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Chapter 18: Betrayal Under Moonfall
Thunder echoed across the skies of Daehara as Ji and his allies descended the Moonspire. The second moon loomed larger now—no longer faint, but glowing crimson, casting eerie shadows across the valleys.
Villages panicked. The night beasts returned. People whispered that the end was near.
No-eul was moving.
Ji could feel it—in the way the moon's voice quieted, in the chill that followed him even in sunlight.
They reached the Moonlight Council, where the remaining Guardians debated what to do. They wanted war.
"We strike before the eclipse," one said. "Burn the Veil."
"She cannot be reasoned with," said another. "She's no longer one of us."
But Ji stood tall. "You turned her into what she is. I won't do the same."
Silence.
That night, Yeonhwa approached Ji under the silver tree outside the temple.
"You still think you can save her?" she asked softly.
"I have to try."
"But what if she doesn't want saving?"
Ji didn't answer.
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At dawn, they crossed the Veil once more. The final confrontation was near. But as they entered the shadow realm, Ji sensed something was wrong.
A trap.
Too late—blades of shadow erupted around them. Seora screamed. Duri was flung back.
And then, from the dark, stepped Baek Rin.
Alive.
"You thought I was gone?" he hissed. "You left me broken, humiliated. Now I serve a greater moon."
No-eul's mark burned on his chest.
He raised his blade, aiming for Ji.
But Yeonhwa stepped in the way.
The clash was instant—steel and light, rage and betrayal. Ji fought beside her, barely holding back Baek Rin's fury.
"You should have let me die!" Baek Rin shouted.
Ji's heart broke. "I tried to save you."
"But you chose her!"
In the chaos, a strike landed—Yeonhwa fell to her knees, blood blooming across her shoulder.
Baek Rin hesitated for only a second.
Ji seized it—his light burst forth, sealing Baek Rin's power in a ring of moonfire. The corrupted former Guardian collapsed.
Silence.
Then came a whisper.
"Ji..."
He turned.
No-eul stood at the edge of the field. Watching. Waiting.
"You brought him back to me," she said. "But you won't stop what's coming."
The red moon rose fully.
The eclipse had begun.
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To Be Continued in Chapter 19: Eclipse of Destiny