CHAPTER 60

CHAPTER 60
Calla’s POV 

As the chamber collapsed beneath us, Raiden supported me while we stumbled toward the exit. Moving through space felt as resistant as walking in water. The ruins crumbled behind us, sending stones to crash down while the earth split open. The final obsidian shard sat in my hand while my attention stayed fixed on him. He drew shallow breaths with each inhale becoming a battle. His blood seeped through his clothing until it began to fall onto the soil. I felt my heart shatter. 

We emerged into the pale dawn light. The warriors stationed at the cliffs sprinted towards us. The warriors' cheers vanished as they took in Raiden's battered condition. They dropped to their knees to build a defensive barrier around us. Elara touched my arm with her hand as she looked at me with eyes that showed both pity and fear. I dropped to one knee beside Raiden and carefully placed his head on my lap. His golden eyes, which had always been fierce and steady, began to flicker as though they were a candle coming to its end.

With my forehead touching his face, I whispered, "Raiden." “You’re safe now. We won.” My voice cracked. The rise and fall of his chest became increasingly slower with each breath he took. I pushed to find hope, yet panic erupted within me. He sacrificed his life and his strength to protect me and to banish the darkness. His body lay shattered after taking the lethal attack intended for me. I would use every power available to heal him, but I had an inner certainty that magic might still fall short.

Elara moved next to me and extracted a cloth strip from her shawl to apply it to his injury. She confirmed that the healers were headed to their location through a murmur. Every measure will be taken to help him. My breath hitched with guilt. He should have been the one protecting others rather than needing rescue himself. I held his hand while she tended his wound with her trembling, small hands. Blood stained her fingers. Her throat closed as she looked quickly in my direction. I nodded once, grateful for her strength. 

Raiden’s gaze met mine. His smile faltered into a grimace of pain. “Calla,” he whispered, voice raspy. “I’m sorry.” The words cut through me. My head moved from side to side while tears streamed down my face. “No. You saved everyone. You saved me. “Do not apologise.” With a gentle gesture, he brushed a strand of hair away from my face. His fingers felt weak and cold. I felt my breath catch. Fear twisted through my body with the intensity of a sharp knife.

Warriors and healers came to our aid as they rushed forward. Kneeling to the ground, the healers murmured prayers while they held bandages and potions in their hands. I stepped back to create some space, yet stayed near enough to keep an eye on the situation. The healer arranged healing crystals around Raiden’s chest. The wound emitted a faint light that illuminated its entire path. The glow started to flicker before turning to a furious red shade and finally vanished completely. The healer’s face paled. She exchanged glances with Elder Rowan. He frowned, shaking his head. The simple gesture gave form to my deepest fears.

“No,” I breathed. I knelt beside Raiden again. He made eye contact with me while his eyes showed visible signs of pain. I began to ask a question, but couldn't bring myself to finish it. Elara placed a hand on my shoulder. “His soul is strong,” she said softly. “But his body… the blade was cursed. The cursed blade consumed his life with each strike.” I refused to believe my own ears. My obsession with battling darkness prevented me from understanding its cost. Now that price was his life. 

Raiden extended his hand and wrapped his fingers around mine. His touch felt like faint warmth. Raiden spoke to me with a thin yet unwavering voice: “Calla… promise me one thing.” I pressed my forehead to his again. His breath came in painful bursts as he uttered the word while relying on its final power. “Lead them. His words struck me with the sharpness of bitter frost when he told me to lead Silver Moon into the dawn. He had been the Alpha. I was the Luna. Now I was everything—leader, warrior, healer, mate. A combination of pride and heartbreak caused my body to shake. “I promise,” I whispered. 

He closed his eyes. I held his head gently while my tears streamed down his face. Every heartbeat felt like a ticking clock. Grief and hope marked the faces of the warriors and friends who surrounded us. I searched each person's face for strength, which I doubted I possessed. They showed it through their tear-filled eyes as well as through their shaky hands and their silent supplications. I clung to Raiden’s hand, searching for the strength to make him fight on. "You can take a rest now," I told him gently. His life of struggle had granted him rest.

The earth seemed to tilt under me, yet I clung to his hand. “Raiden,” I murmured, voice breaking. My cheek met the chill of his forehead. As the sun rose above the horizon, it colored the sky in hues of rose and gold. He would never see it. The light drew my eyes as tears streamed down my face without restraint. The quiet that enveloped us weighed down the air with the density of a grave. The warriors shook their heads while offering silent prayers to the deceased Alpha. I let my tears fall to the ground above his resting place while keeping my eyes shut.

By midday, the warriors prepared a pyre. Raiden's body was placed on the pyre with his sword resting upon his chest. We sang together as I directed a slow, mournful dirge that I had learned during my childhood years. My voice quivered, but I continued. The fire ascended into the sky while flickering between memories and grief. The warriors prostrated themselves as the wind lifted the ashes high above. I kept my gaze fixed on the fire until it had dissipated into mere embers. Each flickering spark seemed to represent a piece of my heart that was slowly disappearing.

After the pyre completely burned out, I turned to face our pack. They surrounded me with tearful eyes that nevertheless radiated determination. Silver Moon had survived. Our enemies were vanquished. But we had lost our hearts. I inhaled deeply before lifting my head. He sacrificed his life to defend us, I declared with a voice that echoed. We pay tribute to him through our actions as we rebuild and share his enduring love. The touch of their hands on my shoulders made it seem like they were giving me their strength.

Elara moved toward me and laid her hand against my arm. “The Source sleeps again,” she said quietly. Relief flooded me as I acknowledged that the balance had returned. Darkness had retreated. Light had won. But a hollow ache remained. “Thank you,” I whispered. She squeezed my hand. I took a deep breath to brace myself as he told me his legacy would direct our path. “Then we begin anew.” 

The warriors went to help the wounded and perform burial rites while I remained solitary at the cliff’s edge. The sun descended toward the horizon while its rays stretched into elongated shadows. I shut my eyes and saw Raiden’s face for the final time. A soft breeze brushed against my face in that instant, which reminded me of his gentle touch on my hair. His words reverberated in my thoughts: Go forth and lead them. I brought my eyes up from sleep only to notice the feather that I had carried along with me. It glowed softly—a reminder of our bond. I gripped the feather tightly as I turned toward the cam, with each step showing both weight and resolve.

Dark clouds formed beyond the horizon behind me. A distant rumble echoed—an unseen storm approaching. Our victory illuminated the wor, yet another battle remained on the horizon. My heart squeezed tight, yet I maintained my proud posture. My duty to Silver Moon remained steadfast as I refused to let it down. The memory of Raiden served as my guide as I continued on my path.