>Luna
The forest stood silent as we approached the clearing again.
This time, the fog parted on its own. It was like the land itself had recognized me, like it knew I was coming.
There it was.
The gate.
Massive. Ancient. Twisted with dark vines and glowing runes. It rose out of the earth like it had been buried for centuries, waiting to be found again.
My steps slowed. My heart thudded.
Kai reached for my arm. "Luna, wait..."
But I was already moving.
When I stepped closer, the mark on my shoulder pulsed hard. A light flickered across the stone surface of the gate. Symbols—no, memories—lit up in sequence.
Kael's words echoed in my mind:
"When the gate opens, so will your memory…"
I took one more step...
The ground trembled beneath us.
Mira shouted something behind me, but her voice was drowned by a loud, humming sound. The gate was reacting... To me.
And then, like a lock turning—something clicked.
A small section in the center split open. Just a crack, but enough to release a wind that felt older than time.
I staggered back. Visions flashed in my mind, flashes of another world. Another life. A war. A girl with my face standing in front of this same gate, blood on her hands.
The pain in my head was blinding. I dropped to my knees.
Kai was at my side instantly. Mira hovered nearby, her expression torn between fear and fury.
"What did you see?" she demanded.
I looked at the gate. At the mark still glowing on my skin.
"Not everything," I said. "But enough to know this wasn't the first time I've stood here."
The gate pulsed again, almost in agreement.