The sky above the Blue Moon was an ocean of flickering lights. Glowing orbs floated like fireflies, casting pale light over stone paths that wound between crystal skyscrapers and towers capped with silver domes. Lunaris—the Blue Moon's crown jewel—looked like a shattered mirror of the constellations Astra loved.
But even as a kid, she'd felt it: something missing. Her world was all harmony—Lunaris' cold beauty, her people's quiet calm. Yet that emptiness gnawed at her ribs. Like someone—something—waited just beyond the edge of her vision.
Tonight, like so many nights, her feet carried her to the Lake of Shadows.
A sacred, quiet corner far from the city's noise—where water mirrored the sky with unsettling precision. Here, the Blue Moon's reflection burned impossibly bright, its ripples hiding secrets beneath the surface.
Astra knelt at the shore and stared at her own reflection.
"Always end up here," she whispered.
The wind stirred her silver hair—common among her people—and her reflection shivered. Her eyes, deep ocean blue, glowed with the same eerie light as the moon above.
Why do I keep coming back?
But the lake never answered.
This time, something was different.
For a heartbeat, her reflection lagged a beat too long. A flicker. A ripple. Then—normal again.
Astra leaned closer, squinting.
"What the—?"
The air turned icy.
Out of the corner of her eye—another shadow in the water. But when she turned… nothing. Just her reflection, staring back with its usual calm.
Must be tired.
She sighed and flopped onto the grass, gazing at the sky. From here, she could see Lunaris' sacred dome, where the Celestial Council ruled with ancient wisdom. According to them, the balance of the Blue Moon must remain untouched—any disruption deemed dangerous.
But the Council didn't understand.
They didn't feel the pull she did.
Astra never fully bought into that belief.
Why did "perfect balance" leave her feeling so empty?
"If someone's really out there… tell me who you are."
Her words dissolved into the night breeze.
Then—the reflection glowed.
Astra shot upright, heart hammering in her ears. Stared at the water.
But the image stayed clear. Unchanged.
"Must've imagined it."
But something in her gut hissed no.
The Blue Moon's glow marked the start of day. Unlike other worlds, there was no sun here to herald morning. Lunaris bowed to the moon's cycles—something its people had learned to worship.
Astra walked the city's gleaming streets with her best friend, Lior. Tall, silver-haired like her, though his eyes held an uncommon amber hue.
"Back to the Lake of Shadows again?" he teased.
"Can't help it," Astra admitted.
Lior clicked his tongue. "If the Council knew you're still obsessed with that reflection, they'd drag you to those purifying ceremonies."
"I'm not obsessed."
"No? Because it kinda sounds like you are."
She ignored him, eyes on the city. Lunaris' streets were wide, floating light orbs glowing in every corner. Citizens drifted by in blue-toned robes, voices hushed, faces calm. Always calm.
Harmony. Perfection.
Beautiful. But Astra felt like she didn't quite belong.
They reached the Grand Observatory, where Astra spent most days. As an astronomy apprentice, her job was to track the Blue Moon's patterns and cycles.
But her real obsession had always been something else…
The other moon.
Out there on the horizon, in the dark sky wrapping their world… another moon hung.
Not blue. Not glowing with their moon's soft, peaceful light.
Crimson.
Astra stared at it, jaw tight.
The Crimson Moon.
Since she could remember, no one spoke of it. Taboo. Scrubbed from the Council's records.
But Astra saw it. Every damn night.
And deep in her gut… she swore something stared back.
That night, the clouds had scattered, letting the Blue Moon blaze in full glory. The air bit cold, but Astra didn't flinch as she walked the stone path to the Lake of Shadows.
Every step echoed through the stillness, her sandals whispering over silver-leafed ground. The world slept, wrapped in Lunaris' usual calm. But she felt it—something about to snap.
Her heart hammered—too loud, too fast.
It was irrational. No proof. But instinct dragged her back. Like part of her knew tonight would crack everything open.
At the lake's edge, the water was glass-still, mirroring the sky with creepy precision. Astra knelt, palms pressing into damp grass.
Her reflection stared back.
Nothing.
Her breath slowed.
"If there's really someone there…" she whispered, "…tell me who you are."
The reflection flickered.
A chill spider-walked down her spine. This time, she didn't look away.
The water rippled—but the air was dead still.
Astra squinted. Something moved beneath the water's surface—not her reflection. Waves spread slow, warping the image… until she saw it.
The breath died in her throat.
Eyes unlike hers. Not deep blue like her people's. Dark, with a crimson glow at their core.
The image lasted less than a second.
Astra gasped, scrambling back, heart slamming her ribs. The water stilled. Her reflection stared back—normal. Unchanged.
But she'd seen it. She wasn't alone.
Her fingers clawed into the grass as she fought to steady her breath.
Not imagined.
Someone else was there.
Someone had seen her.
And unknown to her—that same night, on the Crimson Moon—Rowan had felt it too.