HEARTS OF DIVINE RUIN (The MoonGoddess and The AlphaKing)

Chapter 19 : Memory's Fracture

Luna's mind spun, disbelief hitting her like a tidal wave as she stood frozen in place. Her gaze locked onto Alex, standing beside him—Lucifer. 

Her mind reeled, confusion flooding her senses. Alex - He wasn't supposed to be here. This was more than a dream—this was a memory, and Alex had never been part of it. 

Her pulse quickened, disbelief mixing with dread as she stared at the gods surrounding them, faces of those she once trusted, now shadowed in doubt.

Her steps faltered as she stared at his broad back, every inch of him recognizable even in this surreal moment. Her pulse quickened, disbelief giving way to confusion. What is he doing here? Her thoughts spiraled. Was this real? Or was her mind playing tricks on her?

The room around them was filled with the gods, the people she had trusted with everything. Their heads were bowed, their forms still, but their silence felt suffocating. Her eyes darted to each face in the crowd—beings she had once ruled with, those who had pledged their loyalty to her. Now, under the weight of the boy's warning, Ezra's voice echoed relentlessly in her head: "Don't trust anyone, Luna. Everyone you trusted has betrayed you."

Her chest tightened, a familiar ache creeping up her spine. 

Everyone? 

Her mind latched onto the word like a vice, squeezing her insides with dread. Could Ezra have been right all along? Alex... her gaze flickered back to him, unease twisting in her gut. She wanted to believe he was different, but why was he here, mingling among gods on the night of her downfall? 

Why was Lucifer standing next to him?

Her thoughts raced, colliding with one another, creating a storm of doubt and fear. She felt exposed, vulnerable, as if the very fabric of reality had been ripped apart before her eyes. Her once-unshakeable certainty was crumbling. The gods had sworn to protect her - follow her and be loyal to her, yet in this moment, she could feel the weight of their betrayal looming over her. It was like an iron chain tightening around her, cutting off her breath.

The room around her began to blur, the familiar faces of gods she once knew now strange, distorted by suspicion. Her chest tightened as she wrestled with her fear, trying to make sense of it all. The boy's words repeated over and over, feeding her growing unease. 

Who could she trust? 

The line between friend and enemy dissolved.

Suddenly, the memory began to slip away, dissolving into darkness. Luna's eyes shot open, her breath ragged. The boy's warning still echoed in her head, louder than ever: "Don't trust anyone." The weight of it crushed her chest, leaving her trapped in a storm of uncertainty and fear..

Luna's eyes snapped open, the remnants of her dream lingering like smoke. The room was still and quiet, only the soft rise and fall of Alex's chest breaking the silence. He slept soundly beside her, his face peaceful, unaware of the storm that had erupted in her mind. Her world seemed to fracture into a million pieces as her thoughts raced, trying desperately to put everything together.

It was him.

The strange man from that cold night at the hotel—the figure that had been watching her from the shadows—was it Alex too ?  

Thinking back they had almost similar built - How could she nevr noticed .  Her breath hitched, the revelation crashing over her like a tidal wave. Her chest tightened, and her head began to throb as confusion and betrayal set in. How could she have missed it? How could she have let him in, trusted him, when all along, he had been part of this? Lucifer too ? weren't they friends who had been there through each other ups and down . 

She needed to get out. Now.

With a careful, quiet movement, Luna slipped out of bed, her bare feet meeting the cold wooden floor. Her heart raced in her chest as she tiptoed toward the door, each step feeling like an eternity. She glanced back at Alex, and her heart nearly stopped when he stirred. For a brief, terrifying moment, she thought he would wake, his eyes locking onto hers with that familiar intensity. But he simply rolled over, his breathing steady and deep, still lost in sleep.

Relief washed over her, and she turned the knob with trembling fingers, opening the door as quietly as possible. Once outside the room, she moved faster, her bare feet making soft thuds against the old floorboards. The hallway felt longer than it should, the shadows on the walls stretching and shifting as if mocking her desperation.

She ran. Past the dusty lobby, past the empty front desk. There was no one there to stop her, no one to ask questions. The stayhouse was eerily quiet, like a ghost had swallowed all the noise. She didn't care. All that mattered was getting as far away from Alex as she could.

The cold night air hit her skin as she burst through the front door. She didn't stop. Barefoot, hair wild, and heart pounding, she sprinted across the empty road. Her breath came in short, sharp gasps, and her body burned with every step, but none of it mattered. The only thing that filled her mind was running—running away from the man she had trusted, the man who had been watching her long before she ever realized.

The road stretched out in front of her, quiet and vast, the sky a dark expanse overhead. Barely any cars passed by; it was as if the world had gone to sleep, leaving her alone in her nightmare. The occasional streetlight flickered, casting long, unsettling shadows that danced across her path, but Luna didn't stop. The cold pavement bit into her feet, her heart hammering against her ribcage, but all she cared about was putting distance between her and Alex.

Her mind whirled. How could he have hidden this from her? How could he put on such a convincing facade, acting as though he cared, as though he was protecting her? Her chest tightened further, and her legs began to shake with exhaustion, but she pressed on, desperate to escape the truth and the memories that now haunted her.

She ran past the edge of the road and into the forest, the trees closing in around her like dark sentinels. The earth beneath her feet was soft, wet from recent rain, but she barely noticed as she weaved through the trees, stumbling and catching herself as she pushed forward. She had no idea where she was going—just away. Away from the man who had shattered the fragile trust she had built.

Suddenly, a horrible thought crashed into her. Her scent.

Her legs slowed to a stop, and she bent over, hands on her knees as she panted, realizing in horror that Alex could track her. He was a wolf—an Alpha King, no less. He would find her by scent alone, even if she got far. Panic surged through her, and she looked around, eyes scanning the forest floor for something—anything—that could help her.

Without thinking, she dropped to her knees, her fingers clawing at the wet ground. The mud was thick, cool, and sticky, and she scooped it up, slathering it over her body in a desperate attempt to cover her scent. It coated her skin, her arms, her legs—her entire body—until she was practically camouflaged with the earth itself.

Was it enough? Could this hide her? Luna didn't know.

Her body gave in, exhaustion overtaking her as she collapsed to the ground, her chest heaving with exertion. She lay there for a moment, her body shaking, her mind reeling from everything she had learned, everything she had seen. It was too much. She couldn't think. Couldn't breathe.

The truth didn't matter now—only escape. Luna squeezed her eyes shut, her body sinking into the mud as she tried to catch her breath. Everything hurt, but the pain in her chest—the betrayal—hurt more.

She had to get away. As far away as possible. But as her body trembled and her mind spiraled, she couldn't help but wonder if she would ever truly escape this.