The monster tightened its grip around Luna's limp body, its glowing eyes shifting toward Mia. With a roar, it lunged forward, claws raised.
"Mia, look out!" Jake shouted, stepping between them with his sword. He turned to Alex urgently. "We have to protect Mia and get Luna out of here—now!"
Before they could move, another figure emerged from the mist—a creature similar in form to the monster, but smaller, with softer features and a calm, commanding voice.
"Stop," she ordered.
The first monster froze, startled. "Why should I?"
She stepped closer and whispered sharply in his ear, "That girl is the princess. The king's orders are clear—no harm is to come to her or the others until nightfall."
The creature's eyes widened in fear. With a trembling snarl, he released Luna, backing away slowly. "I'll be back for you," he hissed, his voice shaking with both anger and dread. Then, with a final glare, he disappeared into the fog, the female creature vanishing with him.
Jake, Mia, and Alex stood in stunned silence, the echoes of the monsters' departure still ringing in their ears.
"Princess?" Alex murmured. "What was that about?"
"No idea," Jake said, kneeling beside Luna. "But we'll figure it out later. Right now, she's hurt—badly."
He pressed two fingers to her neck. "She's still breathing."
"Then we need to help her," Mia said quickly. "There's an old house nearby—we can rest there."
Together, they carried Luna through the ruins and into one of the abandoned homes. Dust covered the furniture, but there was an old bed in the corner. They laid her gently down, her breathing shallow and ragged.
Jake examined the arrow wound in her shoulder. "We need to treat this," he said firmly. "But we'll have to remove her mask."
Mia nodded. "It's the only way to clean the wound."
Luna stirred weakly, her voice barely above a whisper. "No… I'll be fine… please don't…"
Jake shook his head. "You're not fine, Luna. You'll bleed out if we don't help."
Alex stood. "I'll find water," he said, then hurried out of the house.
Jake gently reached for Luna's mask. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, "but we have to do this."
As he lifted it away, the soft leather fell into his hands. Luna's pale face was revealed beneath, her features delicate but marked with exhaustion and pain.
Jake blinked, surprised. "Why didn't you want me to take this off?"
Luna coughed weakly. "It… belonged to my mother. It's all I have left of her."
Mia leaned closer. "What do you mean? What happened to her?"
Luna tried to answer, but her strength faded, and another fit of coughing overtook her.
Alex returned, setting down a small bowl of water. "Here," he said. "I'll go get more in case we need it."
Jake dipped a cloth into the water and pressed it gently to Luna's wound. "This will hurt," he warned.
Mia held Luna's hand as Jake cleaned the blood from her shoulder. The wound was deep, and though Luna's face twisted in pain, no sound escaped her lips.
"She's not even screaming…" Mia whispered, astonished. "Luna, can you hear me? Does it hurt?"
Luna couldn't speak—her breath came in short gasps, her eyes glistening with tears. Jake worked quickly, cleaning the wound and wrapping it tightly with a strip of cloth from his tunic.
"There," he said softly. "That should hold for now."
Mia brushed a strand of hair from Luna's face. "She needs to rest before we move on."
Jake nodded. "We'll keep watch. Let her sleep."
As the firelight flickered across the room, Luna's breathing slowed, her eyes fluttering shut.
Outside, the mist thickened once more—carrying whispers of secrets yet to come.