The Moon Hunter's Bride

The rain fell like silver needles, whispering secrets only the gods could hear.

Lyra Voss gasped awake on a cold stone floor, the taste of blood and moonlight on her tongue. Her chest rose and fell with panic - air filling lungs that shouldn't exist. Not again. Not another life.

She blinked against the glow spilling from cracks in the ceiling. The walls were familiar - carved with celestial symbols that pulsed faintly, responding to her heartbeat. A ruined temple. The one she'd died in.

Her hands trembled as she raised them. The mark was still there - a glowing eye etched into her palm, silver as starlight. The Eye of the Moon.

She remembered everything.

The betrayal.

The fire.

The blade that ended her last life.

And him.

Her chest tightened painfully. For centuries, she had lived, loved, and died - her memories wiped clean each time. But now... the curse had broken. The Moon had made a mistake.

A storm growled above the mountains. Lyra stumbled to her feet, drenched in sweat and disbelief. "Why am I here?" she whispered. Her voice echoed through the temple, thin and trembling.

The silence that followed wasn't empty. It was watching.

Then she heard it - slow, deliberate footsteps crunching over shattered marble.

Her pulse spiked. The scent of rain and iron filled the air, unmistakable.

"Found you," a low voice murmured.

Lyra turned - and the world froze.

He stood in the doorway, framed by moonlight. Tall, broad-shouldered, eyes glowing a shade of molten gold that no mortal could possess. His cloak rippled with wind, dripping silver water. His expression was unreadable, but his presence was a storm wrapped in flesh.

Eryndor Vale.

The Moon Hunter.

Her curse. Her executioner.

"Still alive," he said softly, as if the idea both fascinated and disgusted him. "I wondered how long it would take before the Moon tried to fix her mess."

Her throat closed. "You-"

"Kill you?" He gave a bitter smile. "Eventually."

He stepped closer, each stride echoing like thunder. Lyra backed away until her spine met cold stone. The mark on her palm began to burn.

Eryndor's gaze dropped to it. "You shouldn't have that mark anymore."

"And yet," she said, forcing her voice steady, "here we are."

He studied her in silence, his jaw tightening. "You remember me."

She did. Every death. Every lifetime. The moment his blade pierced her heart, and the way his voice trembled when he whispered her name.

"Yes," she breathed. "I remember everything."

A flicker of emotion crossed his face - too fast to read. Regret? Pain? Or something far more dangerous.

"Then you know why you shouldn't exist," he said.

"Why?" she demanded. "Because the gods said so? Because you always do what they tell you?"

The air thickened. Outside, thunder cracked the sky open.

Eryndor's jaw clenched. "You think I wanted this curse?"

"I think," Lyra said slowly, "you enjoyed it."

His eyes flared gold. The next instant, he was in front of her - faster than thought, faster than breath. One hand slammed against the wall beside her head. The other caught her wrist, lifting her marked palm to the light.

The silver eye on her skin pulsed like a heartbeat. His thumb brushed it - and both of them gasped.

Images flashed through Lyra's mind - fire, blood, stars collapsing, the echo of his voice whispering forgive me.

Eryndor's breathing hitched. "What did you see?"

"Everything you tried to forget."

He released her so suddenly she stumbled. His gaze darted away, hard and cold again. "The gods will sense your return soon. If they find you before I do-"

"You'll kill me first?"

He looked back at her, something raw flickering behind his eyes. "At least I'll make it quick."

Lyra's heart thudded painfully. "Do it, then. End it now. Save us both the trouble."

For a long, endless moment, he didn't move. The rain outside slowed to a whisper.

Then he turned away. "No."

The single word cut deeper than a blade.

"Why?" she whispered.

He paused at the doorway, moonlight washing over him like a halo of silver fire. "Because I don't know what happens if I fail this time."

And with that, the Moon Hunter disappeared into the storm.

Lyra stood alone in the ruins, her mark still burning, her heartbeat loud in the silence.

The curse had begun again. But this time, she remembered. This time, she wasn't the prey.

She touched her glowing palm, a defiant smile ghosting her lips.

"Your move, Hunter."

Above her, the Moon shuddered - and bled silver tears into the night.