Darkness closed around them like a living thing.
Luna's feet hit stone hard, the impact knocking the breath from her lungs. She cried out, instinctively reaching for Kael. His hand found hers instantly, fingers locking tight, grounding her.
For a moment, there was nothing.
No light. No sound.
Then the ground beneath them pulsed.
A low, distant heartbeat echoed through the chamber.
Thump.
Thump.
Luna sucked in a sharp breath. "That's not… that's not the gate, is it?"
Kael slowly pushed himself to his feet, pulling her up with him. "No," he said grimly. "That's something alive."
Silver light flickered faintly from Luna's mark, just enough to reveal their surroundings.
They stood in a vast underground hall carved directly into black stone. Pillars shaped like twisted trees stretched upward, disappearing into shadow. Runes crawled along the walls, shifting and rearranging themselves as if reacting to Luna's presence.
And in the center of the chamber…
Chains.
Huge ones.
They stretched from the floor into the darkness above, each link etched with symbols that burned Luna's eyes when she looked at them too long.
"What is this place?" she whispered.
Kael's jaw tightened. "A prison."
The heartbeat grew louder.
With every pulse, the chains rattled softly.
Luna's chest ached. The silver mark burned, not with power, but with grief so sharp it almost brought her to her knees.
"She's here," Luna whispered.
Kael looked at her sharply. "Who?"
"The First Moonbound."
The air shifted.
A voice rose from the shadows, low and weary, yet impossibly strong.
"So… the child finally came."
Luna froze.
Slowly, light gathered at the far end of the chamber, revealing a figure bound in glowing restraints. A woman knelt there, long hair falling like silver shadows over her face. Her wrists were shackled, her ankles bound, her back bowed under centuries of weight.
She lifted her head.
Her eyes met Luna's.
The resemblance was undeniable.
"You look frightened," the First Moonbound said softly. "That means you still have a soul."
Tears streamed down Luna's face before she realized she was crying. "They did this to you."
"Yes," the woman replied. "And now they want to do it again. More cleverly this time."
Kael stepped forward, instinctively placing himself between Luna and the prisoner. "She's not here to replace you."
The First Moonbound's gaze slid to him, something like surprise flickering across her face. "An Alpha who walks beside instead of ahead," she murmured. "How rare."
Luna swallowed hard. "They tied my father's life to mine. They're using him as leverage."
The chains rattled violently.
Rage surged through the chamber, making the runes blaze bright.
"So they've fallen that far," the First Moonbound said, her voice darkening. "Good. That means they're afraid."
"How do I stop it?" Luna asked desperately. "How do I save him without becoming what they want?"
The First Moonbound studied her for a long moment.
"You already know the answer," she said quietly.
Luna shook her head. "No. I don't."
"Yes, you do," the woman insisted. "They built balance on control. You were never meant to be controlled."
The heartbeat suddenly sped up.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Kael stiffened. "Something's wrong."
The chains began to glow red-hot.
Cracks spread across the chamber floor.
"What's happening?" Luna cried.
The First Moonbound's expression shifted for the first time. Fear flickered in her eyes.
"They're triggering the failsafe," she said urgently. "If you stay, the prison collapses."
"And you?" Luna demanded.
The woman smiled sadly. "I was never meant to leave."
Luna's heart shattered. "No. I won't abandon you."
"You must," the First Moonbound said. "Because if you don't—"
A deafening roar cut her off.
The floor split open beneath the chains.
From the darkness below, something massive stirred.
A presence ancient and furious surged upward, shaking the entire chamber.
Kael pulled Luna back. "Whatever that is… it's not her."
The First Moonbound's voice rang out, sharp and desperate.
"They didn't just seal me here," she shouted. "They chained the Devourer beneath me!"
The ground exploded upward.
A clawed shadow tore through the stone, reaching for Luna and the silver mark on her chest flared brighter than it ever had.