Chapter 11. When the Moon Breaks

The moon was nearing its apex when the dreams returned—not fragmented visions, but complete. Whole. As though reality had stepped aside to let memory take over. Aria didn’t wake with a gasp this time. She opened her eyes slowly, already knowing what she’d seen wasn’t entirely a dream. The burn on her back throbbed with a dull ache, echoing the pulse in her collarbone.

She dressed in silence, pulled a cloak over her shoulders, and stepped into the night.

Outside, the world shimmered with quiet dread. The trees swayed too slowly. The stars blinked as if watching. Even the wind avoided her path.

She made her way through the compound toward the cliffside altar—a place used only during solstice rites and blood-oath ceremonies. She had never stepped onto the platform alone. Tonight, she didn’t feel alone. Something walked with her. Within her.

When she reached the edge, the valley below glowed silver-blue in the moonlight. Her breath caught.

Dozens of figures