Chapter 5- Eclipsed Awakening

The classroom was filled with the droning voice of the teacher, but Keld had already mentally checked out. His gaze drifted toward the window, watching the clouds lazily float by. School was boring. The outside world, however? Much more interesting.

Beside him, Elowen was jotting down notes at lightning speed, her brain absorbing every word like a sponge. Meanwhile, Cassian, ever the dependable guy, leaned back with an air of confidence that only the rich could afford.

Keld sighed and nudged Cassian. "Hey, got any plans after school? Thinking about hitting the arcade."

Cassian smirked. "Why? So you can lose again? I'd rather not watch you cry over digital losses."

Elowen didn't even look up from her notes. "Keld, if you focused half as much on class as you do on gaming, you might actually pass a test for once."

Keld gasped, placing a hand over his chest. "Elowen, how dare you! That was uncalled for!"

Cassian chuckled. "No, that was just facts."

Keld pouted and leaned back, crossing his arms. "Whatever. Nerds."

Just then, something outside caught his eye. A man stood at the school gate—dressed in a black coat and hat, holding a sleek, polished cane. His presence alone sent a chill down Keld's spine. His body seemed oddly still, like a statue, yet Keld could feel something from him. Something unnatural.

Keld kept staring. The moment their eyes met, an eerie sensation washed over him. It was like being swallowed by an abyss. His heart pounded against his ribs.

And then—

The man disappeared.

Keld blinked. He was there. He was just there!

His brain short-circuited, and before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "WHAT THE HELL?!"

The entire classroom turned to look at him.

Silence.

Then came the laughter.

Even the teacher sighed, rubbing his temples. "Ah, Keld. My favorite source of classroom entertainment."

Keld quickly tried to explain. "No, really, I just saw—"

The teacher held up a hand. "No, really, I just saw a reason to send you outside. Go. Stand in the hallway and think about your life choices."

Keld groaned and dragged himself out of the classroom, grumbling under his breath. "I hate this school."

While standing outside, Keld leaned against the wall, letting out a frustrated sigh. "I know I saw something… What the hell is going on with me lately?"

As he was lost in thought, a familiar soft meow caught his attention. Looking to the side, he spotted the same cat—the one that had led him to the strange bookstore.

Keld blinked. "You again?"

The cat simply stared at him with its gleaming blue eyes, then jumped up onto the window ledge in front of him.

Keld smirked and opened the window. "Alright, come on in, you little troublemaker."

The cat effortlessly leaped into his arms, and Keld absentmindedly ran his fingers through its silky fur. "Damn, you're soft. And you smell nice. What are you, some kind of luxury brand cat?"

The cat purred in response.

Keld chuckled. "What are you doing here anyway? Following me? Or do you just like making my life weirder?"

The cat tilted its head, as if understanding, but offered no response.

Keld sighed. "First a weird book, then a creepy dude staring at me, and now you again. My life's turning into a bad mystery novel."

His mind drifted back to the book. He hadn't finished reading it—some parts were still blank. Could it really change in the moonlight? He needed answers, and only one person could give them. That old blind woman.

The school bell rang, snapping Keld out of his thoughts. He placed the cat back on the ledge. "Alright, I gotta go. You stay outta trouble, got it?"

The cat meowed and watched him disappear into the classroom.

Once Keld was gone, the cat leapt off the window and silently padded through the empty streets. It eventually stopped at an abandoned park, where a tall figure in dark robes was waiting.

The cat sat next to him and spoke in a low voice. "So, it's him, isn't it?"

Ryulune let out a slow breath, his sharp gaze narrowing. "Yeah. He is the Son of the Moon. The same Silver-White with Icy Blue hair and those pure blue eyes… just like the night I saw him sixteen years ago."

The cat's tail flicked. "Then it's time. We have to act soon."

Ryulune crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. "What's the plan?"

The cat turned its gaze toward the sky. "We break the seal on his mind. Slowly. Carefully. He needs to remember who he is."

Ryulune smirked. "And if he doesn't?"

The cat's purple eyes glowed softly. "He will. Because he's already looking for us."

After school ended, Keld wasted no time. He sprinted through the streets, determined to find the old bookstore. "Alright, creepy bookstore lady, I need answers!"

Five minutes later—

Keld slowed down. "Wait a minute… where the hell was that place again?"

His brain worked overtime, trying to recall the exact location. A minute passed. Then another. His brain metaphorically exploded. "GAAAH! WHY AM I SO BAD AT REMEMBERING THINGS?!"

Frustrated, he sighed. "Guess I'll never find it again… Great. I'll just go home."

As he trudged down the road, a strange sensation washed over him. Like someone was watching him. He glanced around, but saw nothing. "Weird… Whatever, I'm probably just tired."

Just as he was about to shake it off, he spotted something odd—a small child standing alone, crying.

Keld frowned. "Hey, kid, you okay? What are you doing here all alone?"

The child didn't respond, only sobbed softly.

Keld took a cautious step closer. "Hey, come on, don't just stand there crying. If something's wrong, I can—"

His instincts screamed. A presence—behind him.

Before he could react, something swung at him from behind. A glint of steel—an metal pipe.

Keld barely dodged in time. "WHAT THE FU—WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?! WHY ARE YOU SWINGING A METAL PIPE AT ME?!"

He turned sharply—only to sense another presence. This time, he wasn't fast enough.

A heavy blow struck his neck.

Everything went dark

"We got him. Mission complete."

Keld woke up with his entire body aching. A strange, unknown pressure weighed him down, making it impossible to move. He was sitting in a chair—no ropes, no chains—yet he felt as if he were bound by something unseen. His breath came in short, ragged bursts. Panic clawed at his mind.

"What… happened? Where am I?" His thoughts spun wildly as he tried to make sense of the situation. "I was just… walking home. Then—"

Memories rushed back. The child. The attack. The pain. His heart pounded. "Why did they kidnap me? Who are they? What do they want?"

Footsteps echoed.

Keld shut his eyes and forced his breathing to slow, feigning unconsciousness.

Two voices entered the room.

"How hard did you hit him? He still hasn't woken up."

"I hit him gently! Not that hard. I think he's just weak."

The other man laughed. "What a weakling! And they say he's the Son of the Moon? What a joke."

Keld's mind reeled. "Son of the Moon? Are they talking about me? What the hell does that even mean?" His heart pounded harder. "I don't understand. Who are these people? Why are they saying this?"

The men continued mocking him, laughing at the idea of him being some destined figure. Keld, despite the fear gripping his chest, clenched his jaw. "I need to figure out what's going on… and fast."

Suddenly, a sharp presence cut through the air. Before Keld could react, one of the men teleported in front of him.

"How long are you going to pretend to sleep?"

A hand clamped around Keld's throat, yanking him up before he was hurled into a pillar. The impact sent shockwaves through his body. He barely had time to gasp before a brutal kick rammed into his stomach.

Pain exploded through him. Keld choked, his body convulsing as blood spewed from his mouth. "Guh—!"

The attacker laughed, landing another vicious kick. Then another. And another.

Keld screamed, agony ripping through every nerve. "Stop—!" But his words were drowned by the laughter.

Finally, the second man grabbed his partner's shoulder. "Enough. If he dies, we don't get paid." 

the man teleport on a nearby sofa, his legs crossed, a smirk playing on his lips. "Boring... This is so boring. I want to fight someone—no, I want to kill someone. What's the point without it?"

Keld's body trembled. He felt as if his very soul was being crushed. His vision blurred, and his consciousness wavered at the edges.

Then—

A suffocating wave of killing intent filled the room.

Ryulune appeared out of nowhere. Unlike the first, his presence was suffocating, his power overwhelming. The sheer weight of it paralyzed everyone in the room.

He stepped forward, his eyes locked onto Keld. He reached out, placing a hand on Keld's forehead. A strange, unknown power flowed through him, soothing the pain, healing his wounds. Keld's body went limp, unconscious once more.

Ryulune slowly turned to face the man on the sofa. "You wanted a fight, didn't you?"

The man smirked. "Oh? And who might you be?"

Before he could react, his arm was severed. A scream tore from his throat, but the pain had no time to settle—his other arm was cut. Then his legs.

He fell, blood pooling around him. Fear flickered in his eyes. "W-Wait!"

Ryulune ignored him. His hand shot forward, gripping his throat—

And crushed it.

The lifeless body collapsed.

The remaining man trembled. "W-Who the hell are you?!"

Ryulune stepped forward, his hand piercing through his chest, blood splattering across the floor. A choked gasp escaped the dying man's lips as his body was set ablaze, reduced to nothingness.

He then turned to Keld, gently picking him up. "I'm sorry I come late to save you"

With a final glance at the destruction, he vanished into the void.