Lyra POV:
The ice wolves leap for the northern wall.
"Hold the line!" a captain shouts.
I raise my staff and slam the end against the stone.
"Barrier!"
Silver light bursts from the tip. A curved shield spreads across the wall just as the first wolf crashes into it. The creature snarls, blue frost burning in its eyes.
Another wolf jumps higher.Too fast. I swing my staff forward.
"Lunar fire!"
A ring of blue flame blasts outward. The wolf shatters midair, its body exploding into frozen shards.
Soldiers cheer for half a breath before three more wolves climb over the edge.
"Spears!" I shout.
Steel flashes. One wolf is stabbed through the throat. Another tears into a soldier's arm before he drives a dagger into its skull.
The third lunges straight for me. I twist my staff.
"Fall."
Blue fire slams into its chest. The wall trembles beneath my feet.
More wolves crash into the barrier below, their claws scraping the stone. Frost spreads across the wall like living ice.
"They're breaking through!" a soldier yells.
I tighten my grip on the staff. Energy burns through my arms.
"Not today."
I thrust the staff forward and released another wave of flame. Two wolves shatter. One survives and lands on the wall, snapping its jaws.
A spear takes it through the side. Then I see movement beyond the courtyard gate. Someone is fighting outside the wall.
A tall figure cuts through the wolves like a shadow. His sword flashes once, twice. Each strike is precise. Deadly.
Another wolf leaps at him. He turns and drives the blade straight through its skull.
I blink. Who is that?
More wolves rush him. I lift my staff and fire another ring of blue flame. The blast hits two wolves just before they reach him.
The stranger doesn't even look up. He moves with the timing of my spells as if he can feel them. A wolf leaps behind him.
"Behind you!" I shout.
My spell hits first. Blue fire shatters the creature before it lands. The man spins and cuts down another wolf in the same motion.
We fight like this for several minutes. My magic from above. His sword below. Every spell lands where he needs it. Every strike clears the ones I miss.
Then the last wolf falls. Silence spreads across the wall. The soldiers lower their weapons.
"Gods…" one whispers.
I breathe slowly and lower my staff. The stranger wipes frost from his blade.
I climb down from the wall and walk across the courtyard. Ice shards crunch beneath my boots.
Up close, he's taller than I thought. Dark armor. A scar across his cheek. Storm-grey eyes study me.
"You're the sorceress," he says.
I stop a few steps away.
"Lyra Valemont. Court sorceress of Elaria."
His gaze moves to my staff.
"Your magic is precise."
"And your sword work is impressive," I reply.
He sheathes the blade.
"Kael Draven."
"Are you a knight of Elaria?"
"No."
"Then why are you here?"
"I've been tracking those wolves."
I glance at the frozen corpses around us.
"They've been attacking our borders for weeks."
"They're not normal creatures," he says.
"I noticed."
Our eyes meet for a moment. There's something strange about him. A quiet power that presses against my senses.
"You felt it too," he says.
I raise an eyebrow.
"Felt what?"
"The magic in them."
Before I answer, a voice calls across the courtyard.
"Lyra!"
I turn. High Mage Orion Vale strides toward us, robes sweeping behind him.
"Explain what just happened," he demands.
I gesture to Kael.
"This is Kael Draven. He helped kill the wolves."
Orion studies him carefully.
"A wanderer who just happened to arrive during an attack?"
Kael doesn't react.
"I followed the wolves here."
Orion's amber eyes narrow.
"Convenient."
"Enough," I say. "We can question him later. Right now we need to strengthen the wards."
Orion nods sharply.
"Library. Now."
…..
The palace library smells of old parchment and spell dust. I place my staff in the center of a rune circle.
"Ready?" I ask.
Orion nods.
Kael stands nearby, watching. I begin the incantation.
"Silver moon, guard this hall"
Energy flows into the runes. The symbols ignite with pale light. Orion adds his own spell.
"Bind the frost, seal the gate."
The magic surges stronger. Then something goes wrong. The rune circle flickers.
"Lyra—stop!" Orion snaps.
Too late. The energy twists violently. Before the spell can explode, Kael steps forward and slams his gauntlet onto one of the runes.
"Reverse the fourth symbol," he says calmly.
I freeze.
"What?"
"The fourth symbol. Reverse it."
I don't question him. I flip the rune. The magic stabilizes instantly. The ward settles into a steady glow.
Silence fills the library.Orion stares at Kael.
"How did you know that enchantment?"
Kael steps back.
"I've seen similar wards."
I study him carefully. Those are ancient lunar runes. Almost no one knows them. Orion turns toward the archive shelves.
"If the wolves are growing stronger, there must be a reason."
He pulls out an old scroll.
"Help me search."
Hours pass quickly. Scroll after scroll spreads across the table. I translate symbols while Orion checks the histories.
Kael watches quietly. Then he reaches over and taps a line in the text.
"You missed something."
I lean closer. A symbol hidden between two faded marks. My eyes widen.
"That's… lunar script."
Orion frowns.
"Impossible."
I translate the line aloud.
"When the Blood Moon rises… the frozen curse awakens."
The room goes quiet. Orion rolls out another scroll.
"The Blood Moon prophecy," he mutters.
I scan the symbols quickly. Kael leans over my shoulder.
"That symbol means heart," he says.
"And this one?" I ask.
"Binding."
I translate the sentence again. My voice grows quiet.
"The Heart of the Moon binds the curse… and the one who carries it."
Orion looks sharply at Kael.
"You read lunar magic very easily for a wandering knight."
Kael doesn't answer. I study him.
"You've seen this before," I say.
His grey eyes meet mine. For a moment, neither of us speaks. Then Orion slams the scroll closed.
"The Blood Moon rises in seven nights."
He looks between us.
"And somehow… you two just deciphered a prophecy that has confused the High Council for decades."
I tighten my grip on the parchment. Kael's expression remains calm. But something in his eyes darkens.
Orion speaks again.
"Tell me something, Kael Draven."
His voice is cold.
"How does a wandering knight know the secrets of the Heart of the Moon?"