CHAPTER 16
THE POWER AWAKENS
Varian placed the key into the ancient stone.
The palace trembled.
Moonstone Hall filled with silver light.
Elena felt her power surge.
She nearly collapsed.
Elyan caught her.
"You don't have to do this."
"If I don't, everyone dies."
Aldric approached.
"No."
Elena looked at him.
"You can't protect everyone by sacrificing yourself."
She remembered his words.
For the first time, she understood.
Her power did not need to be controlled through fear.
It needed to be guided by choice.
She closed her eyes.
The Moon Voice spread through the palace.
Every wolf stopped.
Even Varian.
Elena spoke.
"Remember."
Memories flooded the hall.
The kingdom saw its history.
The first king.
The first queen.
The creation of the royal bloodline.
The betrayal that had divided them.
Varian fell to his knees.
"No."
Elena opened her eyes.
"You wanted the kingdom to forget."
She stepped forward.
"But it remembers now."
Varian tried to attack.
Elyan blocked him.
Aldric disarmed him.
But the First Stone began to crack.
The power was becoming unstable.
Lyra shouted:
"Elena! The stone must be sealed!"
"How?"
"Only the two bloodlines together can do it."
Elena looked at Elyan.
He nodded.
Brother and sister joined hands.
Their marks illuminated.
The stone began to heal.
But the power demanded a price.
Elena felt herself weakening.
Aldric reached toward her.
"Hold on."
She shook her head.
"I can finish it."
Together, the twins sealed the First Stone.
The darkness disappeared.
Moonstone Hall fell silent.
Varian was defeated.
But the prophecy had one final line.
And no one had yet understood it.