Selene barely remembered how she got home.
One moment, she had been standing beneath the empty clock tower, her pulse hammering in her chest, the weight of unseen eyes pressing against her. The next, she was inside her bookshop, the scent of parchment and candle wax wrapping around her like a familiar embrace.
She bolted the door behind her, leaning against the wooden frame, breath unsteady.
Orion.
The name still pulsed in her mind, even though she didn't understand why.
She had never met him. Never spoken to him. And yet… something about that shadowed figure beneath the clock tower had unraveled something inside her, like a forgotten thread tugged loose from a fraying tapestry.
The wind outside howled, rattling the windowpanes.
Selene shivered, moving to the small fireplace in the back of the shop. She struck a match, lighting the bundle of kindling. The flames flickered to life, their warm glow casting long shadows along the walls.
But the warmth did little to chase away the cold that had settled deep in her bones.
She sat down on the worn rug, knees drawn to her chest, staring into the fire.
And then—
The whisper returned.
"Selene."
Her breath hitched.
But this time… it wasn't coming from outside.
It was inside her own mind.
A sudden pressure gripped her skull, sharp and unrelenting.
-
Visions surged forward...
A hand reaching for hers in the moonlight. A soft laugh, familiar but unplaceable. A promise, whispered in the hush of night.
"Find me."
The room tilted.
Selene pressed her palms against her temples, squeezing her eyes shut.
She could almost see his face now. Almost.
A flash of silver eyes.
A whisper of his breath against her ear.
A feeling of falling, of something lost.
Then, just as quickly as it came, the vision vanished, leaving only the ghost of an ache behind.
The fire crackled, snapping her back to reality.
She exhaled, rubbing her arms, trying to shake the feeling of something unfinished lingering in the air.
Orion.
That name—it wasn't just his name. It belonged to something bigger. Something buried in time.
A soft creak cut through the silence.
Selene stilled.
Her gaze flicked toward the back of the shop, where rows of old books lined the shelves.
Nothing moved.
But something felt wrong.
She rose slowly, heart pounding, her bare feet silent against the wooden floor. A draft curled through the air, stirring the scent of aged parchment.
Then—
A book fell.
Not just any book.
The leather-bound journal she had never been able to open.
Selene's breath caught as it landed with a soft thud on the floor.
For years, it had sat untouched on her highest shelf. No title. No markings. Just a deep blue cover, its pages bound shut by a silver clasp.
And now… it lay open.
Her pulse pounded as she stepped closer. The pages had unlocked themselves, revealing delicate inked words, written in a hand she didn't recognize—
Or maybe… she did.
She crouched down, fingers hovering over the open pages. The words seemed to shimmer, like the ink had been pressed into the very fabric of the universe.
"The Second Moon will rise again, and with it, the forgotten will awaken."
A knock at the door made her jump.
She turned sharply, heart still racing.
"Selene?"
Cassius.
She let out a breath, pushing herself up. Her legs felt unsteady as she moved to unlock the door.
Cassius stood on the other side, his brows furrowed in concern. "You left so suddenly. What happened?"
Selene hesitated. "I… I thought I saw someone."
Cass's expression darkened. "Who?"
She swallowed. "I don't know."
A pause.
Cassius stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. "You're scaring me, Selene. You've been acting strange for weeks. And now you're seeing people who aren't there?"
He didn't say it cruelly, but there was doubt in his voice.
Selene turned away, wrapping her arms around herself. "I don't think I imagined him."
Cassius sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Then who do you think he is?"
Selene hesitated.
She wanted to tell him. She wanted to say Orion's name out loud.
But some part of her knew that once she did, everything would change.
So instead, she just whispered, "I don't know."
Cassius studied her for a long moment. Then, his gaze drifted to the book on the floor.
"What's that?"
Selene's stomach clenched. "Nothing."
Cassius frowned, stepping forward. "It wasn't open before."
Selene moved quickly, snapping the book shut. "It's just an old journal. Nothing important."
Cassius didn't look convinced, but he didn't press.
Instead, he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, I just… I worry about you, okay? You've been different lately. Distant."
Selene softened. Cassius had been her friend since childhood. He didn't deserve to be shut out.
"I'm fine," she said, forcing a small smile. "Just tired."
Cassius didn't seem convinced, but he let it go. "Alright. Just… don't go wandering around at night, okay? Especially near the clock tower."
Selene stiffened. "Why?"
He hesitated. "I heard something tonight. After you left."
A chill ran down her spine. "What did you hear?"
Cassius shifted uncomfortably. "It was faint, but… I thought I heard someone say your name."
The air between them grew heavy.
Selene's fingers tightened around the journal.
"Cassius," she whispered, voice barely audible. "What if I know him?"
Cassius frowned. "You just said you didn't."
Selene swallowed. "I know. But… what if I've forgotten?"
A silence stretched between them.
And then, from somewhere deep in the night—
A low chime rang out.
The clock tower.
Twelve strikes.
Midnight.
Selene's heart pounded.
Cassius turned toward the window, his brow furrowing. "That's strange. The old clock hasn't worked in years."
Selene's fingers dug into the journal's cover.
The Second Moon was coming.
And the past was no longer willing to stay buried.