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Chapter 9: The Silver Braid
The campfire crackled softly beneath a canopy of stars. Ji sat across from Seora, watching how the flames danced in her violet eyes. Her silver braid shimmered like moonlight, and though she rarely smiled, there was a calm strength in her silence.
"So," Ji said, "you've been fighting Baek Rin alone?"
Seora nodded. "Since I was sixteen. He destroyed my village. Took everything. But I survived. Trained in the shadows. Waiting for the moon to rise again."
Duri tossed a pinecone into the fire. "Very dramatic. You two should start a club."
Yeonhwa smirked. "Focus, goblin."
Seora turned to Ji. "The Gate of Shadows lies beneath the Moonspire Mountains. It's sealed by four lunar keys—each hidden in a sacred shrine. One of them was in the Temple of Threads. You've claimed it."
Ji frowned. "Then three more remain?"
She nodded. "And Baek Rin already has one."
They fell silent. The weight of destiny hung heavy.
Later that night, Ji wandered from the fire. He stood at the riverbank, staring at the moon's reflection. Seora joined him quietly.
"You're not like him," she said.
"But I'm scared I could be."
"You're stronger than fear."
He looked at her. "Why do you trust me?"
She hesitated, then lifted her braid. "Because I had this made from the silver threads of the Loom… and they glowed when I saw you."
Ji reached out, fingers brushing the braid. It pulsed with the same light as his sigil.
"You and I," Seora whispered, "we're not meant to stand alone."
A sudden gust blew through the trees. A screech echoed across the valley.
Shadow beasts.
Ji turned. "They've found us!"
From the darkness, Baek Rin's masked warriors emerged, cloaked in smoke and wielding corrupted moonsteel.
Yeonhwa shouted. "Form a circle!"
Ji stepped forward, light flaring from his palm. Seora drew her blade, its edge glowing blue. Together, they stood side by side.
"No more running," Ji said.
Seora smirked. "Agreed."
They charged.
And in the clash of light and shadow, two Moonbloods began to write their legend.
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To Be Continued in Chapter 10: The Second Shrine