The voice whispered again, unclear words, but the feeling was strong. I didn't like this. It didn’t like the softness. I gently put Elara down and stepped back.

“Let’s go eat,” I said, trying to sound normal.

Breakfast was quiet at first. Damian joined us and sat beside me. He reached out and placed his hand over mine on the table. The touch was gentle, full of love. But the moment his skin met mine, the scar flared with sharp pain. The voice grew louder inside my head. I felt angry. It felt like it was pushing me.

I pulled my hand away without thinking. Damian looked at me, surprised.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly.

“I’m fine,” I replied, but my voice came out colder than I wanted. I picked up my bread and focused on eating. The children watched us quietly. I hated the way I was acting, but I couldn’t stop the feeling growing inside me.

After breakfast, Damian tried to walk with me in the garden again. He wrapped his arm around my waist like he always did. His closeness felt warm, but the voice reacted strongly this time. It pushed a wave of irritation through me. I stepped away from him.

“I want to walk alone for a while,” I said.

Damian stopped. Hurt flashed in his eyes. “Leena… talk to me. You have been pulling away since morning. Did I do something wrong?”

I shook my head. “No. I just… need space.”

The words tasted bitter. I loved him. I loved being in his arms. But every time he touched me, the scar burned and the voice grew louder. It felt like something inside me didn’t want me close to him. Like his love was making me weak.

I spent most of the day avoiding him. When he came to find me in the afternoon, I was training again. My sword moves were harder, faster, almost angry. He stood at the edge of the training ground watching me.

“Come rest,” he said gently. “You are pushing yourself too hard.”

“I don’t need rest,” I snapped. The words left my mouth before I could stop them. I saw the pain in his eyes again. My chest hurts. I wanted to run to him and apologize, but my legs wouldn’t move. The voice whispered stronger now. I felt satisfied.

Later that evening, after the children had gone to bed, Damian came to our room. He closed the door and walked toward me. He pulled me into his arms and tried to kiss me. His lips touched mine softly at first. For a second, I melted into him like I always did. But then the scar exploded with heat. The voice roared inside my head, loud and clear for the first time.

He makes you weak. Push him away. I pulled back sharply, almost pushing him. Damian looked shocked.

“Leena… what is going on?” His voice was full of worry and pain.

I turned away from him, breathing hard. My hands were shaking. “I don’t know. Every time you touch me, it burns. The voice… it gets louder. It doesn’t want me close to you. It says you make me weak.”

Damian stepped closer again, but I moved back. Tears filled my eyes.

“I love you,” I whispered. “I know I do. But something inside me is fighting it. I don’t want to push you away, but I can’t stop it.”

He stood there for a long moment, looking hurt and helpless. Then he slowly opened his arms.

“Then let me hold you anyway. Fight it with me, Leena. Don’t let it win.”

I wanted to step into his arms. I really did. But the scar burned so strongly that I turned my back to him.

“Not tonight,” I said quietly. “I need to be alone.”

I heard him sigh behind me. He didn’t argue. He simply walked to the door.

“I will be here when you are ready,” he said softly before leaving the room.

The moment he was gone, the burning eased a little. The voice became quieter, almost pleased. I sat on the edge of the bed and cried silently. What was happening to me? I loved Damian more than anything. He had fought for me, protected our children, and stood by me through everything. Why was I pushing him away? Why did the voice hate his touch so much?

I lay down on the cold bed alone. The scar continued to glow faintly in the dark. The voice whispered again, softer this time.

Stronger without him…

I covered my ears even though it was useless. I didn’t want to be stronger if it meant losing him. But I didn’t know how to stop what was growing inside me.

The distance between us had started.

And I was terrified of how far it would grow.

……..

THE NEXT DAY 1

The following day, the children noticed something was wrong. They kept asking why Daddy was sleeping in another room. I told them Mummy needed quiet time to feel better, but they didn’t look convinced. When Damian came to see them, I left the room quickly. I couldn’t bear the hurt in his eyes every time I avoided him.

I walked alone near the palace walls. The herbs from the healer were not working as well anymore. The scar kept burning. The voice kept whispering. Every time I thought about going back to Damian, the voice pushed harder.

My feet carried me toward the training ground without thinking.

The guards were already there, practicing with swords and shields. I stood at the edge and watched them. Their movements looked slow. Sloppy. They were breathing hard after only a few minutes. My chest tightened with irritation.

“Is this how you train every day?” I said loudly, stepping forward. “You all look sluggish. You are not training hard enough. At this rate, you won’t be able to protect anyone if danger comes again.”

The guards stopped and turned to me. Some of them bowed quickly. One of the younger guards, a strong boy named Garrick who had sparred with me many times before, stepped forward with a respectful smile.

“Luna, would you like to spar? It is always an honor to train with you.”

In the past, I would have smiled and accepted. I always won, and it helped them improve while earning more respect from them. But today, his words felt different. They felt like disrespect. Like he thought I was weak. Like he was testing me.

Anger surged through me so fast that my vision blurred for a second. The scar on my wrist burned hot.

“You think you can spar with me?” I asked coldly. “Fine. Let’s see how strong you really are.”

I picked up a sword and moved into the training circle. Garrick looked surprised but took his position. The moment we started, I didn’t hold back. I attacked with full force, using every bit of strength and speed I had. My sword clashed hard against his. He blocked, but I could see the shock on his face.

“You are too slow!” I shouted, swinging again. “Weak! Is this the best you can do?”

I moved faster, striking from different angles. The voice in my head whispered encouragement, feeding my anger. Garrick tried his best, but I kept pushing him back. I taunted him loudly so everyone could hear.

“You call yourself a guard? Incapable! Pathetic! If this is how you fight, then you are useless to this pack!”

The other guards stood frozen, watching with wide eyes. They had never seen me like this. Their Luna had always been firm but fair. Now I was different, and I could see the shock and fear on their faces.

Garrick stumbled. I swept his leg with a powerful kick and he fell hard onto the ground. Before he could get up, I raised my sword high above him, ready to bring it down. My blood was boiling. The scar burned like fire. The voice urged me on.

The guards gasped loudly in horror.

“Leena, stop!”

Damian’s voice rang out urgently from behind me. It cut through the anger like a sharp blade.

I froze with the sword still raised, breathing heavily. My hand trembled. Garrick looked up at me with wide, fearful eyes. The other guards stood completely still, not knowing what to do.

What was I doing?

Tears stung my eyes as reality crashed back in. I slowly lowered the sword, my whole body shaking. Damian rushed forward and gently took the weapon from my hand.

“Leena…” he said softly, his voice full of worry and pain.

I stepped back, looking at the frightened faces around me. The scar was still burning, and the voice was whispering again. I turned and walked away quickly before I could see the disappointment in Damian’s eyes.

I didn’t know how much longer I could control myself.