Chapter 96 Rebirth
Amara’s POV
I felt nothing at first. Nothing except blackness encroaching on all sides. Then, gradually, like the gentle touch of morning sunlight, warmth crept into my chest.
The warmth became brighter and hotter until my veins burned, and I screamed. I trembled and stretched my body. I tried to scream, but it didn't come out.
The light then exploded from me.
I knew that even the shadows had to submit to the intense silver beams that blazed across the room. I felt the cut in my side close. I could feel bones being stitched back together. Every scar, every bruise, every mark of pain—gone.
Faintly at first, I heard voices in the distance.
"Amara?" With terror, Rowan's powerful voice broke.
Don't take her away from us, please! Kian's voice was harsh and cracked with desperation.
I was drawn in by their voices. I was rooted by their affection. My heart beat faster until it matched the light's rhythm.
Then, I opened my eyes.
They weren't the same, though.
Everything was more acute. The borders of the world shone silver. Threads of energy shimmered across the air. When I looked down, I saw my hands blazing slightly, light flickering over my skin like living fire.
"Amara," Rowan said. Beside me, he was kneeling, his eyes wide, his face pale. He appeared to be a man who had just discovered the beach after becoming lost at sea.
Kian's hands were shaking as he reached for me, but he halted, seemingly terrified of breaking me, and he screamed, "You're alive."
With my chest heaving, I looked at them. "I... I returned." Something that wasn't really mine was mixed in with the gentle echo of my voice. A voice from heaven. Even I shuddered at the sound.
Rowan took hold of my hand and held on tightly. "Never abandon me again," he suffocated. Raw terror had taken the place of his normal might.
With hazy eyes, Kian said, "I thought I had lost you forever." "The mark—it was disappearing. You were fading away. I— Unable to go on, he broke off.
My eyes were watering, but not because I was weak. They resulted from the pressure of love on my heart. “I heard you,” I said softly. "I heard you calling to me." I was kept here by you. I had the strength to fight because of you.
Kian bent his head, his shoulders shaking. Rowan leaned his forehead into my hand while closing his eyes.
I still felt the wild, violent spark burning inside of me. A new power that was not only mine but also the Moon's was pulsing through my veins.
I slowly sat up. As I moved, the surrounding air began to ripple. I briefly lost my identity as my long hair shimmered silver-white.
I said, "I'm... different now," half to them and half to myself.
Kian eventually lifted his head. "No," he answered firmly, albeit with a shaky voice. "You're more powerful. We own you.
Despite his tears, Rowan's eyes remained fierce as he nodded. "You are more than you have ever been. And you will never again be taken from us by anyone.
Their words filled me with fire. The Moon Goddess had given me life again—but also a burden. It was heavy and unsaid, and I could feel it.
But I had made this decision. I wouldn't regret it either.
After one final pulse, the silver light calmed and began to glow softly beneath my skin. I was completely reborn.
However, I sensed that the battle was far from over.
As I stood up, the ground shook beneath me. I no longer felt weak in my legs. The pain in my body subsided. Rather, I felt like light raging beneath my skin, a hurricane hardly contained.
Rowan and Kian both moved back, their eyes locked on me like they were looking at something holy.
My hands shone faint silver. In the shattered fragments of a nearby mirror, I could plainly see that my eyes had changed color. Like twin moons burning in the night, they gleamed silver-bright.
I took a deep breath. "Now, this is who I am."
"Not just you," Rowan said quietly, his voice full of wonder. "This is the reincarnation of the Moon Priestess."
Kian's lips quivered as he nodded. "You exude strength. It is palpable in my bones.
My heart pounding, I took a step back at what they said. I wasn't sure whether I was prepared or whether I was scared. "Are you still able to see me? Or have I changed into something else?
Rowan looked directly into my eyes. "You’ll always be Amara to me. The woman I love, always.""
"And to me," Kian hastily added. "You belong to us. No power can change that.”"
My throat shut. Their words steadied me, anchoring the storm.
I cautiously raised my arms. Waves of glittering light streamed out into the air. It wasn’t painful—it was liberated. The power wanted to move, to protect, to fight.
With a stronger voice than before, I declared, "I was reborn for a reason." "I'm not going to waste it."
A tentative smile curved Kian's lips. "I know Amara likes that."
Rowan's voice was still scratchy, but he laughed quietly. "Stubborn despite encountering a goddess."
Despite everything, I laughed, the sound splitting the thick air. "Is there anything less you would expect?"
My laugh caused the light to surge, becoming stronger and brighter. It was as if my joy made it fiercer.
With my chest swollen, I turned to face them. "Together, we will complete this. Fear no more. Stop running. We're done now.
Rowan took a step forward and bowed his head. "Then, Priestess, lead us."
Kian trailed behind, his eyes blazing with devotion. “We stand with you, always.”
As both men knelt in front of me, I screamed. They lowered their heads and pressed their hands to the ground.
My heart thumping with shock, love, and the weight of fate, I looked at them.
They weren't merely standing by my side. They were on their knees. They vowed to me as warriors, protectors, and heirs to my rebirth, not just as men who loved me.
Silver fire flared in my chest. “Rowan… Kian…” I said, my hands shaking.
The entire globe held its breath.
The scene stopped, with me standing tall and then kneeling in front of me, the air full of promise and light.
However, I felt in my heart that this was just the start.