In a heartbeat, the blade thrust forward, piercing flesh with a sickening sound.The shouts turned to stunned silence as blood spattered the ground. But it wasn't Alex who fell.Behind him, the rogue who had been lying unconscious now crumpled to the ground, the moon sword buried deep in his chest. His claws, mid-swipe, fell limp as the life drained from his body.Luna pulled the blade free in a fluid motion, the rogue's blood dripping from its edge as its body turned to ashes unlike other rogues since its moon sword - it supposed to end the evil for once and all . She turned to Alex, her eyes colder than before but now tinged with the faintest flicker of something human—perhaps warning, perhaps disdain.Alex exhaled sharply, his composure breaking for a moment as he realized how close he had been to death. The guards looked on in stunned silence, their stances unsure."You..." Timothy began, his voice shaking. "You just...""He was going to kill you," Luna said, her voice steady, emotionless. She glanced at Alex's shirt still tied around her shoulder, her expression unreadable. "You should be more aware of your surroundings, Alpha."For a moment, Alex couldn't speak, his gaze flicking from the dead rogue to Luna's unwavering stance. Then, with a heavy sigh, he stepped back, running a hand through his hair."You could've warned me," he said, his tone half-frustrated, half-relieved."I did, but you wanted to pull a - I am a cool stunt" Luna replied coolly, her blade vanishing into the air as swiftly as it had appeared.Softly, and almost imperceptibly, Luna's eyes shifted back to the deep blue Alex remembered, the same shade that had once held a quiet fire. But now, that fire was dulled, the shine in them dimmed like the light of a waning moon.Alex's tense form eased as if the world itself had been lifted from his shoulders. His breath hitched, a flood of emotions surging through him—relief, guilt, and something he couldn't quite name. Without a second thought, he moved forward, closing the distance between them.His arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a firm, almost desperate embrace. For a moment, he just held her, his heart pounding against hers, as though grounding himself in her presence."I thought..." His voice was a low whisper, trembling with emotion. "I thought I lost you."He buried his face in her hair, his words softer now, meant for her ears alone. "You scared me, Luna. Don't do that again... please."Luna's arms slowly rose, her movements hesitant as though even this small gesture required every ounce of strength she had left. She wrapped them around Alex, returning his embrace with a softness that belied the chaos raging within her. As her hands settled against his back, her gaze drifted downward, catching sight of her fingers. They were slick with blood—her blood, the blood of others, a reminder of what she had just done and what she had become.Her mind echoed with the chilling words of her corrupted divine self: Finish this for once. End what you started.A shiver ran through her as the weight of the words pressed against her fragile resolve. The darkness she had consumed and suppressed for so long stirred within her, clawing at the edges of her mind. She had channeled all the evil, the shadows of her fractured divinity, into herself—a vessel she knew couldn't contain it forever. The truth was undeniable: she was living on borrowed time.Her eyes dimmed further, hollow and weary. She had been fighting for so long, resisting the pull of the void that whispered promises of power, freedom, and destruction. But the fight was exhausting. She was so tired—so tired that even the tears threatening to form in her eyes had dried before they could fall. A deep, bone-deep fatigue settled over her, and she felt as though she might crumble under the weight of it.She stood silently, waiting as the others moved about, tending to the aftermath. One by one, they left, until only Alex remained by her side. He stepped closer, his voice gentle but firm."Luna," he said, his hand brushing against her uninjured arm, "let's get you treated."Without waiting for her to protest, he took her hand in his, his grip steady and reassuring, and began to guide her forward. His broad shoulders were a shield, his presence a grounding force as he led her away from the battlefield. But after a few steps, she stopped, her body halting abruptly.Alex turned to face her, confusion flickering across his features. "What is it?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern. His golden eyes searched hers, looking for answers she wasn't ready to give.Deep down, though, he already knew. The moment he had seen her channel the dark energy from Oliver into herself, he had felt it—a shift, a fracture in the bond they shared. Ezra's words rang in his mind like a warning bell, the memory of them sharp and unyielding: Let her go.His throat tightened as he fought against the rising tide of emotions. He could feel the unspoken weight of the moment pressing down on him. His fingers instinctively tightened around hers, holding on as if letting go would mean losing her forever."Luna," he said again, his voice softer now, but edged with desperation. "Please. Don't do this."Her eyes met his, filled with a distant sadness that cut deeper than any wound. "Alex..." she began, her voice barely above a whisper. But the words that followed didn't come. She couldn't bring herself to say them. Instead, she looked away, her gaze fixing on the horizon as though searching for something—or someone—beyond his reach.The silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating. Alex's grip on her hand remained firm, his resolve unshaken even as his heart threatened to break. He wouldn't let her go. Not now. Not ever. But the fear gnawed at him, unrelenting. He had seen the darkness in her eyes, felt the weight of her burden, and he knew—deep down, he knew—that this battle wasn't one he could fight for her. It was hers alone.