CHAPTER 415: THE COMMAND

Natalie~

I stood there in the heart of that enchanted clearing, my heart pounding in my chest, the wildflowers beneath my feet swaying gently as if oblivious to the storm brewing among us. The air hummed with an electric tension, thick and palpable, like the moments before a lightning strike. Zane’s hand brushed mine, a silent anchor in the chaos, his Lycan warmth seeping through my skin, grounding me. But even that couldn’t quell the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me—confusion, frustration, and a gnawing curiosity that clawed at my soul.

Rayma faced us all, his neutral expression infuriatingly calm amidst the uproar. Jacob was still doubled over, coughing and sputtering like he’d swallowed a gale, while Eagle’s winds whipped leaves into a frenzy around us. Fox’s red hair seemed to ignite with actual flames flickering at the tips, his outspoken fury radiating heat that made the air shimmer. Tiger stood silent as ever, his green eyes narrowed, his golden-brown hair catching the dappled sunlight as he scanned the perimeter like a vigilant predator. Bubble’s form rippled and bubbled, water orbs popping in agitation, and Sebastian crossed his arms with that signature smirk, though his dark eyes betrayed a flicker of unease. Cassandra, ever the fierce warrior, positioned herself protectively near me, her werewolf stride ready for action.

"Rayma," I finally managed, my voice steady despite the tremor in my core. My celestial magic flickered faintly around me, like startled stars dancing in the periphery of my vision. "Explain. How do you know all this? And why now?"

He tilted his head slightly, that enigmatic smile playing on his lips—not mocking, but amused in a way that made my blood boil. "Natalie, my dear Celestial Princess," he said, his tone soothing yet laced with an undercurrent of cosmic authority. "I will soon answer all your questions. Every last one. But first, I need to call Selena, Sun, and Shadow. They must be here for this revelation."

Zane’s grip tightened on my hand, his Alpha strength evident in the subtle growl rumbling in his throat. "Call them? Just like that?" he demanded, his lycan eyes flashing with disbelief. "You speak of gods as if they’re waiting by a phone. This isn’t some casual summon, Rayma. These are eternal beings—Selena, the Moon Goddess herself, and her brothers. And Shadow... he’s imprisoned. Forever. Everyone knows that."

Jacob straightened up at last, his face flushed, eyes wide with a mix of horror and incredulity. As the wolf spirit, the first son of Selena, he carried the weight of our ethereal lineage like a crown of thorns. "You... you’ll... what? Yourself?" he stammered again, echoing his earlier shock. "Rayma, you can’t just—Mother isn’t some servant to be beckoned. And my Uncle Shadow? He’s locked away in an impenetrable void! This is madness!"

Eagle let out a gusty laugh that bordered on hysterical, the wind picking up and tousling my hair. "Madness? That’s putting it lightly, brother! Who does this guy think he is? Strutting in here, dropping names like they’re old pals from a tavern brawl. Selena, Sun, Shadow—ha! Next, he’ll be inviting the stars for tea."

Fox stepped forward, flames now visibly dancing along his fingertips, his red hair crackling like a bonfire. "No respect! That’s what this is," he snarled, his outspoken nature turning the air acrid with heat. "No respect for the gods! You call their names like they’re drinking buddies. Have you lost your mind, Rayma? Or are you just trying to get us all smited for your amusement?"

Bubble gurgled in agreement, his fluid form shifting erratically, small waves crashing within him as if mirroring the group’s turmoil. "This... this is unprecedented," he bubbled, his voice like water rushing over rocks. "Even the tides don’t summon the moon without permission."

Sebastian chuckled darkly, his vampire charm masking the tension in his posture. "Unexpected is an understatement. Rayma, you’ve got balls, I’ll give you that. But if this blows up in our faces, I’m blaming you—and trust me, eternity’s a long time to hold a grudge."

Cassandra shot him a glare, her werewolf instincts making her hackles rise. "Not helping, Seb. Natalie, are you okay? This guy’s talking like he’s above the divine order. We should—"

I raised my hand, cutting her off, my mind racing. The weight of my own heritage pressed down on me—the Celestial Princess, daughter of prophecies and powers I sometimes wished I could shed. My blue eyes met Rayma’s, and I felt a surge of impulsiveness, that fierce independence Katrina inherited from me bubbling up. "Rayma, stop," I said, my voice sharper now, edged with the divine rage that simmered just beneath my skin. "Stop being delusional. You can’t just summon the moon goddess and her brothers like they’re errant children. This isn’t a game. We’ve got real threats—Vincent, Winter, the kids’ conflicts. If you’re not going to—"

But before I could finish, Rayma’s expression shifted. His eyes, those neutral pools that held neither light nor dark but everything in between, deepened into something ancient and commanding. He drew in a breath, and when he spoke, his voice boomed like thunder rolling across the cosmos, deep and resonant, shaking the very ground beneath us. "Selena! Sun! Shadow! I command you to appear before me now!"

The words echoed through the clearing, reverberating off the ancient oak’s bark, making the wildflowers tremble and the stream’s melody falter. A hush fell over us, thick and suffocating, as if the world itself held its breath. Zane’s hand clenched mine so tightly it hurt, but I barely noticed, my heart slamming against my ribs.

For a split second, nothing happened. Fox snorted, about to unleash another tirade. "See? Nothing. Just hot air from a—"

Then, the air shimmered. A ripple, like heat waves rising from sun-baked earth, distorted the space in the center of the clearing. Light fractured into prisms, colors bleeding into one another—vibrant golds, ethereal silvers, and inky blacks swirling in a vortex. A gust of wind, not from Eagle this time, whipped through us, carrying scents of moonlight, scorching daylight, and abyssal voids. My celestial magic flared involuntarily, stars orbiting my fingertips as if responding to kin.

And then, they appeared.

First, Selena—the Moon Goddess, my ethereal mother Jacob, though her presence always felt like a distant, luminous dream. She materialized in a cascade of sparkling light, her form crystal clear and radiant, just like the tales described. Her hair flowed like liquid silver, her eyes twin moons glowing with an otherworldly clarity. She wore a gown woven from starlight and mist, billowing around her as she staggered slightly, her graceful poise disrupted by sheer astonishment.

Beside her, Sun burst into existence with a blaze of eternal brightness, his figure tall and imposing, skin glowing like molten gold, his hair a corona of flames that didn’t burn but illuminated everything in a warm, unrelenting light. His eyes were suns themselves, piercing and intense, but widened now in utter bewilderment.

And then—impossibly—Shadow. The god of eternal darkness, imprisoned forever in a void crafted by the combined might of my mother and uncle Sun. He emerged from a coiling tendril of blackness, his form shadowy and fluid, edges blurring into the surroundings. His eyes were voids, sucking in light, but they darted around in shock, his posture rigid as if yanked from chains.

The three stood there, in the flesh, the air around them crackling with raw power. Selena’s hand flew to her chest, her voice a melodic whisper laced with confusion. "What... how are we here? This isn’t possible. I was in the lunar realms, tending to the tides. Who summoned us?"

Sun’s glow intensified, creating long shadows across the clearing, his voice booming like a solar flare. "Impossible! I felt a pull—a command I couldn’t resist. But who dares? And... Shadow? Brother? You’re... free? The prison was eternal!"

Shadow’s form rippled, darkness seeping into the grass like ink, his voice a low, echoing hiss that sent chills down my spine. "Free? No... this isn’t freedom. I was in the void, bound by unbreakable seals. Yet here I stand. How? Who has the power to breach the impenetrable?"

Their eyes scanned the group, landing on each of us—Jacob’s bulging eyes, Tiger’s rare grunt of alarm as his hands shifted to paws, Eagle’s winds dying to a whisper in awe, Fox’s flames snuffing out as his jaw dropped, Bubble freezing into a still puddle. Sebastian’s smirk vanished, replaced by wide-eyed shock, and Cassandra gripped her sword hilt, though her hand trembled. Zane pulled me closer, his body tense, ready to shift.

But it was Jacob who broke the silence first, his voice cracking like thunder. "Mother? Uncles? You’re... really here? But how? The summon... it worked?"

Selena’s gaze softened on her son, but confusion reigned. "Jacob? My children... all of you? What is this place? Who called us? The voice—it was absolute. Irresistible."

Sun turned, his brightness making me squint. "Speak! Who among you wields such authority? This defies the cosmic order!"

Shadow’s voids narrowed, suspicion dripping from his tone. "And why me? The imprisoned one. Is this a trick? A new torment?"

I felt it then—a collective shift. All eyes, including the gods’, turned toward Rayma. He stood unchanged, that neutral smile still in place, but now... now there was something more. An aura I hadn’t noticed before, vast and incomprehensible, like staring into the birth of the universe.

Fear crept in, cold and unbidden, twisting in my gut. Who was this man? This being who’d just commanded gods like puppets? Zane’s growl turned protective, Jacob staggered back, and even Fox, for once, was speechless. The hint of fear in the air was new, sharp, and undeniable, hanging over us like a storm cloud ready to burst.

Rayma met our gazes, his voice calm as ever. "Now that everyone’s here, shall we begin?"