The bloodstained scroll unfurled in Elena's hands.
To the wielder of the Dragon Slayer Sword, the elegant silver script read, Your companion is in our hands. Come alone to Moonfall Glade by dusk or she dies.
Signed by
The Blue Moon Sect.
Ethan's expression hardened,
They took someone maybe to bait the sword out.
Elena narrowed her eyes,
That blood isn't human. It's spirit beast ink. They're luring you.
Ethan nodded,
Then I'll let myself be lured.
Moonfall Glade shimmered like a dream woven in silver. Pale moonlight blanketed everything even though it was mid-afternoon. Bamboo swayed gently, whispering secrets in the wind.
Ethan walked into the glade alone, senses sharpened.
Moonlight pulsed unnaturally. The trees thinned, opening into a circular clearing bathed in glowing mist.
Soft laughter danced through the air.
He came, said a voice playful, melodic.
From the trees dropped a stunning woman in flowing blue silk. Her eyes sparkled like twin moons, and her smile held secrets only the night understood.
I am Liora,
First Disciple of the Blue Moon Sect.
Five more women emerged from the mist each clad in moonlight-woven robes, each beautiful in a different way: one fierce, one gentle, one silent, one mischievous, one cold as frost.
Ethan's grip on his sword tightened,
I'm here for whoever you took.
We took no one,
Liora said with a grin.
We merely sent a message. The so-called Dragon Vein prodigy has been the talk of the mountains. Our Sect Leader wished to see if you were a bid deal.
She's not just a sect leader, one of the women whispered reverently.
"She's the Moon Goddess Incarnate"
Another disciple sighed, eyes misty,
Lady Seraphina, Queen of Cold Stars, Heart of the Endless Sky.
Ethan blinked,
That's a lot of titles.
She earned them,
Liora said proudly.
She's older than she looks. And twice as dangerous.
Without warning, the six women moved forming a circle. A Moonlight Formation activated beneath Ethan's feet, humming with illusion Qi.
Elena's voice echoed in his spirit through their hidden resonance thread,
It's an illusion array. Resist it and if you fall into it, you'll forget who you are.
The air thickened. The women danced around him, their movements drawing invisible runes of confusion and seduction.
Show us what lies beneath the calm,
One murmured.
Let the sword speak,
Whispered another.
Ethan's breathing slowed. But the Dragon Vein inside him surged breaking through the mist with heat and clarity.
He stepped out of the formation in one clean motion, his sword flashing with golden light. The circle shattered.
The disciples gasped.
Then Liora laughed.
Well done,You're as sharp as they say.
The others backed away respectfully.
Liora gave a graceful bow,
Lady Seraphina the Moon Goddess awaits you.
She gestured toward a hidden path lit by glowing lotus lanterns.
Follow us and prepare yourself. She rarely takes an interest in men.
Ethan sighed,
Of course she doesn't.
He walked forward, deeper into the silver mist, knowing one thing for certain
He was walking straight into the moonlight of danger.