[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her":3,"chapter-my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-249":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","My Sister Stole My Mate, And I Let Her",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},764523,1010,"Chapter 249 MOONLIGHT ALLEY","my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-249",249,"\u003Cp>SERAPHINA’S POV\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bookmark gleamed faintly when I stepped out of the director’s garden, its silver lines catching the late-afternoon sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I held it up, turning it until the light revealed the pattern more clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then I realized it wasn’t a pattern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the back, in tiny, delicate script, was a single line: Independently obtain the Moonlight Alley talisman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No instructions. No explanation. No hint of what the talisman even looked like.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alois had handed me a puzzle with no edges and expected me to assemble the picture before sunrise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I exhaled through my nose. “Great. Fantastic. Nothing like a little vague mysticism to get the blood pumping.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alina hummed. ‘Don’t despair. You’ve always loved riddles.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah,” I murmured. “Except when they’re about my life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hey, your father walked this path. So can you.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those words steeled something in me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was right; my father must have gone through this same process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And whatever truth he had been chasing, whatever truth had been kept from me my entire life—I was finally closing in on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t let anything stand in my way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I flipped the bookmark over again and studied it. That’s when I noticed an extra detail: a small, hand-carved map along the bottom—a crude sketch marking an area on the outskirts of the institute, shaded in gray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faint lettering read: Moonlight Alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tingle ran down my spine. Alois didn’t tell me outright where to go, but he hadn’t hidden the path either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I followed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moonlight Alley was nothing like the bright, open academic paradise I had come from.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, the air felt heavier. Denser. Shadowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The buildings were older, weather-beaten, clustered tightly together. Narrow corridors formed a twisting maze, the stone walls patched and cracked. Dim lanterns swung overhead, creaking in the cold breeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People lingered near doorways and narrow shops—wolves with threadbare clothing, Omega families sharing small scraps of food, mixed-bloods who kept to the shadows as if daylight wasn’t theirs to claim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And every pair of eyes followed me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some curious. Most wary. A few hostile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I might as well have walked in wearing a neon sign blinking ‘OUTSIDER!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I maintained an open, neutral posture. Not dominant. Not submissive. Simply present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, their gazes tracked me like a foreign specimen, intense enough to make my skin crawl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sooner I found what I was looking for, the sooner I could leave before one of those hostile gazes turned into a hostile fist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I didn’t have a lead. I didn’t even know what this talisman looked like.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I did the only thing I could: I observed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I drifted past small stalls selling cheap trinkets and worn amulets. Past a group of Omegas huddled together, whispering. Past a narrow shop with faded charms hanging from the doorframe—none special, none memorable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing screamed Moonlight Alley talisman. Not even a whisper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was starting to feel stupid, wandering like a lost puppy while the sun edged lower in the sky, when a small body slammed into me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oof—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A child stumbled back, wide-eyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry!” he squeaked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked a little younger than Daniel—nine, maybe eight. Big eyes, tattered clothes, a cap pulled low over messy auburn hair. He flashed me a bright, guilty smile and darted away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A soft groan slipped out of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was getting nowhere. I reached into my coat pocket, intending to call Maxwell in case he had any ideas of what treasure I was searching—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hands frantically moved through my pocket, then the other one, just in case I’d misplaced it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That little—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alina cackled. ‘He stole from you!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hissed through my teeth, turned on my heels, and sprinted after him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy was fast, much faster than most human children. He darted between market stalls, slipped under a low-hanging sign, and shot down a narrow passage that looked barely wide enough for a cat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would have been hard for a normal target to give chase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I wasn’t normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to Maya’s training, I could follow a squirrel up a tree if needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I ran, my phone smacked against my coat pocket. I wouldn’t have cared if the little shit had taken my phone or wallet; they could be replaced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he’d taken the one thing I absolutely could not lose: the compass Daniel had given me. ‘So you always find your way back.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No way in hell was I letting that go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey!” I shouted. “Stop!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t. Instead, he giggled—actually fucking giggled—and veered sharply into a side alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I followed—and ran straight into a trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A low rope snapped upward, catching my ankle—but instinct kicked in before I fully realized what was happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I twisted in midair, flipping and dropping to one knee. Another rope whipped toward my waist—I ducked. Something metal clanged overhead, a rusted bucket ready to fall on my head—I sidestepped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clenched my teeth and dodged a swinging wooden plank, then ducked under a net that tried to drop on top of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy watched the whole thing from the end of the alley, mouth hanging open in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tch,” he muttered. “Of all days to pick a damn martial artist.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You picked the wrong tourist, kid,” I panted, pushing off the wall and sprinting again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes widened, and he bolted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he wasn’t expecting me to vault over a crate, bounce off the alley wall, and land behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maya would have combusted with pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I grabbed the back of his shirt. “Got you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thrashed wildly. “Let go! Let go! Let go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No,” I huffed. “Give me back my stuff.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t take anything important!” he shouted, kicking at my shin. “It’s just a trinket! You chased me two streets for that?! You rich people are crazy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His cap fell off in the struggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Revealing...a girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Small and wiry, with sharp, fox-like features and fierce emerald eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She froze for a second—just long enough to look offended that she’d been discovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she bared her teeth and bit me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“OW—HEY—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She dropped the compass into my hand, wrenched free from my grip with surprising force, and bolted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could’ve left it at that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had my prize. The chase was over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But something in the look she’d given me—defiant, scared, resigned—stuck like a thorn beneath my ribs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I could talk myself out of it, my feet were already heading down the path she took.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I found her huddled behind a broad cedar tree at the edge of the alley, shoulders shaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t hear me approach until a twig cracked under my boot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her head whipped up, eyes blazing. “Go away!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not here to yell at you,” I said softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She scrubbed her face with her sleeve. “You already got your damn toy back. Now leave me alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not a toy,” I murmured, crouching down a respectful distance away. “It’s a compass. My son, Daniel, made it for me. So I’d always find my way back home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her expression flickered, her mouth twisting into a sneer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good for you,” she muttered. “And good for stupid Daniel, whose mommy loves him so much she’ll chase a kid three blocks for a piece of junk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something in my chest cracked at her words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stayed quiet until she no longer looked like she might bolt again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, I asked, “What’s your name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you care?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t want to have to keep referring to you as ‘kid’.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A long pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, grudgingly: “Ava.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ava,” I repeated gently. “I’m Sera.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cool.” She hugged her knees. “Bye, Sera.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ignored the dismissal. “Why were you stealing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, you know, I just love the thrill and the chase.” She shot me a glare, her broken voice softening the bite of her sarcasm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I waited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her jaw trembled. “My grandma’s sick. Medicine costs money. Spoiler alert—we don’t have any.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ava sniffed and glared at the dirt. “Grandma raised me after my parents died. She always said we didn’t need anyone else. But she’s getting worse, and I—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice broke entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I reached out slowly—not touching her, just offering my hand in the space between us like a bridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ava...you don’t have to handle this alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She blinked rapidly, fighting tears. “There’s no one else jumping in to help, so...” Her tiny shoulders lifted and dropped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know how that feels,” I whispered. “More than you think.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked up, studying me with guarded suspicion. “No, you don’t. You’re rich.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I snorted. “Not the point.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pretty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still not the point.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grown-up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also not the point.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She rolled her eyes. “Then what is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I offered a small smile. “That right now, you’re not alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun was already slipping below the horizon. The clock was ticking on my twisted scavenger hunt. But that would have to wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to attend to this side quest.\u003C\u002Fp>",1486,"2026-06-03T02:27:49.405Z",1,"novelbin.me","71ddc4a2285199a5c4b92ce1f5fe9963f196a3dcb032544b1c7db8d0c8c7cc7d","my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-250","my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-248",488,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-cover.jpg"]