Everything around me was blurry. Colors swirling and mixing like a painting left out in the rain. Deep blues and silvers danced with soft golds, glowing in the air around us.
I was warm. Safe. Cradled in someone's arms. She smelled like flowers and something sweet, like honey. I could hear her voice she was speaking to me but they were words I didn't understand, but they felt soft and important. I looked up at her brown eyes full of love, and long hair that brushed against my face as she leaned closer.
Right beside me, I felt Leo. He was always close. He sat curled up against her, his green eyes wide, watching the glowing air. His little hand reached out and found mine, our fingers gripping tight. We didn't talk much — we didn't need to. We just… knew.
A deeper voice spoke, making my chest feel funny. I turned my head and saw him. A man with silver eyes that glowed. His face looked serious, but not mean. He felt… strong. Familiar.
"You don't have much time," he said.
The woman held us tighter. "They're only three," she whispered. "They won't remember me."
"They don't need to," the man said. "The blood will remember for them."
My mother's arms shook. She kissed the tops of our heads, her tears falling into my hair. "They'll grow up thinking I left them…"
"You're protecting them," the man said. "That's love too."
She nodded slowly and placed us down on a soft blanket. Her hands hovered over us as she started to speak in a strange, glowing language. I didn't know the words, but they filled the air with safety. With magic.
"They're hidden now," she whispered. "No one will find them."
Orion hesitated. "You should come with us—"
"No." Her voice was quiet, but firm. "I'll stay. I'll fight."
"Let me fight instead you can ru-"
Then she looked up. "Orion Stonewalker. You are sworn to protect the Moonlight bloodline. These two — they are the last. You must take them. You must run."
He stepped forward, his jaw clenched. "I will honor my vow."
Suddenly, a loud crack echoed from far away. We all flinched. The colors around us rippled like water. Time was running out.
She kissed me on the forehead, then Leo. "My stars," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Shine bright, even when the sky goes dark."
Then she was gone.
Orion scooped us into his arms, holding us tightly. Leo cried, reaching back for where she'd been. I tried to cry too, but my throat wouldn't work. I just buried my face into Orion's shoulder.
The light around us started to dim. Her warmth, her voice, her face — all fading.
Then…
Nothing.
My eyes started to flutter open, and then I sat up and gasped loudly. I put my hand on my chest, then my head. It hurt so badly, everything around me was blurry, and I felt dizzy. I looked at my hands. Around them was pink. "What the-" I said to myself then I suddenly heard a loud roar and I looked toward the sound. Was that-. There was a lion inside the house that a man was chasing but, I recognized this man… it was the man from my dreams. "Orion-" I said to myself.
Then suddenly, my head started to pound louder and louder. I put both of my hands on my head. It hurt so bad. I started to feel so many different emotions. Sadness, fear, calmness. They didn't feel like my own they felt like, somebody else's but for some reason I was feeling them. Then out of nowhere, I started to cry and I had no idea why. The man put something on the lion and suddenly, he turned back into a human. Was that, "Leo? What the hell?" I said quietly. Leo and Orion turned toward me. "Woah," Leo said. Orion looked at me, confused. "Impossible…" he said. "What?" I asked. I then saw a mirror infront of me. "It wasn't just me, I literally had a light pink aura around me." Then my head started to pound again. "It's too much, its too much!" I screamed as Orion came toward me. "Luna, can you tell what im feeling?" It was a weird question but I tried anyway. I trusted him. I looked at him and tried to focus. "You're feeling-" I paused. "Mostly calm but also sad." Then, more emotions started to hit me.
Orion put the same device I saw him put on Leo on me. Suddenly, all the emotions I was feeling went away and I was left with my own. I sighed a gasp of relief. "Thank you, Orion." He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "I never told you my name, how?" I smiled. "You saved us, that day my mother died. You saved us." Then, I hugged him, and Leo looked at me confused. Orion hugged me back. "I don't know how you know this, but you're welcome. "I am sworn to protect this family and-" "Yeah, I know." I interrupted. "You are sworn to protect the Moonlight bloodline." Leo and Orion both stood in silence for a minute before Leo finally broke it and hugged me. "I'm so glad you're ok. I was nervous you'd never wake up." I tilted my head. "Wait, how long was I out for?" I asked. They both looked at each other. "Around two days," Orion replied. "Oh, no wonder I feel so hungry." Then they both laughed. "So, what happened? I swear I saw Leo as a lion and why am I glowing?" I looked at my hands, which still had a pink aura around them. "Ill explain everything, come sit at the table ill make you some food, then we will talk." I nodded and started to stand up, but then fell back down. My head started to pound again. Leo leaned down quickly to catch me before I fell to the floor. "Ow," I said. "What even happened?" I was confused as to why it hurt so much. "You hit your head on concrete, hard." He replied. "Oh, I did?" Then, I felt my head and realized there was a bandage on it. Leo grabbed my arm, helping me up, and he put my arm around his neck to help me walk. We finally arrived at the dinner table, and Leo helped me sit down.
While Orion was in the kitchen cooking food, Leo looked around and whispered to me. "How do you know all of this? Why have you never told me?" I looked at him and explained my dream to him about our mother, Orion saving us, and the sounds. Once I finished, Leo looked very confused. "So you remembered the day our mother died?" He asked. I nodded. "I think I did," I said. Then, I asked. "So, will you explain to me why im glowing and why I saw you as a lion?" He smirked. "Those are our powers."
I looked at him shock that showed all over my face. "Our what now?" I asked. Before Leo could answer that question the glow around me, became brighter. It grew brighter and brighter until all of everyones emotions around me started to flood me.