✨ Chapter 24 – The Awakening of the Survivor
Ariana carried the unconscious girl through the quiet stone halls of the academy, her arms trembling not from weight but from fear. The vines that had bound the girl had left black marks on her skin, pulsing faintly like poisoned roots beneath the surface.
Headmaster Solarin was already waiting for them outside the infirmary.
"Bring her inside," he said, voice calm but tight with concern.
Aster clung to Ariana's side like a shadow, her little fingers wrapped around Ariana's sleeve as they entered the healing chamber.
The healers gasped when they saw the girl.
"What on earth—"
"Corruption," Zane said sharply. "We found her inside the old greenhouse."
Solarin's gaze hardened. "Prepare stabilization runes. She will survive only if we act quickly."
Ariana gently laid the girl on a healing bed.
Kai took Aster into his arms, letting Ariana stay close to the survivor.
The healers activated the runes — soft golden lines that formed beneath the girl, lifting her slightly above the bed.
A horrible sound escaped her lips — like a whimper mixed with a gasp.
Ariana grabbed her hand.
"It's okay," she whispered. "You're safe now. We've got you."
Kai stepped forward, expression softening as he watched Ariana comfort the girl.
Solarin touched Ariana's shoulder.
"She needs to hear your voice. Your light helps calm the corruption in her."
Ariana blinked.
"My light?"
Solarin nodded.
"Your lunar core radiates purity. It suppresses the parasite… even without your wolf shifting."
Ariana didn't fully understand, but she squeezed the girl's hand anyway, pouring as much warmth into her touch as she could.
For a long moment, the girl was still.
Then—
Her eyes fluttered open.
They were gray.
Cloudy, unfocused… terrified.
She stared at Ariana like she was a ghost.
"You… you're real," she whispered.
Ariana leaned closer.
"Yes. I'm Ariana. You're safe."
The girl shook her head violently.
"No. No one is safe."
Kai stepped forward.
"Who did this to you?"
The girl whimpered, her fingers tightening around Ariana's.
"I… I didn't see their faces. I didn't hear names. They wore masks. All of them."
Zane exchanged a look with Kai.
Rylan muttered, "Cowards."
Calen added, "Typical."
The girl's breathing hitched.
"They brought me to the greenhouse. They said… I was 'compatible.' That my magic was rare."
Ariana's stomach twisted.
Compatible.
Exactly what Aster warned them about.
"What did they want from you?" Zane asked gently.
She sobbed.
"They wanted my **life force**. My magic. All of it."
Ariana's breath caught.
Kai whispered:
"They're not just modifying creatures. They're draining students."
The girl nodded frantically.
"They attach the vines… they drain you slowly… until you can't think, can't breathe, can't remember your own name—"
Ariana hugged her instinctively, tears burning her eyes.
"It's over," she whispered fiercely. "It's over. They won't hurt you again."
But the girl vehemently shook her head.
"No. No, you don't understand."
She grabbed Ariana's wrist, her grip surprisingly strong for someone so weak.
"They weren't after *me.* They were trying to send a message."
"A message?" Calen asked.
"To who?" Rylan added.
The girl's trembling eyes turned to Ariana.
"To her."
Ariana froze.
No one moved.
Aster whimpered softly.
"Ariana… the bad magic… it keeps saying your name."
Ariana's blood ran cold.
Kai moved protectively in front of her.
Solarin frowned deeply.
"What kind of message?"
The girl swallowed.
"They said… 'The Moonborn must fall.'"
Ariana's heart slammed against her ribs.
"The Moonborn… that's me."
Zane placed a hand on the railing of the bed.
"It fits. Your wolf is the opposite of corruption. Rebirth wants to eliminate you because you're the only natural counter to the Void Root."
Kai clenched his fists.
"They'll never touch her."
The girl looked up weakly.
"There's… more."
Everyone leaned closer.
The girl whispered:
"They want your power… but not yet."
Ariana's breath caught.
"What does that mean?"
"They said your magic is unstable. That you're 'sealed.' They want the seal broken first."
Ariana's heart stopped.
The bracelet.
The enchanted bracelet from her mother.
Solarin's face darkened.
"They do not know about the bracelet," he said immediately. "They only sense your suppressed power."
Rylan looked at Ariana's wrist.
"You mean that little silver thing keeps all that magic locked inside?"
Ariana nodded slowly.
"I've worn it since I was five."
Zane whispered:
"That bracelet is the only reason the corruption hasn't attacked Ariana directly."
Aster, still in Kai's arms, whispered:
"They want her light."
Ariana closed her eyes, feeling sick.
"Why me?"
Kai stepped forward, placing both hands on her shoulders.
"Because you're the only one who can defeat them."
Ariana opened her eyes, meeting his intense gaze.
"You are their opposite," he said softly. "Their weakness."
Ariana shook her head fiercely.
"No. I'm not an army. I can't fight corruption alone."
Kai's expression softened — rare, raw, real.
"You won't be alone."
Zane nodded.
"We're with you."
Rylan smirked.
"And I really want to punch some corrupted monsters."
Calen added, "Burn them."
Aster hugged Ariana's neck.
"You have me too."
Ariana felt her throat tighten.
She looked down at the unconscious girl — who finally seemed to be breathing peacefully.
Then at the group around her.
She wasn't alone.
But a chill crept down her spine.
Because Rebirth didn't want her dead…
Not yet.
They wanted her **unsealed**.
They wanted her **power**.
And Ariana had no idea how long the bracelet would hold back something ancient, bright, and frightening inside her.