When The Moon Hides Her Crown novel Chapter 225

This time, he remained silent. His gaze locked onto mine with a ferocity that felt unleashed and merciless, as if some dark force had taken hold of him. Unlike before, his assault was far more intense and savage, as though the earlier skirmishes had been mere playthings compared to this brutal onslaught.

I braced myself, ready for the fight, but his power surged beyond what I had anticipated.

Our claws collided again—quicker, stronger, and more lethal than ever before. Each strike sent tremors rippling through the floor beneath us. The walls groaned under the pressure, pillars cracked and crumbled, and the very air around us crackled with raw energy, thick with tension.

I growled fiercely, blocking another vicious blow, but he was relentless—an unstoppable storm raging against me. Just one floor separated me from the crown. If I didn’t end this battle right here, right now, defeat was inevitable. With his monstrous strength, he wouldn’t fall easily, and I couldn’t predict what cruel illusion he might unleash to shatter my resolve. Time was slipping away faster than I dared to admit. I needed to claim the crown—quickly.

There was only one path left to me: to finish this fight the same way I had ended Ethan.

I waited for a brief opening, narrowly dodged a sweeping strike, and then lunged at him. My legs curled tightly around his neck, using my weight to twist and shove him toward one of the illusionary chambers.

If I could just force him inside, the illusion would take care of the rest—he’d be expelled from the castle.

“Go to hell!” I snarled, pulling with every ounce of my strength.

But he didn’t fall.

Wait… I had never failed at this before. Why now?

Instead, he seized my waist, his growl low and dark, and with terrifying force, flipped me backward.

Suddenly, the world flipped upside down.

I was flying—thrown off the corridor balcony.

My heart stopped cold. I couldn’t even scream as I realized the deadly drop of eleven stories below. Death was certain. I glanced once more at the crown and braced myself for the shattering impact, for darkness to swallow me whole.

But then, something strange happened—I wasn’t falling.

I was suspended, floating in midair, surrounded by glittering shards of illusion. The corridor above remained intact, yet beneath me was nothing but empty space. Beneath my feet stretched an invisible floor, as clear and fragile as glass, faintly glowing.

“What… the hell…” I whispered, trembling. Heights had never been my strength.

This must be the illusion of this floor—the terrifying height, the sensation of standing on air. It was more frightening than anything I’d faced so far.

My heart pounded wildly as I lifted my gaze. The Eagle had casually leapt down from the balcony, as if the dizzying height meant nothing to him. He strode toward me, the air parting around him, his presence crashing down like thunder. The invisible floor quivered beneath his heavy steps, trembling under the weight of our combined power.

My claws extended again, but deep down, I knew I couldn’t keep fighting him here. The longer I stayed, the more the illusion twisted reality against me.

I had to move. Engaging in a prolonged battle with someone so powerful was foolish when my true goal waited just above.

My eyes darted to one side, spotting a tall stone pillar supporting the twelfth-floor balcony. It wasn’t solid stone; the illusion flickered faintly along its edges. But it was my only route upward.

Without hesitation, I turned and sprinted toward the pillar. The Eagle halted, watching me closely until he saw my claws sink into the rough surface. His aura flared, a dark gleam of understanding crossing his eyes.

The abrasive stone scraped my skin as I climbed, muscles taut and claws digging in deeper for purchase. Below, I heard the Eagle land heavily, his boots striking the invisible floor with a thudding echo like a heartbeat.

He didn’t pursue me up the pillar. Instead, he leapt back to the balcony.

I heard his footsteps pounding up the stairs—faster, louder, closer.

“Damn it,” I hissed, pushing myself higher. I was taking a shortcut; there was no way I could let him reach the crown before me.

The air grew hotter, humming with strange energy as I hauled myself over the ledge and rolled onto the twelfth floor.

There it was.

The crown.

It rested on a raised platform at the center of the grand hall, glowing with the warm radiance of molten honey. Its golden surface pulsed softly with light, and the floor beneath shimmered like liquid glass, bending the reflections of everything around it.

For a fleeting moment, I forgot everything—the Eagle, the pain, the illusions. The crown was mesmerizing. Almost alive.

Then, the heavy thud of boots shattered the silence. My eyes snapped open to find the Eagle had arrived.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify