The faint sunlight from outside, while the sky was overcast, illuminated a small part of the room, mainly the empty space in the middle and the edge of the bed, where legs were tangled in the black bedspread.

As one of them stirred in his sleep, the other woke up.

Gray rubbed his eyes, still sleepy and very lazy. He looked for his phone on the bedside table, cursing immediately.

— Damn… We slept too much… — he yawned, cursing softly as he got up, letting Moon sleep in peace for a few more minutes.

He did not go after her yesterday, though he desperately wanted to. At one o’clock in the morning, his soul was filled with worry and restlessness; still, he waited. But sleep would not come.

So he waited.

And it seemed like forever. Suddenly, the door opened and her scent eased her mind. She was finally home.

He kept his eyes closed, listening to her light footsteps through the dark house, then opening his closet and changing his clothes. He didn’t move an inch, not even when the covers stirred as she lay down, and her cool skin touched him as she lightly placed her forehead on his back.

Only then did he turn around and hug her.

Gray walked to the small kitchen, preparing his usual reinforcement: a cup of black coffee. He also made some toast and set the table, calling her name several times, but receiving only silence in return.

When he opened the bedroom door, he found her sitting up, her hair a mess and an exhausted look on her face, looking around in confusion.

— What it was?

— Did you hear that?

— Heard what?

— Those whispers… — Moon narrowed her eyes, focusing. — Someone is talking fast, but it’s… muffled.

Gray continued to stare at her. The only sound he could hear was the wind outside.

— Can’t you hear? — Moon asked. — Something’s wrong… — she clutched her chest. — I have a really bad feeling, Gray. And I’m usually right…

— I know… What can I do?

— Tell everyone to be careful, please. I’m going to take a shower before breakfast… Water usually helps…

— I want to know how the water will help you.

— No. You won’t like it… If I’m not out in, like, twenty minutes, then you have my consent to come in without knocking, okay? — she smiled weakly, patting his shoulders before heading to the bathroom.

— Okay…? — Gray stood confused in the room, making the bed while she took a shower.

Ten minutes later, as Gray sat in the kitchen and began to drink his coffee, Moon stepped out of the shower, a towel around her neck as she slowly dried her hair.

She looked tired, somehow, and he knew she was hiding something.

— Why are you looking at me like that?

— You look different… Something is going on, isn’t there?

— Curious?

— Yes…

— Go ahead and ask me…

— You’ll tell me eventually… You have to be patient, remember?

She laughed as she passed him.

— Good boy. — she patted his head.

— If I’m a good boy, don’t I deserve a reward?

Moon smiled slightly, her fingers tracing the outline of the cup as she looked at him, a mixture of anxiety and excitement visible on her face.

— I did it. — her voice was soft. She leaned forward slightly, her eyes meeting his with a calm intensity. — I got my powers back… and I managed to master them.

Gray blinked, her words sinking in, understanding slowly setting in. He stepped closer and gently squeezed her hand, a mixture of pride and relief flooding his chest. He knew how much this meant to Moon.

— I knew you could do it. — he said, his voice deep but full of affection. — I knew it was only a matter of time until you found that balance.

Moon smiled wider, the warmth of his words calming any remaining doubts she might have had. Suddenly, she walked around the table, stopping next to Gray. He looked up in surprise, but before he could say anything, Moon leaned down and planted a soft kiss on his lips.

It wasn’t just a gesture of gratitude—it was a moment of connection, of sharing. She wanted him to know how much his presence made a difference.

When she pulled away, her eyes shone with a mixture of tenderness and determination.

— Thank you. — Moon smiled at him, her hand still on his face. She patted him briefly and pulled away, sitting on the table. — Did you call the guys?

— Ace is at the store, Gus is in the woods with the hunters… Josiah is at headquarters and Nora is watering her garden. — he replied, taking a bite of toast. — Your brother is still sleeping and Griffin yelled at me for almost waking him up with the ‘unnecessary call’. — he moved his hands to emphasize his brother’s statement.

— And Hux?

— I couldn’t talk to him…

— Probably won’t let go of- — Moon stopped speaking mid-sentence, frozen.

She could feel her chest tightening as everything around her went dark. She felt the heavy impact of her body hitting the ground, but no pain. Gray was screaming her name, but it seemed so… distant.

She couldn’t breathe well.

For a few minutes, it seemed as if death itself was there to take her.

There was a ringing in his ears, louder by the minute, and soon it became a whisper. A familiar voice. Unfamiliar, but familiar.

“Ah, what a murky destiny… So many things can go right… and so many can go wrong…”

Moon tried to speak, many times, but failed miserably. He was tight around her neck, like a rope hugging a body in a final goodbye. But he moved, crawling around her neck, tickling her skin.

Snakes?

“Remember… Don’t lose it…”

Tears slowly fell from her eyes as she struggled to move and breathe. A dim, green light illuminated the room, blinding her for a second before she found herself underwater, drowning.

Beside her, with his usual dark aura and mischievous smile, was Caelan.

As the shock enveloped her, the feeling of snakes in her body worsened and the man just laughed.

— Oh, my dear, how I wish I could touch you now… But this spell can only give me… this… — he gently moved his fingers on the surface of the water. — Beautiful as always, my dear… Soon, we will meet.

Moon tried to speak and move, but he couldn't.

— When? — he said, as if he could hear her mind, and tilted his head thoughtfully. — As soon as I get rid of everyone who stands in my way… But don’t worry, my dear, it won’t be long… — he dipped his slender fingers into the water, touching her cheek.

Although no sound came out of her mouth, she screamed for him to stop with all her might. She screamed until she felt a familiar warmth enveloping her in a tight embrace.

— It’s okay, it’s okay, love… — he whispered nonstop, caressing her head. — Damn… I thought I had lost you…

Moon took a deep breath, his gentle caress was already doing a great job of calming her down.

— What the hell happened?

— I saw Caelan… He’s up to something… I don’t like this… — she rested her left hand on her chest. — This… feeling. He’s going to hurt someone…

— Almost everyone is here in Mendraria, except…

— My uncle…

— Shit. — Gray stood up and quickly grabbed his phone, then returned to her on the floor. — I’m going to call my dad, he’ll keep an eye on Dam, okay? Nothing will happen to him…

Moon nodded, still dizzy and dazed from what happened.

That meant Patricia was with him. It took a lot of magic on both sides to do what Caelan did. His touch still lingered on her cheek, burning her with hatred and disgust.

She looked at her companion, watching how he was trying to stay calm for her. His right hand held the phone, but his left never left Moon’s. He was holding it tightly, afraid of losing it. Again.

Moon knew this just by focusing on the thread that held them together.

Without him noticing, she came closer and rested her head on his chest, hearing his heart beat faster, and took his hand from hers, placing it on her cheek, trying to replace the disgusting sensation with Gray’s touch.

— Let me stay like this for a while, please… — she asked.

— Hmm… — he nodded, as he put away his phone and stayed there, hugging her, for as long as she needed.

Caelan sat in the dimly lit chamber behind his office, his supposed fortress, his piercing eyes fixed on the map spread out before him. Mendraria, the land his obsession, Moon, had fled to, was located somewhere in the South, according to his spy.

He could almost feel her presence, a tantalizing whisper on the wind, driving him wild with desire. But she was clever, hiding in the most protected and closed-off city in the country.

His fingers drummed impatiently on the table as he considered his options. Caelan was not a patient man, and his obsession with Moon had driven him to the brink of madness. She had dared to defy him, to reject his advances, to slip out of his reach. But she couldn’t escape him forever. No one could.

A cruel smile twisted Caelan’s lips as he formulated his plan. He would use every resource at his disposal to hunt her down, to make her regret running from him. He would show her the depths of his power, the extent of his wrath. And when he finally caught her, she would beg for mercy, for release from death.

First, he would need to gather information.

Caelan called his most trusted men, who hid in the shadows of society and whispered secrets to him. They would scour the country for any trace of Moon, any hint of her whereabouts. And when they found her, they would report it immediately.

But that would only be the beginning. Caelan knew Moon would not be easy to capture. She was cunning, resourceful, and determined to remain hidden; besides, she was in Josiah’s care. The man was a difficult obstacle. He would need to be just as cunning, just as resourceful if he hoped to outwit them.

As for the Sutherlands… Killing them wouldn’t be that difficult.

As the hours passed, Caelan pored over maps of the country, studying its regions with an intensity that bordered on obsession. He already knew where Mendraria was, but the entrance was not easy to break into. It was fortunate that one of his contacts knew Mendraria so well… A former citizen seeking personal revenge would be a great ally.

A plan began to take shape in Caelan’s mind, a plan so devious, so cruel, that it made even him shiver with anticipation. If she discovered that her beloved family and friends were in danger, wouldn’t she crawl to him and beg for mercy on their behalf?

But Caelan was not content to rely solely on the loyalty of his servants. No, he would take matters into his own hands, personally leading the hunt for Moon through the winding country roads to Mendraria. He would track her scent through the crowded markets and deserted alleys, his senses razor-sharp.

And when he finally found her, when he finally had her at his mercy, he would revel in her desperation. He would break her spirit, and crush her will until she was nothing more than a quivering shell of her former self.

And then, and only then, would he allow her a choice: either the sweet release of death or to beget his heirs.

With a satisfied grin, Caelan rose from his seat, his mind ablaze with the thrill of the hunt. Moon may have thought she could escape him, but she was sorely mistaken.

Caelan would stop at nothing to claim what was rightfully his, to make her his in every sense of the word.

— Dex! — he called. — Bring that boy here…

— Yes sir.

A short time later, Dex came in holding a rope. The end of the rope was tied around a man’s neck, his wounds fresh with blood. The young man could barely open his eyes, both swollen and purple. Cuts adorned his face, as well as dried blood.

He struggled to speak as his entire body ached from the action.

— What do you want?

— I have a job for you… — said the noble, looking at him coldly.

— Why… would I do… what do you want? — the young man spat out some blood as he coughed hard. — Just kill me already, you bastard…

— Kill you? — Caelan laughed out loud. — Oh my Goddess, why would I kill you? There’s still so much life in you for me to use. — he dropped to one knee. — Unless you want to be held responsible for the death of your family, you’d better do as I say.

The young man gritted his teeth, suppressing his anger. He was so ready to give up on his life that he was just waiting for the right moment when death would welcome him in a gentle embrace.

— What should I do? — his hoarse voice made the older man smile.

— Bring her to me. Whatever the cost.

— And how do I find her?

— Dex will give you details about their location, as well as new, clean clothes, money, and… items that will help you.

— When do I leave?

— Now.

— Hurt like that?

— Make up a story if you have to… — Caelan shrugged. — I don’t care how... I want her. With me.