Aurora barely slept that night. The haunting whisper of Zayne's words lingered in her mind like a storm cloud—when the blood moon rises, everything changes. What did he mean by that? Was she really the key to breaking the curse? Or was she simply another pawn in a game she didn't fully understand?
She paced in her room, her thoughts a chaotic mess. Her powers, the ones she had spent her whole life trying to suppress, were starting to feel uncontrollable. The energy pulsing beneath her skin was raw, unrelenting. The more she thought about Zayne, the more it seemed like her very existence was bound to him. But was it love… or something darker?
The world outside her window was still, quiet. It was almost as if it too was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. She could feel the change in the air, something thick and heavy, like the calm before a storm.
Aurora's phone buzzed, snapping her out of her thoughts. The message on the screen was simple—Meet me at the old chapel. Midnight. It was Zayne.
Her heart skipped a beat. The chapel. It had always been a place of mystery, a crumbling relic tucked away in the outskirts of the city. But why there? And why midnight?
Aurora didn't hesitate. She grabbed her coat, slipping it on over her clothes, and made her way out into the night. The streets were empty, the chill of the evening biting at her skin. Her breath fogged in the air as she walked, her mind a swirl of questions.
The chapel was only a short walk from her flat, but it felt like an eternity as she approached the looming structure. The moon hung high above, casting an eerie glow over the stone walls. The chapel, though abandoned for years, still stood with a quiet, haunting presence.
She pushed open the heavy wooden doors, which creaked in protest as she entered. The inside was dimly lit, only the faintest glimmer of moonlight filtering through the stained glass windows. The air smelled musty, thick with the scent of old wood and dust. But there, standing in the center of the room, was Zayne.
His back was to her, his broad shoulders tense, his posture rigid. He hadn't heard her come in, and for a moment, Aurora just watched him. The way the moonlight seemed to accentuate the hard lines of his face, the way his presence filled the space with an undeniable force.
"Zayne?" she called softly, breaking the silence.
He turned slowly, his eyes locking onto hers. The expression on his face was unreadable, but there was something there—something dark and heavy. "You came," he said, his voice low, almost reluctant.
Aurora stepped forward, her heart pounding in her chest. "What's going on? Why here? Why midnight?"
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he walked toward her, his movements slow, deliberate. "The blood moon is closer than I thought," he said, his eyes never leaving hers. "I can feel it… in the air. In you."
Aurora's pulse quickened, her breath catching in her throat. "What do you mean? What happens when the blood moon rises?"
Zayne stopped just in front of her, so close she could feel the heat radiating off his body. "It's the final trigger," he explained, his gaze intense. "When the blood moon rises, everything we've been fighting will be brought to the surface. The curse, your powers, the connection between us—it will all be laid bare."
Aurora swallowed hard, her mind racing. "And if we don't stop it?"
"If we don't stop it," Zayne's voice was a harsh whisper, "the curse will consume us. All of us. The power inside you… it's too much to control."
His words hit her like a punch to the gut. She had been hoping, praying, that there was some way to control it, to push it down. But Zayne was right. The power inside her was like a wildfire—unstoppable, destructive.
She reached out, her hand trembling slightly as it touched his arm. "How do we stop it?"
Zayne's eyes darkened, a flicker of something dangerous crossing his face. "We don't. Not completely. The curse is too powerful. But together… we might be able to hold it at bay."
Aurora stared up at him, searching his eyes for some sign of hope. But all she saw was the same desperation that echoed in her own chest. They were running out of time.
And then, something unexpected happened. His hand reached up, gently cupping her face, his thumb brushing her cheek in a tender gesture. "Aurora, you have to understand… this is more than just a curse. It's a test. A test of will, of love, of strength. The curse is only as powerful as we allow it to be."
"But how can we control it if it's feeding on us?" she whispered, her voice breaking. "How can we fight something that's already inside of me?"
"You don't fight it, Aurora," Zayne said softly, his voice low but certain. "You embrace it. You let it take hold of you, but you don't let it define you. That's the key."
Aurora's breath hitched in her throat. Embrace it? It sounded impossible. But Zayne's eyes—dark, intense—told her that he believed it. He believed in her.
But did she believe in herself?
The silence between them stretched on, filled with unspoken tension. And then, without thinking, Aurora stepped closer, her body responding to him instinctively. She reached up, her fingers brushing his jaw, and before she knew it, their lips met in a kiss that was fierce, desperate, and full of unspoken promises.
It wasn't gentle. It wasn't slow. It was as if they were both trying to prove something—trying to defy the curse, trying to hold on to whatever humanity they had left.
When they finally pulled away, Zayne's breath was shallow, his chest rising and falling rapidly. "The blood moon is almost here," he said again, his voice heavy with urgency. "We don't have much time."
Aurora nodded, her heart racing. She didn't know what was coming, but she knew one thing for certain—whatever happened next, they would face it together.
End of Chapter 15