Under the Shadow of the Moon

Chapter 34

By the time they had arrived back home, the sun had fully come up. After spending so long under the shadow of the moon, it was strange to finally be under the light of the sun again. Before her eyes and skin would burn under the sun, and she would have to rush back inside. Now the rays felt soft against her skin, the sensation one that brought her joy and a flood of memories from her childhood. She welcomed them without hesitation.

Everything about her new life was strange, and even after everything that had gone down in the last few months, she still hadn't fully gripped onto the idea of her new reality. A guilt seized her as she thought about her friends. Another shiver of doubt ran down her spine as she thought of her mother. Her mother, who didn't know why her husband was dead. Her mother, who didn't know where her kids were, or that they were even gone. Her mother, who would likely die of fear for their safety. Her mother, home all alone.

A shiver ran through her, her hands feeling numb. And Trae... Trae who had no idea why they were pushing him away. Trae, who couldn't know why they were protecting him. Trae, who she loved.

Luna laid down in her bed, shuffling under the thin covers, a heavy sweat clinging to her. She had pulled her thick curtains over the window, blocking out the light she desperately wanted to stare at. She turned her back to the window, shutting her eyes tightly. She didn't want to see anything, didn't want to think about anything. Her whole body was tense as her mind ran over all the events of the past few months. She shuddered, trying to dispel them from her mind. Going over the events made her excited, but they also scared her, bouts of nausea gripping her each time her mind wandered too far.

She worried that if she couldn't pull it together, she would break down and bring down the whole team along with her. She was worried that if they failed, no one would be there to stop the White Sand. That the world would suffer. That the world would burn.

She was scared for everyone, not just her small corner of the world. Terrified, that many people would lose their lives. Terrified, that she may too. But more so terrified that any of her friends could lose their lives, and that their blood would be on her hands. She was the one who dragged them all into it, by not letting them decide, by not letting them say anything, and she would pay for it.

She took in a deep, shuddering sigh, letting Sleep take her into his comforting grasp. That comfort, however, did not last long. Almost as soon as she drifted off, she was thrown into a violent dream.

Luna felt herself come to life in the dream. It felt like the Shadow Realm, but this was different. She could hear a sound almost like white noise, unlike the screeching and ringing she heard in the Shadow Realm. Here it felt like looking through glass that was fogged around the edges, watching a scene she couldn't interact with. Prophetic dreams... she recalled Cleo saying. Only those with power over energy... Luna still didn't understand, but she allowed herself to watch the scene.

She was floating by the rafters of the Throne Room in the Castle of The Eye. She couldn't move, but she could see the people below her near perfectly.

Below her was a girl with diamond-blonde hair tied in a ponytail by a bright blue hair-tie. She seemed to be around Cleo's age, from what Luna could make out of her appearance. She looked tired, her face gaunt and her figure tall and slim. She looked to Luna like a ghost, regaining her strength and mortality with each step she took towards The Eye, sitting on his throne.

Elijah was at his side, his hands behind his back and his chin tilted up. He was watching the girl with a smirk and a mischievous gleam in his eye.

Luna watched the girl kneel before the throne, bowing her head, pledging her allegiance to the cause. Luna noticed she was dressed in a White Sand uniform. When she stood up, Luna saw her face. She looked almost possessed, as if a fire sat behind her green eyes rather than a soul. Her cheeks were sunken in, and her lips were thin and tinted blue. A name came to Luna. Skye. This was Skye.