The moon hung red in the sky like a warning eye. Its light didn't warm—it *watched*. All of Moonshine felt it. Animals cried. Rivers slowed. Shadows grew longer, clawing at homes and hearts.
Tara stood at the palace balcony, gripping the railing. Her hands trembled. Not from fear—but from something worse: a feeling she'd never known before.
*Doubt.*
A Fracture Among Allies
The council was in chaos. Some blamed Tara for awakening the Deep One. Others wanted to abandon the kingdom and flee to the mountains.
"I didn't break the seal," Tara shouted. "I *saved* us from the shadow beast!"
But one voice cut through the chamber.
"She's not from here. She doesn't know what her power really is," said an old general, eyes dark with suspicion.
Even Neha hesitated.
Jasmine stood beside Tara, unwavering. "She is one of us now. If you doubt her, you doubt *me*."
The chamber fell into silence.
The Infection Spreads
That night, people began vanishing.
Not with screams—but with *smiles*. They walked into the red moonlight and disappeared. Dozens. Then hundreds.
Neha ran to Tara. "I saw one of them. His eyes were… empty. Like he'd already said goodbye."
Tara clenched her fists. "The Deep One is *feeding*."
A Forbidden Solution
The Moon Seers offered one last hope: the *Mirror of Origin*—a sacred relic hidden in the jungle of dreams. It could reveal one's true nature… and how to defeat the darkness bound to it.
"But," the High Seer warned, "The mirror doesn't show answers. It shows *truths*. And truths break people."
Tara didn't hesitate. "Then let it break me."
One Last Journey
Jasmine, Neha, and Tara prepared to leave. Outside the palace, people gathered in eerie silence, gazing at the blood moon. No sound. No movement.
Just… waiting.
Jasmine whispered, "They're not themselves anymore."
Tara nodded. "Then let's go before we're next."
They slipped out of the city as the last bell tolled midnight. Behind them, Moonshine was no longer glowing.
It was *mourning*.