The Reborn Luna: Claimed by the Billionaire Alpha

Chapter 12 – The Door of Destiny

The great door stood before Selene, carved with ancient symbols that pulsed faintly with energy. The air was thick with power, as if the temple itself was holding its breath, waiting for her to take the final step.

She reached out, fingers trembling slightly, and pressed her palm against the cold stone. A surge of energy shot through her arm, not painful but overwhelming—a flood of memories, voices, and emotions crashing through her mind.

A whisper echoed in the silence.

"You are the one… the chosen…"

The door groaned as it began to shift. Dust and debris crumbled from its edges as it slowly slid open, revealing an expanse of pure darkness beyond. But it wasn't empty.

A figure stood in the shadows.

Waiting.

The Keeper of Secrets

Selene took a hesitant step forward, her eyes adjusting to the dim glow of ethereal blue light lining the walls. The chamber was unlike anything she had seen before—vast, endless, with no ceiling in sight. The walls shimmered as if made of liquid night, reflecting her own image in distorted fragments.

And in the center of it all stood a figure clad in flowing silver robes, its face hidden beneath a deep hood.

"You have come far, Selene," the figure said, its voice both male and female, ancient and young.

Selene tensed. "Who are you?"

The figure lifted its head slightly, revealing glowing white eyes, void of pupils.

"I am the Keeper of Secrets. The last guardian of this temple."

Selene's breath caught in her throat.

The Keeper of Secrets was a myth, a legend whispered in old texts—an entity said to hold knowledge from the beginning of time.

"You seek answers," the Keeper continued. "But answers come at a price."

Selene straightened, her resolve hardening. "I'm not afraid of the cost."

The Keeper let out a low chuckle.

"We shall see."

With a wave of its hand, the room shifted.

The walls melted away, the ground beneath her feet vanished, and Selene found herself falling—not into darkness, but into memories not her own.

Visions of the Past

Selene hit the ground with a gasp, the air knocked from her lungs. But when she opened her eyes, she was no longer in the temple.

She was standing in a grand hall, golden chandeliers flickering above her.

It was a memory—one she had never seen before.

Dozens of robed figures surrounded a throne, where a woman with silver hair sat, her piercing eyes filled with sorrow.

"We cannot hold the balance much longer," one of the robed figures said urgently. "The worlds are shifting."

"Then we must make a choice," the woman on the throne replied.

Selene's heart pounded.

The woman… looked like her.

No—not her. But an ancestor.

A Queen.

And in her arms, she held a child wrapped in dark cloth.

"This child is the key," the Queen murmured, brushing a hand over the baby's forehead. "But she will not be ready until the time is right."

The memory rippled, shifting forward in time.

Selene now stood in a different chamber, this time witnessing the Queen placing the child inside a magical barrier.

"One day, you will return," the Queen whispered, pressing a kiss to the baby's forehead. "And when you do, the world will never be the same."

Selene's breath hitched.

Was this… about her?

The memory shattered.

The Awakening

Selene jerked awake, gasping.

She was back in the chamber, on her knees, her entire body trembling.

The Keeper stood before her, watching in silence.

"Now you understand," it murmured. "You were never ordinary. You were never just a lost soul."

Selene clenched her fists.

She had always felt different—always sensed that there was something more inside her.

But to see it like this…

To know that she had been destined for something far greater…

It was overwhelming.

"Your power is not a gift, Selene," the Keeper continued. "It is a responsibility. And soon, you will be forced to choose—whether to embrace your fate or turn away from it."

Selene swallowed hard.

"What if I'm not ready?" she whispered.

The Keeper studied her for a long moment.

"Then the world will fall."

The Choice

The door behind Selene rumbled shut.

There was no going back now.

The path ahead was uncertain, the weight of her destiny heavier than ever.

But she would not run.

Not anymore.

She stood, meeting the Keeper's glowing gaze.

"Tell me what I must do."

The Keeper smiled faintly.

"Then let us begin."

Selene's pulse pounded in her ears as the Keeper of Secrets took a step forward. The chamber's eerie glow reflected off the silver embroidery on its robes, casting shifting patterns along the dark floor. The weight of what she had just seen—the vision of the past, the truth of her bloodline—settled heavily in her chest.

"You were never meant to be ordinary," the Keeper murmured. "The blood in your veins ties you to a power long forgotten."

Selene clenched her fists. "Then why was it hidden from me? Why was I cast into the world with no knowledge of who I really am?"

The Keeper studied her carefully, its glowing white eyes unreadable.

"Because knowledge is a double-edged blade. It can empower, but it can also destroy. And in the wrong hands, it could have been your undoing."

Selene's breath hitched. Had someone been trying to protect her? Or was it simply another way of controlling her?

The Keeper extended a hand, and the space around them shifted again.

This time, Selene found herself standing in a vast desert beneath a sky choked with swirling dark clouds.

But this wasn't an illusion.

This was real.

The Trials Begin

The desert wind howled, whipping Selene's cloak around her shoulders. A metallic scent filled the air—the scent of war.

The Keeper's voice echoed around her, though the figure was nowhere to be seen.

"You wish to claim your destiny? Then prove you are worthy of it."

Selene barely had time to react before the sand beneath her shook violently.

A deep rumbling filled the air, and from the ground, figures began to emerge—warriors clad in obsidian armor, their eyes burning like embers.

There were dozens of them.

Selene's heartbeat quickened. This was a test—a brutal one.

The warriors charged.

Selene threw herself backward just in time, dodging the first strike. She summoned her power, feeling it surge to life beneath her skin. With a wave of her hand, a wall of fire erupted between her and the oncoming warriors.

But they didn't stop.

They walked through the flames like shadows given form, weapons gleaming.

Selene barely had a second to think before one of them lunged. She ducked, rolling out of the way as a blade sliced through the air where she had just been standing.

The battle had begun.

A Battle Against Fate

Selene twisted her wrist, summoning a surge of pure energy and hurling it toward the nearest warrior. It hit hard, sending the armored figure crashing into the sand. But before she could even take a breath, another warrior was already on her.

She dodged, barely escaping the blade aimed for her neck.

"Focus, Selene!" she muttered to herself, steadying her stance.

Her magic was powerful, but it wasn't endless. She needed to be strategic.

Selene reached deep within herself, tapping into something ancient—something buried in the very essence of her being.

Her vision shifted.

Everything around her slowed.

She could see the warriors' movements before they happened, as if time itself had unraveled in front of her.

And in that moment, she knew.

This wasn't just a fight.

This was a lesson.

The Awakening

Selene moved like a shadow, weaving through the warriors with an ease that surprised even her.

Every strike, every step—she was no longer just reacting.

She was anticipating.

A warrior lunged.

Selene sidestepped, bringing her elbow crashing into his helmet. Another swung a sword at her side—she dropped low, sweeping her leg beneath him and sending him toppling to the sand.

She could feel it now.

The connection between her and the energy around her.

It wasn't just magic.

It was hers.

The warriors began to fade, dissolving into the sand as if they had never been there. The storm in the sky settled, and the ground stopped shaking.

Selene stood alone, her chest rising and falling with deep breaths.

And then, the Keeper's voice returned.

"You have taken your first step."

The air rippled, and suddenly, she was back in the chamber, the desert gone as if it had never existed.

The Keeper watched her, its glowing eyes unreadable.

"You are stronger than you realize."

Selene swallowed hard, still catching her breath. "Then tell me—what comes next?"

The Keeper slowly raised a hand, and before her, a doorway of shimmering light appeared.

"The path you walk will not be easy. But if you wish to claim your destiny… then step through."

Selene's hands curled into fists.

There was no fear in her anymore.

Only determination.

She took a deep breath—

And stepped forward.

As Selene stepped through the shimmering doorway, a rush of cold air hit her. The warmth of the chamber vanished instantly, replaced by an eerie silence. She took another step forward and found herself standing in a vast stone corridor, dimly lit by glowing blue torches embedded in the walls.

The doorway behind her vanished.

There was no turning back.

The stone beneath her feet pulsed faintly, as if alive. The air smelled of damp earth and something else—magic. Ancient, powerful, and pulsing through every crack of the passage.

Selene exhaled, steadying herself. She had passed the first test, but she knew better than to believe this was the end. The Keeper had made it clear—her trials had only just begun.

A whisper brushed against her ear, though no one was there.

"Only the worthy may walk this path. Will you falter?"

Selene narrowed her eyes. "No."

She moved forward.

A Test of the Mind

As she walked deeper into the corridor, a low hum filled the space. The torches flickered, their blue flames twisting unnaturally. Then, the walls around her began to shift, the stone morphing like liquid, forming new patterns, twisting into symbols she didn't recognize.

A faint whisper filled the air again.

"Choose."

Selene halted. Before her, the corridor had split into three separate paths, each leading into darkness.

Three choices.

She clenched her jaw. Was this a puzzle? A test?

Selene scanned the three paths carefully. Each was identical at first glance, but as she focused, subtle differences emerged.

The left path had a faint golden glow at its end. The middle path was completely dark, an abyss stretching endlessly. The right path had whispers—soft, indistinct voices calling to her.

Selene took a slow breath. Logic told her that the middle path—the emptiest one—was likely the safest. But instinct warned her otherwise.

Her heart pulled toward the right.

She hesitated only for a moment before stepping forward.

The whispers grew louder.

The Voices of the Past

The moment Selene crossed the threshold, the world tilted.

The corridor blurred, the walls dissolving into swirling mist. Suddenly, she was no longer alone.

Figures emerged from the fog—people. Familiar ones.

Selene's breath caught.

It was her mother.

And standing beside her… her father.

She hadn't seen them in years.

Her mother's silver eyes shimmered with sorrow. "Selene," she whispered. "Why did you leave us?"

Her father's expression was unreadable. "You abandoned your people. Did you think you could escape fate?"

Selene's hands trembled. This wasn't real.

She knew it wasn't.

And yet… the emotions twisting inside her were very real.

"You left us," her mother's voice broke. "Now you must choose—come back, or lose us forever."

Selene clenched her fists.

No.

This was a trick.

A test.

She forced herself to step back, shaking her head. "You're not real."

The figures flickered. The illusion wavered.

Her father's voice darkened. "You reject us?"

Selene shut her eyes and focused. Her power surged.

When she opened them again—

They were gone.

The mist cleared. The corridor reformed. The voices faded.

She had passed.

The Door of Shadows

Selene's steps were steadier now.

The tests were meant to shake her, to break her resolve. But she wouldn't fall for their tricks.

At the end of the path stood a massive stone door, covered in intricate carvings. Strange symbols pulsed along its surface, shifting as if alive.

She reached out—

And the moment her fingertips brushed the door, the ground collapsed beneath her.

Selene fell.

Down, down, into the darkness.

The Heart of the Trial

She hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the breath from her lungs.

Dirt. Cold stone. Silence.

Selene groaned, pushing herself up. A faint red glow flickered ahead.

She turned—and froze.

A figure stood at the center of the chamber.

Tall. Cloaked in darkness. Eyes like burning embers.

The very air around it pulsed with an overwhelming power.

Selene's stomach clenched. She knew who this was.

The Guardian of the Trial.

"You seek to claim your destiny," the figure's voice rumbled, deep and ancient. "Then prove you are worthy."

A sword materialized in his hand, its blade glowing with black fire.

Selene's heart pounded.

This battle—this was what truly stood between her and the next stage of her journey.

There was no escape.

Only victory…

Or defeat.