The pain was unlike anything Luna had experienced in a century of life. It wasn't physical agony but consciousness-tearing, the sensation of having parts of your identity forcibly extracted while you remained aware of every moment.
River found Luna collapsed in her room, convulsing as the transformation began. They called for help immediately, gathering the bridge council and every healer within reach.
"What's happening to her?" Ember demanded as they tried to stabilize Luna's seizing body.
"The prophecy," River said grimly. "She's made her choice. This is the cost."
Luna existed in fractured awareness. Part of her remained in her body, screaming from the pain of separation. Part of her was being pulled into something larger, her memories from birth to thirty being extracted and woven
