Page 139 of Moonlit Fate

Mia pressed her trembling hands against the wound, and the throbbing intensified, making me waver on the edge of unconsciousness. Ilaric stood beside her, his hands resting firmly on her shoulders. In the past, when Mia healed injuries in this manner, she’d stay in one position for a long time, a subtle heat emanating from her hands that resulted in partial closure of the wound.

With Ilaric’s boost, a surge of intense heat came through Mia’s hands, fleeting yet powerful. When I glanced down, the deep gash had vanished, leaving only a lingering ache and dried blood on my skin. Curiously, I gently probed the area on my side. There was a twinge of discomfort as the muscles underneath reacted, although it was nowhere near as intense as before. I was exhausted, and every blink felt like a battle to stay awake.

“Thank you,” I said, my voice raspy.

“Your gift,” Aria said softly. “It’s not just about enhancing magic. It amplifies who you are... Your wisdom, your kindness, your gentleness.”

Ilaric looked at her, a watery sheen in his eyes. “I... hadn’t thought of it that way.”

“Is there anything else he’s now become extraordinary at?” Joren chimed in, a hint of lewd humor in his tone.

Before anyone could answer, I caught a shift in Aria’s energy, a spike of panic. I turned to see her face had gone white.

“Mia!” I shouted.

Aria’s eyes rolled back in her head, and she crumpled to the floor, her body limp and lifeless.

Mia was beside her in an instant, her capable hands swiftly moving over Aria’s body, searching for any injuries.

“Is she...” I couldn’t finish the sentence.

“No. She just succumbed to the exhaustion of using up her power,” Mia explained in a calm but urgent voice. “Ilaric and I will handle this.” She pointed at me. “Youstay put.”

I tried to sit up, biting back the pain that flared in my side. “I need to...”

“You need to stay down!” Mia hissed. “You’re no help to her if you push yourself too fast.”

“But she needs?—”

“Atticus,” she snapped, “you’d only be in the way. Lie back.”

Gritting my teeth, I sank back onto the sofa, the protest dying in my throat.

“Put her next to me,” I said after a moment, voice firm despite the pain. “Our bond does something when we’re close.”

Mia raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips as she regarded me, then nodded at Ilaric. They gently picked Aria up and settled her beside me.

“See?” I said. Our markings shimmered faintly, like embers coming to life.

“Interesting,” Mia murmured.

Aria’s body warmed next to mine and her breathing evened out. She stirred, nuzzling closer to me, instinctively seeking the comfort of our connection.

Every muscle in my body relaxed as I felt her steady presence once again.

My heavy eyelids slid shut as a restless sleep yanked me back in time to my childhood.

I was ten years old again, a small, scared child. Shadows clung to corners of my bedroom, their whispers offering comfort. They were my allies, my shroud when my father prowled around the house. Tonight, his boots thumped an ominous rhythm that matched my racing heart. That sound was the prelude to a night of fear.

“Atticus. Come out, come out wherever you are,” he sang with mock warmth. “Where are you, boy?”

I didn’t answer, just edged backward into my room. The door creaked as I closed it softly behind me. I knew better than to think hiding would save me, but old habits die hard. Beneath my father’s enthusiastic mask, there simmered a mixture of anger, disappointment, and a warped notion of what it meant to be a parent.

“Come on, son. Don’t you want to play?” His voice rose, a crescendo of false cheer.

I pressed my back against the wall, willing myself to melt into the shadows, to become unseen, untouchable. His footsteps neared, each step a heavy thud in the terrifying silence.

I slipped into the closet, the darkest place I could find. No windows, no light, just me and the shadows. Here, they seemed alive, wrapping around me like a second skin. It was strange how they responded to even the smallest flicker of my thoughts. I despised and appreciated them in equal measures. The shadows were what made me different and caused my father to hate me so intensely, but in moments like these, they were my only solace.When something or someone threatened me, they acted as a shield.

---