Lyra stared at the letter until the ink blurred behind tears.
Her father's handwriting sharp, elegant, always in control. Even in death, his words felt like orders. But this time, they weren't meant for generals or spies.
They were meant for her.
"Find the Moonborn. He is the last key."
"If the red moon rises, the world will burn."
She folded the paper and slipped it into her cloak.
There would be no sleep tonight.
By dawn, she was riding alone no guards, no maidens, just a borrowed stallion and a heart pounding far too loud.
She told the gatewatch she was delivering messages to the old villages outside the capital.
A lie.
She had always been good at those.
Lyra didn't know what she expected the Blackwood to look like.
But it wasn't this.
Dark. Silent. Alive.
Trees leaned too close. Branches twisted like hands. Fog crept low, clinging to her boots. The forest didn't feel like a place it felt like a presence.
As if it was watching her.
Judging her.
Daring her to come closer.
She pressed forward, clutching the hidden letter in her pocket like a prayer.
Deep inside the forest...
Riven crouched beside a stream, sharpening his blade. Not because it was dull but because the act steadied his mind.
He'd felt it again last night.
The pull.
The stars had gone quiet now, but the tension in the air hadn't left. Something was coming. Or someone.
The swordmaster approached, stepping softly as always.
"She's on her way," he said without turning.
Riven looked up. "Who?"
The man didn't answer right away.
"Someone who will either lead you to your purpose…"
He met Riven's gaze.
"…or destroy it."
Far behind them, closer to the capital, a different conversation was happening.
In a chamber lit by blue crystal and silence, the royal advisor stood before a council of nobles.
"She left the palace alone," he said, voice cold. "No guards. No destination."
One of the councilwomen narrowed her eyes. "Why would the bastard daughter suddenly run?"
Another answered: "She didn't run. She's searching."
"For what?"
The advisor's mouth curled into a tight smile.
"The last Moonborn."