The journey to the First Temple began before dawn. Mist hung low over the valley as Kael and Elara rode through the northern pass, the path narrowing into rocky trails that wove between jagged cliffs and ancient pine. The Seer's words echoed in Elara's mind—Where the stars fall and the moon bleeds.
Neither of them knew what that truly meant, but Kael had a lead—an old map from the Shadowfang archives marked with a silver crescent deep in the mountains.
"You sure about this place?" Elara asked, pulling her cloak tighter as a cold wind swept across the ridge.
Kael glanced back at her. "It's our best chance. The temple hasn't been visited in over a century. Most think it's a myth."
"Like moonmates?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
He smirked faintly. "Touché."
They stopped briefly near a cave to rest the horses. Elara sat by the fire Kael had built, warming her hands. Her muscles still ached from training, and the night's cold bit through her clothing. Yet what consumed her most wasn't the weather—it was the vision the Seer had shown her. Kael, covered in her blood.
She hadn't told him.
Not yet.
Kael joined her with a blanket and sat close, the silence between them familiar, yet charged.
"You've been quiet since the Seer's," he said.
Elara hesitated. "She showed me something."
"What did you see?"
She looked into the fire. "You. Me. A blade… and blood. My blood."
Kael stiffened. "Elara…"
"I don't think it was a warning. I think it was a choice. Something we'll have to face together."
He nodded slowly, his jaw tight. "Whatever it is, I won't let it happen."
Elara turned to him, her voice softer. "It's not just about protecting me anymore. We need to protect each other."
They held each other's gaze, and in that moment, it didn't matter what dangers lay ahead. There was only the bond between them—unspoken, growing stronger with every heartbeat.
Far above, the clouds parted for a moment, revealing a streak of light—a falling star.
And miles away, in the dark, Vael watched the skies and whispered, "Let them come. The moon always bleeds before it dies."