Chapter 17: Carl's Past
846 Words
The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains into the room as Emily rubbed her sleepy eyes. Last night's experience felt like a dream, but the silver badge clutched tightly in her hand reminded her that it was all real.
As she was about to get up, she heard a commotion downstairs. Emily quickly dressed and went down, finding Odin, Sylvia, and Erikson already gathered in the living room, their faces etched with worry.
"What's wrong?" Emily asked.
Sylvia urgently replied, "It's Carl. He's missing!"
Emily was startled. "What? How?"
Erikson explained, "When I went to wake him up this morning, his room was empty. The bed was neatly made as if no one had slept in it."
Odin frowned in thought. "Could it be related to what we saw last night?"
Just then, Hans rushed in. "Everyone, I've just received news that Carl was found unconscious in the forest near Moon Valley. He's currently being treated at the town clinic."
They all hurried to the clinic. There, they saw Carl lying on a bed, his face pale and eyes tightly shut. The town doctor was examining him.
"How is he?" Sylvia asked worriedly.
The doctor shook his head. "There are no visible injuries, but he seems to be in some kind of coma. I've never seen anything like this."
Suddenly, Carl's eyes flew open, but his gaze was vacant, unfocused. He began to mutter, his voice low and hoarse.
"Moon... Valley... Power... Danger..."
The group exchanged bewildered looks. Suddenly, Abraham Lucas walked in. He glanced at Carl, then said to the others, "Let me speak with him alone."
Reluctantly, the others left the room. Emily was the last to leave, looking back to see Abraham bending down to whisper something in Carl's ear.
Half an hour later, Abraham emerged from the room, his expression grave. He motioned for everyone to follow him to a quiet corner.
"Carl's condition is more complex than I imagined," Abraham said. "He seems to have come into contact with some power from Moon Valley, which has awakened dormant memories within him."
"What memories?" Emily asked.
Abraham sighed. "It's time I told you the truth. Carl is actually a child I adopted many years ago. He comes from an ancient family that has guarded the secrets of Moon Valley for generations."
The group listened in astonishment as Abraham continued, "Fifteen years ago, Carl's family suffered a catastrophe. Someone coveting the power of Moon Valley attacked them. Carl was the only survivor, but the trauma was so severe that his memories were suppressed."
"So that's why Carl always felt an inexplicable affinity for Moon Valley," Odin mused thoughtfully.
Abraham nodded. "Exactly. I adopted him, hoping that one day he would reawaken and inherit his family's mission. But I never imagined it would happen like this..."
"What do we do now?" Sylvia asked.
"We must help Carl recover his memories while protecting him from those who desire Moon Valley's power," Abraham said. "I hope you can assist with this task."
Emily clutched the pendant hanging around her neck. "We'll do our best. But there's one more thing I want to know. Is my parents' disappearance related to all this?"
Abraham's expression became even more serious. "Emily, your parents were exceptional investigators. They disappeared while tracking a mysterious organization that might threaten Moon Valley. We've been searching for their whereabouts, but so far, we have no leads."
Emily felt a pang in her heart but held back her tears. "I understand. I'll continue their work, protect Moon Valley, and I will find them."
Abraham looked at her with admiration. "You're as brave as your parents. Now, we need to devise a plan to help Carl."
Over the next few days, Emily and her friends took turns watching over Carl. They noticed that whenever moonlight fell on Carl, he would become agitated, muttering strange words.
Odin tried to decipher these words, realizing they seemed to be some kind of ancient incantation. But even with his knowledge, he couldn't fully understand their meaning.
Meanwhile, Emily began secretly investigating suspicious individuals in town. She noticed that several strangers had recently arrived, seemingly very interested in Moon Valley.
One night, as Emily was watching over Carl, he suddenly sat up, his eyes wide open, staring at the full moon outside the window.
"They're coming... They're coming..." Carl muttered.
"Who's coming?" Emily asked nervously.
Carl turned his head, speaking in a raspy voice Emily had never heard before. "The Moon Seekers... They want to seize the power of Moon Valley... We must stop them..."
Just then, a loud boom echoed from afar, shaking the entire town. Emily ran to the window and saw a strange pillar of light rising from the direction of Moon Valley.
She knew a battle for the fate of Moon Valley was about to begin. And Carl's awakening might be the key to turning the tide.
Emily took a deep breath and turned to Carl. "Tell us what to do. We'll help you."
Carl's gaze became determined. "I need your strength... Together... We'll protect Moon Valley..."
- Writer
