The path to Vireya wound through veils of mist, guarded by trees older than time and streams that whispered secrets in a language long forgotten. For days, Selene and Kael had trekked through these hidden valleys, drawn by the pulse of ancient magic that thrummed in her chest like a second heartbeat.
And now, it stood before them.
Nestled within a sacred basin surrounded by moonlit cliffs, Vireya shimmered—half-city, half-legend. White towers carved from lunar stone glowed faintly even in daylight. Crystal bridges stretched over quiet lakes that reflected not sunlight, but stars. Trees with silver bark lined the streets, their leaves trembling like wind chimes without wind.
It was a place untouched by time.
Selene took a slow step forward.
And Vireya breathed in response.
The gates opened without touch, revealing a wide courtyard surrounded by carved pillars, each inscribed with Lunari glyphs. As she crossed the threshold, warmth spread through her limbs. Her vision sharpened. Her magic sang.
She was home.
Though she had never been here before, her soul knew the stones.
---
A procession awaited her.
Dozens of Lunari emerged from the shadows of the pillars—men and women with pale silver eyes, moon-pale skin, and quiet power. They wore robes dyed in twilight hues, their movements graceful, their expressions reverent.
At the front stood a tall figure cloaked in ivory silk. Her face was partially hidden beneath a thin veil, but her eyes sparkled with knowing.
She knelt.
And the others followed suit.
"The Moonborn returns," the woman whispered, her voice echoing with layered harmonies. "We waited in the dark, and now, light walks among us again."
Selene's breath caught in her throat. "I'm not a goddess."
"You are Lunari," the woman replied. "And that is enough."
---
They were led to the Sanctum of Echoes, a vast dome of glimmering crystal. Inside, murals painted in glowing ink told stories of her ancestors—wolves crowned with halos of light, queens whose magic could move rivers, kings who healed with a single word.
Selene paused before a mural of a woman with wild white hair and burning silver eyes, seated on a throne of moonstone, a great black wolf at her feet.
"Lunaria," the high priestess said beside her. "The First Flame. Your bloodline. She carried twins prophesied to balance the realms—one of shadow, one of flame. Only one survived."
Selene's heart clenched. "And now?"
"You carry that fire again," the priestess said softly. "Two heartbeats echo inside you."
Selene turned to Kael, who had gone pale.
His hand found hers, trembling.
---
The priestess—whose name was Naeria—guided them to the Hall of Moon-Spires, where sacred rites were still practiced under the eye of the gods. Selene watched as children chanted runes in glowing circles, their small bodies already glowing faintly with inherited power.
"You've survived in hiding?" she asked.
Naeria nodded. "We split into three enclaves after the Burning. Only Vireya remains intact. The rest… were hunted. Like you. Like your mother."
Selene's stomach twisted. "My mother died hiding what she was."
"And you will live by embracing it."
---
That evening, Vireya held a moon-feast.
Food unlike anything Selene had tasted—honey-roasted root fruit, wild lunar berries, meats cured over magic flame—was laid on crystal tables. Music drifted from instruments that played with sound and silence alike. Dancers moved like wind through light, their shadows painting stories on the temple walls.
But Selene couldn't relax.
She felt it.
The eyes.
Someone among them was watching.
Kael leaned close, his voice low. "We're not as welcome as they want you to believe."
She met his gaze. "You feel it too."
"Yes. Someone's hiding something."
She didn't want to admit the thought, but it whispered anyway:
The danger didn't end with Ashar.
---
Later that night, beneath a sky glowing silver with stardust, Kael took her hand and led her to a secluded glade at the heart of Vireya's sacred garden.
They spoke no words.
He undressed her slowly, worshipfully, as though she were made of starlight and smoke. She trembled under his touch—his lips on her shoulder, his breath on her skin, the careful way he traced the mark above her heart with his fingers.
"You're not just my mate," he said against her lips. "You're the reason I believe in something more than instinct."
Selene pulled him down with her onto the moss, sighing as their bodies fit perfectly together, as they always had. The air was thick with the scent of moonflowers and desire. Every kiss felt like a promise carved in fire.
They moved slowly at first, limbs tangled, breath shared. Her nails scratched his back, his mouth captured hers in a growl of need. She wrapped herself around him like the night, pulling him deeper into her body—and into her soul.
And when they reached the edge of that sacred high together, the bond between them flared again, stronger than before.
Magic burst outward in a wave of soft silver light.
The trees pulsed. The stars flickered.
Selene's eyes opened wide, glowing white.
And in the stillness after their union, she heard it again—
A voice.
Faint, ancient.
"You are not alone."
---
Kael pressed a hand to her belly, his head resting against her chest. "I can feel them. Two heartbeats. Steady. Fierce."
Selene smiled, tears sliding down her cheeks. "They already feel like fire."
"And they're ours."
---
But miles away, beneath the ruins of a shattered spire in the forgotten western enclave, a woman stirred.
Her hair was pale. Her eyes gold.
She held a broken Lunari relic in her hands, whispering to it.
"She thinks the legacy belongs to her. The Moonborn."
She spat the word.
"She's not the only survivor."
Behind her, shadows shifted—rogues, witches, wolves twisted by hunger.
And they bowed to her.
---
Back in Vireya, Selene stood beneath the Moonstone Arch, looking toward the east.
The stars shimmered, but the wind carried a warning.
Not all bloodlines were loyal.
And not all power came without cost.
---