The Lost Luna

Lyra’s POV I woke up with a scream trapped in my throat. For a moment I didn’t know where I was. All I could see was fire; a raging fire burning through trees and shadows that ran like frightened animals. Wolves circled the flame, fighting and bleeding. The sky glowed red, shaking like it wanted to tear open and swallow me. Then someone called a name. Not Lyra Aria. Before I could reach the voice, another name cut through the chaos; so familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time. Kael. And then the fire swallowed everything. My eyes snapped open. My heart hit my ribs over and over again and my legs were tangled in the sheets like I had been fighting something in my sleep. I sat up so fast, pressing my hand to my chest to calm myself down. “Not again” I whispered. But it was again. The same dream. The same burning mark. The same way my eyes glowed silver after those dreams. I didn’t want to look at the mark so I pulled my collar up and swung my feet to the floor. The boards were cold and offered a soothing feeling that helped me steady myself a little. Not enough, but a little. My room was dark apart from the moonlight seeping in through my window. The moon looked bright tonight, like it was staring at me instead of the whole world. Sometimes I felt like the moon knew me, knew my name, knew my secrets. Secrets even I didn’t know about just yet. I stood and walked to the window, pushing it open to let the fresh night air flow in. The smell of the river drifted in, fresh and clean, mixed with the quiet sounds of the water hitting the rocks. Everyone else said Nightmere was peaceful at night. Safe. Calm I didn’t feel calm. I felt watched. It wasn’t a new feeling. Some nights I saw them; shadows in the trees. Wolves, staring at our small house from the edge of the woods. Their eyes glowed like tiny lanterns; they never came close, but they never really left either. My father always said they were just animals being animals. But animals didn’t watch people the way those wolves watched me. Quiet. Waiting. Studying. In my dreams sometimes, a man stood in the flame. Reaching out like he wanted to hold my hand. But I always woke up before I touched him. I never saw his face. Never heard his voice. Just felt…something. Something that scared me and pulled me in at the same time. Tonight the dream felt stronger than usual, like it wanted something from me. I placed both hands on the window sill and whispered “What do you want?” No answer. Just the sound of the river, with a soft breeze against my face that meant nothing and everything. I closed the window and wrapped my hands around myself, trying to stop the shaking. Slowly I walked back to the bed, but I didn’t lie down. I knew I wouldn’t sleep again. Not tonight. Instead, I lit the small candle on my nightstand. The flame cast a warm glow over the room, making it look warmer than it was before. I stared at it for a long time, almost hoping the fire would show me something. A clue. A memory. Anything. When nothing happened, I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. “I’m losing my mind,” I muttered. But deep inside, a small voice whispered: No. You’re remembering. And that scared me even more. — The stairs creaked under my feet as I went down. I didn’t want to wake my parents, but my mind was too loud to sit alone in my room. I needed water. Or tea. Just anything that would make me feel less like I was splitting in half. But as soon as I reached the bottom step, I stopped. “…she always sounds frightened after the dreams. We can only hope they fade.” My father. “They won’t fade. You know they won’t.” My mother whispered. I froze. They were talking about me. I held my breath and stayed hidden behind the corner, listening, even though it made me feel guilty. “She’s older now.” My mother continued softly. “Stronger. The dreams pulling at her…they’re only getting worse.” My father sighed, tired and heavy. “I know. But what can we do? We can’t tell her-“ A pot clattered softly, as if she had dropped it. “We promised Finn. We promised not to tell her until-“ “I know what we promised.” he cut in. “But look at her Rhea. She feels wrong. Out of place. Like she’s searching for something without knowing what it is.” My stomach twisted. Was that true? Was I…searching? Maybe. Maybe I had been searching my whole life. My mother spoke again, her voice shaking. “What if the wolves come closer? What if someone else senses her? She doesn’t know how to protect herself.” “She’s strong.” My father whispered. “Stronger than she even realizes.” Silence followed. Long, thick silence before he added; “But she cannot find out the truth just yet.” The truth. The words rang in my head like a bell. What truth? What were they hiding from me? Why couldn’t I know? Before I could even move or think, the floor betrayed me. A small freak beneath my feet. My mother gasped. “Lyra?” I stepped into the kitchen doorway, not able to hide anymore. The candle on the table glowed just bright enough for me to see the worry in their eyes. My father straightened. “Couldn’t sleep?” I shook my head slowly. My voice came out soft. “The dream again.” They exchanged another look. A heavy one. My mother rushed to me first, placing her warm hands on my arms. “Oh sweetheart. Come sit.” I took a sip of water and stared at the candle flame between us. “I heard you.” I whispered. “I heard what you said.” My parents froze. My mother opened her mouth, then closed it. My father closed his eyes. “I’m not a child.” I said. Even though I felt like one. “And I know something is wrong with me.” My mother touched my cheek. “Nothing is wrong with you Lyra.” My voice cracked. “Then why do I feel different?” They didn’t answer: Their silence was all the answer I needed. I didn’t push more. Not tonight. I was scared of what they might say if I asked the questions clawing inside me. Who am I? Why do I feel watched? What do these strange dreams mean? Why do my eyes glow? And what truth are you hiding from me? Instead, I whispered, “I just want the dreams to stop.” My mother pulled me into her arms. I let my head rest on her shoulder even though confusion spun inside me like a storm. “We would figure it out.” She murmured. “I promise.” But the thing inside me; the burning mark, the silver glow of my eyes and the strange pull in my chest, felt like she was wrong. It felt like something was coming. Something big. Something I wasn’t ready for. And deep, deep down… …something inside me whispered that the truth would break my world apart.