LUNA VELORIUM

EPISODE TWO {JOURNEY of DESTINY}

Electra's voice was gentle, but resolute. "Mom, let me go. There's no room for doubt. I have to go alone. I couldn't bear losing Grandma." A single tear escaped her mom's eye, and Electra's heart ached.

Her mom's eyes welled up with tears as she grasped Electra's hands. "Electra, I don't want to lose you. You're all I have left...since your dad and grandfather died in the war. We haven't been the same since." Her voice cracked, and Electra's grip on her hands tightened.

Electra wiped away her mom's tears with her fingers. "Mom, you worry too much. Nothing will happen to me. I'm a big girl now. It's my 20th birthday soon. You need to start treating me like an adult." She folded her hands and pouted her lips, trying to coax a smile from her mom.

A faint, forced smile crossed her mom's face. Together, they trudged upstairs, the old wooden floor creaking beneath their feet. As they packed Electra's clothes into a box, her mom's hands lingered on each item.

"Here, Electra, take this necklace pendant," her mom said, pressing a small, delicate box into Electra's hands. "Your name is engraved inside. I wanted to give it to you on your birthday, but...I figured you wouldn't be here."

Electra's fingers closed around the pendant, and she fastened it around her neck. The delicate chain sparkled in the fading light, and the pendant seemed to glow with a soft, inner radiance. "It's beautiful, Mom," Electra breathed.

Her mom's eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled. "It suits you. Just remember, don't ever open it until...until you need to." Electra's gaze met her mom's, questions swirling in her mind, but her mom's expression remained enigmatic.

Without another word, Electra's mom began loading her bags and baskets onto Electra's bicycle. Electra helped, her movements practiced and efficient. As they worked, the silence between them grew, filled with unspoken emotions.

Finally, Electra stood up, her bicycle laden with her belongings. Her cat, Pinky, sat regally in the front basket, watching the world with curious eyes. Electra's mom handed her a small, wrapped package. "For the road," she said, her voice low.

Electra tucked the package into her pocket and swung onto her bicycle. "Goodbye, Mom," she called, her voice barely above a whisper. Her mom's face blurred as Electra pedaled away, the trees swallowing her whole.

Electra's face fell as Pinky's meows grew more insistent. The clouds had darkened, and the air vibrated with the promise of thunder. She quickly wheeled her bicycle off the path and onto the grassy verge. "Oh, Pinky, what should we do?"

Her eyes scanned the horizon, searching for shelter. That was when she spotted it - a cave, partially hidden by the trees. Electra didn't hesitate. She grabbed Pinky and her bicycle, and made a dash for the cave.

Once inside, she fumbled in her bag for the lantern her mother had given her. The match flared, casting flickering shadows on the cave walls. Electra's gaze fell on her bag, and her stomach growled with hunger. She rummaged through her bag, but her heart sank as she realized she had no food.

Electra's head dropped onto her bag, and she let out a shaky breath. Her legs drew up, and she began to jiggle them nervously. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. Just as she was about to give in to despair, a soft sigh broke the silence.

Electra's head snapped up, and she peered into the shadows. A figure emerged, clad in black, with a hood pulled up over his head. "I can help you out," the stranger said, his voice low and soothing. "I live close to Witchwood. You're welcome to shelter with me for the night. I can offer you food, too."

Consumed with hunger, Electra followed the stranger as they walked down and down. The stranger didn't say a word; his head was bent downward, and they kept moving. Electra's legs grew wobbly, and they passed a place with lots of thunder and disturbing sounds.

"What's all the sounds about?" she asked, feeling hands pulling her back. The stranger brought out a sword, cutting invisible hands. Electra fastened her pace and drew closer to the stranger.

As they approached a small cottage, the stranger said, "Welcome to Witchwood. It's a small cottage, but it's something." Electra quickly made her way inside, seating down and gazing at the eerie house design of vampires, witches, and wolves.

When the stranger dropped a hot, steaming plate of barely rice and Niangro in front of her, Electra leaned in closer, eating the food mildly while also feeding Pinky. "So, Mr. Stranger, can you please do a face reveal so I can sleep relaxed these nights without hugging my cat?"

The stranger's laughter filled the room, a deep, hearty sound. As he pulled back his hood, Electra's eyes widened. A charming man with a stitch above his eyebrow and piercing green eyes gazed back at her.

"I'm Caspian," he said, his voice low and smooth. "Son of the witches' hunter, Mr. Banglore."

Electra's grasp on her spoon tightened. "Whoa, you look...cute, but really creepy."

Caspian nodded, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Creepy, indeed. I was collecting tamarind for an auspicious concoction for the full moon when I saw the light reflecting in the cave. I went to check it out and found you."

Electra wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "I'm Electra. I'm headed to Luna Vale to see my sick grandmother."

Caspian's expression turned serious. "Just be careful, Electra. Luna Vale is not a place to be visited lightly."

Electra's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

But Caspian just nodded toward the sway bed in the corner of the room. "You can sleep there. Get some rest."

As Electra watched, Caspian turned and strode toward his room, the door shutting behind him with a loud, aggressive click. The sound sent a shiver down Electra's spine.