Luna Aurora novel (Alpha Fenrir)

Chapter 316

The forest was quieter than usual, as if holding its breath in the wake of the events that had unfolded. Dain could feel the weight of his choices pressing down on him, the darkness that had whispered so enticingly in his ear. The Warden of Shadows had promised him

power, promised him control, but now-now it felt more like a curse.

He paced back and forth in the dim light of the temple, his mind a swirling storm of thoughts. He had been so close, so ready to embrace the power the Warden had offered. But Elyra's words, her plea to him, had stopped him. They echoed in his ears now, the sound of her desperate voice-Don't do it. It was the only thing that had kept him from fully surrendering to the shadows, and for that, he was grateful.

But something was wrong. Althea's cryptic warnings, the way she always seemed to know just a little too much. How had she known what the shard would do? How had she known what the prophecy meant? It didn't sit right with him. And now, with the dark power calling to him, he couldn't shake the suspicion that there were things Althea wasn't telling him. Things she was hiding, things he wasn't ready to hear, perhaps but he wasn't sure if he could trust her anymore.

He had to confront her.

Dain found her in the heart of the temple, standing alone by the ancient stone altar. The firelight flickered, casting long shadows across her face, but her expression was as unreadable as ever. She was calm, collected, the picture of a master who held all the pieces of the puzzle, even if she refused to share them.

"Althea," Dain said, his voice steady, though a surge of anger roiled inside him. "We need to talk."

Althea turned to face him, her gaze piercing, but she didn't speak right away. Instead, she studied him, as if weighing something deep within him. It made Dain feel exposed, vulnerable, like she could see every thought, every fear, hidden behind his words.

"I've been thinking," Dain continued, his fists clenching at his sides. "About the prophecy. About everything you've told me."

Althea's lips quirked into a faint, knowing smile. "And what have you been thinking?"

"I think you're hiding something." Dain said, his voice low but intense. "I think you've been keeping the truth from me, from all of us. Why are you really here, Althea? What is it you're not telling us?"

Her smile faded, and the air between them grew heavier. Dain could feel the tension rising, the silence stretching between them like an invisible wall. For a moment, Althea didn't respond, her eyes narrowing slightly, as if considering how much of the truth she should reveal.

"You don't trust me," she said, her voice cool, almost detached. "Why should you?"

"No," Dain snapped, his temper flaring. "I don't. And I want to know why. You talk about balance and sacrifice, but the more I think about it, the more I see it doesn't add up. Why is it always one of us who has to make the ultimate sacrifice? Why can't we both have what we need? Why do we have to choose? You want me to believe in this prophecy, but all I see are strings you've been pulling. You've been controlling everything.'

Althea's gaze hardened, and Dain could feel the weight of her words before she even spoke them. "You think you understand, but you do not. You have not yet seen the full picture. The prophecy is not just about you and Elyra. It is not as simple as choosing one or the other."

Dain took a step forward, his frustration bubbling over. "Then tell me what it really means. What are you really hiding?"

Althea's eyes flickered briefly to the ground, as if searching for the right words. Then, slowly, she met his gaze again, her expression softening just enough to show the faintest hint of something... regretful.

"There are things you are not ready to know," she said quietly, her voice laced with a deep, sorrowful truth. "There are truths that, if revealed too soon, would break you. The prophecy is not a choice, Dain. It is a path. And once you walk it, there is no turning back." Dain's heart skipped a beat. The words hit him like a physical blow. "What do you mean? What is it I'm not ready for?"

Althea took a deep breath, her eyes distant, as though she were seeing something beyond him, something far older and darker than anything Dain could understand.

"The prophecy isn't just a warning," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's a fate that must be fulfilled. There are forces at work here, far beyond us, that have been set in motion long before we were born. Forces that you and Elyra are both tied to. And one of you must make the ultimate sacrifice."

Dain stepped back, feeling the ground shift beneath him. "What do you mean? One of us?"

Althea's eyes darkened, the shadows under them deepening. "The bond between you and Elyra is both a gift and a curse. It is the key to unlocking the power of the shard. But it will also be the means of your undoing. If you cannot control it, if you cannot balance the light and the dark within you, then the prophecy will consume you both."

Dain's mind raced, his pulse quickening. "So what is it you're not telling me? What is the truth?"

Althea sighed, her expression unreadable. "You are too close to it now, Dain. You can't see the whole picture. The choices you make will shape the future, but they will also tear everything you hold dear apart. And there are things you are not ready to know-things that will change everything." Dain's breath caught in his throat. A cold chill ran through him, a feeling of dread settling deep in his bones. He wanted answers-wanted to understand but Althea was right. Whatever the truth was, he wasn't ready for it. Not yet.

"I don't care about the prophecy," Dain said, his voice thick with defiance. "I want to know what's really going on. What do you know that you haven't told us?"

But Althea only shook her head, her eyes shadowed with sorrow.

"I wish I could tell you," she said softly. "But there are things you are not ready to know."

-: Althea admits, "There are things you are not ready to know."