The night forest trembled with whispers as Luna darted between the towering oaks, her cloak snagging on branches that seemed desperate to hold her back. Her heart raced—not from fear of the shadows that lurked in the wood, but from the thrill of Kael's hand wrapped tightly around hers. Every step carried them deeper from the palace walls and closer to the edge of everything she had ever known.
"Faster," Kael urged in a low, urgent tone, his breath hot against the chill of night. His dark eyes glinted like fire under the moon, fierce and unyielding. "The guards will realize you're gone before the hourglass turns. Once we reach the Umbra camp, you'll be safe. I swear it."
Safe. The word clawed at Luna's chest. She knew what it meant—safety with Kael meant betrayal of her people, her father, her duty. And yet, every glance at him tore down the walls she had tried to build. His presence was a rebellion she could no longer resist.
Behind them, the forest stirred. The wind carried the faint clang of distant horns—the signal of the king's hunters. They were searching. Already, they knew.
Luna stumbled, the roots of the earth rising against her as though the forest itself sought to stop her escape. Kael caught her before she fell, pulling her into his chest, his hand brushing her cheek with desperate tenderness.
"You can still turn back," he whispered, though his grip on her hand never loosened. "Say the word, and I'll vanish into the night. But if you come with me, Luna, there is no return. The Umbra will be your new world… and I will be your only truth."
Her pulse thundered, the curse humming faintly in her veins, as if the moon itself sought to punish her for every stolen step. But looking into Kael's eyes, she felt something stronger than fear—something worth damning herself for.
"I've already chosen," she breathed, pressing her forehead to his. "It's you. Always you."
He kissed her then, fierce and trembling, as the forest howled around them. And when they broke apart, he swept her into his arms and pushed forward, deeper into the night, toward the forbidden glow of the Umbra campfire waiting beyond the trees.
The forest finally broke, and a strange glow bled through the trees. Luna caught her breath as the Umbra camp came into view—a circle of firelight pulsing against the night, alive with shadows and whispers. Tents woven from black furs and bone rose in uneven rows, and the air carried the tang of smoke and steel. Unlike the harmony of the forest realm, this place was raw, untamed, and thrumming with secrets.
Kael led her forward, his arm brushing hers protectively, but Luna could feel the weight of countless eyes settling on her. Warriors emerged from the fire's edge, tall and broad, their faces painted with ash, their gazes sharp as blades. They murmured among themselves, voices dripping suspicion.
A forest princess… here?
A curse-bringer, a spy.
Luna shrank back instinctively, but Kael's hand squeezed hers, grounding her. "They won't touch you," he said, his voice low, edged with steel. "Not while I stand."
One of the men stepped forward, scar slashing across his jaw. His eyes raked over Luna with open disdain. "You risk much, Kael. Bringing her here." His tone was venom, his gaze heavy on Luna as though she were a storm come to unravel them.
"She is under my protection," Kael answered firmly. His stance was unyielding, every muscle taut with defiance.
The man sneered. "Then the blood of her betrayal will stain your hands, not ours."
A hush swept through the camp, firelight flickering across wary faces. Luna's heart pounded, but instead of retreating, she lifted her chin. There was fear in her veins, yes, but also a strange defiance rising from somewhere deeper—something she did not yet understand.
Kael leaned close, his breath warm against her ear. "Do not fear them. The Umbra are wolves—they will test you, circle you, but if you stand unbroken, they will respect you."
And yet, even as he spoke, Luna felt the stirring again—that same dark sensation from before, crawling under her skin, pulsing with the curse she did not yet know was hers. It was stronger now, alive in the presence of Kael's people, as though it recognized the danger she was stepping into.
But Kael's hand never left hers. His warmth steadied her. And though every gaze burned, though every whisper hissed betrayal, Luna clung to the only truth she wanted to believe—that love, even forbidden, was worth the fire it invited.
The air in the camp was taut, thick with suspicion and disdain. Dozens of Umbra eyes pierced into Luna as though they could unravel her soul just by staring long enough. Kael stood at her side, tense, ready to defend her—but before he could speak further, Luna stepped forward.
Her cloak trailed against the dirt, pale against the ash-stained ground. She lifted her chin, her voice soft at first, then rising with the steadiness of conviction.
"I am not your enemy," she said, her gaze sweeping the gathered warriors. "I did not come to bring harm to your people. If anything, I came to protect what you hold dear, even if my blood marks me as other."
Murmurs rippled through the circle—mockery from some, disbelief from others. The scarred man who had spoken earlier laughed harshly. "Empty words, forest girl. What power do you think you have here?"
Luna's heart hammered, but instead of retreating, she turned her eyes toward a crumbling hut at the edge of the camp, its frame bent, its roof sagging as if ready to collapse under the weight of years. She closed her eyes and reached inward—toward the humming pulse in her blood, the same force that terrified her yet called to her like a forgotten song.
Her hands glowed faintly, pale silver threads weaving between her fingers. Slowly, the broken beams of the hut began to straighten, the wood creaking as if sighing in relief. Vines that had strangled its frame retreated, and the roof mended itself with shimmering strength. Before their eyes, the ruin transformed into a sturdy shelter, renewed and whole.
Gasps broke the silence. Some stepped back in awe; others leaned forward, caught between wonder and fear.
Then, a cry rose from near the fire—a child, small and trembling, with blood trickling from a fresh gash on her arm. She had just hurt herself with a small palette while playing with her older brother. Luna knelt without hesitation, her gown sweeping the dirt as she extended her glowing hands. The child's wide, tear-filled eyes met hers, and Luna smiled softly, reassuring.
Silver light spilled into the wound, knitting the torn flesh until only smooth skin remained. The girl gasped, touching her arm in shock before breaking into a shaky, innocent smile.
Luna rose to her feet, her voice carrying over the stunned camp. "You see?" she said firmly, her tone no longer trembling but laced with quiet power. "I came not to destroy, but to heal. Not to take from your kingdom, but to strengthen it. If you will have me, I will stand with you—not against you."
For a heartbeat, silence reigned. The flames hissed and cracked, shadows dancing as though the forest itself leaned in to listen.
And then the whispers began—softer this time, edged not with disdain, but with uncertainty, curiosity… perhaps even respect.
Kael looked at her, wonder burning in his eyes. Not for the first time, he realized she was not just a girl caught in forbidden love—she was something greater. A force the Umbra could not so easily dismiss. He reached her hand and held it, squeezed it and gave her a reassuring smile. More like a congratulatory smile. Luna heaved with relief as she gave it back. Looking at the crowd before her, she knew that she had won. She had fleed to stay at the Umbra. With Kael.
"They've welcomed you," he smiled to her in a whisper. Just then, Aric, his brother came to them.
"So you're here," he began, gazing at Luna suspiciously from her silver hair, down to her moon-kissed feet. "You're finally here, to be with my brother. Against the rules."
"Aric!," Kael called with a glare. "Mind your problem, else I call on the woods to snap out your tongue for you."
Aric laughed hysterically.
"As if you wish to marry her." He made his last comment before leaving. Luna widened her eyes.
What in the name of the moon does he mean? She turned and stared at Kael for a word, but she felt the gaze in his eyes dim instead.
"Kael, " she called him, searching his face.
"Come Luna, let me take you to where you'll stay." He said, going before her.