The tunnel was narrow and steep, carved from ancient stone, its ceiling low in places. The air smelled of old parchment, incense, and something older, something sacred.
After what felt like several minutes of descent, the tunnel opened into a circular chamber, its walls lined with symbols etched in silver and gold. Glowing runes pulsated faintly on the floor beneath their feet. Amaya looked around in awe.
"What is this place, Mother?"
Luna Jamayah turned toward her daughter, her eyes shining with a mixture of pride and reverence. The torchlight danced across her features.
"This, is the Sanctum of the First Lunas. A place known only to those who carry the bloodline of Silverveil's throne. Here, you will learn what no scroll can teach, what no sword can protect you from." She said, Amaya's breath gulped in her throat. Luna Jamayah stepped into the circle of runes and extended a hand toward her.
"It is time," she said.
"Time to prepare you not just as a future Luna, but as a guardian of our order."
Amaya stepped forward, heart pounding in her chest as the chamber's glow pulsed around her. She knew now, the shadows in Silverveil were not only outside the palace walls. They were creeping within.
Amaya walked beside her mother, Luna Jamayah, her footsteps soft against the stone floor. The air was cool inside the secret chamber beneath the royal library, and each step they took echoed lightly around the ancient walls.
The room they entered now was quiet, almost sacred, and Amaya couldn't help but look around in awe.
The walls on either side were lined with large portraits, each painted with rich colors and framed in gold. Each face was proud and regal, and each woman wore the mark of the Luna, a crescent symbol on their chest or crown. Their eyes seemed to follow Amaya and her mother as they walked.
"These are the Lunas who came before us," Luna Jamayah said gently.
"Women who carried the weight of Silverveil on their shoulders."
Amaya stared at each one as they passed. There were Lunas with long silver hair, some with short curls, some smiling gently, and others with fierce looks in their eyes. Then they stopped in front of a larger painting, one older than the rest. The colors had faded slightly with time, but the figure in it stood tall and proud. Her dark hair was braided down her back, and her hand rested on the hilt of a sword.
Her eyes were sharp and clear, and she wore no crown, only the mark of the moon around her neck.
"Luna Cecilia," Jamayah said, turning to face her daughter.
"The very first Luna of our order."
Amaya's eyes widened.
"Legend says she ruled without a mate," she said quietly.
"That she led the sisters alone, ruling both as Alpha and Beta."
Jamayah smiled, a soft chuckle escaping her lips.
"What you say is true. Luna Cecilia was unlike any other. She started this ancient order without a partner. She built it with her own strength, with no one at her side."
Amaya stared at the painting. The thought of standing so strong, so alone, stirred something deep in her chest.
"Then… why can't I be like her?" Amaya asked, still looking at the portrait.
"Why can't I be the second to lead without a mate? Why can't I be the next Alpha?"
Jamayah's face softened, but her tone was serious.
"You know the way of things now, Amaya. We can't go back. The traditions have changed since Cecilia's time. When power is passed down, the chosen must have a mate, someone to balance, to rule with."
Amaya's shoulders dropped slightly, but she nodded, accepting her mother's words, even if part of her heart still wished it could be different.
They continued walking, passing more portraits, Lunas from different ages and times, some of whom Amaya remembered hearing stories about. Some were remembered for great battles, others for peace, and some for the strength of their wisdom. Finally, they stopped before a newer portrait.
Jamayah turned to her daughter, her expression unreadable. The portrait before them was of her, Luna Jamayah. Her pose was graceful, her face calm but firm, and her crown sparkled with the stones of the moonlight. It looked exactly like her, yet somehow more distant, like a version of herself that belonged to the past.
"This," Jamayah said,
"is mine. And soon, your own shall hang beside it."
Amaya smiled, a quiet pride building in her chest. It felt real now, more than ever before. In time, she would be crowned Luna, just like the women who came before her. She would stand in this hall not as a girl, but as a leader. They walked past the portraits and into a new chamber. This one had no paintings, only glass cases holding ancient and beautiful objects, jewels, weapons, scrolls, and robes that shimmered like starlight.
But Jamayah didn't stop to look at any of those. She took Amaya's hand gently and led her toward the center of the room.
There, enclosed in a clear glass box, stood a tall sculpted totem. Its body was molded from steel and covered in shining gems, amethyst, moonstone, and sapphire. The shape of it resembled a crescent moon, but with markings carved all over it in delicate symbols Amaya couldn't understand.
She gasped softly, eyes wide.
"Is that…?"
Jamayah nodded.
"Yes. This is the totem. It has been passed down from Luna to Luna for generations."
Amaya took a slow step forward, unable to look away.
"This totem," her mother continued,
" no ordinary symbol. It holds power, great power. It binds the members of the pack to your will."
Amaya turned to look at her mother, her mouth slightly open in surprise.
"It does what?"
Jamayah smiled and nodded again.
"How do you think your father and I have ruled for more than twenty years without rebellion or division? Without betrayal? It's not only loyalty that keeps a house together, it's this. This totem. And especially my connection to it, as High Priestess."
Amaya stared at the totem, suddenly understanding just how heavy the crown truly was.
"When you are wed," Jamayah said,
"on the day of your coronation, when you speak your vows, and are blessed by the spirits and the Moon Goddess… the totem will become yours. Its powers will flow through you. And from that moment, the people will not just follow you, they will be bound to you."
Jamayah placed a gentle hand on Amaya's shoulder, her eyes calm but serious.
"Do you understand the words I am saying to you?"
Amaya nodded slowly.
"Yes, Mother. I do."
Jamayah stepped closer, her voice soft but powerful.
"All of Silverveil will be yours. Not just the land, but the people. And not only them, the pack into which you marry will also be yours to command."
Amaya blinked, her thoughts spinning. She had always known she would lead one day, but she hadn't known it would be like this. That the totem would give her that much power. That her voice would become law. A slow smile spread across her face, half in awe, half in excitement. She chuckled, then laughed a little louder.
"I didn't know it was this powerful."
Jamayah let out a soft laugh herself.
"Now you see why your training must be complete. You must not only be strong, you must be wise."
Amaya nodded, her heart thudding with a mix of nerves and pride.
They continued to explore the rest of the sanctum together. They passed other glass cases, books written by the first Lunas, enchanted blades used in the old wars, crystals that pulsed faintly with energy. But nothing captured Amaya's attention quite like the totem had.