**✨ Chapter 21 – The Child of Portals**
By the time the portal shimmered shut behind them, Ariana's heart was still hammering.
Aster squeezed her hand, smiling as if she hadn't just yanked five teenagers out of a death trap.
Her cheeks were rosy, her eyes wide with simple excitement.
Kai knelt in front of her, hands trembling as he checked her arms, her face, her hair.
"Aster," he said tightly, voice shaking,
"you didn't get hurt, right?"
"Nope! I'm super strong!" she announced proudly.
Kai didn't smile.
He looked like he wanted to cry.
Ariana stepped closer and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"She's okay," she whispered.
Kai exhaled shakily.
Aster patted his cheek.
"It's okay, Kai-Kai. I knew you needed me."
Kai swallowed hard.
"I didn't want you anywhere near danger," he whispered.
Aster grinned. "But everyone kept thinking scary thoughts, so I came!"
Zane stiffened.
"Wait," he said slowly. "You… felt us? From across the academy?"
Aster nodded, curls bouncing.
"Yup! You were all loud. Especially the flame-boy."
Rylan blinked. "Who, me?"
Aster pointed at him. "You think in shouting."
Calen burst out laughing.
Kai sighed. "Aster… you can't jump through portals without permission."
"But the big root monster was going to squish you," she said defensively.
Ariana sank down to sit at Aster's level.
"But how did you know *where* we were?" she asked.
"We weren't near any magic signals."
Aster puffed her cheeks out proudly.
"I followed Kai!"
Kai froze.
Rylan blinked. "You… tracked him?"
Aster nodded.
"He's my brother! I can feel him anywhere."
Zane's eyes widened.
"That's a bond ability. Rare. Extremely rare."
Aster nodded harder.
"And I can feel Ariana too!"
Ariana blinked. "Me?"
Aster nodded.
"Yup! You feel like moonlight."
Kai looked at Ariana sharply at that.
Ariana felt her heart skip.
Moonlight.
The Lunar-Blood.
Of course Aster could sense her.
---
## **Aster's Abilities**
Zane crouched in front of the girl.
"Aster," he said softly, "can you tell us how many powers you have?"
Aster thought really hard for a moment, tapping her chin with one tiny finger.
"Um… Mama said I have three. Kai says I have four. I say I have ten!"
Rylan snorted. "Confident. Nice."
Aster pointed her fingers as she counted:
"Portal-making.
Warp-jumping.
Feeling people.
And… something with shadows but I don't use that one because Kai says it's too dangerous."
Kai rubbed his forehead.
"She can mimic abilities. It's unstable. She copied one of my shadow forms once and—"
Aster cheerfully added:
"—and then I broke all the windows!"
Ariana nearly choked.
"Aster!"
Aster giggled, completely unbothered.
Kai looked like he aged ten years.
"Aster… please stop telling Ariana all the ways you nearly died."
Aster shrugged.
"But I didn't die!"
Calen snorted.
"She's fearless. Respect."
Ariana held Aster's face gently in both hands.
"Thank you," Ariana whispered. "For saving us."
Aster leaned into her palms like a kitten.
"You're warm. Can I sleep with you tonight?"
Kai nearly had a heart attack.
"Aster—NO—"
"It's okay, Kai," Ariana interrupted softly. "She just wants comfort."
Kai blinked.
"You'd… let her?"
Ariana nodded.
"Of course. She's just a baby."
Aster hugged Ariana tight.
Kai watched them, something soft flickering in his usually composed violet eyes.
---
## **The Unexpected Clue**
As they gathered themselves, Zane suddenly stiffened.
"Ariana," he said slowly, "what's that in your hair?"
"My what?"
Zane stepped forward and plucked something from behind her ear.
Ariana blinked.
It was a dried, broken leaf—
but tinged with black veins like ink.
Calen narrowed his eyes.
"That's from the settlement."
Rylan frowned.
"But we left there through a portal. How did it cling to her?"
Kai took it gently, lifting it to the moonlight.
"It's not just a leaf."
Ariana swallowed as she sensed something wrong.
"What is it?"
"It's a carrier," Zane murmured.
"A piece of the corrupted land that… reacted to you."
Ariana stepped back.
"Reacted? To me?"
Zane nodded firmly.
"Ariana, your wolf is a Lunar-Blood Wolf. The opposite of corruption… which is darkness twisted through earth. That leaf was attracted to you because your magic… heals."
Ariana's breath caught.
"I… heal?"
Kai shook his head.
"No. Not like your mother's Mystic magic. You purify. Your wolf is light aligned — lunar light. You counteract corrupted magic."
Ariana felt her legs weaken.
"You mean… I can fix that poisoned land?"
Zane's eyes softened.
"Maybe. But you're nowhere near strong enough yet. And the corruption is old… deep… dangerous."
Aster tugged Ariana's hand.
"If you fix it… will the monster stop being angry?"
Ariana knelt beside her and stroked her hair.
"I don't know, baby."
Aster nodded solemnly.
"But you want to try?"
Ariana swallowed hard.
"Yes."
Kai crouched beside them.
"Ariana," he said quietly, "this changes everything."
"How?" she whispered.
Kai held up the corrupted leaf.
"If the settlement reacts to you… then Rebirth may know who you are. Or what you are."
Ariana felt cold.
Zane's voice broke through the fear.
"But we have something they don't."
Ariana looked up.
"What?"
Calen smirked.
"Aster."
Aster clapped.
"I'm a clue!"
Rylan ruffled her hair.
"The best clue."
Ariana hugged Aster close.
Her wolf hummed gently, drawn to the girl's pure magic.
Aster reached up and pressed her tiny palm to Ariana's cheek.
"Don't be scared," she whispered.
Ariana's voice trembled.
"Why not?"
Aster smiled softly, almost dreamily.
"Because the moon watches you."
Ariana froze.
Kai stiffened.
Zane inhaled sharply.
How could a **four-year-old** know anything about the lunar blessing?
But Aster simply yawned and curled up in Ariana's lap.
"I'm sleepy."
Ariana held her protectively.
Kai watched them both with eyes full of something deep and vulnerable.
---
## **The Academy Intervenes**
A sudden flare of golden light erupted nearby.
A tall figure strode toward them — robes billowing.
Headmaster Solarin.
Ariana stiffened, clutching Aster protectively.
But Solarin raised a hand gently.
"Do not fear. I felt the portal's pull."
His gaze landed on Aster.
"Aster Vesper… your gift is growing faster than expected."
Aster waved sleepily.
"Hi, Headmaster man."
Solarin chuckled softly.
Then his expression grew serious.
"You all brought back corruption," he said, looking at the black-veined leaf.
Ariana's voice was small.
"It followed me."
Solarin nodded gravely.
"Of course it did. Lunar wolves attract what needs cleansing."
Ariana's stomach dropped.
"What does that mean?"
"It means," Solarin said gently, "that the corruption wants you."
Kai stepped in front of Ariana instantly.
Solarin continued.
"And now… we must act faster. Rebirth's next step will be more aggressive."
Zane's voice sharpened.
"Why?"
Solarin pointed to the leaf.
"Because corruption only attaches to things it recognizes."
Ariana whispered:
"It recognizes me?"
Solarin nodded.
"And it remembers you."
Ariana's wolf growled deep inside her.
Solarin extended a hand.
"Come. All of you. Bring the child. We must talk."
Kai lifted Aster gently.
Aster reached for Ariana.
Ariana took Kai's free hand.
Together, they followed the Headmaster back toward the academy—
not knowing that Rebirth had already set their next move into motion.