(Chapter 34:Mira's Pov)
The weight of what I had seen in the City of Lost Souls still clung to me like a second skin. The memory of Lorenzo—his cold eyes, his bloodstained hands—played over and over in my mind, refusing to fade. What did it mean? Was it from my past life? Or was it a warning of what was to come?
I sat outside Caelyn's house, watching the sky shift as the sun dipped below the horizon. The air was thick, charged with something unseen, something ancient. It wasn't just the darkness settling in—it was something deeper, something primal.
Caelyn stood a few feet away, sharpening a dagger with slow, deliberate movements. He hadn't spoken much since we returned from the city, but he didn't have to. He knew.
"The Blood Moon is coming." His voice was steady, as if the words carried a truth too dangerous to be spoken carelessly.
I turned to face him, my fingers tightening around the edge of my cloak. "What does that mean?"
He stopped sharpening the blade and met my gaze. "It means your time is running out."
A chill ran down my spine. "Running out for what?"
Caelyn sighed and set the dagger down. "The Blood Moon is more than just an event in the sky. It's a prophecy—a warning written long before your time. It marks the rise of power, the return of something long forgotten. And you, Mira, are at the center of it."
I swallowed hard, my heart hammering. "You knew about this? About me?"
"I suspected." His expression was grim. "I wasn't sure until now."
The wind shifted, rustling the leaves around us, carrying the distant howl of something lurking beyond the trees. The sound sent a shiver down my spine.
"The prophecy speaks of a soul reborn," Caelyn continued. "A soul bound by fate, marked by the past, and destined to either destroy or restore balance." He hesitated. "The mark on your wrist, Mira—it's a sign. A sign that you are that soul."
I looked down at the mark, the blackened symbol now pulsing faintly, almost as if it were alive. "And what if I don't want to be?"
Caelyn's eyes darkened. "It doesn't matter what you want. The Blood Moon will awaken something inside you, something you won't be able to control unless you prepare."
The thought sent a wave of fear crashing over me. Every time I thought I had a grip on my reality, it shifted again. First, I wasn't who I thought I was. Then, I had a past I couldn't remember. And now… now I was part of a prophecy that threatened to consume me.
I let out a slow breath. "So what happens during the Blood Moon?"
Caelyn hesitated, as if choosing his words carefully. "Power shifts. Barriers between realms weaken. Creatures long hidden will rise. And you—" He stopped, his jaw tightening.
I narrowed my eyes. "What about me?"
His voice was lower this time. "You won't be yourself."
A sharp gust of wind blew through the trees, sending a cascade of leaves around us. The atmosphere felt heavier now, the air crackling with something unseen.
"You're saying I'll lose control?"
Caelyn gave a slow nod. "You don't just carry power, Mira. You are power. And when the Blood Moon reaches its peak, that power will break free. Whether you want it to or not."
The weight of his words settled deep in my chest. If what he was saying was true, then I wasn't just in danger—I was the danger.
I ran a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling up. "And what am I supposed to do? Lock myself away until it's over?"
"No." Caelyn's expression hardened. "You need to train. You need to be ready to control it when the time comes."
I scoffed. "And what if I can't?"
Caelyn stepped closer, his presence like a wall of unshakable certainty. "Then Lorenzo won't be able to save you."
The mention of his name sent a sharp pang through me. Lorenzo. The man who haunted my memories, my past, my fate. The man who had left me to figure this all out on my own.
I clenched my fists. "Lorenzo's not my savior."
Caelyn studied me for a long moment before speaking again. "No. But he's part of this, whether you like it or not. He carries a piece of this prophecy just as you do."
A tense silence stretched between us. I hated it. Hated the way fate had tangled my life with someone I wasn't sure I could trust.
Caelyn finally sighed, breaking the silence. "We don't have much time. If you're going to survive the Blood Moon, you need to start now."
I exhaled sharply, nodding. "Fine. Then let's begin."
Caelyn gave a single nod before turning toward the clearing behind the house. "Follow me."
I did.
The wind howled as I stepped into the clearing, the night stretching out before me. In the sky, the moon had begun its slow rise. It wasn't red yet, but I could feel it—its pull, its power.
And deep inside me, something was beginning to stir.
Something dangerous.
Something I wasn't sure I could stop.