Eclipsed Destiny

Celia floated in darkness.

There was no pain, no light, no sound-only the odd weightlessness of nothingness. It felt as though she'd been untethered from her body, floating in a void with no beginning and no end.

But slowly, voices began to reach her. Faint at first, like whispers carried on the wind. One voice rose above the others-strong, familiar, and desperate. Celia, come back to me." Aziel.

His voice was a pull on her, like the stitching of a thread that brought her back into herself. The weight of her body was returning, the thrumming of the blessing in her veins now nothing more than a smoldering ember. With a strangled gasp, Celia's eyes snapped open.

The world had been a blur at first, shapes and colors swimming before her vision finally settled. Aziel's face materialized before her, and his blue eyes were crisscrossed with the relief and exhaustion she had glimpsed in his voice. "You are awake," he breathed with a thick emotionless.

Celia tried to rise from bed but her body screamed in protest. "What. what happened?

Aziel helped her gently, steady hands guiding her to lean against him. "You saved us," he said. "But you pushed yourself too far. The blessing.it nearly consumed you.

Memories flooded back-of the blood moon, the rogue lieutenant, and the moment she unleashed the blessing's power. She shuddered, her fingers brushing over the mark on her arm. It still glowed faintly, but the light was weaker now, as though the blessing itself was recovering.

"And the rogues?" she asked softly.

Aziel's jaw clenched. "They're gone this time. The lieutenant retreated, but not before delivering a message." Celia looked up at him, her stomach twisting in dread. "What did he say?" Aziel hesitated, his gaze flicking toward the camp beyond. Wolves moved among the clearing, tending to the wounded and repairing what could be salvaged. The weight of the battle still hung heavy in the air.

"He said the blood moon was only the beginning," Aziel said finally. "And that something far worse is coming."

Celia's heart sank. She had felt it too-beneath the chaos and violence, there had been something more. A dark presence, waiting just beyond the edges of her understanding. "Luna," Aziel called softly.

The healer appeared a moment later, her face lined with concern as she knelt beside Celia. "You need rest," she said firmly, though her voice was gentle. "You nearly burned yourself out. Whatever the blessing did to you it's going to take time to recover."

"I don't have time," Celia murmured. "The rogues. the lieutenant. they'll be back.

Luna looked at Aziel, and something unsaid passed between them. "Then we'll make time," Aziel said firmly. "You're no good to us if you push yourself into an early grave.

Celia's mouth worked to protest, but exhaustion tugging at her limbs would not let her ignore it. Sinking back against Aziel was the best she could muster, her body shaking with effort. "Fine," she whispered. "But we need answers. We can't fight something we don't understand."

Aziel nodded, his eyes steady on hers. "Then we'll get answers."

---

Celia woke later that night into the soft glow of lantern light. The camp was quieter now and the chaos of the day replaced with a heavy stillness. She pushed herself up, wincing with body protest.

The mark on her arm was tingling faintly, as if in response to her thoughts. It had always been a part of her, a constant hum beneath her skin, but now it felt different-sharper, more aware. "Finally awake again?

She looked back to see Marcus standing at the entrance to the tent, his arms crossed over a chest as broad as the back of a wagon. Yet she could see relief in the eyes behind the faint smirk on his face. "I'm fine," she said, though the words sounded false even to her own ears.

Marcus snorted. "Sure, you are. You nearly lit up half the forest."

Celia smiled weakly, but the full impact of what had occurred sank heavily into her chest. "Where's Aziel?"

Marcus nodded his head toward the edge of the clearing. "He's waiting for you. Said something about answers."

Celia's pulse ran a little faster. "Answers?"

"Don't look at me," Marcus said, holding up his hands. "I just work here.

Ignoring the protest of her aching muscles, Celia slipped out of the tent and into the cool night air. The camp was bathed in moonlight now, the blood-red hue of earlier gone. Wolves moved quietly among the shadows, their voices low as they attended to their duties.

She spotted Aziel near the tree line, his silhouette against the glow of a small fire. He turned toward her as she approached; the expression on his face relaxed into a softer one when he saw her.

"You should be resting," he said.

"I'll rest when we figure out what's going on," Celia said, her voice firm. She stopped a few feet away, her gaze meeting his. "You said something about answers.

Aziel nodded, his face grave. "After the battle, we found something," he said. "Or rather, the blessing led me to it."

He gestured for her to follow, and Celia's mark flared faintly as they made their way deeper into the forest. The trees closed in around them, the air growing colder with every step. Finally, they reached a small clearing, and Celia's breath caught. In the center of the clearing, an ancient stone shrine stood, surface cracked and weathered with time. Faint runes etched across its surface pulsed with the same light Celia's mark did.

"What is this?" she whispered, stepping closer.

"The truth," Aziel said softly.

Celia knelt beside the shrine, her fingers brushing over the glowing runes. The moment she touched them, the blessing within her flared to life, and the runes blazed brighter. Images flashed in her mind-visions of an ancient war, of darkness consuming the land, and a great power that rose to fight it.

The blessing wasn't a gift at all. It was a weapon, and one created to balance the light and the shadows. And the balance was breaking.

Celia gasped, pulling back her hand as the light dimmed. She gazed up at Aziel. Her chest heaved. "The blessing. it's meant to stop what's coming. But it's also tied to it."

Aziel's face grew dark. "What do you mean?Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

Celia swallowed hard, the weight of the revelation pressing down on her. "If I use it, I can stop them. But if I lose control. I'll unleash something worse."

Aziel knelt beside her, his hands closing over hers. "Then we won't let that happen," he said, his voice steady. "You're not alone in this, Celia. Whatever comes, we'll face it together. Celia looked at him, the bond between them pulsing like a heartbeat. The truth was out now, and the path ahead was clear-but it was also terrifying.

The rogue lieutenant had been right about one thing. This was only the beginning.

1---

The runes on the shrine flared again, and a low rumble echoed through the forest. Celia's mark burned hotter, the light spilling across her skin.

"The shadows are already moving," she whispered, her voice trembling. "They're coming."

Aziel stood, his expression fierce as he drew his sword. "Then we'll be ready."