The wind howled through the trees as Nova walked the narrow path winding deeper into the forest. Moonlight streamed through the dense canopy, scattering silvery shadows across the underbrush and glinting off the dew-covered leaves. Every step she took echoed with a strange rhythm—like the heartbeat of the forest itself pulsing beneath her boots.
Beside her, Kade moved in silence, his presence both reassuring and intense. They hadn't spoken much since they left the manor, but his gaze lingered on her with every pause, every decision. She could feel his questions pressing against the back of her thoughts, but for now, he held them back.
"I saw this place in my dream last night," Nova said softly, her voice breaking through the eerie quiet. "There was a twisted oak, a riverbend, and a ring of stones. It all felt so real."
Kade's brows furrowed. "Dreams again?"
"They're not just dreams anymore," she said, stepping over a thick root. "They're visions. Warnings. Pieces of a story someone doesn't want me to uncover."
Just ahead, the forest opened into a clearing where a moss-covered stone circle sat hidden beneath creeping vines and underbrush. As soon as Nova laid eyes on it, her heart tightened. This was the place. The air vibrated with an old magic, heavy and electric, like the space between a lightning flash and thunder's roar.
"This is it," she whispered.
Kade hesitated behind her, his jaw tense. "Nova… this isn't just a spot from a dream. This is a binding circle. Ancient witches used these for sealing powerful spells—or imprisoning something."
"I know," she said as she stepped into the circle.
The moment her foot crossed the boundary, the wind died. The night grew unnaturally still, and even the chirping insects went quiet. Her breath caught in her throat. The energy here didn't feel evil, but it was intense—alive.
She dropped to her knees in the center and placed her palm flat against the earth. The soil felt warm, pulsing like it held a memory. As soon as her skin made contact, visions surged forward—violent, fragmented images that sent her reeling:
A young boy screaming as he was dragged into the circle. Blood staining the stones. A woman chanting, her voice desperate. And then—golden eyes, burning bright through the shadows, watching her.
She gasped and fell backward, shaking.
"Nova!" Kade was at her side in an instant, catching her before she hit the ground. His arms were strong and steady, grounding her as her breathing slowed.
"I saw him again," she whispered. "The boy with the mark."
Kade's expression darkened. "The one from your childhood?"
She nodded slowly. "He was here. And he wasn't alone. There was blood… a ritual. I think something terrible happened here. And he was part of it."
Kade helped her up gently. "What does it mean?"
"I think he's still alive," she said, her voice trembling. "And I think he knows everything."
A cold silence followed her words. The forest around them seemed to lean in, listening. Kade took her hand, threading their fingers together.
"Then we need to find him."
Back at the manor, the air was thick with tension. Nova sat in the study, an ancient book spread open in front of her. The symbols etched on the page mirrored the ones in her dreams—half-forgotten runes from a time when humans still danced with shadows and bargained with spirits.
Across the room, Kade paced like a caged wolf. "What if this boy—if he's still out there—is part of something dangerous? You said he had the same mark as you. What if he's bound to the curse in the same way?"
Nova looked up, eyes burning with resolve. "Then maybe he's the key to breaking it."
A knock interrupted them, sharp and sudden.
It was Lady Maren.
Nova straightened as the head of the manor stepped into the room. She looked regal as ever, her long white cloak brushing the floor behind her like smoke.
"You were at the circle," Maren said simply, her voice low.
Nova didn't deny it. "I needed to know the truth."
Maren walked to the table and placed a worn journal down. "Then you should read this. It belonged to your mother."
Nova froze.
"I've been keeping it safe," Maren continued, her gaze softening. "Until you were ready."
With shaking hands, Nova opened the cover. The scent of lavender and ink wafted up. Her mother's handwriting danced across the pages—elegant, precise.
To my daughter, Nova… If you're reading this, then the curse has found you too.
Each word cut like glass. Her mother had known. She'd known everything—and she'd tried to protect her.
Nova read in silence, devouring each passage.
The curse follows the bloodline of the Nightbound. It is ancient, older than our clan, older than memory. The boy—his name is Elion. He was chosen, as you are, marked not by fate, but by sacrifice.
The name sent chills through her. Elion.
He had a name.
He wasn't just a dream or a symbol—he was real.
The next day, Nova stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking the valley. The journal was clutched tightly in her hands. Below, the forest sprawled endlessly, a dark sea of secrets waiting to be unraveled.
Kade stood beside her, the wind tousling his dark hair.
"Elion is alive," Nova said, her voice certain. "I can feel it. My mother wrote about him like he was her own son. He was chosen to carry the other half of the curse."
Kade looked at her carefully. "Then if you find him…"
"We might be able to break it. Together."
She turned to him, her eyes glistening with conviction. "But that means we have to go back—to where it all started. To the ruins."
His eyes widened slightly. "Nova, the ruins were sealed off for a reason."
"Exactly," she said. "Because that's where the truth is buried."
They left at first light.
Nova packed the essentials: the journal, the necklace her mother left her, and a map scribbled with half-forgotten trails and cryptic symbols. The path to the ruins was treacherous, rumored to be haunted by those who had once served the curse.
Kade stayed close, his presence a steady flame in the growing shadows.
As they traveled, Nova's memories began to stir—flashes of laughter, running through the woods, a boy's hand in hers, and a promise whispered under a crescent moon.
"No matter what happens, I'll come back for you."
Elion's voice echoed in her heart.
They reached the base of the ruins by nightfall. Vines wrapped around broken archways like skeletal fingers. The air smelled of stone and rain and forgotten magic.
As they stepped inside, the runes carved on the walls began to glow.
The curse was awake.
Nova touched the wall, and the light flared brighter.
A whisper echoed from the shadows: "Nova…"
She turned.
And there, standing at the edge of the chamber, was a boy.
Older now, with hair as dark as night and eyes that gleamed gold like a predator's—but they held a flicker of something else.
Recognition.
"Elion," she breathed.
He stepped forward slowly. "You found me."
Her heart twisted. "I've been dreaming of you for years."
"And I've been waiting for you to remember."
Tears stung her eyes. "Why didn't you come back?"
His gaze darkened. "Because if I did… the curse would have killed us both."