~Savannah's POV~
The council speaks at once. Their voices crash together.
"Are you really sure that the statue of the ancient Catherine is catching fire?"
The guard who rode in, bows his head, still breathing hard. "I'm very sure, my elders. Abundant fire. We tried to off it by all means, but all our efforts were in vain."
A ripple moves through the courtyard.
I turn toward the direction of the Central Ritual courtyard. I look again.
The fire is still burning. It rises high into the night. For a second I think it is close to us. Almost touching the Alpha Hall. But I know the ritual courtyard sits at the heart of Moon-kingdom. It is not near. It only looks near because the flames are tall.
Smoke stains the sky.
We all stare together.
Behind me the old man who whispered before cries loudly. "I told you before and you didn't believe me. This lady uses dark magic to fool us. Now see the result."
His words press into my back
Anders steps forward. His voice cuts through the noise. "You see what I was saying. You see the result of what just happened when Savannah was calling the ancient Luna Catherine. I told you earlier that this prophecy is a blasphemy. Savannah wants to fool us. She is not pure."
My breath leaves my chest fast. I sigh.
But I do not answer him. Anders has never spoken well of me.
Thalia lifts her chin. "Enough. You can't judge just like that. What did she do wrong? You didn't even reach the place before you began to judge. Your matter is beyond hatred."
Before another voice rises, Hector steps forward.
"Right now we must reach the Central Ritual courtyard to check it by ourselves."
He signals to the guards. They rush to untie the Alpha's horse.
The horse is tall and black, its coat shining under the firelight. Silver straps cross its chest. A dark cloth marked with the Alpha sign covers its back. The saddle is thick and firm.
The horse stamps once.
Hector climbs up in one smooth move. He looks down at me.
"Climb."
My stomach tightens. I have never climbed a horse before.
"Now," he insists, reaching for me.
I take his hand. My foot slips once. A guard steadies me. I pull myself up behind Hector. My heart pounds against his back.
The elders mount their horses. Those without horses climb behind others. Guards surround us.
The rite feels broken.
Hector turns his head slightly. "Tell the servants to begin the reception. Bring drinks and food. We will return and join later."
Lila runs to obey. She doesn't follow us.
Then we ride.
The horses run fast. Wind slaps my face. I grip the saddle tight.
Some ordinary people run after us. I hear their feet hitting the ground. If they shifted, they could catch us. But it's hard to shift because of the pains that will follow. No one tries.
We pass through roads lined with trees. Bats burst from branches. Birds cry in the dark. The sounds scratch my ears.
The closer we get, the brighter the fire looks.
Before we reach the gate, we see a crowd outside. Men. Women. Some carry water. Some stand frozen. Some scream.
We climb down before nearing the gate.
Heat hits my face at once.
We move inside.
The Central Ritual courtyard burns at its center. Guards and villagers throw water from every side. From the stream. From wells. Even dirty water.
The fire does not change.
It wraps around Luna Catherine's statue. I can barely see its shape. The flames cover it like dry wood.
No other place burns.
"Abomination!" Anders screams.
"Impossible. This is dangerous," Eamon says.
Their words press into me. The heat fills my chest.
Hector turns to the elders. "Incredible. What is really going on? Can someone explain to me exactly what is happening? I'm confused."
The elders shake their heads.
Brynn steps forward. "My Alpha. No one has any idea. This is beyond our knowledge. But I'm very sure it is the effect of what happened when crowning Savannah as Luna. Especially the time she was calling the ancient Catherine's name."
My name lands hard.
I open my eyes wide. Why always me?
Brynn continues, "Former Lunas did the same process. Our forefathers told us. We witnessed the last Luna before Savannah. They repeated Catherine's name seven times. Nothing happened. Her statue was untouched. Something beyond our knowledge is at work."
Hector's jaw tightens. "What do you really mean? Is Savannah responsible for this disaster?"
Brynn lowers his gaze. "Yes, my Alpha. We can say so. But no one knows what it means. It can be good or bad. What shocks me most is that Savannah did not finish repeating Catherine's name seven times before the atmosphere changed."
Anders steps forward again. "You forget something important. Our ancestors warned us never to be careless with this statue. It is everything to the Moon-kingdom."
He turns to the crowd. "They warned us not to destroy it. Not to let anyone steal it. Not to relocate it. Not to take it outside the Moon-kingdom. Otherwise, the Moon-kingdom will fall."
Brynn nods.
The other elders nod.
Many in the crowd nod too.
My throat tightens.
I lower my head. I fold my fingers together.
Why am I always blamed?
Anders lifts his voice. "You see what I see? I warned you not to accept this false prophecy. Now you see what Savannah has caused. She destroyed our statue. She deceives us with dark magic. She is a witch."
The crowd murmurs louder.
Hector steps forward. "Anders, you are right to be careful. But you cannot judge like that. We must wait and see how this ends."
Before he finishes, a sound like distant chimes rings inside my skull. My chest tightens as if something calls my name.
I take one step forward.
Then another.
The heat grows stronger.
"Our Luna?" someone shouts.
I try to stop.
My feet move faster.
Before anyone grabs me, I fall into the fire.
Flames close around me.
I scream.
The fire rises higher.
"Save her now!" Hector shouts.
Guards rush forward but stop at the edge. The heat pushes them back.
"No!" Hector cries.
Thalia's voice breaks. "Pour enough water!"
Some voices stay silent.
My hands touch the statue.
Then—
The fire goes out.
Just like that.
Silence drops.
I open my eyes.
My cloak is whole. My skin is untouched. I feel no wound.
The statue stands clean. No smoke. No ash. No black mark.
As if nothing burned.
Water pools at my feet.
I breathe fast.
Then something shifts inside my head.
Faces blur.
Voices fade.
Hands grab me. Voices argue above me. I hear Hector shouting my name. I will try to answer.
Darkness swallows everything.
When I wake that night, I am in an empty room. My body feels light. My clothes are half gone.
No guards.
No elders.
No Hector.
Women stand around me.
I recognize some of them. They are young ladies who always linger near Hector. The ones who laugh too loud when he walks past. The ones who glare at me since the bond.
Their faces are hard now.
Two of them step forward. Each grips a long cane. Jealousy burns in their eyes stronger than the fire I just left.
They lift the canes high.
"Help!" I scream—
—and the door behind them begins to open.