Chapter 9: The Forgotten Names
653 Words
The fifth bell echoed across Ashwood long after its sound should have faded.
No one moved.
Above the Moon Temple, a single pillar of silver light descended from the heavens, bathing the ancient tower in an eerie glow.
The villagers watched in stunned silence.
Selene couldn't look away.
She didn't know why.
She only knew...
Something had changed.
"The High Priestess is calling for us."
Elder Rowan's quiet voice broke the silence.
Not the village.
Not the Council.
Us.
His eyes rested briefly on Lucian.
Then on Selene.
Lucian noticed.
"So she already knows."
Rowan nodded once.
"I believe she knew before the bells ever rang."
The journey to the Moon Temple passed without a word.
Villagers followed at a respectful distance, whispering prayers beneath their breath.
The temple doors stood open.
Hundreds of candles burned within, yet not a single flame flickered despite the night breeze.
The air carried the scent of moon lilies and old cedar.
Ancient.
Sacred.
Waiting.
At the center of the sanctuary stood the High Priestess.
Her silver robes shimmered beneath the moonlight pouring through the open dome above.
She looked at Selene first.
Not Lucian.
Selene.
There was no fear in her gaze.
Only recognition.
It made Selene's heart race.
"You came."
Her voice was gentle.
"I knew you would."
Selene frowned.
"Have we met before?"
A faint smile touched the old woman's lips.
"No."
She looked toward the moon.
"But this has."
The words settled over the sanctuary.
Lucian's expression sharpened.
"What do you mean?"
The High Priestess lowered her eyes.
"When I became Keeper of the Moon's Records, my predecessor left me only one warning."
Her fingers tightened around her staff.
"If the impossible bond ever appears again..."
She looked at the glowing thread joining Selene and Lucian.
"...do not allow history to repeat itself."
A chill spread through the temple.
Selene's throat tightened.
"Again?"
The High Priestess nodded.
"Once before."
Lucian broke the silence.
"Who were they?"
The old woman turned toward the towering shelves of ancient records lining the sanctuary walls.
"Every Keeper inherits the same collection."
She walked slowly toward one of the oldest shelves.
Her fingers traced a weathered scroll before stopping at a thick leather-bound book.
She opened it carefully.
Most of its pages were filled with names.
Dates.
Histories.
Then...
She turned another page.
Blank.
Another.
Blank.
Another.
Still blank.
She looked back at them.
"Every Keeper inherits these empty pages."
Selene stepped closer.
"Why are they empty?"
"We don't know."
"Were they never written?"
The High Priestess slowly shook her head.
"They were."
A heavy silence filled the sanctuary.
"My predecessor believed every word once existed."
She gently closed the book.
"But someone..."
Her voice dropped almost to a whisper.
"...removed an entire history from the world."
Lucian stared at the worn cover.
"Who would have the power to erase history?"
The High Priestess answered without looking at him.
"I have spent my entire life searching for that answer."
"And?"
She met his eyes.
"I found only silence."
Without warning...
One candle went out.
Then another.
Then another.
The flames vanished one by one until only moonlight remained.
A freezing wind swept through the sanctuary.
The silver thread connecting Selene and Lucian blazed brilliantly.
A deep sound echoed beneath the temple.
Stone striking stone.
Once.
The floor trembled.
A second impact followed.
Closer.
Heavier.
Ancient cracks spread across the oldest moonstone tile in the sanctuary.
Right beneath Selene's feet.
The High Priestess staggered backward.
"No..."
Her grip tightened around her staff.
"It shouldn't awaken yet."
A third impact thundered below.
The cracks widened.
The silver light beneath the stone pulsed like a heartbeat.
Selene couldn't move.
She couldn't breathe.
Then...
A voice reached her.
Not through her ears.
Through her soul.
Soft.
Ancient.
Certain.
"You've come back."
Her blood turned to ice.
She had never stood in this place before.
So why...
did the voice sound so certain?
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