The Claimed

As she stood among the seven claimed, all Avea could think about was her mother's face, with her pleading eyes begging her to leave, to understand. But she didn't understand any of this, only that the longer she indulged the Supreme, the more entangled she would become. The so-called 'claimed' had configured themselves into a circle around the Supreme, all perfectly aligned within the Octave. They all stood in order of their lunar moons, and Avea, as the eighth moon, was the last one to complete the cycle.

She turned her head to get a good look at all of the seven claimed.Their faces were a tapestry of color, an array of blues reminiscent of the moon's phases. Some faces bore the palest hue of a new moon, barely illuminating the night. Others displayed rich cerulean blues seen during the waxing crescent moons, glowing with pride. Then there were those whose faces were the darkest midnight shades, drinking in the light around them, much like a lunar eclipse. As diverse as the shades of their skin were, so were the horns that crowned their heads. Some coiled gracefully while others jutted out straight and sharp, a few even spiraled upwards in an elegant helix. Each one of their faces was entirely unique, and as Avea stared out at all these strange faces, she found them all staring back at her. Despite the stark differences in their complexions, all of the seven claimed possessed the same cold merciless glint in their eyes as they observed her. Avea realised that to them she was the infiltrator, the one who had torn through the fabric of space to try and snatch their coveted prize. Couldn't they see that she didn't want it? She had no interest in whatever they were playing for. She only wanted her mother's freedom. Avea almost laughed at the irony that to these strange intergalactic creatures, she was the alien.

"And so it begins" the Supreme said, raising her arms and her voice carrying upwards to the giant audience above who erupted into a symphony of applause. With a wave of her hand the crystalline walls faded away leaving only the tall vertical strips of crystalline behind each one of the claimed. The open chasm of space surrounded them, and Avea couldn't conceal the utter astoundment that took over her, leaving her transfixed in petrified awe. The cosmic spirals and dust clouds moved all above them, as well as the thousands of stars scattered across the sky. Avea knew that even if she had millions of years, if not eons to count, she still wouldn't be able to count them all.

There was still the grand assembly waiting above in a state of breathless anticipation, the large discs holding the vast assembly of creatures floated gracefully above them, like ghostly ships. However as Avea drew her gaze from above to below, her stomach flipped. Avea and the rest of the claimed were standing together on their own larger floating rock, balancing precariously above the dark abyss of space. Avea had to admit that looking downwards had a vastly different perspective to upwards, as the dark abyss beneath them appeared far less enticing. Avea wasn't quite sure that she wouldn't vomit, so she decided to keep her eyes on the rest of the claimed who hadn't even batted an eyelid at the astounding scenery. Instead staring straight at the Supreme who occupied the center of their closely compacted circle.

She had to keep reminding herself that there was no other way to get her mother back. She hadn't thought far beyond getting through the portal and now that she was here she didn't have a contingency plan. All she had was this moonstone around her neck, and the sheer will that she wasn't leaving without her mother. Avea felt a shift behind her, and as she peaked over her shoulder she realised that the mirrored crystal pillars had broken away, floating on a small piece of rock, still remaining behind each of their claimed. Only now there was a large gaping void of space between them and the pillars."Woah" Avea murmured quietly to herself, getting a violent hit of vertigo that almost sent her stumbling over the edge.

Her distressing thoughts were interrupted by the subtle scoff beside her, Avea looked to her right where a beautiful girl stood. Long wavy white hair, her skin a lilac tint that resembled the fading hues of twilight, and the horns that sat atop of her hair were graciously arched and curved atop her head. She had a bored and impassive expression plastered on her face, but as she turned her head ever so slightly to give Avea a glaring side eye. Avea was struck by this luminary's eyes, with the outside of her eyes a darker shade with a glowing pupil in the center.

All those years in the Valent had taught Avea how to read people, how they carried themselves, the tone of voice, even the subtle tilted their heads could reveal everything. Duman Scyther had seen the value in this and had exploited it to no end. This luminary stood in a straight rigid posture, and yet seemed completely at ease. Simultaneously effortless and yet guarded, ready for anything with the way her eyes were trained ahead. Instead of scouring the rest of the claimed like all the others, her eyes were positioned on the Supreme. Avea wanted to retort with a biting remark, or at least scoff back. However, the Supreme cleared her throat and the soft reverberations of it sent a hush through the Octave.

"In the beginning there was only darkness" the Supreme said, stretching her hand upwards, summoning darkness around the claimed. Avea felt her pulse race as all of that dazzling cosmic light suddenly disappeared around them leaving all of them in a chilling darkness. "From that oblivion the Vad were birthed, creatures that roamed the void devouring any glint of light that surfaced in the cosmos," cosmic dust swirled into the center of the assembly to reveal dessicated creatures clawing towards the claimed, moving swiftly and silently. The assembly gasped in horror and moved back as though afraid they were going to materialise from the dust to attack. The creatures had a vaguely humanoid form, with long spindly limbs and a pronounced spine. Skin that had stretched over its decaying body, their eyes and faces moved erratically. Avea even heard the claimed who'd scoffed at her suck in a sharp breath as one of the vad moved towards her, cocking it head like it were figuring the most gruesome way to tear her apart. "But then the galad descended from the ancients, warriors of light who together forged the vortex," Avea watched as the dust gathered to form eight bodies of light come together holding hands forming a vortex of bright light.

"As the galad began to spread the light, called the uri, it began to forge celestial lumos of its own, but this caused the vad to rampage and destroy these celestial worlds." Avea couldn't tear her eyes away from these galad, all wielding different weapons upon these monstrous creatures. "However, the darkness started to infiltrate from the inside and caused a rift between the galad, which allowed the darkness to poison the vortex, forcing them to shield off the Vortex" Avea recognised that vortex of light, it had been the same from her vision in the Occulus. "To protect the last surge of uri, the galad forged gateways on their respective celestial moons that were protected from the vad and from there funnelled their uri into the vortex through these gateways. So that they may keep the uri alive" all the claimed kept their eyes on the dust, but Avea could sense the hunger, the desperation that couldn't be masked.

"To make sure that the uri would be safe the galad bestowed markings onto their successors, keys that unlocked the gateways during the ascension. Where the uri is spread across the entire universe to rejuvenate the cosmos," the dust showed orbs of light flowing outwards into space and circling planets in the cosmos dispersing their light. Avea watched the way that they orbited around, moons ... those moons. Again she recalled her vision of the hundred of orbiting moons decaying all around, was she being shown the future? Of what would happen if she didn't go through with this ascension?

"Of course many milenna passed and the galad began to fight over the uri, as their own celestial moons began to wither, it caused rivalries among the lunar realms", Avea noticed the way that the claimed's attention shifted to each other. The glaring distrust evident in their strange eyes, and Avea felt a sudden realisation that she wasn't the only adversary among them.

They were all adversaries.

"The realms began to hord their own uri for themselves refusing to share with the rest of the lunar realms"."So the ancients who created the galad forged the Aytac, a throne inside the vortex that could only be opened after the ascension ritual was complete," the dust swirled again showing the eight galad in a circle, opening the vortex once more, and showed then one of the galad rising and walking into the beam of light. While the other seven held the vortex open, their light or 'uri' rather being symphoned out of them.

The dust dispersed then refigured itself to show the galad sitting on the throne with a strange scepter in hand. Avea recognised that she had seen the ascension ritual in the Oculus, with the eight bodies of light, those had been the galad. "Whomever is chosen by the ancients becomes the next Supreme controlling the uri until the next ascension." For their own realm... Avea realised, this was the real contest. To see who would become the chosen one, and obtain the uri for their own realm.

Turns out it didn't matter what galaxy you were in, greed was still existed.

The Supreme then lifted her hands, the movement holding undeniable command. The dust moved outward and the light flooded back into the cosmos. Where the cosmic colours unfurled itself once again, however, Avea could've sworn that there was a subtle dim, like the cosmos had been draped over with a thin veil. The assembly above her awards, erupted in a chorus of cheers, but the tension below could have been cut with a knife. "You..." the Supreme said, extending her arms to the claimed, "have been chosen to represent your lunar realm under the mentorship of the previous galad". So they had to complete the ritual together, but only one could be the ruling realm.

What a great way to make friends! Avea thought miserably.

She didn't want to become their Supreme leader! She only wanted to get out of here, with her mum in tow. "To commemorate this joining, the Galad shall bind their uri to their claimed," the Supreme said. Avea didn't like the way that the assembly suddenly turned quiet, with their watchful eyes stripping her bare. All the levity suddenly vanishing. Avea could almost feel the way their attention shifted to her, and their resentment crackling above her. Every instinct inside her telling her to abandon this childish whim and take off, but her feet didn't move and her eyes remained on the Supreme.

"Neomon Orisis of the Umbratus moon ... go forth," the Supreme called out, and Avea watched as the claimed beside her stepped into view. Whip and wiry in stature, his skin held the deep, enigmatic hue of nocturnal skies, with a faint undertone of deep indigo. Atop his head, a pair of horns emerged boldly, curving inwards around his ears. Shadows clung to his horns before cascading down his slim arms in a slithering descent. It was as if he had been meticulously sculpted from the very essence of shadow itself, as they moved in a hypnotic rhythm of beautiful violet swathes. His ceremonial garb was unassumingly minimal compared to the rest of the claimed, with maybe the sole exception being Avea. Who was wearing more appropriate attire for gutter surfing. His attire consisted of a silk shawl the color of deep purple that hung loosely over his shoulders, gracefully paired with matching trousers that whispered with his movements. Accents of silver jewelry glinted and sparkled, as he moved with a necklace that sat clasped around his neck.

Avea nearly cried out in horror as he bowed to the Supreme, and with a wave of her hand the piece of rock he was standing on broke off. Sailing toward his mirrored pillar, directly behind him. Avea watched the claimed, Neomon, drift as though his reflection in the pillar opposite him were drawing him in, only he stopped a few feet away. He floated mid-air on his tiny rock island, barely wide enough to hold him up. Avea's mild panic stirred inside her as she watched his feet; if he stepped back even slightly, he would plunge into the abyss, with nothing below to break his fall.

His reflection inside the crystal mirror wavered, contorting and morphing until a different face appeared. "Your galad... Morpheus Vetamora." Avea expected the assembly to cheer as they had when the claimed were announced, but instead, there was a hushed silence that felt unsettling. The galad, Morpheus, stepped out of the mirror, standing opposite his claimed on his own floating island. Standing with an imposing height, his figure was slim flesh and bone wrapped in a long, flowing cloak as dark as the void between stars.

Galad Morpheus's presence exuded the coldness of an endless night, making the air around him feel heavy. His features were gaunt, an elongated face that bore not the slightest hint of humor. His complexion was an ashen grey that evoked bleakness, and the curved horns that crowned his head mirrored those of his claimed, though his were distinguished with shimmering chains of gold jewelry that wrapped around the contours. His black eyes, emotionless, as he extended out his long spindly arms towards his claimed, who floated on their own floating rock. Only a few feet away, but they might as well have been light years apart with the darkness between them. All eyes were on them in anticipation, and Avea's heart clenched to the point of pain, as she waited for something to happen.

"I, Morpheus, Galad of the Umbratus moon, mark you Neomon Osiris as my claimed," he declared, even standing in the middle of space his deep voice reverberating with every syllable. "A latere lucido lunae" Morpheus recited these strange words, however Avea had heard that language before. Her mother had spoken in a similar fluctuations, this was their language. The luminaries language. The words spoken by Morpheus held an otherworldly weight to them. A solemn oath spoken. As he spoke the words, a symbol on his forehead appeared. A glowing brand of his moon and the strange pattern of silver tattoos appeared all over his body. Hands reached upwards forming a diamond formation, the silver tattoos moved up his grey arms as he began summoning something from deep inside him. He pushed out his hands still in the diamond formation from his chest, and a silver flare of light pulsed outwards slowly moving towards his claimed before coming to a halt right between the two.

Waiting ...

Neomon Orisis, the claimed, finally spoke, "A latere lucido lunae." He recited the very same oath, each word like a slow, steady heartbeat, before mimicking his galad's hand movements. As soon as the last word left his mouth, Avea watched the same symbol appear on his forehead, but without any of the tattoos. He extracted his own flare of light from his body and directed it to meet Morpheus's in the middle. Their uri. That's why it felt different, like a pulse echoing out to each other. Their uri felt like a binding promise, as their uris breathed light into the darkness's embrace. Avea couldn't take her eyes off the uri, watching as they wove together into an intricate, unified knot.

Their uris were being bound together as one.

The mirrored pillar behind Morpheus lit up with a strange coloured flame, indicating that they were bound. The Umbratus Galad anointed his claimed, their kin, and as the Umbratus claimed Neomon joined his Galad, the luminaries of the Umbratus moon, erupted into cheers that echoed from the levitating discs. Avea felt her stomach churn, and nausea roll through her. She hadn't possessed her powers for more than a day, and yet she couldn't bear the thought of it being ripped out to be bound to another. This was the essence of her and now she understood what it was that she felt had been missing all these years. The part of her soul that had been lost.

"Seeger Kelton of the Mangata Moon ... go forth," the Supreme called out. The claimed from the Mangata moon stepped forward, she was shocked to see a mer-child bow to the Supreme and drift towards their pillar. This claimed was especially peculiar looking, with an almost aquatic appearance. Its skin a murky blue colouring of seaweed waters. There were tendrils of hair that were glossy like the texture of seaweed, but ended in strange orbs of light that hung at their shoulders. The child was small and skinny, and yet strong with toned limbs. Wearing strange scaly armor wrapped around its body reflecting the iridescent sheen of light. The horns atop its head were twisted and curved to create a waveform. Avea could see his curious glowing eyes moving to look everywhere except the pillar before him. Quiet hesitation in the child's demeanor, as they floated on their tiny island of rock.

"Galad of the Mangata Moon, Andros Merwyn," the Supreme said. A large muscular body stepped out of the crystal pillar, the same murky blue-green pigmented skin and twisted horns emerged onto the floating island. Andros Merwyn, was a formidable presence. Standing in front of his claimed, like a rock standing against the stormy seas. The tendrils of his hair glowed strong with orbs of light. Draped in a suit reminiscent of the deep tide hues, its fabric resembled the motion of rippling waters cascading along the sleeves and gracefully encircling the neck. The Mangata galad exuded an aura of a sea deity emerging from the oceans depths."I, Andros, Galad of the Mangata Moon, mark my claimed" he said, and mimicking the previous galad by reciting the sacred binding oath. Their uri intertwined akin to shimmering waves blending seamlessly together.

"Thessia Nefeli of the Zephyrion Moon," the next claimed broke away, a young girl with light silver skin. The horns protruded from her head spiralling upwards. As the girl moved outwards towards her pillar, clad in a suit of fitted armor that seemed light as air, allowing her to glide gracefully towards her galad, who awaited her arrival. Her galad, Sephora Aeolus, seemingly an older luminary, exuded the aura of a seasoned warrior. Her armor bore a mesmerizing blend of silvery grays, and hints of cool blues blending together. Atop her head rested a warrior's helmet, with strong white metallic wings protruding out of the sides, and complemented by twisted white horns that jutted proudly upwards. Sephora, stood with the commanding presence of a warrior, firm and unforgiving, and yet Avea could see the tenderness in her eyes, as she saw her young claimed before her. As they bound their uri together.

It was agnogy watching the rest of the claimed break away from their island to drift off to their galad who were awaiting them from behind their crystal mirrors. Avea's heart was in her throat, watching each of their pillars ignite with a coloured flame, inciting celebratory applause from the lunar realms. The mark of their realms shining brightly on their foreheads, while they awaited the next claimed to be marked.

"Kamari Lorillis of the Aurelian moon," the girl that had fiercely called Avea out earlier, came forth. Exuding a confident strength she came forward with her strong bulky horns sticking out and curving outwards, sharp and angular. Somehow on her tiny stature, only appeared more deadly. Wearing an alluring gold jewellery that cuffed around the horns and a purple silk train. Her dress was a beautiful two piece with beautiful skirt and a slit showing off her strong toned legs, and even despite the delicate appearance of her dress the way this girl moved indicated a ruthlessness to her. Avea couldn't explain it, but there was an magnetic intensity around this girl. The galad that emerged out of the mirrored pillar was heavily pregnant, which shocked Avea, as she watched her stand there cradling her large belly with a clawed hand. The galad of the Aurelian moon, Zariya Nneka, had a maternal glow emanating from her like a warm hearth as she swore her sacred oath and summoned her uri, binding it to her claimed.

Then came Space dog. "Lazarus Bane of the Viltarin moon," called to his galad. The Viltarin realm were all serious, as their cordial clapping echoed from above, quiet and tentative as though afraid if they cheered any louder it would disrupt the ceremony. Lazarus's chin stuck outwards, his shoulders were straight, refusing to show a shred of weakness. As though he was too keenly aware of all the eyes that were searching for any hint of vulnerability. As he bowed to the Supreme and then sailed towards his pillar, Lazarus remained in control, as he halted before the crystal mirror.

The Galad, Balor Hercyna emerged, sharp lupine ears swivelled attentively, capturing the faintest whispers, while his cold piercing eyes stared out at his claimed. Despite his wolfish appearance, much like his claimed, he too retained a human-like face with a towering frame, high cheekbones and a pronounced brow, giving him an unsettling appearance. Wearing a military uniform, that revealed the outline of powerful shoulders and a broad chest. Balor's razor sharp fangs gleamed, while his clawed hands, capable of rending flesh, remained sturdy as he marked Lazarus. Precise and unflinching. The luminaries from the Viltarian house watched intently as their uri bonded. They didn't even cheer as the pillar erupted with an ice blue flame, instead courteously nodding their heads in acknowledgement.

The next claimed, Ruya Valda of the Kairos moon, was tall and slender with the third eye. Her skin bore an unusual teal hue, smooth yet marked by the faintest swirls, while atop her head sprouted a pair of small, stunted horns. She had been the who to defend Avea to the rest of the claimed. However, the Kairos claimed didn't glance in Avea's direction, her face guarded. Trying to give off an air of effortless confidence, but Avea could see right through her facade. She'd had that very same expression on her face every time she raced in the Valent. That look of unbridled confidence that made you impervious to anything, like somehow you could will yourself to rise above it all. Her tell was the way her lanky body shifted her weight from foot to foot, as her piece of rock sailed away. Perhaps she could be a potential ally, Avea thought to herself, as she saw the girl's galad, Eythor Constellis, mark her.

Avea had watched every claimed sail across the chasm to meet their galad who stepped out of the mirrored pillars one by one. Each galad a formidable presence, adorned in their ceremonial garments. Yet none seemed at ease, Avea even from a distance could read their tense body language, the way their eyes scoured across the open chasm as through awaiting an attack. Each one of the claimed uri had been bonded to their galads and ignited their pillars, with the flame of their lunar realm. Alight like torches in the darkness. Avea's pulse began to beat harder and harder when she realised that there was only two of them left standing on the central rock.

Finally it was the seventh claimed turn, which meant she was next. The two of them were standing so still in the silence that Avea's entire body ached with suspense. The Seventh claimed, "Lilura Saskara of the Oniria moon," was called upon. "The Occulus doesn't prove anything, you don’t belong among us," her delicate voice rang softly in Avea's ear. As she broke away towards her pillar, she shot Avea a clear glare of disdain, which Avea didn't hesitate to return. She hadn't even been on this strange planet for more than a day and she'd already made an enemy.

Avea watched and waited in frozen anticipation, as the Oniria claimed broke away to meet their galad. Avea resented the way she seemed to float off into the distance, silently wishing that the Oniria luminary would capsize off her rock. But she didn't, reaching the halfway mark and began waiting.

She remained waiting, staring into her reflection in the pillar. There was no galad waiting for her. The luminaries of the Oniria moon all broke into hushed whispers and the other realms failed to contain their smugness. The whispering grew more frantic above them and Avea now felt a pang of guilt for this claimed. Who remained standing, just waiting on her little floating rock. Her chin held high, while every luminaries eyes remained fixed on the infuriatingly still crystal pillar. Suddenly, right before Avea thought she couldn't bare another second of this claimed's torment, the mirror began to change. However, the face that appeared in the crystal pillar, along with any sympathy she had for the Oniria claimed, was replaced with her own gut wrenching remorse.

"The galad of the Oniria moon, Araceli Visara." Avea felt all the blood drain from her face. Suddenly everything felt like it was closing in on her. As she watched her mother step out of the crystalline pillar. "She's one of the galad?!" It felt like time was moving excruciatingly slow, and everything fell out of rhythm within her own consciousness. As she watched a light body emerge out of the crystal mirror, and her mother appear in the flesh. Even though she still had those glass gorsian shackles forged tightly around her wrists, she didn't look like a prisoner.

The Oniria realm didn't rejoice at the sight of their long lost galad. Instead all gasping in utter disgust upon seeing Araceli's human form. "MUM" Avea cried out, her voice didn't even sound like her own, foreign to her own ears. Her mother's eyes met hers, as soon as they did the cold ice in her mother's eyes melted away leaving the warm hearth of those familiar eyes."Avea" she saw her mother's lips whisper, but as she turned towards her a wince flashed across her face. That's when Avea glanced downward to her mother's wrists where those glass cuffs were glowing brightly. "Let her go!" Avea screamed, trying to move towards her mother, but she was stranded on the rock floating too far out of reach. The Supreme only looked at her with pitying eyes. "You promised to repay your mother's debt for her past betrayal ... however she too made a promise to fulfill her duty as the galad of the Oniria moon, so that she may earn your freedom." Avea's eyes flared with anger, she double crossed me, she thought. So much for her Valent instincts, she should have known there would a catch. Everyone of the luminaries above cursed at her mother in all different tongues.

Her mother however, only stood there back straight, and eyes staring ahead, as though trying to transcend above it all.

Avea was willing her mother to look at her, to fight back against them. Somehow fight to get to her, "screw it!" Avea thought, and moved towards her mother. "Avea don't move" she heard her mother's voice plead in her mind. Avea halted, her entire body almost being thrown over into the void beneath her. "Fight back" she screamed back, the fury rising to the surface like molten lava. "They've bound me, in this form I can't escape" her mother's voice said. "I will find my way back to you ... " she said, Avea thought her chest might crack in half from the pain of seeing her mother so far out of reach with no way to get to her.

"I truly hate seeing you like this..." the Supreme said. Her light airy voice sounded genuinely remorseful, as though the sight of her mother in chains truly pained her. Her mother, however, didn't reciprocate her sentiment. Simply staring ahead in defiance, the impassive look on her face was that of a stranger."Your uri is invaluable to the ascension, and the fate of the lunar realms depends on your cooperation," the Supreme spoke gesturing to all of the luminaries above. Avea noticed her mother wince slightly at the sight of the Oniria luminaries of her realm, staring down at her with such loathing in their eyes. "Know that I wish you no ill will," the Supreme continued, Araceli raised a delicate dark brow at the Supreme conveying that she didn't believe a word that she spoke. "The shackles suggest otherwise," Araceli replied raising her wrists upwards with the shackles, the translucent glass catching the light around them.

A clear challenge.

The Supreme smiled, conveying her deepest sympathies towards her mother."You have been confined to this body to prevent you from fleeing." The two females stared at each other from across the chasm, a silent battle of wills."Don't forget ... why you're really here," the Supreme again spoke. A threat that rang clear. Avea may have chosen to participate, but she was still convenient leverage. "Galad of the Oniria moon, mark your claimed" the Supreme spoke, in a grandiose manner that had every luminary peering downwards with hunger in their eyes.

Her mother paused, clearly hesitating.

" I Araceli Visara of the Oniria moon, mark you Lilura Saskara as my claimed."He mother exclaimed, extending her arms outwards, but unlike all of the previous galad no light emerged. There was a horrified gasp from above echoing and reverberating from every crevice of the chasm. From every atom orbiting around. The Supreme stood deathly still, and from her slim lips she whispered "where is your uri?" Every luminaries head turned to Araceli. "I already told you that I shed my powers when I took hold of my human body," her mother spoke calmly and rationally, as if she had already explained before. Avea knew that this wasn't true, she'd seen her mother use her uri to get her out of the tunnels back in T'alli.

Where did she put it?

"This human body didn't inhibit your uri, when you were living on that dusty roamer planet" The Supreme replied. Her spine was abnormally straight, as she leapt gracefully of the edge of the floating rock that had only her and Avea remaining on it. Drifting over to Araceli, with nothing beneath her. "You would disgrace your house just to spite your former galad?" The Supreme said, now floating right in front of her. "I don't have it," her mother replied. The Supreme's eyes darkened, "consider your next words carefully." Her mother's steely gaze refused to waver in surrender. The Supreme lifted her chin, her large crown glistening on top her head, the slow ripple of power evident in every movement.

"Very well if you will not tell, we shall have to exploit other methods," the Supreme said, a sly undertone to her voice. "Morena" Supreme called out, in a rather dramatic fashion. Avea watched something like shock, fear and then panic flash across her mother's face in a matter of seconds. At the command of the Supreme, an older luminary soared down from her Oniria realm. The Supreme turned back to face her mother, "your defiance is predictable Araceli ... it always has been."

At those words the luminary creature landed on the central floating rock, right in front of Avea. Wearing a hood, and underneath they appeared to be hunched and shrivelled looking, so much so that Avea croached downwards to catch a peak at this mysterious luminary's face. The mysterious luminary was still hunched over and turned away from Avea's line of sight, like a maimed animal trying to hide away. They didn't appear to be threatening, but for whatever reason they terrified her mother, and that made Avea nervous.

"Morena, I grant you privileged to redeem your lunar realm where your former Oniria serves to disgrace it" the Supreme spoke out to the crowds. The Supreme turned to the crone luminary Morena ... "where is the uri of the Oniria galad?" Avea could hear the harshness in the Supreme's voice, clearly trying to keep her composure before her subjects. The creature, Morena unveiled herself and Avea nearly gagged at the sight. Her eyes had been carved out, with gruesome scratches covering the sochet around it. All that was left of her hair were loose strands, that clung to her scalp like cobwebs. She was shrivelled and frail, a haggard crone. The crone pointed a long shrivelled finger at her mother, and Avea tried not to cringe at her long curled fingernails.

"The light is birthed from darkness.

A soul remains caught in between.

The prince of the ashes is lost in the void.

Unless the master restores the key.

For the salvation of light will cease to be.

Unless held together by all of thee."

Morena's voice was low, and felt almost haunting. Every voice had been silenced, only allowing the old crone to speak. "The uri," she spoke slightly off beat. As though she had lost train of thought.

"Child of woe ... holds the key in the stone."

As she spoke that long shrivelled finger swerved now pointing at Avea. The moonstone around her neck began to glow, heeding to the call of the old crone. "No," Avea gasped scrambling to catch her moonstone. But it was too late the moonstone snapped out of the secure locket, glowing brightly like a star. "Give that back!" Avea cried, swinging out her hand to grab at it, but it was too far out of reach. "Clever Araceli, concealing your uri in the moonstone would mask by your Oniria powers." The luminaries of the Oniria moon cursed above her for her insubordination. "That doesn't belong to you," Avea screeched. "The uri belongs to the lunar sanctum," the Supreme responded, her eyes were hard and unwavering in their conviction. "Morena ... please," Araceli gasped. The blind crone didn't pay any attention to her mother, whispering under her breathe and her hands slashed viscously through her air. There was something violating about the way that the crone extracted her mother's uri from the moonstone, even the luminaries above didn't dare usher a word. The once iridescent stone levitating in the air, now faded to a dull grey before falling into oblivion. "No please" Avea gasped, in horror as she witnessed her one tie with her mother be swallowed by the abyss. Her mother's uri danced like a shimmering veil, it moved towards her mother whose silver tattoos were alight, as like called to like. Her uri flowed towards her. Before her mother could take the uri, the crone moved her hands and redirected her uri towards Lilura. Who was waiting patiently if not slightly hesitantly. The moment Lilura's uri was summoned, it flowed out of her meeting her mother's uri, and formed that intricate bond.

Avea screamed out, as her mother's uri intertwined with her claimed. The pillar didn't ignite, as she hadn't make the scared vow, "speak the words" the Supreme hissed, that sweet voice had turned harsh and biting. Her mother appeared drained, as if every ounce of will had been siphoned out of her. "Speak the vow" the Supreme spoke again, this time Morena threw her arm out towards Avea. Who felt the rock beneath her move violently to the side throwing her off balance, she fell to her knees and her arms broke her fall. The rock beneath her made a loud rumbling sound beneath her, she was going to fall. "Alright" her mother's voice cried out. Avea through blurry vision watched her mother take a deep shaking breath, "A latere lucido lunae."She said the words slowly and steadily, and the pillar behind her ignited, drawing Saskia's floating island to connect with her own.

It was done.

The luminaries from the Oniria moon snarled in satisfaction and contempt for their galad. Then it all went quiet ... eerily quiet.

Because now it was Avea's turn.

"Avea Maxwell of the Cyntherial moon, go forth," Avea heard the Supreme call out, except everything felt blurry and out of reach. She felt the rock beneath her break away at the Supreme's command, hating the feeling of weightlessness under her feet. As it drifted towards her pillar, Avea kept her body wholly still, not daring to breathe or shift her feet even an inch. She kept her eyes on the lone crystal before her, its small stature from a distance hadn't intimidated Avea, however, now it loomed before her it took everything in Avea to not audibly gulp at the sight. She kept her eyes ahead just as every other claimed had. Maintaining that same mask of indifference on her face, as the island of rock halted a distance away from the pillar.

Avea could feel her pulse hammering in her neck and the cold slick sweat that had coated her body. Her reflection stared back at her in the crystalline pillar, she didn't know what was going to emerge out of that mirror? What matter of being? What did the luminaries of the Cyntherial moon look like? Would they recognise her? Her reflection stared back at her and Avea thought she was going to grate her teeth down to the gum if the Crystalline mirror didn't morph soon. The silence was nearly deafening. "Of the Cyntherial moon," Avea thought, the eighth moon ...the lost moon.

It was fitting, a lost moon for a lost girl.

As though summoned by that very thought, the crystalline mirror began to change. Her head and her shoulders began to twist and contort to form monstrous horns protruding out the side of her head. Avea fought against the overwhelming urge to step back, it was only the knowledge that she would plummet into the abyss that kept her from succumbing to that urge. Avea watched her reflection contort even more, curiosity tingling throughout her entire body, until she heard gasps from afar. It was only when she saw those blue taloned hands pressing up against the crystal, did the realisation struck her.

Like a bolt of lightning it rattled through her body, igniting every nerve.

"As we know the Cyntherial moon was tragically lost to the void during the last ascension, which disrupted the uri for many eons," the Supreme said, her large curve circular throne resting atop her head glistened, while the other half was shrouded in shadow."However all is not lost as we have now have the last lunar descendent of the Cyntherial moon."Avea shifted uncomfortably under the weight of their scrutinous gazes, doing nothing to conceal their withering disdain for her. She could even see the interest peaked in the stone faced Viltarin luminaries. "However, the galad of the eighth lunar realm Aytigin Jericho, perished along with his sworn moon during the last ascension and so the ancients have declared a galad who can transcend between moons, belonging to all and belonging to none. The one who was never claimed and therefore able to stand as galad for the eighth moon."

"No...Please."

"Dolunay galad of the Cyntherial moon," sharp cold clarity struck Avea. As all the cries of surprise and outrage began fading into a hum. Until all she could hear was the erratic pounding of her heart in her ears. A light body emerged out of the pillar, and Avea immediately recognised the shape of those terrifyingly twisted horns. She should run. She wanted to run, but her legs wouldn't allow it. Her breathes were shallow and the celestial light was reflected in her eyes as Dolunay took form. The monstrous Dolunay stood exactly as she remembered him, all expect that he appeared more solid, no longer a shadowy predator chasing her in the dark. A true being of flesh and blood, standing before her in the light.

Her galad. He couldn't be.

Avea didn't know what to do. She was trapped, her connection to her mother had been severed. Leaving her to stare down this monster alone. She felt anger, pure anger at the sight of Dolunay looming in front of her. His physical body was the deep hues of cobalt blue, but now in the flesh Avea could see the jagged markings carved into his chest. That resembled the previous galads tattoos, but looked wrong somehow as though he'd tried to do it himself.

Dolunay stared into her with those black eyes that tore into her soul. Drinking in all the light and the chasm of luminaries with nothing, but cold calculation. Cold shock came over Avea, as she felt every vein in her body freeze. He lifted his hands with the same strange movement, summoning the light. There was something offbeat about the way he moved. Not in the same rhythm or tempo as his fellow galad. Only proving he wasn't one of them. He was an imposter.

Just like her.

"I Dolunay, servant of the ancients, mark you Avea Maxwell as my claimed" he said, his voice still sounded as horse as it did in the tunnels. "You can go to hell," Avea was trembling with rage, and her eyes were burning into his black eyes with so much hatred. However, there was no turning back, not with her mother being held prisoner a few feet away. She didn't have a choice she had to bond her uri with Dolunay's. As he brought his clawed hands out towards her in offering, Avea whispered under her breath, hoping he could hear.

" If I go down I'm taking you with me."