Chapter 3 Under the Moonlight

The campus gathering was buzzing with excitement, with students mixing, laughing, and talking. Rachel stood in the corner, attempting to blend in with the crowd. Her mind was racing as she looked at all the new faces. Everyone looked at Luka Solstice when he went onto the stage.

His presence was magnetic-confident, dominating, and unquestionably strong. Rachel couldn't move while he spoke. His voice was smooth and interesting, and every word drew the crowd in. But as they looked at each other from across the room, something passed between them-a wordless understanding. For a minute, the world seemed to stop.

"Ymir," Luka's voice broke through her thoughts as he got closer. "I've been wanting to talk to you."

She was hesitant but made herself grin. "Yes, I've been busy," she said, her voice steady but her heart racing.

Luka stepped closer, his eyes never leaving the other person. "I believe it's time for us to get to know each other better."

Rachel's heart raced as he kept looking at her. She didn't know if it was the power he had or something more personal, but she could feel the tension between them growing.

Luka's patience seemed to run out before she could answer. He moved nearer again, and now their faces were only a few inches apart. "Don't get the wrong idea about my patience," he whispered in a low, slow voice, his breath stroking across her skin.

Rachel could feel the heat of his words, and the pull between them got stronger, sharper, and more real. A deadly spark glowed in the air, ready to catch fire.

Luka and Rachel were in a standoff, and the air seemed to crackle. But just as the tension got too much, a voice that seemed familiar broke in.

Luka mumbled, "Mika," his body stiff.

Rachel turned to see Mika Solstice enter the scene. His black eyes looked at her with the same frightening intensity as Luka's. Mika's face was hard to read, but his body language was protective, even possessive.

Luka didn't move, but you could feel the tension between the two brothers. Mika looked back and forth between Luka and Rachel, and the air got thicker with unsaid words.

"Did you want something, Mika?" Luka's voice was short, but he kept looking at Rachel.

Mika didn't answer right away. Instead, he stared at Rachel, and a flicker of something-maybe interest or perhaps hunger-crossed his face.

"You're wasting your time," Mika remarked, his voice calm but with a hint of anger that Rachel couldn't quite put her finger on. "She's not like the rest."

Rachel's heart raced as the implicit challenge hung in the air. She felt stuck between the two of them since their different kinds of attention were pushing her in opposite directions.

Luka said, "Mika," in a low voice, but Mika moved closer to Rachel, making her feel like she was going to pass out.

"Touch her again, Luka," Mika hissed, his voice a warning. "You will regret it."

Rachel stood still between the twins, and her stomach started to hurt. There was definitely an attraction, but it was more than that. There was something else between them, something deep and strong, and she wasn't sure if she could trust it or them.

Mika's eyes stayed on hers, and even though his stare was warm, she couldn't remove the feeling that she was on the edge of something hazardous. Luka's intense look didn't help. She wanted to run or move, but her feet felt stuck to the earth.

"You two are..." She began, her voice shaking. But she didn't know how to end it. What was she supposed to say? That they were both so interesting and so dangerous?

Mika moved closer, his eyes black. "What are you afraid of, Rachel?" he enquired in a quiet but firm voice.

She had a hard time swallowing. "I'm not scared."

"Why are you shaking then?" Luka's voice was gentle, but you could tell he was having fun with it.

Rachel's eyes moved back and forth between the two brothers. She didn't know how to feel-afraid, wanting, or confused? It looked like they were all mixing together and swirling around in her chest. And then, at that moment of doubt, the visions started.

Darkness. Screams. Blood.

Rachel gasped and fell back. The past was coming up on her fast, ready to swallow her whole. She had to get away.

"I need to go," she said, her voice shaking.

But when she turned, the world seemed to shift. The shadows around her got darker, and she felt like she was being watched. There was something wrong. Something was drawing her back into the dark.

Rachel's breath came in short, quick bursts as she ran down the dark lane. Her footsteps echoed off the cold stone walls. The moonlight that came through the small crevices above made strange shadows on the ground. For now, she was free. But the threat was far from finished. The cult had a lot of power, and she could still feel their eyes on her.

She took a corner and her pulse raced as she hoped to get away from the chaos she had left behind. But when she saw something move out of the corner of her eye, the hair on the back of her neck sprang up.

A tall, scary figure stepped out of the darkness. Rachel stopped moving.

Gideon.

Just being there made her shiver. His black eyes were fixated on hers, and the chilly smile that stretched across his face made her stomach turn with fear. He wasn't a stranger. He reminded her of everything she had been trying to get away from.

"Rachel, you thought you could outrun us?" His speech was soft, like velvet over a knife. "You can't run forever."

Rachel stepped back, her heart thumping. She could feel the walls closing in on her and the weight of her past weighing down on her. The cult had found her. They had discovered her once more.

Gideon moved closer, keeping his eyes on hers the whole time. He was calm, too calm, and it made Rachel's skin crawl.

Rachel, you can't get away. Someone is going to find out who you really are.

The words hit her like a punch. What is her real name? What did he mean? She attempted to get rid of the terror, but it stuck to her like a second skin.

Gideon's footsteps got louder, and she knew that this time there was no way to get away.

Rachel fell back, her head spinning with terror and confusion. She heard Gideon's words over and again in her head, but she didn't have time to think about them. Before she could think, her body was already reacting. She turned on her heel and ran down the alley, pushing her legs faster even though her muscles were tired.

But the darkness was coming back.

Her heart raced, and the memories of what the cult had done to her family were heavy on her mind. She couldn't keep running.

When she reached another bend, she couldn't breathe. Another person stood there, in the shadows. Big. Covered. Known.

The same person in a mask who had chased her before.

Rachel's blood froze. She was surrounded and couldn't move. She was trying to figure everything out in her head. How did they find her so quickly?

The masked person got closer, and Rachel felt a shudder run through her body as they said.

"Rachel Bloodrose," the figure said in a deep, eerie voice. "The Luna."

Rachel felt like she had been slapped in the face when she heard the name. Bloodrose. Luna. Her name in real life. Her real name. She had tried to bury it and forget about it, but it was back, fighting its way to the surface.

Her legs shook, and she couldn't see clearly. She stopped moving, and her breath seized in her throat. The weight of her real name was like a black fog over her.

The voice said "Rachel Bloodrose" again, and this time it wasn't just a whisper. That was a command. "The Luna."