Chapter 1: The Shattered Sun
The cold morning air gnawed at Kyle's skin as he stood on the worn wooden porch of the orphanage, gazing into the bleak expanse of the village. It had been years since the sun's warmth faded, leaving a lingering chill that never seemed to leave. They still called it "The Day the Sun Shattered"—a memory lost in time, though the world had never recovered from that moment.
The sun was still up, but its heat had long since gone. It hung weak and pale in the sky, like a forgotten relic.
"Kyle, are you just going to stand there all day?" Selene's voice broke through the silence, carrying her usual teasing note. But Kyle knew her well enough to hear the undercurrent of concern, too.
He turned, catching sight of her leaning against the railing, arms crossed. Beside her, Theo was scanning the road, his eyes sharp and focused as always.
"I was just thinking," Kyle said quietly, though his thoughts had nothing to do with the sun or the weather. It had been weeks since something felt right. The village had been on edge ever since the strange occurrences began.
Theo narrowed his eyes. "Thinking? We should be getting inside before someone notices us out here."
But Kyle didn't move. The quiet tension in the air was too strong to ignore. He could feel it—the strange weight pressing down on the village. It was something his gut told him, something that never felt right anymore.
Just then, a small figure appeared from the side of the orphanage. Luna, his younger sister, looked up at him with her wide, trusting eyes.
"Hey, Kyle," she said, her voice soft, but there was a hint of worry beneath it. "What's wrong?"
Kyle didn't smile, but he crouched down to meet her gaze. "Nothing's wrong, Luna. Just stay close to me, alright?"
She nodded, her eyes searching his face, but she said nothing more. Luna had always been the quiet type, reserved, but she adored him in a way only a younger sibling could. And to Kyle, there was no one more important in this world than Luna.
Selene pushed off the railing, moving toward the others. "We should go. Something's not right today."
Before Kyle could respond, Theo spoke again. His voice was low, almost a whisper. "There's a caravan coming into the village."
A caravan. It wasn't an uncommon sight in a world where trade was scarce, but the way Theo said it, the edge to his tone, made Kyle's heart skip.
"Do you see where it's coming from?" Kyle asked, rising to his feet, still watching Luna as she remained near him.
Theo nodded. "From the west. There's something off about them."
Kyle didn't wait for further explanation. "We need to check it out."
Selene and Theo exchanged a quick look before following Kyle as he started walking toward the village square. Luna trailed behind them, clutching the hem of her coat tightly, as if trying to hold onto something stable in this world that had become so unpredictable.
As they reached the heart of the village, the caravan came into view. Several large carts were parked in the square, and the people unloading them moved with a precision that unnerved Kyle. They didn't look like traders. Not like the ones who'd passed through before.
The air was tense, thick with an unspoken danger. Kyle's instincts screamed at him to turn back, to get Luna out of here, but he couldn't bring himself to leave. Not when he felt something dark creeping into the village.
And then, there was the figure who stepped out from the shadows of the caravan. Tall, cloaked in black, their face hidden beneath a hood. They didn't speak as they surveyed the village, their presence alone making Kyle's skin crawl.
His thoughts raced. Who are they? What do they want?
But he didn't get a chance to think further. The figure raised a hand, and with it, something stirred in the air—something that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Kyle's pulse quickened, and instinctively, he moved to protect Luna.
"Luna," he said quietly, turning to his sister, who was still standing behind him, staring at the figure with wide eyes. "Stay close to me."
But Luna, always curious and brave, didn't move. She stood her ground, her eyes never leaving the cloaked figure, as though sensing something was about to happen.
"Kyle…" she whispered, her voice faint, almost a plea. "I'm not scared."
Kyle's heart clenched. She never feared anything, not even when their world fell apart, but this? This was different. He could feel it deep in his bones—something was about to happen that would change everything.
Kyle's eyes locked with Luna's. Her expression was one of confusion, fear, and trust, all mixed into one. She was scared, but she didn't want to show it. Not in front of him.
And as the figure came towards the village….