It was five hours to dawn.

Twenty glass vials were laid across the table and a large cauldron sat at the center. Luna--her silver hair sticking to her forehead--poured a clear liquid into the purple-colored potion before stirring it quickly. To anyone, it would look as if the Princess of the Lunari people was studying hard, wanting to become the best potion master of the Kingdom. A title that probably belonged to her brother--Namjoon.

There was no way to know if the potion would work. Not until the moment, it became imperative. Four vials were full, the bottom half of the potion purple, and the top half shone gold. Within an hour, the whole potion should turn gold. That is if she did it right.

One vial equaled one day. One day she could stay alive. Twenty would get her far away, far enough that day and night would no longer matter.

✴8 hours earlier✴

Luna entered the throne room. Her white dress billowed behind her and she stood with her head held high, despite the ache in her neck from the heavy tiara resting carefully on her head. It was attached via magic, but that didn't prevent it from feeling like it was slipping off.

She bowed to her parents who sat on their thrones. There were fewer people in the room compared to other official meetings. Luna, Namjoon, the King and Queen, the top advisors, and a few servants hiding in the corners were the only ones present. There was one other person present, though he was standing next to one of the advisors and his face was distant and shadowed.

"Namjoon, Luna," her father started. His deep voice bellowed throughout the throne room, echoing all the way down until it died off towards the doors at the end. "With the reports of the Dusk child coming off age, it is important that we think about our future as a Kingdom. Whatever changes come, we must be prepared to face them." The King paused, glancing down at his two children.

"Namjoon, you will someday be King of the Lunari. You will soon have the entire Tribe on your shoulders. You have become an accomplished Potion Master, you are skilled in diplomacy, and I don't think I've seen someone so apt at addressing their people. But, there is one thing you lack as a future King."

Namjoon leaned in closer just slightly. His hands were clasped behind his back and despite the compliments he'd received, she noticed the way they were turning white as he squeezed them tightly together.

"You must learn to defend your people. When strategy and diplomacy do not work, sometimes you must fight yourself." Luna's eyes naturally fell on the scar that ran across her father's face. The story went that when Luna was a newborn--Namjoon only barely toddling--a Sun warrior snuck in during the day, barely visible in the light. The warrior attempted to kidnap the newborn Princess, but the King fought him off. During the fight, he sustained the scar, running from the top left of his face to the bottom right.

"Luna," the King said. "I named you after our people because you were born to serve them. You will be an important asset to this Kingdom once Namjoon becomes the King."

He motioned over to the advisors in the room, light coming over them with a wave of his hand. "As you know our advisors are an asset and our people would fall without them. So, I have decided it is best for your future if you marry one of Namjoon's future advisors."

Luna turned her head sharply and saw Min Yoongi--the Head Advisor's son--and one of Namjoon's longest friends. Her heart seized her chest and her palms sweaty.

"Father, why is it not possible for me to simply be an advisor? Why must I marry one?"

"We do not know what this Dusk means for us. If something happens, I need you to be in an advantageous marriage. Yoongi is trustworthy and intelligent."

Yoongi stood straight with his eyes on the ground. To everyone else in the room, it looked like a stance of respect, but Luna noticed the way his eyes were hard and not looking at anything in particular. Her gaze wandered to her brother, his jaw clenched to the point it looked painful.

"The wedding will be during the next Full Moon." There was no option. No escaping her father's words and her vision became blurry at the edges.

☾☾☾

"Luna?" Namjoon's voice was thick and heavy like he had a cold. "Are you okay?"

She felt his hands on her shoulders and her eyes opened slowly to face her brother. Luna lay in her bed, the covers pulled down below her feet.

"You fainted," Namjoon said. "Yoongi carried you back here."

A shiver ran down her spine. She didn't have negative feelings toward Yoongi. He had never been rude to her, cold, maybe, but he simply saw her as the Princess and Namjoon's sister. Yet, the thought of marrying him, being bound to him for life, made her want to disappear into the sunlight.

"Namjoon, isn't there something you can do? I don't want to marry Yoongi."

Namjoon looked down at Luna, his lips pursing and his eyes softening at the way his little sister looked so tired and weak. He carefully propped her up using her pillows.

"I wish there was," he said. "If it were up to me, you could marry who you want, or not at all." He paused, squeezing her shoulder. "Yoongi will take care of you. He won't be a bad husband and he will keep you safe."

Luna sighed. "I know that, Joon. But, I don't love him!"

"Luna, it will be okay. You'll learn to love him."

Tears came to her eyes, but she kept them from falling with the little bit of magic she could muster.

Two hours before dawn.

Black was a color that Luna's only wore for certain occasions. Coronations, funerals, weddings. But, Luna put on the single black dress she owned, slipped the potions belt over her shoulders and around her ribs, and pulled a woolen hood over her hair that shone brightly in the late moonlight.

It was surprisingly easy to slip out of the castle and into the village. Only a few guards were equipped to stay awake during the day and they hadn't started their shift yet. The late-night guards were preparing to end their day.

The village was scarce except for a few late-night shops that remained open until just before Dawn. They didn't notice her as she made her way toward the forest.

The Forest separated the Sun and Moon tribes. She only had to make it to the edge of the Sun tribe. If she lived between the two tribes, just on the border, she may go undetected.

If she met a Dawn, it was possible she could join them. Find protection. They occasionally came into the village for supplies. The Dawns weren't wholly unwelcome, but they always left town quickly.

Her stomach turned at the thought of the Dusk. He had just turned twenty-three, the age he'd come into his full power. That was if he realized it.

Luna had only seen the Dusk once. Five years ago, their eyes met and she saw him, just a boy. Nothing more and she couldn't help but wonder why the whole world was terrified of a simple boy. She wasn't sure if she believed the stories she heard of him: his brutality, the way he treated the nymphs--the one truly neutral party between the Sun and Moon, or the way he'd taken down four Sun warriors at once.

It began to grow lighter. To most, it was imperceptible, but Luna could feel it in the air. She reached for one of her potions but decided against it. She needed to take it just before day, or else she wouldn't get through it.

She squinted as Dawn approached. Luna knew that she was nearing Sun territory, the land becoming hard to traverse. The Solari people were stronger, they could walk uphill for hours, climb boulders, and run without losing their breath. The Lunari were different. Luna found herself panting as she neared the top of the hill. The light burned her skin, but she knew it would.

Luna stopped near the head of a stream. Proximity to water made her feel the magic in her body again, while it wouldn't save her from the light, it may give her a chance.

The light was coming quickly. Luna stepped into the stream, allowing it to flow over her ankles. She was nearly on Solari land.

She reached for one of her potions, uncapping it. The bottle shook, some of the gold liquid spilling out onto her fingers. The bottle soon fell from her hands, shattering on the ground. She reached for another, only for it to fall to the forest floor.

Luna's heart raced and she felt hot, everywhere. She was nearly blinded. Grabbing the leather potion belt, she lifted it over her head, the movement in itself caused her muscles to burn. The belt lay beside her and as she reached for another bottle, the sun emerged and light spread fully among the forest floor. Her hand slipped, pushing the potions down into the water and washing them downstream.

☾☾☾

Namjoon awoke just before Dawn. He'd only just gone to bed, but he sensed something off. The castle was quiet, like normal, and he knew that he only had a limited time before he needed to fall back asleep.

He instinctively walked towards Luna's room. He knocked first, receiving no answer. Pushing open the door, Namjoon found his sister's bed empty and only her tiara upside down on the sheets.

◇◇◇

A/N: FarFromSuga aka Alyce wrote this part. I have kept it in tact but from this chapter onward I will mostly be taking over with Alyce coming in ever so often to add her own touch. Hope you guys enjoy!!