DANCING WIT

eeper into the woods. The air shimmered around them with faint silver motes, like driftin

d into a wide clea

ts surface carved with symbols Lyria somehow recognized even though sh

. this looks like the

It hummed under her fin

e path of bo

nd nowhere. Aiden spun, drawing hi

" she said quietly.

forest wanted

as lit with soft silver lines th

decided they'd seen e

ly. "Why show us th

think it wants to scare us. I

ared

together," he said softly

iden... what if thi

face it t

before she could respond, the forest parted around them with a soft

hand. "Shall we se

d with a quiet,

o walked side by side

at Moonl

ved wooden lodge nestled among silver-leafed trees. It wasn't grand like

here. This place is... ancient.

open on its own, be

s circled a low table. Walls shimmered faintly with old m

"This looks like an old counci

r flame pulsed warmly, respond

s place?" sh

call it the Moonlight Lodge. A sanctua

ned. "Bet

met he

wolves an

art st

s chimed sharply outside-soft at first,

hose aren't warning bell

r w

"For a gathering.

?" Lyri

dn't

rest spirits-translucent, glowing with soft blue light-drifted into the clearing. T

rating," Aiden mu

wing a soft silver. Its voic

the Awakening

nd the Crow

d in

breath

, voice soft but ste

ised its tran

g lit with

lodic, inviting-be

ancien

da

"Aiden... I

oftly. "Nei

ut his ha

radition. Just...

t her ribs, urging her to

placed her

re the spirits circled silently, their lig

iden guided her carefully, letting her find her own rhythm. Lyria's h

royal

a ri

s though they'd done thi

down at her

red, "if this is what the proph

. "I don't want to b

h. You bring light. You bring... s

eath c

spond, a cold wind swep

sic sh

ed in a burst of fr

edge of t

fire i

d, her magic swirling, h

cracked li

oug

bbed Lyri

at Lyria, rage tre

ce with the C

awaken the

uch what bel

yria, sword drawn, voice ri

ongs to

a's magi

th as the first true battle