Aria's Point of View
The compass spun wildly in my hand, and I didn't know which way to go anymore.
Left? Right? The forest paths all looked the same—twisted trees, gray fog, paths that went nowhere. I'd been walking for what felt like hours, and nothing had changed. My legs ached. My throat was dry. And worst of all, I was completely, totally lost.
"Think, Aria, think," I muttered to myself.
Mom always said I was good at solving problems. But right now, my brain felt like mush. The compass needle kept pointing behind me, but that couldn't be right. I needed to go forward. I needed to find the Moonstone before the eclipse, or I'd be stuck in the Shadowlands forever.
I took a deep breath and started walking again, pushing through the fog.
That's when I heard it.
A voice. Soft. Clear. Coming from somewhere nearby.
"You're going the wrong way."
I froze. My heart jumped into my throat.
Someone was here. In the Shadowlands. With me.
I spun around, searching the fog, but saw nothing. Just trees and mist and darkness.
"Hello?" My voice cracked. "Who's there?"
Silence.
Then the voice came again, closer this time. "I said, you're going the wrong way."
I took a step back, gripping the compass so tight my knuckles turned white. "Where are you? Show yourself!"
The fog shifted, and a figure stepped out from behind a tree.
My breath caught.
It was a girl. About my age. Maybe a little older. She had long, silver hair that seemed to glow in the dim light, and her eyes—her eyes were the strangest thing about her. They were bright blue, almost white, like moonlight trapped in glass.
But what really made me stare was what she was holding.
A mirror. A small, round mirror with a silver frame.
The same mirror I'd seen back in the cave. The one that had shown me my reflection—except it wasn't my reflection. It was hers.
"You—you're Luna," I whispered.
She tilted her head, a small smile on her lips. "So you do know my name."
"How are you here? You're supposed to be trapped. In the mirror. The stories said—"
"Stories get things wrong sometimes." Luna took a step closer, and I noticed she wasn't walking like a normal person. Her feet barely touched the ground, like she was floating. "But you're right about one thing. I was trapped. For a very, very long time."
"Then how—"
"You touched the mirror," she said simply. "Back in the cave. You woke me up."
My mind raced. I'd touched the mirror? I didn't remember—wait. Yes, I did. My hand had reached out, just for a second, brushing against the cold glass. I thought it was nothing.
"I didn't mean to," I said quickly. "I didn't know—"
"I'm not angry." Luna's voice was calm, almost gentle. "Actually, I should be thanking you. You set me free."
I stared at her. Free? But she was Luna, the girl from the legends. The one who'd betrayed the kingdom. The one who'd caused all of this.
"Why are you helping me?" I asked suspiciously. "You don't even know me."
Luna shrugged. "Maybe I'm bored. Maybe I'm curious. Or maybe..." She looked at me with those strange, glowing eyes. "Maybe I know what it's like to be lost and scared and have no idea what to do next."
Something in her voice made my chest tighten. She sounded... lonely. Like she'd been alone for a really long time.
"You said I'm going the wrong way," I said. "What do you mean?"
Luna pointed back the way I'd come. "The Moonstone isn't ahead of you. It's behind you. You've been walking in circles."
"What? No, that's impossible. The compass—"
"The compass is pointing you toward the Moonstone," Luna interrupted. "But you're reading it wrong. In the Shadowlands, everything works backward. North is south. East is west. Up is down."
My stomach dropped. She was right. I'd been going the completely wrong direction this whole time.
"So all of this was for nothing?" My voice rose. "I've been wasting time?"
"Not if you turn around now." Luna held out her hand. "I can help you. I know this place better than anyone. I can get you to the Moonstone before the eclipse."
I hesitated. Everything I'd heard about Luna said she couldn't be trusted. That she was dangerous. That she'd betrayed everyone who ever believed in her.
But right now, she was the only person—or whatever she was—offering to help.
"Why should I trust you?" I asked.
Luna's smile faded. For a moment, she looked sad. Really, truly sad.
"You shouldn't," she said quietly. "But you don't have a choice. If you want to get home, you need me."
I looked at her outstretched hand. Then at the compass. Then back at the endless fog surrounding us.
She was right. I was out of options.
Slowly, I reached out and took her hand.
Her skin was ice-cold.
"Good choice," Luna said. Her smile returned, but this time it looked different. Sharper. Like she knew something I didn't.
She pulled me forward, and we started walking back the way I'd come.
But as we moved through the fog, something felt wrong. The air grew colder. The trees seemed to lean closer, watching us.
And Luna's grip on my hand got tighter.
"Luna?" I asked nervously. "Where exactly are we going?"
She didn't answer right away. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely a whisper.
"To the one place in the Shadowlands even I'm afraid of."