Eternal Light

Elara Vale learned early in life how to become invisible. Not literally, of course—but in the way that mattered most. She learned how to walk through crowded hallways without being seen, how to sit in classrooms without being remembered, and how to smile just enough so no one would ask if she was okay. At seventeen, Elara existed quietly. She wasn’t bullied. She wasn’t popular. She wasn’t anything special. She was just there. Every morning, she woke up at exactly "5:30 a.m.", not because she had to, but because the silence before the world woke up felt safer. She liked the moments when no one needed her, expected her, or forgot her. She lived with her aunt in a small house near the edge of town—a place people rarely visited and easily overlooked, just like her. At school, Elara always chose the seat near the window. Not because she liked the view—but because reflections didn’t judge her. --- That Monday started like any other. Grey skies. Heavy clouds. The kind of day that felt tired before it even began. As Elara walked through the school gates, laughter echoed around her. Groups of students huddled together, talking about exams, parties, and people she didn’t know. She adjusted the straps of her bag and kept walking. “Good morning,” a teacher said, looking right past her. She whispered, “Good morning,” back—though she knew it didn’t matter. Inside her classroom, she sat in her usual seat. Third row. Far right. Near the window. No one noticed when she arrived. No one ever did. --- It was during second period when something strange happened. The teacher was calling attendance. “Marcus Reed.” “Here!” “Jasmine Lee.” “Present!” Elara listened absentmindedly, staring at the clouds drifting slowly outside. “Elara Vale.” Silence. The teacher frowned and checked the list again. “Elara Vale?” she repeated. Elara raised her hand. “I’m here.” The teacher looked up—confused. “Oh. I’m sorry,” she said slowly. “You’re… new?” A few students turned to look at Elara. Her heart skipped. “No,” Elara said quietly. “I’ve been here all year.” The teacher laughed awkwardly. “Right. My mistake.” But Elara felt it. That strange chill. That feeling that something wasn’t right. --- During lunch, things got worse. She sat at her usual table and opened her lunchbox. A group of girls sat down across from her. “Is someone sitting here?” one of them asked. Elara blinked. “I’m sitting here.” The girl hesitated, eyes scanning the table—then shrugged. “Oh. Sorry. Didn’t see you.” They continued their conversation as if Elara wasn’t there at all. She slowly closed her lunchbox. Her appetite was gone. --- That night, Elara stood in front of the mirror in her room. She touched her face. Her hair. Her eyes. Her name echoed in her head. *I’m here,* she told herself. *I exist.* But the mirror reflected a girl who looked unsure. Before sleeping, she opened her old photo album—one she rarely touched. Her childhood photos were still there. But something was wrong. Some pictures felt… empty. Like someone had been erased. She turned the page slowly. Then she froze. A photo of her seventh birthday. The cake. The decorations. Her aunt smiling. But where she should’ve been— There was nothing. Just empty space. Elara’s hands began to shake. “No,” she whispered. “That’s not possible.” She flipped through more pages. More missing spaces. More moments where she should have existed—but didn’t. Her phone buzzed suddenly. A message from an **unknown number**. She stared at the screen. Then read the message. **Unknown:** *It’s started. You’re fading.* Elara dropped her phone. Her heart pounded as one terrifying thought filled her mind: *What if the world was slowly forgetting her?* And worse— *What if it wouldn’t stop?* --- # 🌙 End of episode 1