Moonbound: Caught Between Mafia and Mate

Chapter 8: Shadows and Sparks

The mansion was alive with movement. Lorenzo's men patrolled every hallway, every corner, their faces tense and their weapons ready. There was an unspoken understanding that this could be their last calm before the storm. The looming confrontation with Matteo was no longer a distant threat; it was inevitable, and everyone could feel it in the air.

Luna had retreated to the mansion's vast library, hoping to find some quiet amidst the chaos. The towering shelves of old books and the warm scent of parchment were comforting, but they did little to quell the turmoil in her mind. Her fingers traced the spines of the books absentmindedly as she walked through the aisles, her thoughts far away.

She knew Lorenzo was doing everything in his power to protect her, but that knowledge didn't bring her peace. If anything, it made her more anxious. She was tired of being the one everyone was trying to shield. She wasn't fragile. She wasn't helpless.

But as much as she wanted to fight, her lack of control over her powers was still a massive burden. Maria's words echoed in her mind: Potential is nothing without control. And time, it seemed, was slipping away too quickly.

Luna paused in front of a massive window that overlooked the courtyard. The moon was no longer full, but it still hung in the sky, casting a silver glow over the world below. She pressed her hand against the cool glass, watching the men below move in disciplined formations as they prepared for the inevitable confrontation.

"Lost in thought?"

Luna turned quickly to find Maria standing behind her, a small smile on her lips. She hadn't even heard her approach.

"More like lost in worry," Luna admitted, dropping her hand from the window. "Everything feels like it's spiraling out of control."

Maria walked closer, her gaze soft but understanding. "It's natural to feel that way. You're facing things most people never have to, Luna. But you're stronger than you realize."

Luna sighed. "I don't feel strong. I feel... like I'm on the edge of something I don't understand."

"That's because you are," Maria said. "Your power is growing faster than you expected, and it's unsettling. But I've seen enough to know that you'll rise to meet the challenge when the time comes."

Luna looked at her, a flicker of doubt in her eyes. "What if I'm not ready? What if—"

"You will be," Maria interrupted firmly. "You just need to trust yourself. That's the hardest part."

Luna wanted to believe her. She really did. But every time she closed her eyes, she saw flashes of the light that had burst from her during her awakening—wild, uncontrollable, and dangerous. What if, in trying to protect the people she cared about, she ended up being the one to hurt them?

Maria must have sensed her turmoil because she placed a gentle hand on Luna's shoulder. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

Luna hesitated for a moment, then nodded. She followed Maria out of the library and down a narrow corridor that Luna hadn't explored before. They descended a flight of stairs into the mansion's lower levels, where the stone walls were older, colder. This part of the mansion felt different—darker, like it held secrets from a long-forgotten past.

They came to a stop in front of a large wooden door, bound with iron. Maria reached into her pocket and pulled out an old key, sliding it into the lock with a soft click. The door creaked open, revealing a small, dimly lit room. The air inside was thick with the smell of incense and something older, more primal.

In the center of the room was a large, circular pool of water, its surface eerily still. Strange symbols were etched into the stone around it, and Luna could feel the power radiating from the place, like a heartbeat pulsing just below the surface.