My lips were dry. My throat, sandpaper. "Where...?" Where was Lucas? That was what I wanted to say but changed my mind.
"You’re safe," Kieran said softly, his hand still hovering near my shoulder like he wasn’t sure whether to steady or hold on for himself. "You’re in the healer’s wing. You collapsed, you were um—screaming like sothing was tearing you apart. I was very very scared and worried."
I blinked slowly, trying to push past the haze in my mind. Everything felt... wrong. Off-kilter.
Kieran’s eyes searched mine. "Athena," he said again, gentler this ti. "What happened? Are you okay?"
I turned my head slightly. Two healers hovered at the doorway, uncertain, pretending not to listen but clearly clinging to every word.
"I want to speak to him alone, leave us imdiately," I said, my voice hoarse.
They didn’t argue. One gave a stiff bow. The other glanced at Kieran, then shuffled out quickly, closing the door behind them.
Silence pressed down.
I slowly sat up, ignoring the way my limbs trembled. Kieran didn’t stop this ti. He just stood there, waiting, frowning. I looked up at him.
"The truth is that I’ve lost it."
He blinked. "What?"
"My power. All of it." The words ca out hollow. Cold. "When I ca back, or rather since I went and ca back. I reached inside and it’s... gone. Nothing. Not even a flicker."
He took a step closer, his voice laced with confusion and disbelief. "What do you an it’s gone?"
"I an I’m powerless now," I snapped, though it wasn’t anger I felt—just a deep, numbing panic. "Anyone could kill . You could kill . Right now. And I wouldn’t even see it coming."
Kieran froze like I’d just slapped him.
"I would never," he said, his voice suddenly sharp with hurt. "Athena—gods above—I would never lay a hand on you."
"But soone will." I looked down at my hands. They used to glow with celestial light. Now they were just handshaking and useless.
"I don’t know how to get it back," I whispered. "I don’t even know what I did wrong."
Kieran sat down beside the bed slowly, not touching , just near enough that I could feel his presence anchoring to the room. "Do you have any idea of what could’ve happened?"
"Everything’s been punishnt. Since the beginning."
He didn’t argue.
"Caelum ca to when I was unconscious," I said at last, eyes fixed on a crack in the ceiling above. "Or... a projection of him. He used Lucas’s face to taunt . It felt so real I tried to kill him. But I couldn’t even scratch him. He told I triggered sothing—sothing I don’t understand—and then I blacked out."
Kieran’s jaw clenched. "That bastard."
"I was glowing with power before, Kieran. And now I can’t even light a candle."
He took my hand carefully, deliberately. "Then we’ll find the answer. There has to be a way."
I stared at him. "You keep saying ’we.’ But this is my burden. Not yours."
"You carry too much of it alone," he murmured. "I’ve watched you bear everything for everyone. For this kingdom. For the gods. For Lucas. For your past."
My throat tightened. "You don’t understand. It’s not just about losing power. I don’t know who I am without it. Am I even the Moon Goddess anymore, or just so broken shard of what she used to be?"
He turned my face toward him gently, forcing to et his eyes. "You’re Athena. You were a goddess before the power ever touched you. You were fired before the fla had a na."
I hated that his words made my heart ache. I hated that in the middle of my sha, his loyalty still felt so steady.
"I don’t know what to do next," I said, voice cracking for the first ti.
"Then let’s figure it out," he said simply. "Step by step."
A silence passed between us. I couldn’t look away from him.
"I’ve failed," I whispered.
"No," Kieran said with absolute certainty. "You’ve survived. And you’re going to rise again. Whatever condition Caelum set—whatever he’s planning—we’ll face it. But you’re not doing it alone."
I didn’t answer.
Because for the first ti in a long ti, I wasn’t sure I believed in my own resurrection.
But his hand didn’t leave mine.
And maybe... just maybe... that was enough to keep breathing.
Then—
CRACK.
A faint thud outside the chamber.
Both our heads turned toward the door.
Kieran was already halfway across the room before I could blink. A snarl twitched at the edge of his lips.
"Stay here," he said sharply, and flung the door open.
I heard his footsteps thunder down the corridor, followed by a sharp grunt and a dragging sound. Within seconds, he returned, fists clenched around the arm of a pale, trembling figure.
One of the healers.
She stumbled into the room, eyes wide, lips trembling.
"I—I wasn’t—" she stamred.
"Don’t lie," Kieran growled. "You stayed behind to listen. You didn’t leave with the others."
I narrowed my eyes. The magic in this kingdom was still unstable. And so loyalties were still in shadow.
"Why?" I asked, voice low but commanding.
She burst into a panicked ss of words. "I—I was told to. I an, I was asked just to observe! Not to harm, I swear it! He said it was for the good of the kingdom—"
"Who?" Kieran’s voice turned sharp.
The healer’s lips quivered. "Alpha Marik..."
Kieran’s expression turned to stone. My heart sank.
Of course. Not everyone had accepted my return—or the fall of the false king. And so were waiting for a chance to undermine while I was weak.
I swung my legs off the cot. My limbs were sluggish, but my mind was crystal clear.
"Kieran," I said. "Take her away. I want her held. But be gentle with her."
He hesitated. "Are you sure it’s okay to—?"
"Yes," I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended.
He nodded once, roughly, then hauled the trembling healer away, leaving alone in the room. My breath ca quick, shallow. That tiny spy hadn’t scared . But what did she represent?
A crack in the foundation.
The door shut behind them, leaving the silence sharp as a blade.
I sat there for a long ti, staring at nothing. The air was thick with the scent of healing herbs and scorched stone. A small basin of water sat beside the bed, untouched. I leaned forward, my hands shaking slightly as I cupped the cool liquid and brought it to my lips.
It tasted like ash.
I am powerless.
The thought settled in again, heavy and unwelco. I could feel the emptiness inside — no silver light, no ancient hum beneath my skin, nothing but raw, exhausted humanity.
I was once the Moon Goddess.
Now I wasn’t sure what I was.
There was a faint knock.
I straightened as the door opened and Kieran returned. His expression was tight, jaw locked, and I knew he had sothing to say.
"She’s in custody," he said. "Under guard. Quiet orders."
"Thank you."
But he didn’t move to leave. Instead, he closed the door behind him and leaned against it.
My gaze snapped to him.
Kieran crossed the room and sat across from , forearms resting on his knees. "I asked her so questions. She’s part of a group. A faction loyal to Marik. He’s been... gathering werewolves. Not openly though. But enough."
"Enough for what?"
Kieran hesitated. "To undermine your authority.."
"He might be looking for your weakness to usurp you, a very bad mistake," he said bitterly.
That made look at him. "Really?"
His eyes held mine. "Yeah."
That one word — quiet, steady — steadied sothing inside .
But it didn’t fix the problem.
I pushed to my feet. "I need to move."
"Athena—"
"If I sit here any longer, I’ll break," I snapped. "Help walk."
Kieran moved without another word, offering his arm. I took it, and we made our way slowly down the narrow corridor toward the west wing. The palace was still scarred from battle.
Guards straightened when they saw , eyes wide. They all bowed. I noted every one of them.
We stopped at a small balcony that overlooked what used to be the royal courtyard. It had once held sacred trees — now ash-covered stumps surrounded by rubble. Wolves were rebuilding the walls, but the progress was slow. My kingdom was alive — but barely.
"What if they find out?" I asked, my voice low. "What if the people know I’ve lost my magic?"
"No one suspects. And no one outside the court is sure of what’s happening."
"They will soon."
"Then let them," Kieran said. "You don’t need power to lead."
"I feel like I’m watching it all fall apart again," I whispered.
He reached out, gently brushing his fingers against mine. "You’re not alone this ti."
"I don’t even know if I want to fight anymore."
"Yes, you do," he said simply.
I didn’t argue. Because sowhere under the fear, the sha, the exhaustion — I did.
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