Chapter Thirteen: The Eclipse Begins
The temple trembled as the final eclipse neared.
The Moon Crest pulsed on the altar, casting long beams of silver light that pierced through the cracks in the ceiling. Outside, the world darkened as the moon began its slow crawl over the sun. It was time.
Inside the circular chamber, Sheila stood between Hyunsoo and Jiwoon. The prophecy echoed in all their minds:
> "Three stars shall burn beneath the final eclipse.
The Crown. The Sword. The Shadow.
Only one shall rise with the Moon."
But now, all three had chosen not to kill, not to ascend through sacrifice.
They had chosen love.
And love was dangerous in the eyes of fate.
---
☽
Heeyoung's voice crackled through the communication charm in Hyunsoo's cloak.
> "The Council has detected the eclipse energy. You have minutes before they arrive. Whatever you're doing—finish it."
Sheila stepped forward and placed her hand over the Moon Crest.
It rose into the air, glowing blindingly, spinning slowly like a miniature moon.
Hyunsoo drew his sword and laid it at her feet. "I will not fight for the throne. I fight for you."
Jiwoon pulled his pendant from around his neck — the one Sheila had once gifted him in their mortal life — and held it out. "And I surrender what little I have left."
The temple lights dimmed.
A wind rose from within the ground.
The basin of moonwater glowed white.
Sheila spoke the incantation.
> "By blood, by breath, by broken bond—
Let truth eclipse all fate beyond."
The crest exploded with light.
And suddenly—they weren't in the temple anymore.
---
🌘
They stood inside a vision.
A realm of starlight and shadow.
In the distance, a grand throne of crystal moonstone sat atop a staircase of light.
And behind it, a woman in white.
The First Moon Queen.
Her face was serene, eyes glowing with galaxies.
"You have come," she said. "But not as expected."
Sheila stepped forward. "I refuse to choose one over the others. I will not rise at their cost."
The First Queen tilted her head. "And yet the prophecy must be fulfilled."
Jiwoon clenched his fists. "Then take me."
Hyunsoo growled, "No—take me. Let her live."
The Queen raised a hand, silencing them.
"You misunderstand," she said.
The stars behind her began to swirl.
> "The prophecy was never about death.
It was about unification.
Three fragments of a single throne—
Meant to be reunited."
Silence.
Sheila's eyes widened. "You mean... all three of us were meant to rise?"
The Queen nodded. "Your soul split long ago, Moon Queen. Into Crown, Sword, and Shadow. You are not three… but one made whole again."
The vision rippled.
A mirror appeared before each of them.
In Sheila's — she saw herself as Queen, bearing the full Crest.
In Hyunsoo's — he held her hand, his blade at her side, not beneath her.
And Jiwoon's mirror… showed him crowned in light, not shadowed. Equal. Whole.
The Queen said, "Only if you accept each other—fully—can the throne rise again."
---
🌑
Back in the temple, their bodies glowed as the final eclipse reached its peak.
The Moon Crest fractured into three shards — then reformed as a tri-fold crown, floating above them.
Each piece carried a symbol:
Crown (Sheila): wisdom and sacrifice
Sword (Hyunsoo): strength and loyalty
Shadow (Jiwoon): redemption and truth
They raised their hands together.
The crown descended.
And for the first time in the history of the Moon Kingdom—
Three ruled as one.
---
⚠️
But the moment of harmony shattered when a scream echoed outside the temple.
Heeyoung.
The Council had arrived.
And they had brought Taeha — the Night Queen.
She appeared at the temple entrance, cloaked in fury, her eyes burning red.
"You think you've escaped fate?" she snarled. "You've only rewritten it."
She raised her hand—and a wave of black fire surged toward them.
Jiwoon stepped forward and caught the blast—channeling his new power.
Hyunsoo drew his blade and lunged, clashing with two Council enforcers in a blur of light.
And Sheila...
She ascended.
Her feet left the ground, the tri-fold crown settling on her brow, her body engulfed in moonlight.
Her voice thundered through the chamber.
> "Taeha. I remember everything. And I still choose peace."
But the Night Queen screamed, "Peace never chose me."
And she launched herself forward, blade drawn—
Straight for Jiwoon.
---
Sheila moved faster.
Light enveloped the room.
And then—
Silence.
---
When the dust cleared…
Taeha stood frozen mid-strike.
Jiwoon knelt before her.
And Sheila… held her sister's wrist.
"No more," she said, tears in her eyes. "I forgive you."
Taeha's sword fell.
She collapsed, sobbing in Sheila's arms.
And the eclipse ended.