CHAPTER 407: AN ENIGMA

Natalie~

When Rayma vanished in that swirl of neutral energy, the silence that followed felt like a cold void—heavy, crushing, alive. It settled over Tiger’s living room, thick enough to choke on. Outside, the forest whispered, its restless leaves brushing against the windows as if mocking us with secrets we weren’t meant to hear.

I just stood there, heart hammering so loud it drowned out everything else. Grandpa. The word echoed through my skull like a thunderclap that refused to fade. Grandpa? What the hell did that even mean? My celestial magic still pulsed faintly around me, a ghostly shimmer licking at my skin—useless now, a defense against nothing but my own confusion.

Zane’s hand found mine, his grip firm but trembling, golden eyes wide with the same storm of disbelief that twisted in my gut. Sebastian prowled the floor like a caged predator, dark hair falling over his eyes, frustration rolling off him in waves. Cassandra stood poised near the door, her fingers white around the hilt of her dagger—always ready, even when she didn’t understand what she was up against.

My brothers—Jacob, Tiger, Eagle, Bubble, and Fox—watched one another in uneasy silence, their ethereal forms flickering like candlelight in the wind. Tiger, the unshakable one, folded his arms across his chest, his green eyes locked on the space where Rayma had stood moments ago.

His voice didn’t break the silence—but his stare said it all.

Something had just changed. And none of us were ready for it.

"What the hell was that?" Sebastian finally exploded, his voice a sharp crack in the quiet. He slammed his fist into the remnants of the splintered chair, sending wood chips flying. "Grandpa? Who does this guy think he is? Some cosmic joker popping in with riddles and mind tricks?"

Cassandra nodded, her eyes fierce. "He’s too powerful, too knowing. No scent, no aura I could pin down. And that ’neutral energy’—I’ve slain demons and vampires, but nothing like him. Nat, what do you think? You felt it too, right? That warmth in his gaze?"

I swallowed hard, my throat tight with emotion. "I... I don’t know. He knew things he shouldn’t. Katrina’s name, our names, our bonds. And calling himself Grandpa? It stirred something in me, like a forgotten memory trying to surface. But it’s terrifying. What if he’s playing us all?"

Zane growled low in his throat, pulling me closer, his Lycan strength a comforting anchor. "Terrifying is right. He plants his address in our heads like it’s nothing. We can’t trust this. Jacob, you’re the eldest here—the first son of the Moon Goddess. What do you make of it?"

Jacob stepped forward, his towering frame radiating ancient power. His black hair caught an invisible breeze, and his voice rumbled like distant thunder. "He’s an enigma. No god, no demon I’ve encountered. We need answers, real ones. Not more games." He paused, his eyes meeting mine with that protective intensity only a big brother could muster. "We should call Mother. The Moon Goddess will know. She sees all threads of fate."

A murmur of agreement rippled through the room. Fox, with his wild red hair and outspoken fire, jumped in. "Hell yes! Mom’s got the cosmic Rolodex. If anyone’s got dirt on this Rayma clown, it’s her. Let’s do it!"

Bubble chuckled, his watery form rippling like a pond disturbed by a stone. "Rolodex? You’re dating yourself, Fox. But yeah, Jacob’s right. Call her."

Eagle nodded silently, his wind spirit essence stirring a gentle breeze that rustled the woven vines of Tiger’s home. Tiger, true to form, said nothing, but his golden-brown hair gleamed as he shifted slightly, ready to act as our steadfast bodyguard.

I nodded, my heart aching with a mix of hope and dread. "Do it, Jacob. We need her wisdom now more than ever."

Jacob closed his eyes, lifting his hands slowly, as though he could pull the night sky down into the room itself. "Mother," he began, his voice deep and resonant, carrying the weight of his birthright—the voice of the celestial firstborn. "Mom, we need your help. Your children and family are lost in shadow. Appear to us... guide us."

The air shifted.

Thickened.

It pulsed with a rising hum of power, the kind that made the skin prickle and the soul stir. A silvery light bloomed at the heart of the room, soft at first—like moonlight on still water—then swelling, glowing brighter until it took shape.

And there she was.

The Moon Goddess. My mother.

Ethereal. Serene. Unfathomably beautiful. Her gown flowed like liquid moonlight, each fold shimmering with subtle radiance. Her hair flowing around her shoulders in threads of starlight, and when she opened her eyes, the whole room seemed to breathe again.

Her presence washed over us—gentle, yet vast enough to make the world feel small. Instinctively, we all bowed. Zane, Sebastian, and Cassandra were the first to lower their heads, reverence etched in every movement. The divine weight of her presence pressed against us, humbling even those who had seen her before.

She didn’t always answer our calls, and yet every time she appeared, it was the same—breathtaking, overwhelming, like standing in the quiet glow of eternity.

She smiled, and the whole room seemed to soften with it. Her voice flowed like a lullaby, gentle and familiar, wrapping around us with a warmth that felt like home.

"Rise, my beloved children," she said tenderly. "Jacob, my firstborn—steady and strong. Tiger, my steadfast protector of the earth. Eagle, my voice in the winds. Bubble, my laughter in the waters. Fox, my spark of fire and courage. And you, Natalie, my heart’s reflection—so full of light."

Her gaze shifted to Zane, eyes shining with quiet affection. "And you, my dear son-in-law—the noble Lycan King. You stand beside her with honor."

Then her attention turned to Sebastian and Cassandra, her expression kind and knowing. "Sebastian, my shadowed one, Lord of Vampires—and Cassandra, my fierce and loyal warrior."

Her smile faded slightly, replaced by concern as her tone softened even more. "Tell me, my loves... what weighs so heavily upon you that you’ve called me here?"

We rose, and I felt tears prick my eyes at her familiar warmth. Jacob spoke first, his tone steady but laced with frustration. "Mother, we’ve encountered a being unlike any other. He calls himself Rayma. He saved Vincent from death but at a cost—amnesia and lost scent. He knows our secrets, our names. He even called himself... Grandpa."

The my mother’s brow furrowed slightly, her calm demeanor cracking just a fraction. "Rayma? The name stirs nothing in me. Describe him, dear."

Before Jacob could reply, I stepped forward, my celestial magic flaring gently. "Mother, let me show you." I reached out telepathically, sharing the image of Rayma—his ecstatic smile, twinkling eyes, that cloud-nine happiness radiating from him like an aura. The connection was intimate, a thread of light linking our minds.

She received it, her eyes closing as she processed. But when they opened, confusion etched her divine features. "This... this visage. It’s unfamiliar, yet... intriguing." She went still, her form glowing brighter as she entered her goddess spiritual mode. Her hands clasped in prayer, and waves of lunar energy pulsed from her, searching the realms—physical, spiritual, ethereal. We waited in tense silence, the room holding its breath. Minutes stretched like eternity, the forest outside falling eerily quiet.

Finally, she exhaled, her glow dimming as she returned. Her eyes were wide, stunned. "Nothing. He does not exist. Not in the physical planes, not in the spiritual voids. No trace, no echo. It’s as if he is a void himself, untethered from creation."

Gasps echoed around the room. Sebastian’s magnetic gaze sharpened. "Impossible! We all saw him, felt him. How can a goddess not sense him?"

Cassandra gripped her dagger tighter. "A trick? Some illusion we all fell for?"

Zane’s growl deepened. "If even the Moon Goddess can’t find him, what are we dealing with? A threat greater than Shadow himself?"

I felt my blood run cold, my mind reeling. "Mother, how? He was here, real as any of us. He said that he saved Vincent, he even gave us his address. If he doesn’t exist..."

The Moon Goddess raised a hand, her voice regaining its calm authority, though a hint of thrill—almost excitement—tinged her words. "Stunned as I am, we must not panic. I will personally delve deeper, pierce veils no mortal or immortal has crossed. I will uncover who—or what—this Rayma is, and why he evades my sight. His intentions... they intrigue me."

Fox leaned forward, flames flickering in his palms. "Intrigue? Mom, he could be dangerous! Popping in like that, knowing everything. What if he’s after our family?"

She smiled faintly, a mother’s reassurance. "Dangerous or not, knowledge is our weapon. But before we pursue Rayma further, there is a more urgent matter. One that demands immediate attention."

I opened my mouth to ask, "What matter?"—but the words died on my lips as a sudden, visceral pull gripped my soul. It was like a dagger twisting in my heart, a prophetic vision flashing unbidden: Katrina, my fierce daughter with her red hair spread out in a bathtub, blue eyes losing it’s light, quickly. Danger—serious, mortal danger—enveloped her. My celestial magic surged, light bursting from me in alarm.

Jacob saw it too, his wolf spirit howling inwardly. "Katrina!" he barked, his voice thunderous.

Zane stiffened a second later, his Alpha senses igniting. "No... our daughter. She’s in danger. I feel it in my bones."

The room erupted in urgency, but the Chapter of revelations had twisted into one of raw fear, leaving us teetering on the edge of action.