Page 135 of Moonlit Fate

With my eyes closed, I stepped into the rain. The cool droplets caressed my skin, their individual rhythms connecting to the inherent power flowing through my veins. It was a slow dance at first, a gentle pull that brought unexpected relief. The water responded, and I rejoiced in the harmony—the balance—as I used more and more of the magic.

“See? You can do this,” Ilaric encouraged, but he faltered as I drew in yet more power.

The rain obeyed my command, swirling into a vortex around me. It was exhilarating, the raw surge of might flowing through me, begging to be unleashed. I couldn’t help but smile. This felt good. Almost too good. The rain danced and twirled around me. The more power I used, the more it dampened the electrifying surge of power that had filled my being.

Ilaric’s expression shifted from supportive to worried. He stepped forward, his hand outstretched, then pulled back. He knew better than to interrupt when the elements were at play.

“Easy. Don’t push too hard,” he warned, but it was too late.

The sky answered my call, the winds howling their allegiance to me as I let go, releasing more of the pent-up magic. The world became a haze of motion, lightning cracking the sky open above us. My heart pounded, thunderous, matching the chaos I’d unleashed.

The air crackled with a wild current I couldn’t seem to cage. Thunder boomed, sending a rush through my veins. It was intoxicating, a liberation from the confines of my mind. I was untethered, boundless. No worries or fears, only me and the rain becoming one. But then Ilaric’s voice rose over the roar.

“Aria, stop! This is getting out of hand! I need to get clear! I’m… worse… don’t…” I couldn’t make out his shouts above the deluge of rain.

His words stung sharper than the lashing rain. I never meant to frighten him, to become something to flee from. How had it come to this? Desperation clawed at me, and I begged for the control I’d long since lost grasp of.

“Go!” I shouted over the tempest. “I don’t want to hurt you!”

He nodded, his face a mask of worry, before he turned and sprinted away. The sight of his retreating back tightened something in my chest—a reminder of the pain I seemed to inflict on the ones I loved most. Then I was alone with the fury of the storm of my own making, and no fucking clue how to stop it.

It was too much, all-consuming, and the ground trembled in agreement. With a sudden burst of energy, lightning forked down from the dark sky, searing the earth.

That’s when I heard it, a melody against the storm’s discordance—Atticus’s whistle.

I lifted my gaze and there he was, struggling against the wind, reaching out to me.

No, not him, too.

I shook my head fiercely, panic surging.

“Go back!” I screamed, but the thunder swallowed my words. “Don’t come closer!”

My heart hammered, terror-laden, as another bolt slashed the sky, illuminating the determination on his face. I didn’t want him here, not in the middle of this. I couldn’t bear the thought of harming him, yet he kept coming, undeterred by the danger.

“Stay away!” I gestured, but he kept marching closer, his arm outstretched against the vicious wind.

The distance between us vanished as he covered the ground with resolute strides. Suddenly he was there, holding me close, his warmth spreading through my body, seeping into my bones. Then everything went black.

Darkness engulfed me, shadows dancing around me like specters. Something sharp tugged inside me, pulling at my very core. I fought against it, waging a battle between the power I’d summoned and the reality I may have shattered.

“Did I hurt anyone?” The words were lost in the void. Was it over? Had I killed myself and taken everyone with me? Panic surged. That couldn’t be right. I could still feel Atticus’s embrace, steady and warm, but he shouldn’t be here, not in the eye of my hurricane.

“Let go,” I pleaded, pushing against him with all the strength I had left. “Save yourself from this. From me.”

But he was unyielding, my anchor in the swirling dark.

“Please.” My voice broke, but he remained, a lighthouse amid the torrential sea, guiding me back from the edge of the abyss.

The darkness flickered away like a snuffed candle, and my eyes snapped open. We were in the rogue forest, the river’s scent heavy in the air, its rushing sound mingling with the howlingwind. I was the storm, uncontainable, raw power coursing through me, wild as the gale tearing leaves from their branches.

“Free,” I gasped, the word ripped away by the tempest. For once, it was all me, no strings, no control but mine. But flashes of Seren’s smile and Ilaric’s defiance intruded, reminders of bonds that still tethered me to a world I feared I was tearing apart.

“Atticus,” I choked out, his name a lifeline. His arms were around me, real and solid, yet he should have been running, escaping the destruction I’d become.

“Stop!” I tried to shout over the roar, but it was useless. He wouldn’t hear me, couldn’t hear me. The water from the river danced in a frenzy, snaking around us, obscuring the ground. Trees bent and snapped, their roots no match for the fury of my power.

“Please,” I begged as lightning split the sky, each strike a thunderous heartbeat. Atticus clung to me, a silent promise that he wouldn’t let go, even as the earth trembled under my assault.

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