LUNAR ETERNITY

CHAPTER 2

Luna couldn't stop thinking about the man she had helped the night before. His eyes had definitely glowed, and she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more going on than just a dog bite. His wounds seemed more like stabs than bites. Why had he lied? Even a child could tell those were no dog bites.

As she walked through her rather quiet neighborhood, this thoughts plagued her mind. She needed to know why his eyes had glowed. Or was it an if? She ran her hand through her blonde hair and let her eyes wandered the streets of Sylvercrest.

Silvercrest was a small, picturesque town nestled in the heart of a dense forest. The town was surrounded by towering trees that seemed to stretch all the way up to the sky, their leaves rustling gently in the breeze. The forest was alive with the sounds of birds chirping, squirrels chattering, and the occasional howl of a wolf, deep into the woods.

The town itself was quaint and charming, with narrow streets lined with old-fashioned lamp posts. The houses were mostly made of wood, with sloping roofs and white picket fences. As she continued on her quiet walk, she noticed there was a gathering in the small town square. Locals usually gather to chat and catch up on the latest news. The square was anchored by a large oak tree, its branches spreading out like a protective canopy.

The town had a few small businesses, including a general store, a bakery, and a diner. The diner was a popular spot for locals to grab a cup of coffee and catch up on local gossip. The walls were lined with photos of the town's history, and the smell of fresh-baked pies wafted through the air. Luna tried to ignore its tempting smell and continued on her way.

Sylvercrest was however blessed with a number of forest surrounding it

The forest around Silvercrest was home to a variety of wildlife, including deer, foxes, and of course, wolves. The wolves were a common sight, their sleek bodies gliding through the underbrush. They were a symbol of the town's connection to the natural world, and many locals felt a deep respect and reverence for them. For Luna, she was pretty much indifferent. She had had them around the woods for as long as she could remember and they were surprisingly harmless. At least, she had never heard of an attack before. They lived their quiet lives in their woods and the humans did, in their cities.

But none of these places called for Luna's attention. For one, she hated the gossip of the town and secondly, she wasn't a fan of the woods. Since the day she lost her frog, one of her many toys, she had vowed to never return. Luna soon came to a halt in front of the local library. Just like the rest of Sylvercrest buildings, the library was made of wood_ fine wood but wood nonetheless. She had spent most of her days here, doing her research on nature and natural happenings. But today, she wasn't here for her usual research, she was here for a new research. One that had to do with glowing eyes. She spent hours poring over books and articles, trying to find anything that could explain the glowing eyes. But she was very much disappointed, when came up empty-handed.

She groaned in frustration as she ran her hand, for the umpteenth time, through her already disheveled hair.

"No luck today?" Mr Reeds, the old librarian, asked as he leaned on his walking stick, for support. He was smiling down at her like a father did his daughter like he always did and she groaned even more. She needn't keep her voice down as the library was almost empty as always. The people of Sylvercrest weren't readers. Lots of them preferred to go to the village square and listen to boring gossip or watch and listen to the storyteller as he told tales of old lies of supernatural creatures which had once lurked the Earth.

Mr Reeds patted her on her back with a small chuckle before walking away with the click of his walking stick. Luna sighed again before standing to her feet and deciding it was time to call it a day. The sun was already beginning to set.

"Goodbye Mr Reeds!" she said over her shoulders as she was leaving the library. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the man of the night before, again. He was sitting on a bench outside, seemingly lost in thought. Luna hesitated for a moment, then walked over to him.

"Hey," she said, trying to sound casual. "How's your wound?"

He looked up at her, his eyes normal and with absolutely no glow to it. Had she imagined it? "It's better, thanks." He smiled and stretched forth his hand "I'm Ethan, by the way."

"Luna," she replied, shaking his hand. "Can I sit?" She asked, her hand pointed at the small space beside him.

"Yeah…yeah, why not." He seemed really hesitant and slightly uncomfortable but Luna took the seat with a slight smile, clearly unbothered. Luna took in the scenery before her in silence and it seemed Ethan was either doing the same or just lost in thoughts.

As the sun set over Silvercrest, the town took on a magical quality. The lampposts flickered to life, casting a warm glow over the streets. The forest grew quieter, as the animals settled in for the night.

"It's truly beautiful, isn't it? " Ethan suddenly asked, his eyes fixated on the passing scenery before them.

"Hmm." Luna nodded as she studied him quietly. "You're not from around here, are you?" She let her curiosity get the best of her and asked.

"No, I'm not." He said, not gracing her with his eyes as they remained fixed on the road. Silence descended upon them and after a while, Luna couldn't take it anymore.

"Look, I know this is going to sound crazy, but I saw your eyes last night. They were glowing." She put up a bold face and stared at him waiting for a shift in his features and character. None. Absolutely nothing. He remained calm and even turned to smile at her.

"It was only the reflection from the light." He said with a small chuckle, before getting up and walking down the streets. Luna was quick to follow.

She pondered on what he had claimed for a while as she blindly followed the stranger, deep in thoughts.

"But… but I saw."

Ethan's expression darkened. "You saw nothing."

Luna's breath cut in her throat from the change in his tone and the look in his glowing eyes. Her eyes widened as she quickly took in their surroundings and realized that there were somewhere she didn't recognize. It looked like the woods but that was just impossible.

There was no way they could have gotten to the woods so quickly, from the indepth of the village. Right?

Her breath cut in her throat when she noticed something else she had failed to notice earlier as well.

"Your side." She looked him deep in his eyes that now glowed very much brighter as their surroundings darkened even more. " You're perfectly healed." Her finger shook in what must have been fear as she pointed at his earlier wounded side. Such a wound would have made him limp for days, weeks if he were even able to stand straight. But here he was, standing strong and straight, looking all healthy and strong. Luna swallowed when she realized Just how big he actually was.

She took two steps back and drew out her knife as her heart began to bang against the cages of her heart. She checked around her, looking for the nearest exit but found none. She wasn't used to the woods as she had never truly ventured into it. Maybe she should have in the past because right now, she had absolutely no idea where to run to.

Ethan sighed when he noticed how afraid she was. " You should never have followed me. This wasn't how it was meant to be."

"What are you talking about?" She tried but failed to hide the quiver from her voice.

Ethan hesitated, then sighed. "I'm truly sorry." With the speed of light, he was behind her and held her to him and hit a small part of her neck. She fell limply in his arms as she was swallowed by the abyss of unconsciousness.