Lumina
2 Years Later
Lumina woke up to find Keiran still fast asleep. He sat up on the bed, a soft smile tugging at his lips as memories of the past two years flooded his mind. It had been a whirlwind since they had stumbled into Forevemore, a city both strange and enchanting.
They had found refuge with Asvlumina and Malar. Malar, the somewhat grumpy yet resourceful owner of The Golden Lotus, had named his shop after one of his daring adventures in the deep dungeons of Safa, the Land of Gold. The shop specialized in selling healing potions, a business that thrived in a town constantly under duress.
Lumina climbed out of bed and approached the mirror. His white hair had grown noticeably longer, framing his striking blue eyes. He studied his reflection, marveling at how much he resembled one of Forevemore's legendary heroes, Froze Dyells—a member of the Ten Great Families, prophesied saviors of the realm, blessed by the Seven Deities.
He turned to glance at Keiran, who remained blissfully unaware of the day ahead.
Moments later, Lumina returned to the room with a bucket of water. Without hesitation, he poured it over Keiran.
"Ah, Lumina!" Keiran shouted, leaping up in shock as Lumina dropped the bucket and bolted from the room, laughing.
Keiran scrambled after him, nearly tripping over his own feet as he chased his mischievous twin. Lumina raced through the hall, only to crash headlong into Malar. Both tumbled to the ground, and Malar glared at him with sharp, scolding eyes.
"Watch where you're going!" Malar barked, brushing himself off.
Asvlumina rushed to Lumina's side. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" she asked with concern, her long red hair gleaming like a flame in the dim morning light.
Lumina could only nod, captivated by her warm brown eyes.
Keiran stumbled into view, drenched and visibly annoyed.
"Why are you wet?" Malar asked, raising an eyebrow.
Keiran shot a look at Lumina, who was barely containing his laughter. "I… uh… fell into a bucket of water in the toilet," Keiran muttered, avoiding Malar's piercing gaze.
"That," Malar replied with a deep sigh, "has to be the most ridiculous excuse I've ever heard."
Asvlumina knelt beside Keiran, her voice soft and nurturing. "Are you hurt? Falling can be dangerous."
Keiran shook his head. "No, I'm fine," he assured her.
Malar, still exasperated, looked between the two boys. "Your appearances are as unbelievable as your antics. One has short black hair and gold eyes, while the other has long white hair and blue eyes, yet you call yourselves twins!"
"Stop it!" Asvlumina snapped, giving Malar a sharp slap on the arm.
Malar grumbled but walked away. "Don't be late for work," he called over his shoulder.
Asvlumina led the boys back to their room, where Keiran turned to Lumina, his irritation clear. "You just can't keep your mouth shut, can you?"
"What did I do?" Lumina asked innocently.
---
Later That Day
The shop bustled with activity. Keiran handled customers while Lumina swept the floor. When Malar and Asvlumina emerged, they called for Lumina to join them.
"We're heading out," Asvlumina informed Keiran. "We need you to stay here and look after the shop."
"Wait! I want to come too," Keiran protested.
Malar chuckled. "No. You might hurt yourself again... like in the toilet this morning."
Asvlumina playfully slapped Malar on the shoulder. "Stop that. Keiran, the town needs these healing potions now more than ever. We'll be back soon."
Keiran folded his arms. "Then why did Malar increase the prices by 30%?"
Asvlumina shot Malar a sharp look. "Is that true?"
Malar hesitated. "Yes, but—"
"Lower them by 50%," Asvlumina ordered, cutting him off.
"Are you trying to bankrupt me?" Malar argued. "Healing potions are already cheap! And don't forget, we're paying increased rent because of these two!"
"They're not strangers," Asvlumina said firmly. "They're family."
After an exchange of tense glances, Malar stormed off to cool down, while Keiran adjusted the prices. Asvlumina smiled. "See? Nothing bad happened."
"Yet," Malar muttered.
---
Asvlumina, Malar, and Lumina walked down the street. Lumina couldn't shake the haunting familiarity of it all. The roads, once full of life, were now cracked and stained with blood. The air was heavy with sorrow.
Suddenly, a deafening explosion shattered the silence. The trio bolted toward the source, arriving at a chaotic scene. A monstrous creature towered over the crowd, and two warriors battled it valiantly.
Without hesitation, Asvlumina dashed into the fray.
"Wait!" Malar yelled, but she was already gone.
Lumina and Malar ran after her. In his rush, Lumina collided with a cloaked woman. He mumbled an apology and continued running, but the woman's voice stopped him cold.
"Lumina?"
He turned, his breath hitching. The woman pulled back her hood, revealing her face.
It was Verena.
His mother.
---
To be continued