In the throne room, I stood with my mother, Queen Elisa Loveheart, reigning monarch of the Queendom of Elyria. She stood at five feet six inches, her figure graceful and commanding. Cascading waves of silver hair framed her face, and her icy-blue eyes shimmered with otherworldly light. Her sun-kissed skin bore the hue of a seasoned traveler, touched by magic and the elements alike.
I, on the other hand, stand at six feet two inches, with flowing silver hair that cascades in waves, a single fiery red strand woven through its length. My eyes shimmer with the chill of icy blue, and my skin bears the sun-kissed hue of a desert warrior. Beside me stands my twin sister, Tina, a reflection of myself shaped by magic and moonlight. Her long, silver hair cascades down her back like liquid starlight, shimmering with every movement. Her eyes, icy-blue and piercing, hold the stillness of ancient winters and secrets whispered by spirits. Her skin, kissed by the sun yet untouched by time, glows with a quiet power.
I never understood why a single strand of fiery red shimmered in my hair while my twin, Tina, bore none. It wasn't dyed, nor born of chance—it pulsed faintly, like a living ember woven into silver. Mother said it was a mark, an ancient sign passed down through forgotten bloodlines. The Elders called it the Flameweaver Thread, a rare gift once thought extinct—said to awaken in only one soul each age. While Tina and I share the same face, the same heartbeat, that single thread sets me apart. It thrums with dormant fire, waiting to be called upon. They say the one who bears it can summon flame not just from wood or stone, but from memory, from song, even from pain. And though I do not yet know how to wield it, I feel it stirring… like something inside me is about to awaken.
The realm rejoiced, for today marked the forging of a sacred alliance between the graceful Butterfly Court, the ancient Elven Court, and the swift Hummingbird Court—an unbreakable bond that promised peace and power across the enchanted lands. Lanterns woven from glowing petals floated gently through the air, casting a kaleidoscope of colors over the gathered crowds. Melodies of crystal flutes and whispered spells mingled with the rustle of enchanted wings, while emissaries draped in silks of starlight exchanged vows sealed by magic older than memory. This alliance was more than politics—it was a weaving of destinies, a pact to defend their realms from the creeping shadows beyond the Veil, and a beacon of hope for all creatures who dwelled beneath the eternal twilight.
The grand hall pulsed with enchantment, its vaulted ceilings shimmering with floating lanterns that danced to the rhythm of celebration. Music filled the air — a melody woven with magic — as nobles and common folk alike clapped and laughed in harmony. Yet, amidst the joy, a strange heaviness settled over me.
At first, it was a flicker — a whisper of unease curling in the back of my mind. Then came the dizziness, sudden and overwhelming, like the ground itself had turned against me. My vision warped; the crowd blurred into a swirl of colors. Lightheaded, I gripped the edge of a marble pillar for balance, but the world continued to spin.
Then everything fell silent.
A radiant light burst before me, blinding and divine. Time seemed to stop. From the brilliance, a figure emerged — cloaked in robes of starlight, eyes glowing with the wisdom of ancient realms. The voice that followed was not spoken aloud, yet it echoed in my soul like thunder across the mountains.
"Listen to me, child of fate," it intoned, its voice as old as the stars. "Darkness stirs among those you trust. An arrow, forged in betrayal, will strike — aimed not by a stranger, but by one who stands among you."
My heart pounded as the vision shattered like glass. Sound rushed back into my ears — the music, the laughter, the stomping feet. But something had changed. The air felt colder. Time felt thinner.
And then I saw it.
A shimmer — barely visible, like moonlight on water — slicing through the air with deadly intent. It moved faster than thought, silent as breath... and it was heading straight for my mother.
I screamed her name, but the words caught in my throat. My legs moved on instinct. I didn't know if I could reach her in time. I only knew that the prophecy had already begun.
Time slowed.
My boots scraped against the polished stone floor as I lunged forward, arms outstretched, willing my legs to move faster than they ever had. The shimmer — now fully revealed as an arrow tipped with gleaming silver — tore through the air like a wraith. It hummed with energy, its shaft etched with glowing runes that pulsed with malevolence.
"Mother!" I cried, my voice raw.
She stood at the center of the gathering, unaware — laughing, her face lit with joy, the music of the flutes swirling around her like a charm. She didn't see the danger. None of them did.
Then, something ancient stirred within me — as if the vision had awoken something buried deep in my blood. My fingertips tangled with heat. The air around me warped, a crackle of unseen power responding to my panic and fear. It surged up through my spine like a rising flame.
The arrow was only feet from her heart.
I thrust my hand forward — and the world obeyed.
A shield of translucent light erupted between my mother and the incoming bolt, humming with a tone I'd never heard but somehow understood. The arrow struck the barrier with a sound like shattering crystal, deflecting off and spinning to the floor. It hissed as it landed, its runes dimming, defeated.
Gasps rippled through the room. The music stopped. All eyes turned to me — to the fallen arrow, to the shield that shimmered for a heartbeat longer before vanishing into mist.
And then… the panic began.
Cries of confusion and fear echoed through the hall. Guards rushed in. My mother, pale and wide-eyed, looked at me as if seeing me for the first time.
"Who did this?" barked Captain Elric, the High Guard, drawing his blade. "Who loosed a cursed arrow in the King's hall?"
But I wasn't listening. My eyes swept the crowd, searching for anyone who didn't seem surprised… anyone who didn't look afraid.
Then I saw him.
A figure cloaked in deep crimson, near the edge of the chamber — still, silent, staring directly at me. His eyes glowed faintly beneath his hood. He raised one gloved hand… and pointed at me.
The voice from the vision returned, softer now, but urgent:
"The traitor knows you've seen. You are no longer the observer. You are the hunted."
The shield had vanished, but its warmth still lingered in my hands. My skin prickled, as though touched by static from some unseen storm. I flexed my fingers — sparks danced along my palms, faint and silvery, then faded.
What was that?
"Luna," my mother whispered, stepping toward me with caution in her eyes — not fear, but awe. "Where did you learn to do that?"
"I didn't," I said, breathless. "It just… happened."
Captain Elric approached warily, eyeing me like a sword he wasn't sure how to hold. "That wasn't common magic. I've seen wards, shields, barriers — but nothing like this. That was old power. Ancient."
The crowd murmured.
But my focus was elsewhere. Deep inside, something had been unlocked. I could feel it — a second heartbeat thrumming beneath my own, older and wilder. Memories not mine flickered through my mind: runes I couldn't read but somehow understood, landscapes that shimmered with starlight, voices speaking in languages that had not been heard in a thousand years.
A name surfaced in my thoughts, unbidden:
"The Aetherborn."
I didn't know what it meant, but the word resonated through me like a chord struck on a harp. A sudden image flashed behind my eyes — a circle of figures cloaked in moonlight, standing around a crystal pool that reflected the stars, whispering:
"She is one of us. A daughter of the old blood. The Line of Eluna stirs again."
Then — a flare of pain behind my eyes. I staggered.
"Luna!" my mother caught me.
And just as suddenly, I was pulled within — into a vision that wasn't a vision, but something deeper. A place between realms. The floor beneath me turned to mist. Stars wheeled overhead. And there, at the center of it all, stood a woman made of light, her hair a river of galaxies, her eyes like twin moons.
"You have awakened the First Gift," she said. Her voice echoed across eternity. "But the path ahead will demand more. Much more."
I tried to speak, to ask who she was, but she raised a hand.
"Three gifts lie within you, Luna. You have unlocked only the shield — the Aetherguard. It is the first of your birthright, born of the Moonblood. Two more remain: the Sight, and the Calling."
"Why now?" I asked. "Why me?"
She stepped forward and touched my brow.
"Because darkness rises again. The arrow was only the beginning. You are not just a daughter. You are the Key."
Then — reality rushed back.
I collapsed into my mother's arms, gasping. The guards were shouting again. The cloaked figure was gone.
But I had changed.
The magic within me was no longer asleep. And for the first time in my life…
…I could feel the moon watching me.