The days bled together, each one indistinguishable from the last. Kairos moved through the motions of his life, but nothing felt real. It was like he was trapped in a dream where everything was blurry, and every step forward took him two steps backward. The memory of the moon, so close yet so far, haunted him in the quiet moments between his waking and sleeping hours.
The forest had always been a place of solace for him. The trees whispered secrets in the wind, and the earth beneath his feet was familiar, grounding him in a way nothing else could. Yet, even here, the weight of his forgotten past pressed heavily on his chest. The moon had been his guide his true north. Without it, he felt adrift, lost in a world that no longer seemed to make sense.
He had tried to escape the ache. Tried to forget that there was something important he was missing. But Elara's words echoed in his mind, a constant refrain: You've forgotten the moon. And with it, you've forgotten yourself.
She had said it with such certainty, as though she knew something he didn't. He didn't like the feeling of being kept in the dark. Every time she looked at him with those soft, knowing eyes, he couldn't shake the feeling that she was holding back, guarding a truth he wasn't ready to face.
Kairos had always trusted her, but trust was a fragile thing. Especially when it felt like the world around him was unraveling.
He hadn't spoken to Elara much since that night on the cliff. She had given him space, understanding that he needed time to process, but she hadn't left. She was always there, watching him, waiting. And despite the confusion clouding his thoughts, he knew one thing for certain: he couldn't do this alone. Elara was the only constant in his life, the only person who seemed to know him, even when he didn't know himself.
But still, something was missing.
It was on the third day after their conversation that he decided to seek answers. He needed to understand what had happened to him why he had forgotten the most important part of himself. And perhaps, just as importantly, he needed to know why he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.
The sun had just begun to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the forest floor, when Kairos ventured deeper into the woods. The air was thick with the scent of pine and earth, the kind of smell that once made him feel at home. But tonight, it only reminded him of the distance between who he was and who he was supposed to be.
He pushed past the dense thicket, his senses sharp as he listened for any sign of movement. It wasn't long before he reached the old stone circle a place he had visited many times, though he couldn't remember why. The stones were worn and weathered, their surfaces covered in moss and creeping vines. In the center of the circle stood a single, larger stone, taller than the rest, with strange markings etched into its surface.
Kairos felt a chill wash over him as he approached the stone. He didn't know why, but there was something about it that felt... familiar. As if the stone held a secret, one he was meant to uncover. He ran his fingers over the markings, tracing their rough edges, his mind a whirl of confusion.
A sudden breeze stirred the air, rustling the leaves above him. The wind shifted, carrying with it the faintest whisper so soft, he almost missed it.
Remember.
The word was a sharp, jagged thing, cutting through the fog in his mind. He froze, his heart pounding in his chest. The whisper felt real, but it also felt... ancient. As if it had come from the earth itself. Or from something far older than time.
Kairos stepped back from the stone, his breath shallow. Was he losing his mind? Or was this some kind of sign? He wanted to reach out again, to feel the stone's surface, to uncover whatever truth lay hidden in the markings. But something inside him hesitated. The same hesitation he felt whenever he thought about the moon about what he had lost. He wasn't sure he was ready for the answers.
But the pull was undeniable. A deep, primal urge clawed at his chest, urging him forward. He had to know.
With trembling hands, he pressed his palm against the cold stone, and the world around him seemed to shift. The air grew thicker, the shadows longer. And for a moment, Kairos felt a surge of energy a flicker of power that ran through his veins, awakening something deep within him. His senses heightened, and the scent of the forest became sharper, more vivid. The sound of the wind, the rustle of leaves, the beating of his own heart it all became amplified, as if the forest itself was alive.
And then, a voice low, almost inaudible, but clear.
You are the keeper of the night, the child of the moon. It is time to remember who you are.
The words hit him like a bolt of lightning, striking deep within his soul. He staggered back, his mind reeling. The moon. He was... he was the child of the moon? The keeper of the night? The words didn't make sense, yet they resonated within him like a truth he had always known but had forgotten.
He closed his eyes, trying to steady himself. The world seemed to spin, and for a moment, he felt as though he might fall. But then the sensation faded, leaving only the quiet hum of the forest around him.
When he opened his eyes again, the markings on the stone had changed. They were clearer now, more defined, as if they had come to life beneath his fingers. He traced the lines once more, his heart racing as the truth began to dawn on him.
The moon had not abandoned him. He had abandoned the moon. Forgotten his connection to it. And in doing so, he had lost himself.
Suddenly, everything came rushing back to him in flashes images, sensations, feelings he couldn't place. He saw himself running through the forest under the full moon, his body shifting, changing, becoming something more. He felt the power coursing through his veins, the pull of the moonlight, the hunger, the wildness. The wolf inside him was not gone it was only sleeping. Waiting.
Kairos staggered back, his hand falling from the stone. The realization hit him like a tidal wave, drowning him in emotion. The moon. The wolf. They were a part of him. And it was time to remember.
He took a deep breath, steadying himself. There was still so much to learn, so much to uncover. But for the first time in a long while, he felt something stir within him a sense of purpose. The wolf was awakening. And so was he.