The night the moon turned red, the world changed forever.

In the kingdom of Aetheria, people believed that the moon was a guardian.

For a thousand years, it had watched over the land.

Whenever the moon was silver, peace remained.

Whenever it disappeared behind clouds, people prayed.

But once every hundred years, something happened that no one could explain.

The moon turned crimson.

And whenever the Crimson Moon appeared…

A hero was born.

At least, that was what the legends said.

Most people believed the stories were nothing more than ancient fairy tales.

Kael Ardyn did not.

He had spent his entire life hearing stories about the Moonblades.

Warriors who could control the power of the moon.

Warriors who protected Aetheria from creatures known as the Voidborn.

According to legend, the last Moonblade had disappeared three hundred years ago.

No one had seen one since.

Kael had always dreamed of becoming one.

But dreams were dangerous things.

Especially for someone like him.

Kael was seventeen years old and lived in the poorest district of Aetheria.

His home was a small wooden house at the edge of the kingdom.

The roof leaked when it rained.

The walls were cracked.

And during winter, the cold entered through every window.

But Kael didn’t complain.

He had learned long ago that complaining didn’t change anything.

His mother had raised him alone.

His father had disappeared when Kael was six.

No one knew where he had gone.

Some people said he had died.

Others said he had abandoned his family.

Kael had never believed either story.

His father had left behind one thing.

A sword.

It was an old black blade that Kael kept hidden beneath his bed.

His mother had forbidden him from touching it.

“You must never use that sword,” she had told him.

“Why?”

“Because it doesn’t belong to you.”

Kael had always thought that answer was strange.

If the sword didn’t belong to him…

Then why had his father left it behind?

Tonight, however, Kael had no time to think about the sword.

The Crimson Moon had appeared.

The entire kingdom had stopped.

People stood in the streets.

Children pointed toward the sky.

Priests prayed.

Soldiers watched the horizon.

Kael stood outside his home.

He looked up.

The moon was enormous.

Red.

Beautiful.

Terrifying.

A cold wind moved through the streets.

Kael felt something inside his chest.

A heartbeat.

Not his own.

He placed a hand against his chest.

“What is happening?”

Then the moon disappeared.

Darkness covered the kingdom.

And something screamed.

Not a human scream.

Not an animal.

Something ancient.

Something that had been waiting.

Kael looked toward the mountains.

A black crack appeared in the sky.

The soldiers began shouting.

People ran.

The bells of Aetheria began ringing.

“Voidborn!”

The word spread through the streets.

Kael froze.

The Voidborn had returned.

Everyone knew the stories.

Monsters from another world.

Creatures made of darkness.

They had attacked Aetheria centuries ago.

The Moonblades had defeated them.

But now…

The sky was breaking.

Kael ran home.

“Mother!”

No answer.

“Mother!”

He entered the house.

The room was empty.

His heart stopped.

“Mother?”

Then he saw the blood.

A small drop.

On the wooden floor.

Kael followed the trail.

It led toward the back door.

He ran outside.

“Mother!”

Something moved in the darkness.

Kael stopped.

A figure stood near the trees.

Tall.

Thin.

Not human.

Its eyes glowed red.

Kael’s blood turned cold.

The creature smiled.

“You.”

Kael couldn’t move.

The Voidborn stepped forward.

“You carry the mark.”

“What mark?”

The creature pointed toward his chest.

A strange symbol had appeared beneath Kael’s shirt.

A crescent moon.

Burning red.

Kael touched it.

Pain exploded through his body.

He screamed.

The creature laughed.

“Finally.”

Kael fell to his knees.

“What do you want?”

The creature tilted its head.

“We want what your father stole.”

“My father?”

The creature moved closer.

“Your father was a traitor.”

Kael’s eyes widened.

“What did he steal?”

The creature smiled.

“The Moonblade.”

Suddenly, a sword appeared in the darkness.

A silver blade.

A girl was holding it.

She couldn’t have been much older than Kael.

Sixteen.

Maybe seventeen.

Long silver hair.

Blue eyes.

A black cloak.

She stood between Kael and the monster.

“Leave him alone.”

The creature laughed.

“Another child.”

The girl raised her sword.

“I’m not a child.”

The blade began glowing.

The creature attacked.

The girl moved.

Fast.

Too fast.

She disappeared.

Then reappeared behind the monster.

Her sword struck.

The creature screamed.

Black blood covered the ground.

Kael stared.

The girl turned.

“Run.”

Kael blinked.

“What?”

“Run!”

The creature rose again.

The sword wound closed.

The girl looked surprised.

“That’s impossible.”

The monster laughed.

“You cannot kill what has no life.”

The girl stepped back.

Kael stood.

“Who are you?”

She looked at him.

“My name is Lyra.”

“Lyra what?”

“Just Lyra.”

“That’s not a name.”

She frowned.

“Do you want to die?”

Kael decided not to argue.

The creature attacked again.

Lyra raised her sword.

But this time…

Kael moved.

He didn’t know why.

His body acted before his mind could think.

He stepped in front of Lyra.

The creature’s claw struck him.

Everything went silent.

Kael looked down.

The creature’s hand had pierced his chest.

Lyra screamed.

“Kael!”

Blood fell.

The creature smiled.

Then something strange happened.

The black sword beneath Kael’s house began to glow.

The ground shook.

The creature suddenly stepped back.

“No.”

Kael fell.

His vision blurred.

He heard Lyra shouting.

He heard people running.

He heard the sound of bells.

Then he heard another voice.

His father’s voice.

You were never meant to find the sword.

Kael’s eyes opened.

He was standing somewhere else.

A dark place.

A world without stars.

His father stood before him.

Older.

Wounded.

But alive.

Kael stared.

“Father?”

The man looked at him.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Kael ran toward him.

“Where have you been?”

His father stepped back.

“Stay away.”

“Why did you leave us?”

“I had no choice.”

“You abandoned me!”

His father closed his eyes.

“I was protecting you.”

“From what?”

A sound echoed through the darkness.

His father looked toward the sky.

“From them.”

Kael turned.

Thousands of red eyes opened.

The Voidborn.

His father grabbed his shoulders.

“Listen to me.”

Kael stared.

“The sword chose you.”

“What sword?”

“The Moonblade.”

Kael shook his head.

“I’m not a hero.”

His father smiled sadly.

“Neither was I.”

The darkness began breaking apart.

“Wait!”

Kael grabbed his father’s hand.

“Are you alive?”

His father looked at him.

“For now.”

“Where are you?”

“Beyond the Void.”

“How do I find you?”

His father whispered:

“Find the girl.”

“What girl?”

“The one who carries the Moonlight.”

The world shattered.

Kael woke.

He was lying on the ground.

Lyra was beside him.

She was crying.

Kael blinked.

“Why are you crying?”

She immediately wiped her face.

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“Shut up.”

Kael tried to sit.

Pain exploded through his chest.

He looked down.

There was no wound.

No blood.

Nothing.

The Voidborn was gone.

But the black sword was lying beside him.

Kael stared.

The blade had appeared from nowhere.

He reached for it.

Lyra grabbed his hand.

“Don’t.”

“Why?”

“Because that sword is cursed.”

Kael looked at her.

“How do you know?”

She looked at the blade.

“Because I’ve been searching for it.”

Kael froze.

“What?”

Lyra stood.

“The Moonblade disappeared three hundred years ago.”

She looked at him.

“And tonight…”

“It found you.”

Kael looked at the sword.

The blade began glowing.

A silver symbol appeared on his hand.

A crescent moon.

Then Lyra stepped closer.

Her eyes widened.

“No.”

“What?”

She looked at his mark.

“You’re the one.”

“The one what?”

“The Moonblade.”

Kael laughed.

“That’s impossible.”

Lyra didn’t laugh.

“The legends say the Moonblade will return when the Crimson Moon rises.”

“So?”

“So the Moonblade isn’t a sword.”

Kael looked confused.

“Then what is it?”

Lyra stared at him.

“You.”

The world seemed to stop.

Kael looked at the sword.

Then at Lyra.

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not special.”

Lyra smiled sadly.

“Neither was I.”

Kael frowned.

“What does that mean?”

Lyra looked toward the mountains.

“The Voidborn are coming.”

Kael stood.

“Then we fight.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because you don’t know how.”

“Then teach me.”

Lyra stared at him.

Kael took the sword.

The moment his fingers touched the handle…

The entire kingdom shook.

Far away, beyond the mountains…

A giant black tower rose from the earth.

The Void had opened.

Lyra looked terrified.

“That wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Kael looked at her.

“What?”

She pointed toward the tower.

“The Void King.”

Kael’s heart stopped.

“Who is that?”

Lyra’s voice became quiet.

“The strongest creature in existence.”

Kael looked at the sword.

“Can we defeat him?”

Lyra shook her head.

“Not alone.”

“Then who will help us?”

Lyra looked at him.

For the first time, Kael saw something different in her eyes.

Hope.

“There’s one person.”

“Who?”

“The last Moonblade.”

Kael stared.

“I thought you said the Moonblade was me.”

“You are.”

“Then who is the last one?”

Lyra looked toward the dark sky.

“Your father.”

Kael’s heart stopped.

Before he could speak…

A massive explosion shook the kingdom.

The Voidborn had begun their attack.

The people of Aetheria screamed.

Buildings collapsed.

The sky turned black.

Kael looked at Lyra.

“Where do we go?”

She pointed toward the mountains.

“To find your father.”

Kael gripped the Moonblade.

“And then?”

Lyra looked at him.

“Then we save the world.”

Kael smiled.

“That’s all?”

“No.”

She stepped closer.

“We also have to survive each other.”

Kael frowned.

“What does that mean?”

Lyra smiled.

“You talk too much.”

“And you don’t talk enough.”

“Exactly.”

Kael laughed.

For the first time since his mother had disappeared…

He felt something he hadn’t felt in years.

Hope.

He didn’t know who he was.

He didn’t know why the sword had chosen him.

He didn’t know why Lyra seemed to know more about his life than he did.

And he certainly didn’t know why his heart beat faster whenever she looked at him.

But one thing was certain.

The night had changed everything.

Kael Ardyn was no longer an ordinary boy.

He was the last Moonblade.

And somewhere beyond the Void…

His father was waiting.

But Kael didn’t know that his journey would lead him to something far more dangerous than the Void King.

Love.

Because sometimes…

The person who saves your heart…

Is the same person who can break it.

And Lyra…

Was about to become both.

To Be Continued…