The forest pulsed with restless energy. Every rustle of leaves, every crack of twigs beneath Ariana's boots sharpened her senses until she could hear her own heartbeat echo in her ears. Overhead, the crimson hue of the Blood Eclipse lingered, painting the world in shades of scarlet and silver. Her wrist burned where the crescent mark glowed faintly, pulsing in rhythm with her racing pulse.
Something inside her had awakened—something powerful, ancient, and dangerous. But she still didn't understand what it wanted.
Damon moved beside her in silence, his steps measured, eyes cutting through the dark with predatory precision. For the first time, Ariana noticed the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw flexed each time the wind shifted. He wasn't just alert—he was bracing for war.
"They're close," he murmured, his voice barely a growl. "The shadows I warned you about… they've found us."
Ariana's breath caught. "How do you know?"
He crouched low, scanning the treeline, his movements fluid and controlled. "You'll feel them first," he said. "Trust your instincts."
Ariana closed her eyes, forcing her breath to steady. The mark on her wrist throbbed once—twice—then a sharp jolt of energy shot through her arm. And then she felt it: something moving just beyond the trees. Fast. Sinister. Watching.
"They're coming," she whispered.
The words barely left her lips before the forest erupted. A figure burst from the shadows, moving faster than her eyes could follow—a blur of black smoke and gleaming teeth.
"Step back!" Damon roared, launching forward with supernatural speed. But Ariana didn't move. Every nerve in her body screamed for her to run, yet the power within her refused to yield.
The shadow lunged. Instinct took over.
Her wrist flared with searing silver light, exploding outward in a radiant pulse. The figure shrieked—a sound that scraped against the air—and recoiled violently, its form unraveling under her light. Ariana gasped, the force reverberating through her bones.
She looked down at her trembling hands. She hadn't only defended herself—she'd struck back.
Damon stopped mid-motion, eyes wide with something between awe and alarm. "You did that," he said softly. "You controlled it. But now they know what you are. And they won't stop."
Ariana's voice shook. "I… I didn't mean to—"
"You did exactly what you were meant to," Damon cut in, his tone low but firm. "The Blood Eclipse doesn't just awaken power—it awakens instinct. But power draws attention, Ariana. You've been marked… and now, they can sense you."
Before she could respond, another shape darted through the trees—faster, darker, more deliberate. The ground quivered under its impact.
"Stay behind me," Damon ordered, his voice sharp.
But Ariana's mark was burning again, the power inside her rising like a wave she couldn't suppress. She raised her hand on instinct.
Silver light erupted—fierce, pure, and commanding. The beam slammed into the shadow, hurling it backward. It hit a tree with a guttural screech before disintegrating into mist.
Ariana stood frozen. "I… did it again."
"Yes," Damon breathed, watching her with quiet awe. "And next time, you'll do more. You'll have to. Because they're testing you now—but soon, they'll strike in full."
A rustle tore through the underbrush. This time, several shadows emerged—moving in unison, hunting with intelligence and purpose. Their forms shifted with the darkness, barely visible, but Ariana could feel their malice pressing against her chest.
Fear clawed at her throat, but something else rose stronger—defiance.
She extended her hand again, her mark blazing brighter than before. Silver tendrils of light spun from her wrist, circling her like a living barrier. The shadows hissed and shrank back, their bodies writhing in the glow.
Damon's voice came from beside her, calm but reverent. "You're stronger than she was."
Ariana looked at him sharply. "Than who?"
His expression darkened, but he didn't answer.
The shadows surged forward. Ariana's focus snapped back. She exhaled, letting the rhythm of her heartbeat sync with the pulse of her mark. Light burst outward again—raw, wild, beautiful. A nearby tree split down the middle, and one of the creatures disintegrated in a scream.
The forest trembled in her wake.
Then—a voice. Soft. Whispering. Seductive.
"Ariana… come to me…"
She froze. The voice was like silk—unfamiliar yet hauntingly intimate. It echoed not in her ears but inside her mind. The mark on her wrist flared white-hot, and suddenly she saw him: a figure cloaked in darkness, silver eyes glowing like twin moons.
He held out his hand.
"Join me," the voice coaxed. "You are not meant to fight the dark. You are meant to rule it."
Her breath caught. The world around her flickered. The voice pulled her deeper, promising something powerful, forbidden—complete.
"Ariana!" Damon's shout cut through the trance. "Don't listen! Focus on me!"
The shadows moved closer, sensing her hesitation. Her pulse pounded like thunder. She clenched her fist, forcing her attention back to the mark—the light—the truth.
Energy exploded outward, searing the ground in a silver shockwave. The shadows shrieked and scattered, fleeing into the darkness. The forest fell silent.
Ariana collapsed to her knees, chest heaving, her hands trembling from the power's aftermath. Damon was there in an instant, steadying her shoulders, brushing a strand of hair from her face. His eyes, usually cold, gleamed with pride—and something else.
"You're learning fast," he murmured. "But this was only the beginning. They'll return. And next time, they'll bring worse things with them."
Ariana swallowed hard, staring at the faintly glowing mark. "I can't let them take me. I have to control it. I have to understand what I am."
Damon's voice lowered. "It's not just them you should fear. There are others watching—wolves, witches, even gods. Allies… or enemies. You won't know until it's too late."
Before Ariana could respond, a low growl rippled through the clearing. It wasn't from the shadows. It was deeper—familiar.
A shape emerged from the treeline, stepping into the dim silver light.
A man—or what looked like one—stood there, tall, poised, his presence radiating danger. His eyes gleamed silver, not like Damon's calm moonlight, but sharp, predatory steel.
Ariana's blood turned to ice. Damon tensed beside her.
The figure smiled faintly. "So… the new Luna finally awakens."
Ariana's heartbeat thundered. She didn't need Damon to tell her this wasn't one of the shadows. This was something worse.
The Blood Eclipse burned overhead, red and merciless.
And Ariana knew, with bone-deep certainty—the real war had just begun.
Ariana unleashes her first combat power, resists the dark voice calling her name, and meets a mysterious figure with silver eyes — hinting at a deeper connection to Damon and the prophecy.