Moonborn: The Lost Legacy

Keld stepped into the old bookstore, but something felt off. The usual warmth was missing. He looked around and noticed that the old woman wasn't there.

Where did she go? he wondered, scanning the room. The silence felt strange.

Just as he was lost in thought, the entrance door creaked open. Keld turned around to see Elowen and Cassian walking in. They spotted him standing near the shelves.

"Good morning, you two," Keld greeted with a smile.

"Morning," they both replied. Elowen crossed her arms and smirked. "You never reach school first, but somehow you're here before us."

Keld chuckled. "By the way, did you two decide? Will you join Nishapith Academy?"

Before they could answer, a sudden presence made Keld jump. Ryulune and Seluna appeared out of nowhere.

"W-What the—?! Where did you two come from?!" Keld shouted.

Seluna smiled. "Good morning, you three." She gestured toward a small room at the back. "Let's go inside and talk."

Everyone took their seats. Ryulune placed a tray of cookies and chocolate milk on the table.

Keld's eyes sparkled. "Chocolate milk?" He grabbed a cup, took a sip, and grinned. "One more!"

Ryulune chuckled and poured him another.

Keld quickly finished his second cup and reached for another, but Elowen smacked him on the head. "We're not here to drink chocolate, idiot."

Keld pouted. "Sorry! But it's too good!"

"Are you a baby or what?" Elowen sighed.

Ryulune and Seluna exchanged amused glances before Seluna spoke up. "Alright, let's begin our meeting."

The room fell silent. Ryulune looked at each of them. "What have you three decided?"

Keld sat up straight. "I'm ready." He turned to Elowen and Cassian.

Elowen hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I will… also go."

A smile spread across Keld's face, and he turned to Cassian. "And you?"

Cassian took a deep breath before speaking. "Me too."

Keld's grin widened, but then he frowned slightly. "But what about your CPA dream?"

Cassian exhaled and leaned back in his chair. "I never actually wanted to be a CPA. Both my parents are qualified CPAs, so as a child, I admired them. Everyone around me—relatives, family friends—kept telling me I had to become one too. So I believed it was my path."

He paused, looking down at his hands. "But I never truly wanted it. I just thought I had to. After everything that happened, I realized I want to know more about Lunara, Vitra, and everything beyond. So I finally told my parents the truth."

Keld leaned forward. "How did they react?"

Cassian smiled. "I was scared at first. But they just smiled and said, 'If you want to do something, do it. Don't wait for anyone's permission. This is your life—enjoy it.' Then they hugged me."

Keld's heart warmed at the story. He extended a hand toward Cassian. "Then let's go, the three of us together."

Cassian clasped his hand. "Yeah."

Seluna nodded in approval. "Now that all of you have agreed, let's talk about the details."

Ryulune leaned forward. "First, you will take the entrance exam for Silver Spire Academy. Once you pass, you will enroll and travel to the U.K. Once you arrive, one of our people will meet you and take you to a private room. There, you three will be teleported to Lunorath."

Keld, Elowen, and Cassian exchanged confused glances.

"Lunorath?" Keld asked. "We've never heard of that place."

Seluna's expression turned serious. "Lunorath is a mysterious, hidden continent shrouded in eternal twilight. The sun, moon, and stars coexist in a surreal celestial dance, making it unlike any place you've ever seen. The land is divided into three main regions: the Sunlit Plains, the Starlit Forests, and the Moonlit Desert. But at the heart of Lunorath lies the malevolent nation of Noctis Lunea, a kingdom ruled by Managarmr."

Keld furrowed his brows. "Noctis Lunea? What kind of nation is that?"

Elowen and Cassian also leaned in, curious.

Seluna sighed. "Noctis Lunea is a dark, oppressive empire that thrives under the influence of the Black Moon, a cursed celestial body that blots out the light of the sun and stars. The Black Moon is said to be a fragment of an ancient, destroyed world, and its presence corrupts the land and its people. The citizens of Noctis Lunea are bound to the Black Moon's will, their souls tainted by its dark energy."

Keld frowned. "And Managarmr? How has he lived for so long? Do all people in Lunorath live that long?"

Seluna nodded. "The people of Lunorath do live longer than normal humans, but typically only up to 300 years. However, there are exceptions. Those who are strong and understand how to control Vitra can live even longer."

She hesitated before continuing. "But Managarmr… he is neither alive nor dead. For some unknown reason, he chose to enter a long slumber. But he couldn't leave his nation unprotected, so he divided his soul into seven cores and entrusted them to his seven most loyal followers."

Keld's eyes widened. "Wait… so he's still out there in some form?"

Seluna nodded, but before she could say more, Ryulune subtly used telepathy to stop her. "Queen, wait. If you continue, Keld's identity may be revealed."

Seluna blinked and quickly corrected herself. "Oh, right."

Elowen narrowed her eyes. "Wait, what? Why did you stop? What happened next?"

Seluna quickly composed herself and smiled. "Our spies recently confirmed that it's real… and that's all."