The clearing was no longer quiet.
Broken branches littered the ground, leaves still drifting slowly through the air after the last burst of power. The tree Aria had split earlier leaned dangerously to one side.
Standing in the center of the damage, Aria stared at her glowing wrist.
"This power is going to get me banned from forests."
Across from her, Alpha Kael folded his arms.
"You're still holding it wrong."
Aria looked up.
"There's a right way to hold magical moon lightning?"
Kael walked closer.
"Yes."
He reached out and gently lifted her wrist.
"The power isn't supposed to explode outward."
Aria frowned.
"Then what is it supposed to do?"
Kael tapped the glowing crescent lightly.
"It listens to you."
Aria raised an eyebrow.
"That's funny."
She gestured at the destroyed tree.
"Because it seems like it listens to chaos."
Behind them, Ikechukwu shook his head slowly.
"You dey fight the power."
Aria looked at him.
"I'm not fighting it."
Ikechukwu pointed at her chest.
"You dey force am."
Aria blinked.
"So what should I do?"
Ikechukwu smiled.
"Let am flow."
Kael nodded.
"He's right."
Aria crossed her arms.
"That's very helpful advice."
She gestured dramatically.
"Just 'let the mysterious cosmic power flow.' Easy."
Kael smirked slightly.
"You'll understand."
Then he stepped back.
"Try again."
Aria groaned.
"Again?"
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"You wanted to learn."
Aria sighed.
"Fine."
She closed her eyes.
For a moment, everything around her went quiet.
She focused on the glowing mark on her wrist.
Instead of pushing the power outward like before…
She tried something different.
She breathed slowly.
In.
Out.
The crescent mark pulsed gently.
Silver light moved across her skin like calm moonlight on water.
The wind around the clearing softened.
Even the trees seemed to quiet.
Aria slowly opened her eyes.
The power was still there.
But it felt… calmer.
Kael noticed immediately.
"Good."
Aria raised her glowing hand slowly.
"Okay…"
She whispered.
"Let's try not destroying anything this time."
She stepped forward.
Then suddenly—
Kael moved.
Fast.
He shifted into his wolf form in mid-motion and lunged toward her.
Aria's eyes widened.
"HEY—!"
Instinct took over.
The moon power surged again.
But this time…
Instead of exploding outward—
The silver light wrapped around her arm like flowing energy.
When Kael's wolf reached her—
Aria raised her hand.
The energy burst forward in a controlled arc.
BOOM!
The force stopped Kael mid-leap and pushed him back several meters across the ground.
Dust flew into the air.
Silence followed.
Aria blinked.
"Oh."
She looked at her hand.
"I did that on purpose."
Behind her, Ikechukwu grinned widely.
"That one correct."
Kael shifted back to human form slowly.
His expression looked impressed.
"Now that…"
He dusted off his jacket.
"…was control."
Aria smiled slightly.
"Finally."
But before anyone could say another word—
The crescent mark suddenly burned again.
Harder than before.
Aria gasped.
"Ah—!"
The silver light exploded brighter than it ever had.
Kael stepped forward immediately.
"Aria!"
She clutched her wrist.
"It's not me!"
The power wasn't building from her emotions this time.
It was reacting to something else.
Something far away.
Ikechukwu's expression darkened.
"Something dey come."
Kael turned toward the forest.
The wind suddenly shifted.
The trees rustled violently.
Aria felt the moon power pulling in one direction.
Like a compass pointing toward danger.
She looked into the distance.
"Magnus."
Kael's jaw tightened.
From deep within the forest…
A low howl echoed again.
And this time—
It wasn't far away anymore.