The moon had always watched over Lyria Vale, but tonight, it felt as if it was staring—a silver eye fixed on the quiet girl standing at the edge of the cliff.
Wind brushed through her long raven hair as she tightened her cloak, the worn fabric flapping around her slender frame. Most people in Eldoria overlooked Lyria: the herbalist's quiet apprentice, soft-spoken, gentle, almost fragile. But those who looked closer sometimes felt a strange energy within her, something ancient hidden behind her calm eyes.
Tonight, it was no longer hiding.
A low hum pulsed under her skin, warm and magnetic, like her blood was glowing. She pressed a hand to her chest, startled by the thundering heartbeat that didn't feel entirely like her own.
"Not again…" she whispered.
The forest below rustled unnaturally—as if the trees were kneeling.
And then she felt it.
A presence.
Powerful. Cold. Watching her.
She spun around.
Shadow parted like curtains, revealing a tall figure emerging from the darkness.
He was breathtaking in the most dangerous way.
A man forged from moonlight and storm, clad in obsidian armor that seemed carved from night itself. His silver eyes glowed faintly, not with warmth—but with recognition. They pinned her in place, sharp, unreadable, and ancient.
He stepped closer, movements steady and silent, as though gravity bent for him.
Lyria's heart stumbled.
She didn't know him.
Yet her soul whispered:Found you.
The man stopped only a few steps away, the wind twisting around him like it didn't dare touch.
For a long moment, he said nothing, simply studying her—each breath she took, each tremble of her fingers, each flicker of fear and curiosity in her gaze.
Then, in a low voice that rumbled like distant thunder, he spoke:
"You felt it too."
Lyria swallowed. "Felt… what?"
He tilted his head, silver hair brushing across his cold, sharp jawline. His expression didn't change, but something in the air shifted—like the night itself was holding its breath.
"Your awakening."
Her lips parted. "Awakening… of what?"
He stepped closer.
Too close.
So close she could see the faint runes etched on his collarbone, glowing softly beneath his armor. She could smell steel and frost on him. Her heart hammered, the warmth in her chest flaring painfully against the cold aura around him.
He raised a hand, slowly, as if approaching something fragile.
Lyria didn't move.
Couldn't.
His fingertips brushed her cheek—light, cautious, but possessing a terrifying power beneath that gentleness.
Instantly, the world blazed white.
A surge of energy roared through her, mixing with his—fire and ice twisting, merging, recognizing. Their souls collided in a single blinding flare.
Lyria gasped, stumbling, but he caught her, his grip unyielding yet careful.
The vision struck them both at once:
Two moons eclipsing.Two hearts merging.A vow written in celestial fire.A bond older than mortality.
The Moonbound Oath.
Lyria collapsed against him, shaking. The glowing connection between them faded, leaving behind raw electricity in the air.
She forced herself to look up at him.
"W-Why me?"
His expression remained cold, but his eyes softened—barely perceptible, like a crack appearing on frozen glass.
"Because," he murmured, "you are the one bound to me since the first moonrise."
Lyria's breath hitched.
He leaned closer, his voice low, dangerous, irresistible.
"I am Kaelith Raeyen… last of the Lunar Wardens.""And you, Lyria Vale…"His hand rested gently against her heartbeat."…are my fated mate."
The world around them trembled.
Somewhere in the forest, a monstrous howl shattered the night.
Kaelith's eyes grew sharper, protective, deadly.Without thinking, he drew Lyria behind him, his armor glowing with silver runes.
She wasn't sure whether to fear him…
Or the way her soul felt safe in his presence.
He looked back at her only once, voice controlled but urgent.
"Stay close. They're coming for you."
The trees shook violently.
And in that moment, Lyria realized—
Her quiet life was over.And fate had just begun.