Chapter Text
The moonlit sky that night seemed darker than usual.
It wasn’t a soothing darkness, but one that felt like an omen. Across the shimmering silver ground, faint lights flickered up and down, like the breath of ancestors who never truly die. The cold air carried the scent of metal and mist, characteristic of the Moon’s world.
Ahh, a world full of dark wonders. Not a dwelling place for the wicked, but for living creatures seeking tranquility. A place where gentle things are born from silence, and dangerous things are hidden behind the light. Gravity is weaker, allowing creatures to move with such lightness, the world’s darkness does not obscure clear vision. A place where dawn will never come, for only the moon serves as the light.
This world is ruled by a kingdom, a noble family whose ancestors are said to have been born directly from the moonlight. In the palace situated at the center of this world, surrounded by deep valleys, lies a core formed from a tear of the moon. This core serves as the source of energy and the origin of the power by which the moon’s creatures sustain their lives.
Lunaris.
A noble family with a special gift in their blood- cold silver blood flowing through their veins. That blood has flowed through the generations they have produced every century, and continues to do so to this day.
Ayden, a descendant of the Lunaris family, was recently crowned a prince a few months ago. The second of two brothers, he bears the responsibility of leading the kingdom in the future when the time comes. His handsome features seem carved directly by moonlight, his sturdy build and personality are the dream of every moon creature seeking a partner.
That night, Ayden stood at the edge of the palace balcony, suspended above the dimly lit valley. His prized silver cloak fluttered gently, carried by a soft yet freezing wind. His pale eyes, like a cold ocean, gazed into the distance, toward the place where the echo of the question that continued to haunt his life had begun.
“What should I do once I find him?” he asked himself, as if someone were going to answer his question.
Ayden’s hand clenched into a fist, tight enough to make his knuckles turn white. Ever since he was a child, he had been reminded that the duty of a Moon Child was not to question, but to obey. Yet he could not make sense of a single word his mother had said, it was as if there were a secret yet to be revealed, and he had to find the answer himself through this important mission.
Faint footsteps could be heard, light yet too confident upon closer listening. Ayden knew whose footsteps they were- steps that were all too familiar to his ears. With that, Ayden turned around, finding his grandmother approaching him.
Her skin was wrinkled yet seemed to glow in the moonlight, her hair was a faded white, a sign of advancing age. Although her family received a direct blessing from the Moon, age remained a threat if not properly cared for.
The grandmother- Elenora Lunaris, was a former Queen who had once ruled the lunar kingdom and retired several years ago. Her thin, cold hand touched Ayden’s shoulder as she joined him in gazing out at the expanse of the world from the balcony.
“Where have you been? Everyone’s been looking for you,” Elenora asked, her voice soft yet firm, as if demanding an answer from Ayden.
“I’m just… thinking about my next mission,” Ayden replied, looking down at his wrist, where a silver vein was visible.
“What have you so preoccupied with mission, my grandson?” the grandmother asked again, this time with clear concern in her voice.
“Why me?"
The question hung between them, leaving a chill in the air that didn’t even want to intrude between the two of them. A question that didn’t require an answer, but rather a reason.
“Because you’re the most stable,” Elenora replied, “and you’re the one who can best control your emotions when faced with the light.”
The words stung, it wasn’t just a reason she was giving, but a fact.
The light, the Sun’s people.
Unlike the Moon’s people, the Sun’s people were more colorful and radiated a blinding light. Their world knew no such thing as solitude or tranquility, because at every moment… there was always a reason for the Sun’s people to be happy in their own way.
Light.
Something that is the source of hatred for all inhabitants of the moon world- something created by the Sun world, their natural enemy. Although their ancestors were both born of light, the blood of the Sun creatures is warmer than that of the Moon creatures.
Lunar beings cannot withstand facing Sun beings, the warmth weakens their strength. Likewise, sun beings feel an extreme chill when exposed to the lunar atmosphere.
However, 11 years ago, one of the Sun’s descendants vanished without a trace. This has kept the Sun’s world occupied with the search for their future prince to this day, in fact, the King of the Sun’s world once declared an oath: whoever finds his son will be promised a precious Emblem said to be carved directly from the heat of the sun’s rays.
Until a few months ago, somehow Elenora managed to detect the Sun Child’s presence on Earth. This gave the Moon world the opportunity to capture his soul and plan to hold him hostage.
That is the goal of Ayden’s mission: to find the missing Sun Child.
“Elio Aurelius,” Ayden murmured softly. The name felt foreign on his tongue, yet in his chest it felt like a heavy burden.
Elenora nodded, her old, misty white eyes gazing at her grandson’s face with unwavering conviction. She knew this was no ordinary mission, but a crucial mission that could alter their future.
“You must find him before the Sun World realizes and joins the search for their heir on Earth. If that happens… war will be inevitable,” explained Elenora, placing both hands on her grandson’s shoulders to offer support.
Ayden hadn’t answered, he bowed his head and fell silent. Not out of fear, but because the weight of that responsibility felt so heavy. He realized that this was the only mission that could truly be called a burden.
“I understand.” Ayden finally looked up, meeting his grandmother’s gaze directly and showing his growing confidence.
“Then go see your mother, the send-off ceremony will begin shortly.” Eleanor stepped back, her movements as elegant as her nature. Ayden nodded in understanding, he bowed his head briefly before leaving his grandmother alone on the balcony.
The journey to the hall where various ceremonies were held felt so nerve-wracking, with every step Ayden took, the weight on his mind grew heavier. But as if by some miracle, the old woman’s words from earlier had calmed him down. His mission wasn’t that difficult- simply locate the Sun Child, manipulate or kill him, and bring him back to be held hostage. If the Sun Child fell into the hands of the Moon, the Sun wouldn’t dare to attack, and the Moon could use this opportunity to win.
Since time immemorial, the Sun and the Moon have been at odds. Due to differences in customs and views on life, war was inevitable. From a young age, Ayden had been taught about the customs of the Sun’s people. They were full of arrogance, believing their light was the brightest, they lived happily, as if they had never cast their own people into the Moon’s realm and deemed it unclean.
His grandmother once told him that one of Ayden’s ancestors had tried to negotiate with the Moon people, attempting to stop this mutual hatred and live in harmony. But what happened? His ancestor was killed by those vile Sun people. From that story, Ayden convinced himself that the Sun people were just as evil as demons.
The ceremonial hall was quieter than a deep valley, for the creatures of the moon preferred to hold ceremonies to celebrate events and express gratitude for what they had received. This was in contrast to the creatures of the sun, who loved to celebrate and throw parties, dancing and wasting food. Ayden didn’t understand, what was so fun about partying?
In the ceremonial hall, he was greeted by the scent of Terulak flowers growing in every corner of the walls. In the center of the room stood a fountain that was always used for any ceremony. It was said that when our hearts were truly pure and not tainted in the slightest, that glowing fountain would grant any of our wishes.
“Ah, Ayden.” His mother- Cynthia, a beautiful and kind-hearted woman who seemed like a reflection of the moon itself. His mother was the Queen currently ruling the lunar world, her caring and compassionate nature made all creatures love her as their Queen. She also possessed a beautiful face with silver hair that shone like moonlight, truly a perfect being.
“Where have you been? I was worried something might have happened to you.” His mother approached him and immediately hugged Ayden tightly.
Ayden just smiled, gently pushing his mother away and holding both her arms instead. “I’m fine, Mom. I just needed a little preparation.”
Chynthia, who seemed unable to believe what her son was saying, could only feel disappointed, as if she knew exactly what Ayden was really thinking. “I know Grandma is forcing you to do this mission, but if you can’t, you don’t have to do it, son.”
“He can,”
That familiar voice suddenly echoed, catching Ayden and Chynthia’s attention as they immediately turned toward the source of the sound. Elenora approached them with her usual elegant stride, causing anyone who saw her to immediately lower their gaze.
“I’ve told you to stop spoiling Ayden, he needs to become stronger and take responsibility for the world of the Moon.” Elenora stopped in front of them and crossed her arms, her weary gaze fixed on Chynthia.
“I’m sorry, Mother. I just don’t want Ayden to get hurt, he’s still too young for this.” Chynthia held Ayden’s hand tightly, as if afraid to let go of her beloved child.
Elenora merely shook her head slightly. “Then who should we send? Andreas? Didn’t you already send that other son of yours to become a deputy general in the frontline forces? Do you want to send him again?”
Elenora’s words were so true, too true, that they left Chynthia speechless. Meanwhile, Ayden could only glance at his mother, who continued to hold his hand- her grip tightening until it hurt his heart. He then released her hand and chose to clench both of her hands in his own, enveloping them in his fists.
“Mom, don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Trust me, okay?” Ayden pleaded with his mother, his voice soft and imploring, hoping she would agree to let him go.
Though she seemed reluctant, Chynthia slowly nodded in understanding. No matter what, she knew they couldn’t defy Elenora’s orders, no matter how hard they tried. Chynthia also knew how deep Elenora’s hatred for the Sun People ran, her mother would do anything to make the Sun World kneel before her.
“Enough with this sad business- we must send Ayden to Earth immediately, the sooner, the better.” Elenora walked past the two of them, approaching the fountain that continued to reflect the moonlight through its sacred water.
Ayden followed, he stood directly in front of the fountain while his mother and grandmother stood behind him. Nervousness immediately overwhelmed Ayden, but he hid it and tried to act indifferent.
As in any ordinary ceremony, Ayden began by clenching both his hands and closing his eyes. His senses began to work, trying to create a portal from the ritual they were performing. Cynthia and Elenora also clenched their hands, helping to open the portal.
Before long, thousands- even millions- of moonlight particles reflecting off the fountain began to move on their own. The lights gathered and merged, creating a brilliant circle of light. The scent of terulak flowers also helped strengthen and widen the portal so that Ayden could pass through it.
Suddenly, Elenora’s cold hand touched his back from behind- more precisely, just behind his heart. The silver moonlight shimmered from her fingertips, piercing Ayden’s skin and making his body tremble violently. The cold seeped right down to his bones, Ayden could feel it.
“This is your protective seal,” Elenora whispered. “In the human world, you’ll appear just like an ordinary human. But your power… remains the moon’s.”
Ayden turned around, meeting the grandmother’s hopeful smile. Ayden smiled back, “I won’t waver.”
Elenora didn’t answer, only offering a faint smile as if she knew something Ayden didn’t. Then she stepped back, making room for Chynthia to step forward.
Receiving the signal, Chynthia took Elenora’s place. She touched Ayden’s shoulder with her cold hand, and a handful of snow-white light enveloped Ayden’s body.
“I, Chynthia Lunaris, Queen of the Moon, am responsible for the world blessed with moonlight. I hereby grant permission for the journey of Ayden Lunaris, my son.” Chynthia’s voice was firmer than before as she spoke the spell to Ayden with intense focus.
“May the Moon Goddess bless your journey, my son.”
With that, Ayden’s body was pushed into the portal.
The last thing he remembered was his mother’s voice blessing him.
And in less than a second, the portal closed.
☾𖤓
Bugh!
If it weren’t for something cushioning the fall, Ayden’s back would surely be broken. He groaned in pain as he rubbed his own back, before realizing he was carrying something.
A bag.
Ayden hadn’t even realized that the bag had saved him when he fell from the portal, he had no idea who had given it to him… but Ayden was grateful to them.
Slowly, Ayden stood up from where he was sitting, only just realizing he was in a bathroom that was completely unfamiliar to him. Damn, had he just come down from the moon and landed in a bathroom? Seriously, couldn’t his grandmother have found a better place than a bathroom?
Staring at the mirror, Ayden immediately tidied up his appearance. His hair, which had originally been silver, was now black like a human’s, and his pupils had also turned a dull, unremarkable dark brown. At least this time, he didn’t have to work hard on his own to change his appearance. Even so, he could still feel his power thanks to the amulet his grandmother had given him earlier.
After adjusting his collar, Ayden finally decided to step out of the bathroom. He squinted as the sunlight stung his eyes, shielding them with his own palm. The morning air, mingled with the earthy scent of the ground after the rain, refreshed Ayden slightly, reminding him that rain rarely fell on the Moon. Gravity on Earth was also very different from that on the Moon, his body felt heavier, as if something were pulling at his legs.
It turned out that the warmth of the sunlight was quite painful on Earth, although Ayden could endure it because he was resilient enough to control his emotions when facing the light. Finally, he understood why his grandmother had chosen him for this mission, since other beings wouldn’t be able to withstand direct exposure to sunlight.
Not only that, many students were coming and going around the school. Some had just arrived, some were chatting with their friends, and some were busy with their own affairs. This situation was no different from schools on the Moon, but most students there spent their time reading books, training their strength and energy, or simply meditating.
“Ah, so you’re here. I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” an elderly woman approached Ayden, from her attire, she appeared to be a teacher. “Come with me, we need to report to the principal before the bell rings.”
Ayden, who still didn’t know what he was supposed to do here, could only nod and follow the teacher from behind. A few students greeted the teacher in front of him, it seemed she was quite a good teacher to the students. There were also one or two students who asked about Ayden, so the teacher replied that Ayden was a new student and needed further guidance.
Oh, so he’s a new student here.
So what exactly is he doing at school? Shouldn’t Ayden be carrying out his mission to kill the Sun Child?
Not knowing what to do, Ayden followed the teacher again. Until his eyes accidentally caught sight of another teacher who seemed to be punishing several students at the edge of the field. At first, Ayden didn’t pay much attention, until he noticed something strange about one of the students.
A boy with dark brown, messy, uncombed hair. He was looking down slightly, so Ayden couldn’t see his face- until a moment later, the boy lifted his head and revealed his face. That’s when Ayden stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide with disbelief at what he was seeing.
Just a fleeting glance, just a brief glimpse- and Ayden saw that the man had eyes characteristic of the Sun People. Ayden could swear by the Moon Goddess that he saw it with his own eyes, those eyes were a shimmering gold before they returned to their ordinary state.
Quickly, Ayden activated his power, causing his silver eyes to glow, wanting to confirm more clearly what he had seen.
Around the boy’s body, there was a transparent light that certainly couldn’t be seen by just anyone. That golden light was very similar to what the sun creatures possessed- what was commonly referred to as protection when they weren’t in their own world. Ayden’s fist tightened, he had just found him.
Elio Aurelius.
The sun child who had been missing for a long time.