Chapter 10 The Return of the Dead

The air was thick with the stench of blood and burnt sage. The clearing where the Blood Moon ritual had been ambushed now lay scattered with bodies,some writhing in pain, others forever still. The sky bled crimson, the moon hanging like a cursed eye above them, watching as the earth below drowned in carnage.

Aria stumbled through the blood-soaked grass, her hands trembling as she pressed them against a gash on Kade's side. His face, pale and slick with sweat, contorted in pain, yet his grip on her wrist remained unyielding.

"I won't let you stay," he growled, blood bubbling at the corner of his lips.

"You're not exactly in a position to argue," Aria shot back, biting down her terror. Her hands began to glow faintly, a shimmering silver mist wrapping around his wound. She felt a surge,not the quiet magic she'd used her whole life, but something raw, ancient, and consuming.

Kade's sharp intake of breath was laced with both pain and awe. "What... are you?"

Before she could answer, a distant howl echoed through the forest. It wasn't a call of triumph or challenge,but of warning.

Riven appeared, bloodied and breathless, his sword dragging at his side. "They're regrouping," he spat. "Draven's men... and Elara... they're not done yet."

Aria's stomach twisted. "We have to move him."

"I can buy you time," Riven said grimly, already turning away.

"No," Kade coughed. "Leave me. Protect the others."

Aria felt a flare of stubborn defiance. "I'm not leaving you to die, Alpha."

In that moment, something stirred within the shadows of the clearing. The wind shifted, carrying with it the scent of lavender and old earth. The silver mist around Aria's hands flared, as if drawn toward the unseen presence.

A voice, soft yet commanding, cut through the chaos. "Child... it is time."

Aria's head snapped up. A figure stepped from the mist,a woman, tall and ageless, her long white hair falling to her waist like a river of moonlight. Her eyes, a piercing silver, seemed to see through flesh and bone to the soul beneath.

"Elder Sira," Aria whispered, recognition striking her like lightning.

Riven froze mid-step. Even Kade, battered and fevered, looked up in disbelief.

The elder approached, her bare feet leaving no imprint upon the bloodied ground. Around her, the earth seemed to breathe, flowers blooming and wilting in the span of a heartbeat.

"I knew you'd come," Aria choked.

"You are the last of my line," Sira said, her voice a gentle storm. "And tonight... your blood awakens."

Aria swallowed hard. "Why now? Why like this?"

Sira knelt beside Kade, placing a hand over his heart. The silver mist danced between them, and his breathing eased, color seeping back into his lips.

"For centuries, our bloodline was bound to the Moon Goddess," Sira began. "Your great-grandmother forged a pact,one of peace and protection. In exchange, the blood of our line would carry the goddess's blessing... and her curse."

Aria's chest tightened. "The curse."

"A betrayal broke the pact," Sira said, her eyes darkening. "Your parents... murdered by those who feared what you would become. The war you see now is but the echo of that treachery. Draven Corven was part of it."

Kade let out a low, ragged growl. "I'll kill him."

"You will try," Sira said gravely. "But this battle is no longer fought with steel alone. It belongs to the old ways now."

Aria felt a strange calm settle over her. The weight of loss, of years spent hiding, of watching innocents suffer,all coalesced into a singular, burning purpose.

"What must I do?" she asked.

Sira smiled faintly. "Awaken the blood. Accept what you are. Only then can you break the chains placed upon your kind."

A sudden tremor shook the ground. From the far end of the clearing, figures emerged,Draven's loyalists, bloodied but unbroken. At their front, Draven himself, his obsidian armor catching the blood-red light.

"Fitting," he sneered. "A relic of a dead age. And you, girl... you should've stayed in the shadows."

Aria stepped forward, the silver mist thickening around her. "Your reign ends tonight, Corven."

He laughed. "And who will stop me? You?"

Behind him, Elara appeared, her face a mask of hate. "Kill them all," she commanded.

Sira straightened. "No, child. Not alone. Call them."

Aria hesitated. "Call who?"

The elder pointed to the moon. "Those bound by blood and promise. The dead who yet walk."

Understanding dawned. Aria raised her hands, her voice rising in an ancient tongue she'd only ever heard in half-remembered lullabies.

The air shivered. A chorus of howls answered from beyond the trees.

Shapes moved within the mist,translucent figures, wolves and warriors alike, their eyes glowing silver. Spirits of the fallen, the ones long buried beneath the Blackmoor earth. Among them, a tall man with Aria's eyes and her father's features.

"Father," she whispered.

He nodded once, proud and silent.

The spirits surged forward, clashing with Draven's forces. Ghostly fangs met steel, and men screamed as their weapons passed harmlessly through ethereal bodies, only for cold, dead hands to rip the breath from their lungs.

Draven bellowed in fury. "You meddling witch!"

He charged, sword raised, but Aria stepped to meet him. Her hands glowed, weaving sigils in the air. Their blades clashed,not steel against steel, but fury against fate.

The battle raged around them. Kade, bolstered by Sira's touch, rose to join the fight, cutting down enemies with savage precision. Riven and the remaining loyal warriors formed a shield around the ritual site.

Aria fought like a storm given flesh. Every movement channeled the Moon Goddess's blessing. Draven's strikes slowed, weighed down by the rising tide of spirits and silver light.

"You cannot win," Aria told him, their blades locked.

"I already have," Draven snarled. "You can't hold this power forever."

"I don't need to," she said softly. "I just need to end you."

With a final, whispered invocation, the mist thickened, engulfing them both. When it cleared, Draven lay unconscious at her feet, tendrils of silver binding him.

Around them, the remaining traitors fled or fell.

The spirits began to fade, offering silent nods before vanishing into mist. Aria's father lingered a moment longer, placing a ghostly hand to her cheek.

"I'm proud of you," his voice was a memory and a promise. "Protect them."

Then he too was gone.

The clearing grew quiet. The blood moon still hung above, but its oppressive weight had lessened.

Kade approached, his face haggard but resolute. "You... saved us."

Aria met his gaze, her power receding. "Not me alone."

Sira, now faded into mist herself, left only her voice. "The past is never truly gone. And neither are we."

Aria turned to Kade, exhaustion and grief washing over her. "It's not over."

"No," he agreed, pulling her into a weary embrace. "But we're still standing."

For tonight, it was enough.