Chapter 10

<p>Charlotte pov</p><p>I spent three days buried in the academy archives before Professor Vance finally found me there and sat down across the table without asking permission.</p><p>"You're looking for the wrong thing," he offered. "Let me show you the right one."</p><p>He slid a book toward me, ancient enough that the pages felt like dried leaves under my fingers.</p><p>A Luna Queen, centuries back, who united five kingdoms under one crown. A royal coup. A Luna who vanished with her infant daughter and was never found.</p><p>A prophecy: the daughter would return one day, sealed and hidden, and five Alpha heirs would find her before she even knew her own name.</p><p>"This is about me," I whispered.</p><p>"I believe it might be."</p><p>"Why me? Why now?"</p><p>"Because the seal was never meant to hold forever," he explained. "Only long enough. And I think whoever built it is running out of time."</p><p>"Running out of time for what?"</p><p>"That," he admitted, "I have not yet worked out. I've spent longer chasing this than I care to admit, Miss Hale. Don't waste the head start I've given you."</p><p>I sat with that for a long moment, staring at pages written in a hand centuries dead, describing a girl who sounded impossibly like me.</p><p>The library door opened before I could ask another question. Headmistress Morwenna stood in the frame, dark green robes settling around her like she'd been waiting outside for exactly this moment.</p><p>"Charlotte Hale," she murmured, voice quiet enough that I had to lean in to hear it. "You are not who you think you are."</p>