The air hummed, charged with energy so powerful it made the hairs on my arms stand on end. It was like the universe itself was holding its breath.
Then-
The Goddess spoke.
Her voice wasn’t heard–it was felt. It wasn’t a whisper or a roar, but something that resonated within our very souls, as if the sky, the stars, and the earth itself had come alive.
“Your grief is strong. Your love for her even stronger.”
I gasped, my knees nearly buckling as the weight of her words settled into me..
I turned slowly, and there she was.
The Moon Goddess.
She stood among us, radiant and powerful, her four arms resting at her sides, her lavender hair floating as though caught in an unseen current. Her crescent moon tattoo gleamed on her forehead, and her spear pulsed with celestial energy.
We dropped to our knees.
Not because we were told to. Not because of fear. But because we couldn’t do anything else.
“She was never meant to walk this path alone,” the Goddess continued, her voice washing over us like a tidal wave. “Her fate is entwined with yours, her soul bound to those who love her.”
My breath caught in my throat.
Was she saying-?
“I offer you a choice,” the Goddess said.
The battlefield stilled, every warrior, every survivor listening.
“I can bring her back,” the Goddess declared. “But it will not be without cost.”
Elijah didn’t hesitate.
He staggered to his feet, eyes blazing with determination. “Whatever it takes.”
Austin was right behind him. “She gave everything for us. This isn’t even a question.”
Isaiah didn’t speak–he just nodded, his grip still tight on Stormi’s shirt.
Rowena watched us, her eyes shining with something unreadable.
I took a deep breath and turned to Gabriel. He gave me a small, knowing nod.
We were in this together.
The Goddess lifted her spear, drawing a glowing circle in the air.
Threads of pure moonlight unraveled from it, stretching toward each of us.
As soon as they touched our skin-
Pain.
A raw, soul–wrenching pain that tore through me like fire, like lighting.
I gasped, doubling over as something ripped from within me, like a thread being pulled from the fabric of my being.
It was my soul.
I could feel it unraveling, stretching, reaching for something–for Stormi.
My brothers cried out beside me, their bodies convulsing from the force of it. It wasn’t just pain. It was sacrifice. It was surrender. It was giving a piece of ourselves to bring back the woman who had given everything for us.
The light intensified, growing so bright that the battlefield disappeared, swallowed by a sea of silver.
Then-
A breath.
Soft, but undeniable.
I barely had time to react before a body collapsed into my arms.
My heart stopped.
Stormi.
I gasped, my arms instinctively tightening around her. She was warm She was breathing. She was-
Alive.
The battlefield was silent–every single warrior, witch, and wolf frozen in shock.
Then-
She stirred.
A sharp inhale.
Fingers twitching.
Then
Her eyes opened.
For a single, breathless moment, the world stopped turning.
Then-
She smirked.
Her voice was hoarse, raspy, but filled with that same defiant strength that made her who she was.
“What took you so long?”
The silence shattered.
Elijah let out a broken, disbelieving laugh, his face crumpling. Austin actually collapsed to the ground, gasping. Isaiah–silent, stoic Isaiah–covered his face with his hands.
And me?
I held onto her, pressing my forehead against hers, just breathing he in.
“Don’t ever do that again,” I whispered, my voice raw.
She just smiled.
