Moonlit Echoes

For a moment, there was nothing.

No sound. No gravity. Just light—a swirling ocean of silver and indigo, stretching endlessly in all directions.

Selene's body felt weightless, as if she were floating through a dream. But this wasn't a dream. It was something else entirely.

The Rift had swallowed her whole.

Her breath hitched as she tried to move. The space around her shifted like rippling water, distorting and reforming in waves. The sensation was overwhelming—like falling and standing still at the same time.

A faint voice echoed through the void.

"…Selene…"

Her pulse quickened.

"Who's there?" she called, her voice swallowed instantly by the silence.

Then—a shape emerged from the swirling light.

A figure cloaked in deep violet, their face obscured beneath a hood embroidered with crescent symbols. They hovered just beyond her reach, their presence both eerie and familiar.

Selene's fingers twitched. Have I seen them before?

The figure raised a hand.

The moment they did, a surge of memories flooded Selene's mind—visions of another life, another time. She saw flashes of herself in a grand hall, standing before a council of robed figures. She felt the weight of a heavy pendant resting against her chest. She heard whispers of a name—her name—spoken with reverence and fear.

The air around her trembled.

Selene gasped as the visions collapsed in on themselves, leaving only a single, resounding truth:

This wasn't the first time she had stepped into the Rift.

"Selene," the figure finally spoke. Their voice was like a chorus of echoes, layered over itself. "You have returned."

Selene's breath came in shallow bursts. "Who are you?"

The figure didn't answer. Instead, they extended a hand toward her.

For the briefest moment, Selene hesitated. But deep down, she knew—she had come this far for a reason.

She reached out.

The moment their fingers brushed, the world shattered.

Selene collapsed onto cold stone.

Her vision swam as the overwhelming brightness of the Rift faded, replaced by dim torchlight flickering against ancient walls. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and old magic.

A groan sounded beside her.

Cassius.

She turned her head, spotting him sprawled out on the stone floor, wincing as he tried to sit up. A few feet away, Orion stood perfectly still, his gaze locked on their surroundings.

Selene pushed herself upright, her muscles still trembling from the shift between realms.

They were in a ruin—an underground chamber lined with towering stone pillars, each carved with inscriptions similar to those on the Riftgate. A massive archway stood at the far end of the hall, its surface pulsing with the same silver glow as the Rift.

Orion's voice was quiet but steady. "We made it."

Cassius let out a breathless laugh. "Yeah. And I think I left my stomach back in that glowing nightmare."

Selene ignored him, turning her focus to the chamber. She could feel something here. A presence. A pulse of energy woven into the very walls.

And then—she saw it.

At the center of the chamber, resting on an ornate pedestal, was an ancient artifact. A pendant of twisting silver and obsidian, its core set with a dark gemstone that shimmered like captured starlight.

Selene's heart pounded.

She knew this artifact.

Not from books. Not from stories.

From memory.

The realization sent a chill down her spine. This wasn't just any relic—this was hers.

Orion stepped closer, his expression unreadable. "That's what the Order was trying to keep from you."

Cassius frowned. "Yeah, and I'm guessing there's a reason for that. Maybe because it's radiating enough power to make my teeth hurt?"

Selene ignored them. Slowly, cautiously, she reached out toward the pendant. The air around it crackled as her fingers brushed the metal.

The moment she made contact, a shockwave of energy exploded outward.

Cassius stumbled back with a curse. Orion shielded his eyes.

Selene froze as a surge of memories flooded through her mind—clearer, sharper than before.

She saw herself standing in this very chamber, her hands wrapped around the pendant's chain. She heard voices speaking of prophecies and lost legacies, of a war that had never truly ended.

And then, a single sentence rang through her mind with terrifying clarity:

The Second Moon will rise, and with it, the lost heir shall awaken.

Selene's blood ran cold.

Before she could react, the chamber trembled.

The archway at the far end of the room pulsed brighter. A low, guttural growl echoed through the air.

Something was coming.

Orion's hand was already on his sword. "We need to move. Now."

Cassius grabbed Selene's arm, snapping her out of her trance. "I don't know what just happened, but I'm pretty sure we don't wanna be here when that thing steps through."

Selene's grip tightened around the pendant.

Her past had been hidden from her. But now, the truth was beginning to unravel.

And she had a feeling they were only at the beginning.