Chapter 12: Luna's Shadow
The village of Dustfall had always been a place of growth and life, but not everyone who lived near it felt the warmth of friendship.
Luna, Lina's twin sister, stood at the edge of the forest near Willowmere, watching the laughter and work of Mia, Mike, Jaro, and Lina from afar. Her brown eyes, sharp and bright like her sister's, were clouded with resentment. She had expected that when Mia, Lina, Jaro, and Mike left Dustfall to travel, she would go with them. She had hoped they would all grow stronger together the five of them as one family of friends.
But instead… she was left behind.
The Feeling of Being Left Out....
Each day, Luna watched the others from a distance, their movements confident and full of purpose. The villagers called them Farmer Warriors, admired their courage, and celebrated their achievements.
And Luna? She was invisible.
She wandered the outskirts of her small village, helping her family as best she could, but it was not the same. Every task she completed, every chore she performed, reminded her of what she lacked: the bond that Mia and the others shared.
"I'm just… nothing," she whispered to herself one evening, watching a group of children run past her laughing. Her fists clenched. "They left me. I could have helped. I could have… been one of them."
Her thoughts were sharp, jagged with anger. She loved her sister Lina, but even Lina seemed to have accepted the others' departure without concern for Luna. The warmth she had hoped for from friendship had turned into bitterness and loneliness.
Growing Resentment...
Over the years, as the Farmer Warriors traveled from village to village, Luna's resentment only deepened. She saw Mia's name whispered in awe, heard stories of Mike's courage, and felt the emptiness of her own life pressing down.
"They think they're heroes," she muttered one day, kneeling beside a small patch of struggling crops. "They're just children… but everyone follows them. Everyone praises them. And me? Nothing."
Her hands dug into the soil, not planting, but striking it in frustration. The earth, dry and stubborn, offered no comfort.
"I'll… show them," she whispered through gritted teeth. "I'll prove that I'm stronger than they think. That I'm… more than they left behind."
The Witch's Shadow Lurks....
Unbeknownst to Luna, her anger and longing had not gone unnoticed. From the far reaches of the forests and the paths the Farmer Warriors did not take, a shadow moved—a presence cold, cunning, and patient. The Witch, already aware of Mia's growing influence and the Bringer of Rain's journey, sensed the bitterness in Luna's heart.
Perfect, the Witch whispered to herself in the dark, her eyes glinting like black glass. A heart full of anger, resentment, and loneliness. She will be… useful.
Luna had no knowledge of this yet. All she knew was a gnawing emptiness, a desire to belong and be recognized. Her heart was ready to be guided… in the wrong direction.
A Life Shaped by Hate....
From age twelve to eighteen, Luna's life became a slow burn of jealousy and ambition. Every time she heard news of Mia's deeds, her chest tightened with bitterness. Every story of the Farmer Warriors' successes fueled the fire inside her.
She worked diligently in her village, learning survival skills, intelligence, and cunning—not for others, but for herself.
She became sharper, faster, more careful, preparing for the day she could make a name for herself.
Every small kindness in her village was ignored or scoffed at, reinforcing the idea that the world did not favor her.
Her hatred was quiet, simmering beneath the surface. It did not flare up yet she waited, watching, learning, preparing.
"I won't be left behind anymore," she whispered one night, staring at the moon above. "If they won't include me… I'll find power on my own. I'll make sure they remember me. And if I must… I'll follow a darker path to get it."
Foreshadowing the Witch's Recruitment
Though Luna did not yet know the Witch personally, the seeds were planted. Her resentment, her loneliness, and her desire for recognition made her a perfect candidate for manipulation. The Witch watched patiently, knowing that in time, Luna's hate would blossom into something dangerous not just for the Farmer Warriors, but for Mia herself.
The night air carried a chill, and Luna shivered but it was not from cold. It was from the stirring of ambition, the promise of power, and the first whisper of a path that could one day place her opposite Mia.