The ground split open with a sound like the world tearing itself apart.
The stone cracked. Ancient runes flared to life beneath Luna's feet, silver light racing through the fissure like veins. Kael pulled her back just as the earth dropped away where she had been standing.
From the chasm rose cold air, heavy with old magic and grief.
Maeven staggered back a step, her calm finally breaking. "That was not supposed to happen."
Rhea swore under her breath. "You woke it."
Luna's heart slammed against her ribs. The vision of her father's face still burned behind her eyes. Pale. Weak. Alive. For now.
"Tell me where he is," Luna said, her voice shaking but loud enough to cut through the chaos.
Maeven regained her composure quickly. Too quickly. "You already know," she said. "The old balance chambers. Beneath the council city."
Kael's eyes went wide. "That place is sealed."
"It was," Maeven corrected. "Until you refused."
The chasm widened, revealing stone steps spiraling downward into darkness. Symbols Luna recognized from her visions glowed along the walls.
The ruins were not just ruins.
They were a gate.
"You used him as an anchor," Luna whispered. "You tied his life to mine."
Maeven did not deny it. "The Moonbound needs a tether. Last time, it was the land itself."
Rhea's voice was sharp. "And this time?"
Maeven's gaze locked onto Luna. "Blood."
Rage surged through Luna, hot and blinding. The silver mark flared violently, the ground trembling in response.
Kael grabbed her shoulders. "Luna. Breathe. This is what they want."
She sucked in a shaky breath, forcing the power down. The ruins responded, settling into a low hum instead of an earthquake.
Maeven watched closely. Calculating. "You see? Even now, you struggle to control it."
"You taught her fear, not control," Rhea snapped.
Maeven ignored her. "Time is short, Moonbound. Your father's heart will not withstand the strain for long."
Luna's nails dug into her palms. "If I go with you, you release him."
Maeven smiled faintly. "If you submit, the bond stabilizes."
"That's not what I said," Luna replied.
The councilor tilted her head. "You don't have leverage."
Luna looked at the chasm, then at the ruins, then at Kael.
"I do," she said quietly.
Kael stiffened. "No."
"I'm not submitting," Luna continued. "I'm going down there."
Rhea turned sharply. "Luna, that gate hasn't been opened in centuries."
"I know," Luna said. "That's why the answer is there."
Maeven's eyes narrowed. "You won't survive the descent."
"Neither did she," Luna replied, thinking of the First Moonbound. "But she endured."
The ground pulsed once, as if agreeing.
Kael stepped in front of her. "If you go, you don't go alone."
Maeven laughed softly. "Touch the gate, Alpha, and it will tear you apart."
Luna met Kael's gaze. "You trust me?"
He did not hesitate. "With my life."
Something ancient shifted.
The runes along the chasm brightened, rearranging themselves. The pressure in the air eased slightly.
Maeven's smile vanished. "That's impossible."
Luna reached for Kael's hand. "The gate isn't rejecting him."
Rhea's eyes widened. "Because he's not trying to control it."
Maeven stepped back. "Stop this. You don't understand what's below."
"I understand enough," Luna said. "You buried the truth down there because it threatened your power."
The silver light surged, forming a bridge of stone over the chasm.
Kael squeezed Luna's hand. "Once we step on that, there's no turning back."
Luna swallowed hard. "My father doesn't have time for hesitation."
Maeven's voice turned sharp. "If you cross that threshold, the council will declare you an enemy of balance."
Luna looked back at her, eyes blazing with tears and resolve. "Then balance needs a new definition."
She stepped onto the stone bridge.
The ruins roared to life.
The bridge began to crumble behind them.
Rhea shouted, "Luna!"
Luna turned just in time to see the gate snapping shut, sealing the surface world away.
Darkness swallowed her and Kael as they descended into the ancient depths.
And deep below, something old and awake opened its eyes.