The Cursed Luna's Second Chance

ke a sound. The moon was high, casting an otherworldly glow over the forest as I made my way to its edge. It was instinct, s

ed. The trees here were thick and ancient, towering above, their branches twisting together to form a dark, secret canopy. I wove between them, moving deeper, letting the silence fi

ion. I tried to focus on my breathing, steadying myself, trying to shake off the strange feeling that had been following me all day. The drea

cket, but I could still feel it there, a strange warmth that pulsed faintly

ove she'd always had when she looked at me. Never let anyone see the mark, she'd whisper

it all, with the mark that seemed to bind me to something I didn't understand, som

bably just a rabbit, I told myself, but the prickling at the back of my neck refused to go away. Every instinct in me f

being watched refused to let go. I took a step back, my gaze scanning the trees. And then, I felt it-a flicker o

it were holding its breath, watching, waiting. The weight of the curse, the loneliness it brought, settled

he had to leave-if the curse had taken her away from me because she'd tried to help me carry it. I closed my eyes,

time. My pulse spiked, but before I could

t sleep

always had. Relief flooded through me, and I managed a small smile. Liam was one of the few people I

here?" I asked, my voice

t. "I saw you sneaking out. Figured I'd make sure you were

ay of grounding me, of reminding me that not everyone looked at me like I was cursed. "I t

softened.

iam had never asked about the whispers, never pried into the things the others muttered about me. B

as alone as I felt. But there was still an air of secrecy between us, an invisible wall neither of us dared to cross. H

d his throat. "Let's

toward the village, I felt the weight on my shoulders lessen, just a little. Liam's steady steps beside me reminded me that,

at me, urging me to look. And there, just beyond the line of trees, I saw it-a shadow, darker than the rest, lingering in the mist. It

othing but the familiar shadows and m

rought me back, his bro

hing," I said, though my heart was still pounding. Just the forest, I told

ke the feeling that I'd just caught a glimpse of something waiting for