Hades' Cursed Luna novel Chapter 143

Hades

"We have 18 months and 5 days until the blood moon," I said, my voice cutting through the low hum of the machine.

The ambassadors and governors behind me had their eyes glued to the hologram. It spun slowly, a live feed of space projected above the round, obsidian table. The moon loomed large, pale but waiting—a silent promise of the chaos to come.

Laura, the chief astronomer, stood to my left, adjusting the feed with a flick of her fingers across the holo-screen. The image sharpened, revealing the subtle shadow of Mars drifting into alignment.

"Look closely," she said, magnifying the red planet. "Mars and Jupiter will reach opposition in the coming weeks. The moon’s orbit is already shifting—slowly, but it’s happening." _{frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓}

Ambassador Morrison crossed his arms, stepping forward. His gaze never left the projection. "So, what you’re saying is, we’re locked into this? There’s no way to slow it down?"

Laura’s eyes flickered to me for permission. I gave a slight nod.

"Correct," she answered. "This alignment is ancient—engrained in the celestial order. It can’t be altered, not by technology or Lunar rituals. It’s been set in motion for a century."

Murmurs rippled behind me. Governor Gallinti shifted nervously, his hands gripping the edge of his seat.

This was the threat that my father had feared the most during his reign. It was ironic that he would not witness it.

The eclipse of the moon—or what we call the blood moon—will be the time when Silverpine will strike, as will we, because there is nothing more irresistible than your enemy’s weakness. A war would rage during the third blood moon in known history. History simply had a habit of repeating itself.

"We know that Silverpine will strike then," Ambassador Montegue voiced my thoughts. "Darius is counting down the days." He did not attempt to hide the bitterness in his tone. He would have preferred not to be where I was. I had let his daughter die, after all.

I did not say anything to him directly. "And with the blood moon comes the Lunar Cataclysm."

I heard breaths catch at the simple pronouncement of the word. They all knew what it meant—for all of us.

"The reason why our greatest asset as Lycans becomes a liability," I continued, letting the weight of the words hang in the air. "For the third time in recorded history, a war between Lycans and werewolves will be fought—one where we will not be able to shift without facing certain tragedy. Be it mental, physical, or worse."

The room fell deathly silent, save for the faint hum of the hologram rotating above the table.

"The Lunar Cataclysm," I repeated, slow and deliberate.

It wasn’t just a term. It was a promise—a curse woven into the fabric of every Lycan who dared to survive under the blood moon’s gaze.

I stepped forward, the projection casting faint shadows over my features as I addressed them directly.

"The Cataclysm is not myth or exaggeration. It is the raw, unrelenting force of the moon turned against us. During the eclipse, the electromagnetic radiation emitted will interact with our physiology. Lycans and werewolves alike—anyone who carries the gift of shifting—will find their cells unraveling the moment they embrace their wolf form."

Laura expanded the projection, zooming in on a molecular model spinning within the simulation. Under normal conditions, the cell structures shifted gracefully, reforming to accommodate the transformation from human to wolf.

But as the hologram bathed the cells in a deep crimson light, the visual shifted. The once-fluid shapes mutated violently, spiraling out of control, veins splitting, organs deforming.

Governor Gallinti’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the table’s edge.

"This is what happens," Laura added, her voice grim but clinical. "Even the most experienced Alpha can’t control the mutation. Those who try to shift will face one of three outcomes."

She gestured toward the three floating simulations now playing out in front of them.

"There are Three Fates of the Lunar Cataclysm," I prefaced the illustration. "Cellular Breakdown is the first."

The first projection showed a Lycan mid-shift, muscles seizing and tearing apart at the seams.

"Their bodies will betray them." Laura’s voice cut through the room. "Muscle tissue won’t stabilize, the bones will shatter, and their wolves will rot within minutes."