The letter that Sirius had given her again and again over the years, each time Luna had worn out the previous copy through painful reading…

A tradition of two desperate father and daughter trying to capture a love that had been stolen before they could properly appreciate what they'd had.

Luna did overcome that…

She had already not taken the last letter from Sirius, trying to prove the seriousness of her decision, but…

♢♢♢♢

PRESENT

Ren's anxious mana had brought her memories back, those that were always too close to the surface, from the past that never really became past because it still hurt in the present with fresh intensity.

Luna was dancing mechanically, her body moving through the correct steps while her mind was trapped in that terrible day. Some kind of autopilot carrying her through the motions while her consciousness remained elsewhere.

The day that changed everything.

The day her mother didn't come back.

The day she and her father had written desperate letters trying to hold smoke in their hands.

And suddenly it was too much all at once.

Too much weight pressing down until she couldn't breathe properly. Too much pain that years hadn't diminished despite everyone saying time healed wounds. Too many memories that hurt like fresh injuries despite time that should have created scar tissue but somehow never did.

Without thinking, without planning, without being able to stop herself even if she'd wanted to...

Luna stopped dancing mid-step and embraced Ren with what seemed like a desperate need.

She held him tight with everything she had. With all her strength that was considerable as a Gold-rank tamer but felt insufficient for what she needed. Like he was the only thing keeping her from falling into an abyss that had been waiting patiently for her composure to crack.

And she began to cry with a grief that had been building for days, for weeks, for years of carrying that sad burden.

Silently because even now, even breaking apart, Luna Starweaver couldn't allow herself the luxury of audible sobs in this room. The last straw of control was maintained through sheer force of habit even when everything else was failing.

But the tears came anyway despite attempts to stop them.

Lots…

Hot against her face. Constant like they'd been stored up and not waiting any more for permission to fall. Years of pain contained behind a dam that had finally developed holes and cracks too large to patch.

Ren froze for a second as his mind caught up with what was happening, as the 'training' that said to maintain distance collided with instinct that said to provide comfort.

Then slowly, deliberately, his arms came up and surrounded her with careful gentleness that, despite her huge strength… suggested he was afraid she might break if he held too tight.

He didn't say anything because words would have been inadequate for a moment like this.

Didn't ask what was wrong because he already knew from everything she'd told him and everything Selphira had revealed.

Didn't try to fix her or console her with empty platitudes.

He just held her like she'd asked him to without words.

And Luna cried silently against his chest, allowing herself to be weak with someone who wasn't her shadow wolf.

Allowing herself to feel all the pain she'd been repressing through discipline and pride that demanded strength even when breaking.

Allowing herself to miss her mother with an intensity that would otherwise destroy her from the inside.

Allowing herself the permission to properly grieve because the world had demanded she be strong immediately after the loss.

Because her father was broken and to be able to work she had realised he couldn't handle her breaking too.

Because her uncles were waiting for any sign of weakness to exploit.

Because the world didn't forgive nobles who cried in public, who showed vulnerability that could be used against them.

But here in this nearly empty ballroom, in the arms of someone who wouldn't judge her for being human beneath the noble mask...

Luna allowed herself to shatter just a little.

Just for this moment.

Just enough to release pressure that had been building until it threatened to crack her completely if not given outlet.

And Ren held her through all of it without flinching or pulling away. Feeling how she trembled silently with the effort of crying without making a sound. Understanding that the situation was destroying her from within even if she hid it perfectly from everyone else.

And he made a decision that felt right even if he couldn't fully explain why.

He wouldn't tell her everything yet, couldn't burden her with the complete truth that Selphira had revealed.

Wouldn't tell her about Orion and the purple core that had summoned corruption deliberately. Wouldn't explain exactly how her mother had taken the hit to save his father of being crystallized through a trap door or that it might have been preventable if different choices had been made.

Wouldn't reveal the depths of betrayal that had enabled all of this.

Because Luna was already barely holding herself together with the partial knowledge she carried…

He could feel it in how tightly she clung to him, in how her breath hitched with suppressed sobs, in how her entire body shook with effort of maintaining a control that was slipping despite years of practicing it.

And the complete truth, all the ugly details Selphira had shared, might finish to break her beyond repair.

What use was that? How could he fix it then?

No…

First they needed to recover the heart that held her mother's essence.

Needed to bring home what remained of Lykea before it was worn away to nothing through its use as a weapon.

Needed to give Luna something tangible to hold that wasn't just paper covered in words from memories.

First that... First peace that came from having recovered what could be recovered.

And then, maybe then when she was stronger and had something to hold onto besides grief...

He could tell her the rest. Could share the burden that Selphira had passed to him. Could help her understand exactly what had been done, how and by whom.

But for now, at this moment, he would just hold her while she cried.

Would be the support she needed.

Would keep the secrets that would destroy her a little longer.

Selphira had a point in being careful in what to tell even him… because sometimes it was needed when protecting people from truths they weren't ready to bear.

The music had stopped playing at some point, leaving only silence and the sound of Luna's controlled breathing as she fought for composure she couldn't quite achieve yet.

Yet Ren held her through it all, making a silent promise that he'd protect her from what couldn't be changed.

Even if it meant carrying weight that grew heavier with each revelation, with each secret added to the collection he was accumulating, just like Selphira.

Even if it meant becoming someone who held others' pain so they didn't have to carry it alone.

♢♢♢♢

LUNA'S POV

'I'm crying.'

'I'm crying in Ren Patinder's arms and I CAN'T STOP.'

'WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING?!'

Luna held tighter, her face buried against Ren's chest while tears kept falling silently despite every instinct screaming at her to regain control. Because even while breaking, even while shattering into pieces she wasn't sure could be reassembled, she'd learned years ago not to make sound when crying.

Starweaver heirs didn't sob audibly. Nobles didn't whimper where others might hear. Faction heirs didn't collapse in public where anyone could witness weakness and use it against them later.

But the tears... those she couldn't control no matter how hard she tried.

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