The council envoys arrived at dawn.
They did not come with chains or weapons. That alone made Luna uneasy.
Five figures walked into the valley, their steps measured, their expressions carefully neutral. Two witches in pale robes. One human man in a tailored coat, his eyes sharp and calculating. And at the center, flanked by guards, stood a woman Luna recognized from the vision.
Councilor Maeven.
The same face. Older now. Colder.
"So this is where you've been hiding," Maeven said, her voice smooth, carrying easily across the ruins. "The echoes of old mistakes."
Kael moved slightly in front of Luna, his stance protective but restrained.
"We didn't invite you," he said.
Maeven smiled faintly. "You never do."
Luna stepped past Kael before he could stop her.
"I did," she said calmly.
Kael's head snapped toward her. "Luna."
"It's fine," she murmured, then raised her voice. "You came to talk. So talk."
Maeven's gaze fixed on her, sharp and assessing, like a blade testing bone.
"You feel it, don't you?" the councilor said. "The weight of what you are."
Luna held her ground. "I feel responsible. Not ownership."
A murmur rippled through the envoys.
Maeven lifted a hand, silencing them. "You carry the Moonbound mark. That makes you a living axis. When you move, the world shifts."
"I didn't ask for it," Luna said.
"No one ever does," Maeven replied. "But history shows us what happens when Moonbound act without guidance."
Luna's jaw tightened. "History also shows what happens when councils get scared."
The witches exchanged uneasy glances.
Maeven's eyes narrowed slightly. "You've seen her, haven't you?"
Luna's heart skipped. "Who?"
"The First Moonbound," Maeven said softly. "She always reaches out before the end."
Kael growled low in his throat.
"You sealed her," Luna said, anger rising. "You erased her voice."
"We saved the world," Maeven snapped, her calm slipping for the first time. "She was tearing it apart."
"Because you forced her to choose between obedience and conscience," Luna shot back.
Silence fell.
The air felt heavy, charged.
Maeven took a slow breath, regaining control. "That is why we are here. To prevent another tragedy."
"And how do you plan to do that?" Luna asked.
Maeven gestured, and one of the witches stepped forward, holding a small silver object. A collar. Not physical. It shimmered like light folded into shape.
"A limiter," Maeven said. "It will regulate your access to power. You remain free. Alive. But harmless."
Kael exploded forward, stopped only by Luna's hand on his arm.
"No," Luna said firmly.
Maeven's expression hardened. "This is not a request."
Luna felt the ruins stir beneath her feet. Not violently. Patiently.
"You don't get to decide what I am," Luna said. "You already tried that once."
Maeven's voice dropped. "You think you can outsmart centuries of balance?"
"I think a balance that requires silence isn't balanced," Luna replied.
Rhea stepped forward then. "You want control because you're afraid."
Maeven turned on her. "Fear keeps the world alive."
"No," Rhea said coldly. "Fear keeps thrones standing."
The human envoy finally spoke. "Let's not pretend emotions will solve this. The Moonbound destabilizes ecosystems, markets, and politics. This is bigger than feelings."
Luna stared at him. "You sent hunters after me."
He did not deny it.
"They had families," Luna said quietly. "You turned them into tools."
Maeven's lips thinned. "Sacrifices are inevitable."
Something inside Luna went still.
Not calm.
Resolved.
She stepped closer to the council, the silver mark on her chest glowing faintly.
"I will not wear your leash," she said. "I will not bow. And I will not disappear."
Maeven's eyes flashed. "Then you force our hand."
Kael moved beside Luna. "Touch her, and the packs rise."
Maeven smiled slowly. "They already are."
A sharp pain struck Luna's chest.
Not from the mark.
From somewhere deeper.
She gasped, staggering.
Kael caught her. "Luna?"
Her vision blurred, then snapped into focus.
She saw blood.
Not hers.
Her father's face flashed in her mind, pale, terrified.
A scream echoed through her head.
"Dad," Luna whispered.
Maeven watched her carefully. "Ah. You feel it."
"What did you do?" Luna demanded, panic clawing up her throat.
Maeven leaned in slightly. "We didn't touch him."
Luna's heart pounded violently. "Then why—"
"The balance did," Maeven said. "The moment you rejected the limiter, the bond recalibrated."
Rhea swore. "You set a failsafe."
Maeven nodded. "A life for a life. Anchor for anchor."
Luna's knees nearly gave out.
"You're lying," she whispered.
Maeven's voice was merciless. "Choose, Moonbound."
The ground trembled faintly.
"Submit," Maeven continued, "and your father lives."
Kael's grip tightened around Luna, his voice breaking. "Luna, don't."
"Refuse," Maeven said softly, "and the balance will correct itself."
Luna's breath came in short, broken gasps.
Her vow burned in her chest.
Her father's scream echoed again in her mind.
The ruins waited.
The council watched.
And for the first time, Luna understood the true cruelty of power.
It never asked what you wanted.
It only asked what you were willing to lose.
She lifted her head slowly, tears streaming down her face, and opened her mouth to answer.
And the ground beneath them split wide open.