Rebirth Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 228: An Unknown Solution

Tiana's POV

His eyes jumped to mine suddenly. They were wide with fear like he had seen a ghost. For a second—just a small, flickering moment, I saw something in his eyes. Something familiar, like he almost remembered who I was. His lips opened slowly, and his voice came out rough and weak, barely louder than a whisper.

"I'm just someone that is here to help."

"You're not Tiana?"

"No," I lied. "She sent me to comfort you."

“I’m... I’m losing it, aren’t I?” he asked, voice shaking. He looked scared like he didn’t even know what was real anymore. His shoulders shook, and a broken sound left his mouth. A painful and confused sob followed.“I can’t stop it. I can’t stop what’s going on in my head. It feels like... like I’m being ripped apart from the inside.”

His eyes were wild. He looked at me like I was the only thing keeping him from drowning. Like he was clinging to me just to survive the storm inside him.

“I thought I was going crazy,” he said. “And I don’t even know why. I can’t remember how it started. I don’t even know the first time it happened. But now, it feels like someone else is inside my mind. Like someone’s there. Whispering to me. Watching everything I do.”

I knelt down next to him and put my hand on his shoulder. My grip was firm but gentle. His skin felt cold and wet like he had just come out of freezing water. He was shaking so much.

“You’re not crazy, Theo,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm, even though I was scared too. “You’re not losing your mind. You’re trapped. Something is doing this to you. This isn’t your fault. Something else is playing with your thoughts. It wants to break you. It wants to make you feel alone. But you’re not alone.”

He took a deep breath, but it caught in his throat. Tears slid down his cheeks, and his whole body seemed to collapse in on itself. He leaned back against the cold wall behind him like he couldn’t hold himself up anymore. All the strength just drained out of him.

He sat there, breathing hard like every breath took effort. Then he whispered one question.

“Why me?”

My chest ached. I didn’t have an answer. “I don’t know yet,” I told him softly. “But I’m going to find out. I promise, Theo. I will find whoever did this to you. I’ll do whatever it takes to get the truth.”

His fingers moved like he was trying to grab something, anything, just to hold on. Then he leaned his head against my hand. The fight in him was fading. He was tired. So tired.

“You don’t have to do this by yourself,” I said, my voice even softer now. “I’m not leaving you. Even if you forget everything, even if nothing makes sense—I’ll still be here.”

He didn’t speak. He didn’t have to. His eyes slowly closed. His eyelashes were wet from crying. After a while, the shaking in his body started to fade. His breathing got slower and more steady, though his face still looked tight and pained. Sleep came for him like it was a fight he didn’t want to lose—but one he couldn’t win either.

I stayed sitting beside him, watching his chest move up and down. I wanted to believe he was finally at peace, at least for a little while. But deep down, I knew something darker was happening. This wasn’t just a mental breakdown.

It was something worse. It was possession.

When I was sure he had fallen asleep, I stood up carefully so I wouldn’t wake him. My knees hurt from kneeling on the hard floor, but I ignored it. I had other things to do. I stepped out and closed the door behind me. The soft click of the lock echoed in my ears. It sounded like a promise I didn’t know if I could keep.

*+*+*+*+*++

The next morning, the sky was beautiful which was in contrast to how I felt inside. Despite the beauty of the sky, the morning was quiet and cold, the kind of morning that smelled like smoke from early fires.

I walked across the stone courtyard, my boots crunching on gravel. My thoughts were heavy. My chest felt tight. I wasn’t looking for him—but my eyes found him anyway.

Theo.

He was standing in the middle of the training grounds, tall and straight. His uniform was perfect. He looked strong and calm like nothing had happened the night before. He was shouting orders to the new recruits. His voice was loud and steady.

He seemed confident.

Like he hadn’t cried in my arms just hours ago.

Something about it didn’t feel right. It was too perfect.

I walked toward him, unsure what I would say. He turned and saw me, and he smiled but it wasn’t a real smile. It was just polite.

“Commander,” he said, like everything was normal. “Is the new patrol schedule ready?”

I forced my face to stay calm. “Almost. I’m still making a few changes.”

He nodded like it was just another day. “Let me know if you want help. The northern edge has been quiet, but we should stay alert. Just in case.”

He spoke like a soldier. Strong. Focused. But there was no sign of the man who had broken down just hours before. No fear. No confusion. Nothing.

Just Theo.

Acting like nothing had happened. Was I the one imagining things? Yesterday had been real. He had been dragged into that room by his father and the physician and he had been screaming. After they had gone I had been in his chambers, he had spoken to me. He was broken and crying, talking about how Tiana was haunting him and I assured him she was not...

I looked at him longer than I should have, hoping to see something—anything—that would tell me the truth. But his face showed nothing.

“You’re doing well, Talia,” he said, sounding distant. “Keep it up.”

I nodded slowly. “Thanks... Theo.”