Reclaiming My Broken Luna (Astrid and Killian) novel Chapter 396

Astrid’s POV

The heat of the amulet’s power surged through me, fire and ice clawing at my very core. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the end, ready to accept the pain that would come. This was it.

But before the energy could consume me, a sudden, powerful force slammed into my side, sending me sprawling to the ground.

I gasped, my eyes flying open in shock. The world spun for a moment before I steadied myself, and when I looked up, my heart stopped.

Rowena stood where I had been, her hands firmly on the amulet, the blinding glow of its energy engulfing her.

Our eyes met. For a fleeting moment, there was no coldness in her gaze, no calculation—only peace.

“Rowena, no!” I screamed, scrambling to my feet.

She closed her eyes, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips, and said nothing.

The energy erupted from the amulet, a searing light that forced me to shield my face.

“No!” the Rogue King’s voice boomed, his fury cutting through the chaos.

The light intensified, consuming everything around us until it was impossible to see.

When the light finally faded, the clearing was eerily silent.

I lowered my hands, my heart pounding as I took in the scene. The amulet lay shattered into countless tiny pieces, glittering like dust across the broken altar.

And there, lying still on the ground, was Rowena.

Her lifeless eyes stared up at the sky, her hands frozen in place where they had clutched the amulet.

It was over. Rowena was gone, and the amulet was no more.

The clearing was silent, save for the faint crackle of the shattered altar and the occasional groan of the injured. My heart hammered in my chest as I stared at Rowena’s still form, her lifeless eyes fixed on the sky.

I couldn’t breathe.

Rowena. Rowena, the manipulator. Rowena, who had caused so much pain. Rowena, who had betrayed us time and time again.

She had pushed me aside. She had taken the amulet’s power into herself and saved me.

Why?

The question swirled in my mind, suffocating me with its weight. Rowena had always been selfish, always calculating, always serving her own interests. She had no love for me—or anyone else, it seemed. Yet she had sacrificed herself.

I stumbled forward, my knees giving out beneath me as I knelt beside her. My hand hovered over her face, trembling, unsure of what to do.

Her pale green eyes, once so sharp and unfeeling, now stared blankly into the sky. She looked… at peace.

I felt a lump in my throat, confusion clawing at me. “Why?” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Why would you do this?”

Killian’s ragged breathing broke through my thoughts. He stood a few steps away, his golden eyes wide and unfocused as he stared at Rowena’s body. His shoulders trembled, his fists clenched at his sides.