Chapter 2

For the next three days, the Elondrin Woods was a madhouse of celebration. 

The entire clan buzzed around Seren’s courtyard, hauling chests of elemental stones and ancient artifacts. My courtyard, the infamous Eclipse Valley, remained as dead and silent as a graveyard. 

In our Silverbranch elf clan, power was measured by Moon Heart Scales. One Scale made you a warrior. Three made you an elite. Nine was the mythical peak, a pureblood of legend. 

Because of the "Moon's Glory" prophecy, my parents poured every elixir and blessing into Seren. Yet, she only ever manifested a single, pathetic Scale. I, the cursed "Moon's Eclipse," was locked away in the dark. Beneath my plain clothes, nine flawless Moon Heart Scales pulsed in my chest. 

In my past life, my sister married the Light Falcon Lord, leaving me to the Wyrm Lord, Draven. 

Now, Seren had eagerly snatched my nightmare, thinking it was a throne. 

Let her go. I sneered.

On the morning of the wedding, the Holy Light Kingdom’s procession arrived. 

Golden chariots, armored griffins, and a carpet of glowing lunar runes that stretched for miles. The holy aura was so dense it made the elders of my clan tremble in awe. 

Seren’s abyssal carriage sat on the opposite side of the square, shrouded in gloomy black fog. 

Before she stepped in, Seren turned to me. Through her heavy black veil, I could feel her gloating smile. She mouthed the words: Have a good widowhood.

I smiled back, adjusting my silver bridal crown. Enjoy the monster's bed, sister.

The journey to the Holy Light Kingdom was a blur. By nightfall, I was sitting on the edge of a massive, cold bed in the Lord’s estate.

Suddenly, heavy, rapid footsteps echoed in the corridor. 

Bang.

The heavy oak doors were pushed open. 

A hand clad in a silver gauntlet reached out and swept the heavy veil from my head. 

I looked up, the air catching in my throat. 

Kaelen Lightfalcon. The Light Falcon Lord. 

He wasn't wearing wedding robes. He was clad in blood-red battle armor, his broadsword strapped to his back. His silver hair was tied back tightly, framing a face of devastating, sharp perfection. But it was his eyes that froze me. 

The man looking down at me had eyes filled with an inexplicable, aching gentleness. A strange jolt hit my chest. Why do I feel like I’ve known him my whole life?

"Elowen," his voice was a deep, clear spring, vibrating through the quiet room. "I am profoundly sorry. The Shadow Rift at the border has violently ruptured. I must deploy immediately."

He turned to leave. 

"Wait!" 

I didn't think. I just reached out and grabbed his armored wrist. 

He stopped, looking back at me in surprise. 

"If you go tonight, you will die," I said, my voice dead serious, staring straight into his eyes. "The Abyssal creatures are not breaking out; they are setting a trap. If you lead the vanguard, you will be ambushed. You will be forced to sacrifice your soul to seal the rift."

The room went dead silent. 

A bride cursing her husband with death on their wedding night? It was treason. 

But Kaelen didn't pull away. He didn't yell. His brows furrowed slightly, and he turned fully to face me. 

"Why do you say this?" he asked patiently, without a trace of anger. 

I couldn't tell him I had lived this day before. I couldn't explain the rebirth. I had to prove my worth right here, right now. 

I let go of his wrist and took a step back. I closed my eyes and tapped into the bloodline I had hidden for a century. 

The temperature in the room plummeted. Blinding, pure silver light burst from my chest, illuminating the stone walls like a second moon. 

One. Three. Seven. Nine.

Nine flawless, glowing Moon Heart Scales materialized in the air around me, humming with supreme, ancient magic. 

He knew the lore of the elves. He knew what nine Scales meant. 

"Take one," I commanded, reaching toward the Scale closest to my heart. "It holds enough pure life force to act as a substitute for your soul. When the trap springs, use it. It will save your life."

I dug my fingers into the edge of the magical Scale, ready to rip it from my soul. 

Smack.

A heavy hand clamped over mine, stopping me instantly. 

Kaelen’s eyes were dark, a storm of intense emotion swirling in them. "Do you have any idea what happens when you forcefully extract a core Scale?" his voice was suddenly hoarse. 

"I don't care," I said flatly. I knew exactly how it felt. I had endured it nine times in my past life. "Take it."

"No." His refusal was absolute. 

He gently pried my fingers away from my chest. Then, with supreme precision, he used his armored thumb to lightly scrape the very edge of one floating Scale. A tiny speck of glowing silver dust fell into his palm. 

He pressed his hand over his own heart, letting the dust absorb into his armor. 

"This is enough," Kaelen said softly, his eyes locking onto mine. "I protect the realm, Elowen. But I also protect my wife. I will never allow you to bleed to keep me alive. I will return to you. Unharmed."

Before I could argue, he reached into his belt and pulled out a heavy gold token, pressing it into my hand. 

"This commands the entire estate and the reserve knights. My people are now your people." He paused, his armored fingers lightly brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear. The touch was burning hot. 

"I had the rear courtyard remodeled before you arrived," he murmured, a faint, almost shy smile touching his lips. "I built a wooden cabin and planted a field of Silverbell flower. I hope... I hope this place can feel like your true home."

He gave me one last, deep look, then turned and strode out into the night. 

I stood frozen in the center of the room. The golden token slipped from my fingers, clattering loudly against the marble floor. 

A wooden cabin in the forest. Silverbell flowers.

My breathing turned ragged. I rushed to the balcony threw the heavy curtains aside, and looked down. 

There it was. Nestled in the center of the grand military fortress was a perfect replica of a rustic wooden cabin, surrounded by a glowing sea of blue Silverbell flowers. 

A sharp, sudden pain pierced my temples. Fragmented, hazy images flashed through my mind. 

The metallic scent of blood in the deep woods. The rustle of giant white feathers. A blurred silhouette making a promise in the dark...

I pressed a hand to my chest, my heart beating so fast it physically hurt. 

Why? Why would the supreme Light Falcon Lord build the exact cabin from my fragmented, forbidden dreams? And why did his eyes hold a gentleness that felt like it had crossed centuries to find me?