Birth of Eclipse
Chapter 1: Lunar and Our First Meeting
In the dark forest under the moonlight, a girl was running. She gasped for air, but she didn't slow down. Her bare feet were cut and bruised by sharp pebbles and broken branches.
The sound of the river grew clearer in her ears. Her breath came fast and uneven as she pushed herself deeper into the woods, guided only by the full moon and the heavy silence around her.
For a moment, she glanced back. Her long black hair fell across her face, partly hiding the light in her brown eyes. Through the strands, she caught a glimpse of flickering flames in the far distance behind her.
Her breath came short, her cheeks streaked with tears, her eyes blurred with water, her feet bruised. Yet, she ran. Then something shifted, she slowed, looked up, and saw the moon had turned red…
The sight was both mesmerizing and unsettling. After a deep breath, she forced her legs to move again. Something shifted in the sky, but this time she didn't look up, she didn't dare waste the moment.
As she ran, the trees around her felt different, as if the forest itself was changing. Her gut told her something was wrong. Then, without warning, the trees gave way to open plains. She remembered them being wider, stretching farther than this.
The sky above her was shades of gray and blue. There was no black sky, no red moon, just the remnants of its beauty. Stars still sparkled faintly, and slow-moving clouds drifted across the sky. The cold breeze made her shiver, but something about it felt… wrong.
It was unfamiliar, like the wind had come from somewhere far from home. "Everything feels strange," she whispered to herself. "My home… What should I do now? Do I even have anything left… Mother?" She clutched her silk robe tightly to her chest.
She started walking, no longer running or sprinting. Sadness weighed heavily on her chest, filled with grief. Her heart ached with bitterness, but this time she didn't cry just as her mother had taught her years ago.
She still remembered the night she was eight, sitting alone and crying. Her mother hadn't returned, even though it was long past midnight. When she finally came, she found her daughter in tears. Gently, she pulled her into an embrace, her smooth, calming voice whispering words that made the little girl calm down and the world feel safe again.
Back to the present. The sun rose, its warm light brushing against her cheeks. She closed her eyes, letting herself soak in the warmth. For a few moments, she felt a fleeting sense of peace, almost forgetting the chaos she had escaped.
An hour passed as she walked, with no idea where she was going, no direction, no guide, no path. Just green grass, plants, forests, the drifting clouds, and distant mountains stretched before her view. She was tired and weak.
Then she heard a voice. "Oi." She turned to see a girl standing there, ashy brown hair framing her face and amber eyes watching her closely.
"Where d'you come from?" the girl with ashy hair asked. She glanced at Akeno's dirty clothes, at first thinking she might be a traveler but the faint expensive quality of the fabric made her doubt it.
"You don't look like a traveler. Who are you?" she added, her amber eyes narrowing slightly as she guessed at something deeper perhaps a runaway.
"I'm Akeno…" the black-haired girl said softly, unsure how much to reveal. Her expression made it clear she wasn't comfortable sharing any more.
A sad frown tugged at Akeno's lips, but the girl pressed on, ignoring it.
"Your last name?"
"Sorry… I—I can't say," Akeno stammered.
"So you're a runaway, then," the girl said, and Akeno froze, her guess had been right.
For a moment, she wondered if she should run again. But the girl just smirked.
"Oi, I'm not gonna hurt you or anything. Don't really care who you are. A runaway, is it? Well, you'd best get to wherever you're headed, if you've got somewhere in mind."
The girl's amber eyes swept over Akeno again, sharp and assessing.
"Be careful out there. There are plenty who'd bite you," she said lightly, almost teasing—but there was an edge of truth to it.
Akeno stayed quiet for a moment before finally whispering,
"I… I have no destination. I'm just wandering… clueless, with no idea where to go or where to find refuge."
For a moment, she looked almost foolish, like a lost child. But the other girl noticed the faint burn marks on Akeno's clothes and the bruises on her feet. This wasn't just a runaway on a whim her situation was far more complicated than it seemed.
"Fine… You could come stay with me, if you want," the girl said, her amber eyes scanning Akeno carefully.
Akeno froze, stunned. Why is she letting me stay with her?
"Wait… really?" she asked, eyes wide.
"You can. I'm not a liar," the girl replied, tone firm but calm. She glanced at Akeno's burned, dirty clothes and bruised feet. Looks like you won't last long out there on your own, she thought. So I'm letting you stay. Don't make this awkward.
B-but I don't even know you… We just met. We're strangers," Akeno stammered.
The girl sighed lightly, smirking just a little. "I'm Gracie Alther. Your choice what you do. I'm not gonna hurt you. Just… don't go causing trouble while you're here."
A flicker of relief crossed Akeno's face.
"Thank you," she whispered, bowing her head. "I'm really grateful for your kindness." A small smile tugged at her lips.
Gracie's brow twitched, irritation flashing in her amber eyes. "You don't have to bow, alright? A simple thank you is enough. I'm not some queen who needs constant respect."
Startled, Akeno lifted her head and met Gracie's steady, cold gaze.
"Come on, straighten up," Gracie said, already turning away. "Follow me, if you're coming."
Akeno stood there for a breath, then nodded quickly. "Yes… I'm coming."
Gracie's steps were quick and smooth, carrying her forward with ease. Behind her, Akeno struggled to keep pace, every step sending a dull ache through her bruised feet. Still, she said nothing, forcing herself to follow in silence.
Gracie didn't look back. She didn't need to. She had already noticed Akeno's injuries during their earlier exchange. She knew the girl was hurting, knew she was falling behind but she kept her stride steady, refusing to slow down.
After what felt like an hour of suffering for Akeno, a cottage came into view at the edge of the trees. It was old, weathered by time, yet larger than she expected.
"Is that your home?" Akeno asked, her voice small.
"Yes," Gracie replied without hesitation. "That is my home. I hope it's to your taste, because you'll be living there so long as I allow it." Her words carried a sharp edge, but to Akeno they were a lifeline.
"I promise I won't stay forever. I'll leave as soon as I'm able." Akeno's face lit with genuine gratitude as she spoke.
Gracie didn't respond. She only kept walking, her silence as firm as her earlier words.
A few minutes later, they reached the cottage. Gracie opened the door and stepped inside, slipping off her shoes without a thought. Akeno lingered at the threshold, her bare feet sore, with dirt, and bruised to take another step on the wooden floor.
Without looking back, Gracie tossed a pair of old slippers toward her. "Wear those. Then wash your feet. Handpump's around the left corner."
Akeno blinked at the sudden command but didn't argue. She picked up the slippers and stepped outside again, circling the cottage. She didn't know what a "handpump" was, but when she spotted the iron contraption jutting from the ground, she figured that had to be it.
"I think this is what Gracie called a handpump." Akeno quietly whispered to herself. She approached it, inspecting the strange contraption. She had never seen one before. "Gracie told me to wash my feet… using this… but how?"
Her fingers curled around the iron rod — it was cold to the touch. She hesitated, then pulled it up and pushed it down. Nothing. Only the hollow clank of metal. She tried again. Still nothing but the echo of emptiness.
On the third try, a stream of water spilled from the mouth of the pump. It surprised her that the water carried a faint warmth, as though the earth below had sheltered it. Against the cool air of the evening, it almost felt gentle.
Now understanding how it worked, Akeno crouched down and began washing her bruised, dirt-stained feet, quietly relieved that the water eased the sting instead of biting into her skin.
Akeno noticed something strange. Her feet looked less bruised than before, as if they had healed faster than they should have. The air around her was cold, yet the water from the handpump carried warmth. She finished washing and slipped on the slippers Gracie had given her, then made her way back to the main door.
The moment she opened it and stepped inside, a rush of warmth washed over her, wrapping around her like a blanket.