đ Author's Note for Moonlit Rebirth:
đ« Thank you so much for reading this chapter of Moonlit Rebirth!
If Aria's journey made your heart beat faster or your mind wonder what's nextâŠ
đ Please tap "Add to Library" so you'll never miss a twist in her destiny.
Your support means everything to me đ
đź QUESTION FOR YOU:
If you could be reborn with one memory from your past life⊠what would it be?
Thankiu dwarling đđ©
The morning mist clung to the trees like ghostly fingers as Aria stood at the sanctum's gate, cloaked in silver-gray linen. Her moonstone pendant glowed faintly beneath her robes, pulsing in sync with her heartbeat.
Lysander adjusted the satchel slung over his shoulder and gave her a long, searching look. Ready?
Aria hesitated. No. But I'm going anyway.
He gave a rare smileâfaint and fleeting. Good.
Elara stepped forward, placing a hand on Aria's shoulder. Remember, the Vale doesn't lie. Whatever it shows you⊠face it.
Aria nodded, though her stomach twisted with dread. She had a feeling the worst truths were the ones she already suspected.
---
They left the sanctum grounds and entered the deep woods. The trail to the Vale was rarely walked, winding between silverwood trees that whispered secrets in the wind. Every now and then, Aria caught glimpses of glowing runes carved into barkâwards to keep intruders out, or spirits in.
Hours passed. The sun hung low when Lysander finally stopped beside a stream and motioned for Aria to rest.
She sat on a mossy rock, breathing heavily. This place... it feels heavier the deeper we go.
It is,he replied. The closer you get to the Vale, the more it pulls on your essence. It doesn't just show you truths. It tests your worth.
Aria frowned. And if I fail?
Lysander met her gaze without blinking. Then the magic will devour you.
---
That night, they camped in a clearing beneath a pale moon. Aria couldn't sleep. She sat near the fire, the pendant warm against her skin. The forest seemed alive, watching her, whispering in voices only half-formed.
She turned to Lysander. What if I'm not who you think I am?
You are, he said without hesitation. The Nexus chose you. The pendant accepted you. No one else has come this far.
But what if I end up like the others? she whispered. Shattered. Lost.
Lysander looked at her for a long moment, then quietly said, Then we bury you beneath moonlight and remember your name.
A silence stretched between themâsoft, reverent, terrifying.
---
In the middle of the night, Aria jolted awake, gasping.
The pendant was glowing fiercely, and her hands burned with light. The runes etched into her skin shimmered like fireflies caught in a storm.
Across from her, Lysander stood tall and tense, sword drawn. Something's here.
The forest had gone utterly still.
A shape moved in the shadowsâtoo tall for a man, too silent for a beast. The air thickened with dark energy, curling like smoke around the trees.
Then it stepped forward.
A hooded figure, face hidden in shadow, but its aura felt⊠familiar. Wrongly familiar.
"Aria of the Moon Remnant, it rasped. We meet again."
Aria's blood froze. Who are you?
You know me. Or you did, once it lifted a handâand the pendant around Aria's neck pulsed violently, as if trying to flee.
Lysander lungedâbut the figure vanished into mist before his blade struck. A whisper lingered in the air.
Not all echoes are allies.
---
Aria collapsed to her knees, heart racing. "
That wasn't a Shadowborn⊠was it?
Lysander's jaw tightened. No. That was an Echo.
---
The rest of the night passed without sleep. Aria sat beside the fire, trying to process it all.
There were other echoes.
And one of them might want her dead.
But why?
As dawn broke and the first rays of light touched the forest, Aria rose.
Whatever the Vale held, she would face it.
Not just for herself.
But for the truth.
And to find out⊠why someone like her had turned.