Whispers Of The Forgotten Moon

Chapter Three: The Memory Of Elena

"The woman who started the curse."

Father Elias's words remained suspended in the cold night air.

Lena stared at him.

"The woman who started what curse?"

Father Elias didn't answer.

Instead, his eyes remained fixed on the forest.

The fog moved between the trees.

Slowly.

Almost deliberately.

Lena tightened her grip around the strange silver pendant.

"Father."

He finally looked at her.

"We need to go inside."

"You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Not answering me."

Father Elias sighed.

"Lena, there are things about this village that you are not ready to understand."

"Then explain them to me."

His expression softened.

"I wish I could."

"That's not good enough."

Before Father Elias could respond, a sound came from the forest.

A branch snapping.

Both of them turned.

Nothing.

Then another.

Snap.

Father Elias raised his cross.

"Inside."

This time, Lena didn't argue.

They hurried back toward the house.

But Lena couldn't stop thinking about one thing.

She's awake.

Who was she?

And why did Father Elias look as though he already knew the answer?

---

Far beyond the village, inside the ruins of the old manor, Lucien sat alone.

For three centuries, the manor had been his prison.

The walls remembered everything.

The stone remembered the screams.

The corridors remembered footsteps belonging to people who had been dead for generations.

And the mirrors...

The mirrors remembered Elena.

Lucien stood before one now.

His reflection stared back at him.

For centuries, he had avoided looking into mirrors.

Tonight, he couldn't.

Because behind his reflection, he could almost see her.

Elena.

Her dark hair.

Her gentle smile.

The way she used to look at him whenever he became unnecessarily serious.

"You are thinking too much again," she used to tell him.

Lucien almost smiled.

Almost.

He placed his hand against the mirror.

"I saw her."

The reflection remained silent.

"She has your face."

His voice cracked slightly.

"But she isn't you."

He closed his eyes.

And the memory returned.

---

Three hundred and twelve years earlier.

The garden was filled with moonlight.

Elena stood beneath the old silver tree, holding a small flower between her fingers.

Lucien approached her.

"You disappeared."

"I was picking this."

She held out the flower.

He stared at it.

"It's dying."

"So are you."

Lucien frowned.

"That's not funny."

Elena laughed.

"It wasn't supposed to be."

He tried to look annoyed.

She smiled.

Then she stepped closer.

"Lucien."

"Yes?"

"Promise me something."

"What?"

"If something happens to me..."

He immediately shook his head.

"Nothing is going to happen to you."

"You don't know that."

"I do."

"How?"

"Because I said so."

She laughed again.

"You are terrible at comforting people."

"And yet you keep coming back."

"I have questionable judgment."

Lucien smiled.

He remembered that moment.

He remembered everything.

The flower.

The moon.

Her laughter.

Then the doors of the garden opened.

The vampires came.

Not ordinary vampires.

The Ancient Court.

The authorities who ruled their kind.

They called themselves the Blood Council.

They had watched Lucien for years.

They knew he had fallen in love with a human.

And they considered it a betrayal.

Lucien remembered standing between Elena and them.

He remembered shouting.

He remembered begging.

He remembered the first time he understood that immortality did not mean having the power to save everyone.

Elena was taken from him.

The Council declared her death a warning.

And Lucien was punished for loving her.

They cursed him.

Not merely with hunger.

Not merely with immortality.

They cursed him with memory.

Every century would pass.

Every face would change.

Every kingdom would rise and fall.

But he would remember Elena.

Forever.

And he would never be allowed to forget what he had lost.

That was the cruelty of the curse.

Lucien opened his eyes.

The memory disappeared.

His hand was still against the mirror.

Then he saw Lena's reflection beside his.

He spun around.

Nobody was there.

He looked back.

Lena's reflection was gone.

Lucien stepped away from the mirror.

"Enough."

But the manor whispered back.

She has returned.

Lucien clenched his jaw.

"No."

The whisper came again.

She has returned.

He looked toward the window.

The village lay beneath the fog.

And somewhere inside it was Lena.

The girl who looked like Elena.

The girl who wasn't Elena.

The girl who somehow made an immortal creature feel something he had buried for centuries.

Lucien didn't know whether to protect her...

Or stay away from her.

---

The next morning arrived without sunlight.

The village remained covered in gray clouds.

Lena sat at a small wooden table while Father Elias examined the silver pendant.

"You recognize it," she said.

"No."

"You've said that before."

Father Elias sighed.

Lena folded her arms.

"You know what it is."

"I know what it resembles."

"Which is?"

He placed it on the table.

"The symbol belongs to an old order."

"Which order?"

Father Elias looked toward the window.

"The Astrut."

Lena frowned.

"Astrut?"

He nodded.

"It was an ancient group that existed before the Church came to this region."

"Were they priests?"

"No."

"Witches?"

"Not exactly."

"Then what were they?"

Father Elias paused.

"They were guardians."

"Guardians of what?"

"The boundary."

"Between?"

He looked directly at her.

"Life and death."

Lena stared at the pendant.

"That sounds impossible."

"Most things in this village sound impossible."

She picked up the pendant.

"Why is this connected to me?"

Father Elias didn't answer.

Lena looked at him.

"Father."

He finally spoke.

"Because your mother once belonged to them."

Lena froze.

"My mother?"

"She was searching for something."

"What?"

"The truth about your birth."

Lena stood.

"You knew this?"

"I knew some of it."

"And you never told me?"

"I was trying to protect you."

"From what?"

Father Elias looked toward the forest.

"From the people who have been searching for you."

A chill moved through Lena.

"Who?"

Before he could answer—

A loud crash came from outside.

Father Elias jumped to his feet.

Lena grabbed her cross.

They rushed to the door.

Nothing.

Then something rolled across the ground.

A small black object stopped at Lena's feet.

She looked down.

It was an old hat.

A very expensive-looking, ridiculously old hat.

Then someone behind them cleared his throat.

"Excuse me."

Lena screamed.

Father Elias spun around.

Lucien stood behind them.

His clothes were dusty.

His hair was slightly disheveled.

And he looked extremely annoyed.

Lena stared.

"You!"

Lucien nodded.

"Yes."

Father Elias immediately raised his cross.

Lucien sighed.

"You know, every time I see that thing, I begin to question whether I should have chosen a less dramatic century to be born in."

"Why are you here?" Father Elias demanded.

Lucien pointed at Lena.

"I came to speak with her."

Lena stared at him.

"Why?"

He paused.

"I had a speech prepared."

Father Elias narrowed his eyes.

Lucien reached into his coat.

"I wrote it down."

He pulled out a folded piece of paper.

Unfortunately, the paper slipped from his fingers.

The wind caught it.

It flew straight into a puddle.

Lucien stared at it.

Lena tried not to laugh.

Father Elias looked unimpressed.

Lucien sighed.

"That went better in my head."

Lena covered her mouth.

A tiny laugh escaped.

Lucien looked at her.

For a moment, he simply stared.

That laugh.

It wasn't Elena's.

Yet something about it reminded him of her.

His expression softened.

Lena noticed.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Lucien quickly looked away.

"I wasn't."

"You were."

"No."

"You definitely were."

"I was looking at the wall."

Lena glanced at the wall.

"There isn't even anything on it."

Lucien cleared his throat.

"Exactly."

Father Elias looked between them.

"Are you finished?"

"No," Lucien said.

Then he accidentally stepped backward onto his own coat.

He nearly fell.

Lena caught his arm.

For a vampire who had survived centuries, Lucien looked surprisingly embarrassed.

"Don't tell anyone."

Lena smiled.

"I thought vampires were supposed to be graceful."

"We usually are."

"You just fell."

"I was distracted."

"By what?"

Lucien looked at her.

"You."

The smile disappeared from Lena's face.

The moment suddenly became serious.

Lucien gently pulled his arm away.

"I need to tell you something."

---

They moved into the abandoned chapel.

Father Elias refused to leave them alone.

Lucien stood several feet away from Lena.

For once, he didn't look threatening.

He looked tired.

"You aren't Elena," he said.

Lena's heart tightened.

"I know."

"But you have her face."

"I've heard."

"And sometimes..."

He stopped.

"Sometimes what?"

"You look at people the same way she did."

Lena stared at him.

"I don't know who Elena was."

"She was..."

Lucien paused.

"She was the only person who ever made me believe I could be something other than a monster."

Silence.

Lena didn't know what to say.

"She was human?"

"Yes."

"And you loved her?"

Lucien nodded.

"What happened?"

His eyes darkened.

"The Blood Council killed her."

Father Elias stepped forward.

"The Council?"

Lucien looked at him.

"You know of them."

"I know enough."

"They were afraid of what Elena represented."

"What did she represent?"

"Freedom."

Lena frowned.

"How could one person represent freedom?"

Lucien looked at her.

"Because she made me question the rules."

He looked toward the broken altar.

"The vampires had rules. Humans had rules. The Church had rules. Everyone believed the boundary between our worlds could never be crossed."

"And Elena crossed it."

"Yes."

"Because of you?"

"Because of love."

Lena looked down.

Something about the word felt strangely familiar.

Not romantic.

Not exactly.

More like an old memory trying to wake up.

Suddenly, Lena's vision blurred.

She saw a garden.

A silver tree.

A woman laughing.

A young man standing beside her.

Then—

Fire.

Lena stumbled.

Father Elias caught her.

"Lena!"

She opened her eyes.

Lucien was staring at her.

His face had gone completely pale.

"You saw it."

"Saw what?"

"Elena."

Lena shook her head.

"No."

"You did."

"I don't know what I saw."

Lucien stepped closer.

Father Elias immediately blocked him.

"Don't."

Lucien stopped.

"I'm not going to hurt her."

"You've already brought enough danger into her life."

Lucien's eyes hardened.

"I didn't bring the danger."

He looked at Lena.

"It was already waiting for her."

---

That night, Lena couldn't sleep.

She kept thinking about Lucien.

Not because she trusted him.

She didn't.

Not yet.

But because something about his story felt incomplete.

He had blamed the Blood Council.

Father Elias clearly knew about them.

The Astrut symbol had appeared on her pendant.

And somehow, she was connected to all of it.

She opened the small drawer beside her bed.

Inside was the pendant.

She picked it up.

The moment her fingers touched it, a whisper filled the room.

Elena.

Lena dropped it.

The candle went out.

Then came a knock.

Three times.

She froze.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

The door opened by itself.

Lena stepped backward.

Lucien stood outside.

He looked at her.

"Before you scream..."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you in my doorway?"

"I was going to ask if you were awake."

"You could have knocked."

"I did."

"Three times."

"I thought that was polite."

"That is terrifying."

He considered this.

"Fair point."

Despite herself, Lena smiled.

Lucien noticed.

He smiled too.

Then his expression became serious.

"I need to show you something."

"What?"

"Something about Elena."

Lena hesitated.

"Why?"

"Because I think you deserve to know why you look like her."

He turned.

Then stopped.

"And Lena?"

"Yes?"

"Don't trust everyone who tells you they're trying to protect you."

She stared at him.

"Are you talking about Father Elias?"

Lucien didn't answer.

That was answer enough.

---

They walked through the village.

The fog had returned.

Lucien moved silently.

Lena struggled to keep up.

"You walk too fast."

He slowed down.

"Sorry."

"How long have you been alive?"

"Three hundred and twelve years."

"Does that make you wise?"

"No."

Lena smiled.

"At least you're honest."

"I've spent three centuries making mistakes."

"Such as?"

"Trusting people."

"Anything else?"

"Falling in love."

Lena looked at him.

He looked away.

"I don't mean that you shouldn't love someone."

"I know."

"I mean that..."

He stopped.

Lena waited.

Lucien seemed to struggle with the words.

"You remind me of someone I failed."

Lena's expression softened.

"You didn't kill Elena."

Lucien looked at her.

"No."

"But you blame yourself."

He looked away.

"I was supposed to protect her."

"You were only one person."

"That didn't matter."

Lena didn't know what to say.

So she simply walked beside him.

For the first time, Lucien didn't feel completely alone.

And for the first time, Lena wasn't afraid of walking beside him.

---

They reached the old garden.

Lucien stopped beneath the silver tree.

"This is where I met Elena."

Lena looked around.

Something stirred inside her.

She walked toward the tree.

Her fingers touched the bark.

Suddenly—

A memory flashed.

Elena standing beneath the tree.

Lucien laughing.

A small flower in her hand.

Then another image.

A woman wearing a silver pendant.

The Astrut symbol.

And a voice saying:

"When the first life ends, the second will begin."

Lena pulled her hand away.

Lucien stared at her.

"You heard it."

She nodded.

"What does it mean?"

Lucien looked toward the moon.

"I don't know."

For once, he sounded frightened.

Then a voice came from behind them.

"You will."

They turned.

Father Elias stood at the edge of the garden.

But he wasn't alone.

Three figures stood behind him.

They wore dark robes.

And each carried the same symbol as Lena's pendant.

The Astrut.

Father Elias looked at Lena.

"It's time you knew the truth."

Lucien stepped in front of her.

"What did you do?"

Father Elias looked at him.

"We didn't do anything."

One of the robed figures stepped forward.

"She was never supposed to return this soon."

Lena's heart stopped.

"Return?"

The figure looked directly at her.

"You are not Elena."

Lena swallowed.

"Then who am I?"

The figure's answer chilled her.

"You are the reason Elena died."

Lucien's expression changed.

"That's a lie."

The figure looked at him.

"You were never told the whole story, Lucien."

"What story?"

"The curse wasn't created to punish you."

Lucien stared.

"What?"

The figure turned toward Lena.

"It was created to bring her back."

Lena's breath caught.

Lucien looked at her.

The truth he had spent centuries searching for was suddenly standing before him.

But it wasn't the truth he wanted.

Because if the curse had been designed to bring Lena back...

Then someone had planned her return.

And somewhere beyond the village, the Blood Council already knew she was alive.

The wind began to howl.

The silver tree shook.

And from beneath the earth came the same ancient voice Lena had heard before.

Only this time, it spoke clearly.

"The second life has begun."

Lucien looked at Lena.

Lena looked back at him.

Neither of them knew whether they had just found the answer...

Or opened the door to something far worse.