Ten Years Later
The wind swept across my face as I sat on the rocky cliff overlooking our small village. A quiet haven where the weight of life felt a little lighter. The breeze was soothing, so soothing that if you weren't careful, you might just drift off and plummet to your death.
Today was my 18th birthday. Most people would celebrate with cake, friends, and bad dance moves. Me? I spent it here, lost in thought, trying to ignore the ache in my chest. This spot was my escape, the only place where I could unravel the mess inside my head without anyone being nosy.
I let out a deep sigh, feeling the weight of the past pressing against my chest.
Ten years had passed and i haven't healed. Everything traced back to that one night, the night Mom told me about the story of PIRAR.
I could still feel her kiss on my forehead, warm and soft. I remember the way silence stretched just a little too long, how the low murmur of voices followed. Someone had greeted her, calling her Slayer. At that time, it was just a strange conversation between two adults but as I grew older, those words turned into riddles that gnawed at me for answers.
Sometimes, I let my mind wander, imagining that Mom and Anny would suddenly appear, laughing, saying it had all been a cruel prank. That they had never left me but life isn't a fairy tale. Wishes are just whispers lost in the wind, and the gods, if they were listening they had no time for someone like me.
That night changed everything. I woke up to find Anny missing. Mom was trembling, muttering incoherent words, something about a setup. I was too young to understand, but I'll never forget the fear in her eyes. She handed me a necklace with a small golden key as its pendant and whispered, "Never take this off, and never let anyone see it."
She promised she'd find Anny and bring her back. She told me to stay at my aunt's house for just three days. But those three days stretched into weeks, the weeks into months, and eventually, years. My endless questions about Mom and Anny were met with silence. My aunt, overwhelmed by my constant pleading, eventually left me at an orphanage.
From there, I ran. I spent years on the move, escaping a past that refused to let me go. Then I found this village, quiet and peaceful, I decided to call it home. Thinking about it all still brought tears to my eyes, tears I wiped away for the tenth time as I sat there, trying and failing to forget that one night.
I missed Mom, I missed Anny, i missed us. Not a day went by that I didn't think of them, wondering if they were out there somewhere. I'd searched for them once I was old enough, but it was like they'd vanished into thin air.
Eventually, I gave up, clinging to the faint hope that they were alive somewhere in this cruel world.
Every night, questions I couldn't answer invaded my thoughts, turning into nightmares. Who was my mom, really? Who was my dad? And who was the stranger that called her "Slayer"? Mom never spoke of my dad, except that he left when Anny was a baby. Oddly, I had no memory of him, just another unsolved mystery.
As I made my way back home, lost in thought, Sabrina, my best friend, popped up beside me with her usual energy.
"Hey, Luna! You look good rocking those shorts today." She waggled her eyebrows, smirking.
I sighed. "Thanks, Sabrina."
She grinned. "Don't tell me you were thinking about the forbidden again."
"The forbidden" was her not-so-subtle way of referring to my mom and Anny. It was her way of making the topic sound less... heavy. I forced a smile. "Nope, not at all."
"Good, because...oh! Before I forget, some guy came looking for you earlier."
My stomach dropped. "Who?"
"No idea, he left a letter. Said to give it to you as soon as you got back." No one knew of me living here so who could it be
"What did he look like?"
She shrugged. "Couldn't see his face, he was wearing a cloak but he has a small stature, might be a female though but I am not sure. Seemed like he was in a hurry. Anyway, let's get home before the boys tear that letter apart out of curiosity." She giggled, completely unaware of the unease curling in my gut.
By the time we reached my small house, I was practically sprinting, my steps fueled with curiosity. Just as she said, the letter was on the table, and my friends were gathered around it, staring like it might sprout legs and start dancing.
I snatched the letter from the table and hurried into my room, ignoring their protests.
"She's been acting weird," Victor muttered. "You think it's a love letter?"
"Doubt it," Ethan replied. "Luna and romance?" he said with a scoff
"They don't get along"
I shut the door behind me, my hands trembling as I opened the envelope. The handwriting was elegant, almost too perfect, but the message was... strange.
Dear Luna,
Yesterday's open umbra ascends, restless echoes notice only twilight. Shadows are forming everywhere.
I stared at the words, my mind racing. Who would send me something like this? Was it a mistake? Or a message meant for me? Either way, it made no sense, until I looked closer.
If I took the first letter of every word, it spelled out:
"You are not safe."
A chill ran down my spine as memories of my mom flooded my mind. Back then, we would sit together, decoding the strange letters she received from even stranger people. Hope flickered in my chest, was she alive? If she had sent this letter, why hadn't she given it to me herself? And why hadn't she told me all these years that she was fine?
Just as my thoughts began spiraling, my door burst open. My friends stormed in, their faces full of concern.
"What the hell, Luna? You've been quiet for so long we thought you died," Victor joked, though his voice carried real worry.
"It's nothing," I lied. "Just some nonsense."
"Like what?" he pressed.
"Probably a mistake," I shrugged. "Whoever sent it must be crazy."
They didn't look convinced, but they let it go.
"Anyway, we're heading out," Ethan said. "But we'll be back to check on you."
"Yeah, and I hope you're ready to spill the beans by then," Victor added.
"Happy birthday, Luna," Ethan added with a soft smile before leaving.
I forced a nod, grateful for their concern but dreading their questions.
As the door closed behind them, I flopped onto my bed, the letter still clutched in my hands.
I needed answers and fast, through my thoughts, sleep claimed me