— The power is yours, Moon, but you can’t treat it like something that needs to be contained. — Evanora said, her voice calm but with an underlying warning. — It’s part of you. Mastering it means accepting it for what it is.

Moon felt fear tighten in her chest. Part of her didn’t want to accept it. There was something dark, and dangerous, threatening to consume everything if she gave in. The shadows around her stirred even more, almost taking shape, like spectral figures waiting for her orders.

Her breathing became heavier. She looked down at her hands, now wrapped in a black veil, feeling the strength of darkness running through her veins. Her eyes shone, reflecting this new dark nature.

— Accept? — Moon whispered, a hint of fear and doubt in her voice. — What if I don’t like what I find out?

Evanora stepped forward, finally placing her hand on Moon’s shoulder, bringing her back to the present.

— That’s part of the path. — Evanora said softly. — Accepting power means accepting yourself, even the parts you’re afraid to face.

Moon closed her eyes, fighting the rising tide inside her.

Shadows began to curl around her feet, slowly rising, as if they were part of her. She felt the chaos, fury, and pain that came with that power, but she also realized something deeper: the power didn’t want to destroy, it wanted to be recognized.

She took a deep breath, trying to accept it. When she opened her eyes again, the shadows were still there, thick and intense, but she felt a slight control. It wasn’t easy, but the connection was there, and for the first time, the chaos didn’t completely control her. She was part of it.

The darkness surrounding Moon seemed to pulse, alive. A presence began to form within her, something old and familiar, yet distant at the same time. It was as if her own power was manifesting itself, no longer just an uncontrollable force, but something with an intention of its own, a voice in the back of her mind.

“You finally found me…”

Moon froze, her eyes widening. The voice wasn’t coming from Evanora, it wasn’t coming from anywhere around her. It was inside her, resonating like a deep current of power that seemed to echo through every cell in her body.

— Noira? — she whispered, looking around as if she expected to see something, but there was only darkness, the same darkness she was trying to control.

“That was the name I had to use… A pretty name, isn’t it? But in truth, I am what you have always been afraid to accept. I am the power that runs through your veins. Your true nature.”

The voice was soft, but full of strength, like contained thunder.

Moon closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing heart.

— You’re back… — she smiled.

The voice laughed a low, deep chuckle that reverberated through her.

“I never left. I just… fell asleep. I am the chaos, the shadow you try to suppress, the power you fear. But I am a part of you, Moon. There is no way you can lose me…”

She took a deep breath, her body trembling. The shadows around her continued to dance as if waiting for her next order.

She was silent, the words echoing in her mind. Part of her knew it was true.

— What if I accept you? — she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper. — What if I stop fighting you?

The darkness around her seemed to calm, the shadows becoming softer, flowing like a cloak around her feet.

“If you accept me, Moon… you will be stronger than you have ever been. But you must trust yourself. We are not two. We are one.”

She took a deep breath, feeling the weight of those words. The truth she had avoided for so long was right in front of her. The power wasn’t a monster, it wasn’t something that controlled her—it was part of who she was, part of her deepest nature. And she knew she couldn’t run from it anymore.

— I’ll still call you Noira… But… I accept you. — Moon said, her voice firm, the shadows around her finally merging with her, without resistance, without fear. — I accept who I am.

The presence within her seemed to smile, a deep satisfaction echoing in her mind.

“Finally.”

Moon opened her eyes, and this time, the darkness was not just around her, but flowing through her, like a steady, powerful stream, no longer chaotic, but controlled. She felt stronger, more whole than ever before.

Evanora, who was watching from afar, smiled softly.

— This… is just the beginning.

Evanora poured some pumpkin soup into a cute pink bowl with a cat on it and served it to the young girl.

— Here. One thing I can certainly say I’m good at is cooking. Now, I may know a lot of things, but trust me when I say I don’t know much either. Being a guardian is pretty… tiring. And distracting at times.

Moon smiled as she devoured the soup. Both women chatted for a bit, not caring about the time. From Evanora’s front porch, they could watch the night sky with its beautiful carpet of stars laid out in full display.

— When Sophus broke their connection with her, they forgot one simple thing: you are an exceptional vanik, a hybrid. You have a dark side personified, one so powerful that it can easily come and go from your mind. She has her own strength, thanks to you.

— So, just now… our connection was restored?

— Yes.

— Why do I think this will end badly?

— Because you will. — Evanora looked up at the sky. — You know you need to get back to Berkshire as soon as possible, don’t you?

— I know…

— No matter what happens, don’t let Gray go. You may hate to admit it, but he’s your protection against worse things that can and will happen. You’re destined for great things, Moon…

— If I’m so powerful, why would I need him? — Moon clicks her tongue, irritated at hearing, once again, how strong her bond with Gray is.

— Love has more power than hate, dear witch. You’ll understand eventually. Either way, I’m glad you accepted him into your life…

— He can be quite persuasive… — Moon says. — I should go. Or soon he’ll be running around this city, shouting my name…

— Is it so bad to have someone worrying about you?

— Yes. For me, it is. I don’t like it when someone invades my bubble of personal space and interferes in my feelings, and my life...

— You don’t have to be strong all the time, Moon, no one does. I’m not saying we can trust just anyone, but one thing this old lady here has learned is that our partners are the ones we can trust and rely on. It’s okay to use their strength to keep us going sometimes, and they’ll do the same too… We’re not made of iron, girl. We fail, we falter, and we make mistakes…

— I still can’t understand why he, of all people…

— Why not him, then? If you can’t find reasons why it shouldn’t be him, then change your view just a little bit and find the reasons why it is him after all…

— This conversation is giving me the creeps, Nora. Good night.

The old guardian laughed warmly, watching Moon leave with hurried steps.

Moon walked down the stone path to her hut with heavy, now slow, steps. As a witch, she knew that every little thing happened for a reason and that no matter how bad it could be or get, the Great Goddess was always fair when it came to people's fates.

That’s why Moon couldn’t stop thinking about all the things that had happened so far. In her honest opinion, Gray was definitely the dream and choice of many, if not all, women in Berkshire. And probably in Mendraria too. Despite their constant fights and misunderstandings in the past, Moon was mature enough to admit his qualities: not only did he come from a good, loving, and well-structured family, but he was also honest, sincere, protective, and kind, in his own way of showing it.

So why was she his destined one? Why not an equally extraordinary woman?

From recent events, she discovered that her parents were not her biological parents, she was raised by her uncle, and she found her brother (who may not be her brother, but still is) missing less than a year ago. Her family was still restructuring. She was not beautiful like the women he knew. She was not very polite like him and his brothers. She was not kind or considerate.

She considered herself an ordinary person.

And it was always his desire to live simply and, if possible, invisibly.

Although she was a powerful witch, a vanik, she rarely used her powers. It wasn’t that she wasn’t confident, she just never felt the need to use them in her daily life.

Curiosity filled her and she quickly ran back to Evanora, who was still sitting on the porch, watching the stars.

— What if we had never met?

— Things would have been different…

— I know that. How different?

— Too bad, Moon.

— How bad?

— Pure chaos.