THE FIRST LESSON

CHAPTER 4 — THE FIRST LESSON

The chamber was quiet except for the soft hum of the moon’s light swirling around me.

I stared at my hands. Faint threads of silver danced across my skin, moving as if they had a life of their own.

“Concentrate,” Lune said softly, his silver eyes studying me like a hawk. “The light is yours, Zina. Not the moon’s. It follows your will. But if you panic… it will burn you.”

I swallowed hard. My chest still throbbed from the events of yesterday. The memory of the Shadow Hunger, of its whispers, of the black cracks, made my stomach twist.

“I… don’t know if I can,” I admitted.

Lune stepped closer, placing a steadying hand on my shoulder.

“You can. You have to. Fear is part of it, yes… but courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s doing what must be done anyway.”

I nodded, trying to steady my trembling hands.

“Okay… show me,” I whispered.

Lune smiled faintly. Then he raised his glowing sword.

“First lesson: control. The moon’s light can heal… or destroy. You will learn to bend it to your will. Focus on something small. Make the light dance between your fingers.”

I lifted my hands hesitantly. A faint silver glow sparked at my fingertips.

“Good,” Lune murmured. “Now, extend it. Push it into the air. Shape it.”

I concentrated. The silver light stretched upward like smoke, but it was uneven, flickering. One moment too bright, the next almost gone.

“Stronger focus,” Lune instructed. “You cannot let it take over, Zina. You control it. Always.”

I bit my lip and tried again. Slowly, the light obeyed. It spiraled between my fingers, forming a delicate ribbon of silver. My breath caught.

“Perfect,” Lune said. “Now, for the next step. Attack.”

I froze.

“Attack? What?!”

“Yes,” Lune said calmly. “The Shadow Hunger will come back. You need to fight. Control the light. Bend it. Strike.”

I swallowed, heart hammering.

“I… I don’t want to hurt anyone!”

“It is not anyone,” he said sharply. “It is the darkness. It is not human. It is a force that will consume your world if left unchecked.”

I nodded slowly. My hands glowed brighter. I felt the moon’s heartbeat in my chest, steady and fierce.

“Then… I’ll try,” I whispered.

Lune stepped back and formed a circle around me with his sword.

“Visualize your enemy,” he instructed. “Make it real in your mind. And then… strike.”

I closed my eyes. The memory of the Shadow Hunger came instantly—the black smoke, the claws, the voice in my head. My hands flared.

“Now!” Lune shouted.

I thrust my hands forward. A stream of silver shot out, hitting the invisible target. The air shimmered. Sparks of black and silver clashed, and I stumbled backward, breathless.

“Again,” Lune said calmly. “And control it this time.”

I steadied myself, focusing. The silver ribbon shot from my hands, wrapping around the imagined darkness, binding it, holding it.

“Excellent,” Lune said, a hint of pride in his voice. “You are stronger than you think, Zina. But strength is not enough. You must learn patience.”

I exhaled slowly. My chest burned, but my confidence was growing.

“Patience?” I asked.

“Yes,” Lune said, eyes softening. “The Shadow Hunger does not strike immediately. It waits. It tests. You will face it again, sooner than you think. And when it does… you must not panic.”

I nodded, gripping the light around my hands.

“I won’t,” I whispered.

Lune placed a hand on my shoulder again.

“I believe you,” he said. “But this is only the beginning, Zina. The real test is not in these walls… it is out there. In the world that does not know you carry the moon inside you.”

I shivered.

“Then… I have to learn fast,” I said.

“Yes,” Lune said. His voice low, serious. “Because the moment the Shadow Hunger finds you again… the world will be waiting for you to fail.”

I swallowed. My hands still glowed faintly. And somewhere deep in my chest, the moon’s heartbeat whispered: “I am with you. Always.”

For the first time, I believed it.

💖 END OF CHAPTER 4

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***