Things will never stay the same and soon, we shall realize it.
- Avicrus, the Lord of Light
The world of Neitheris had kept on spinning and revolving, and there would be no ceasing. The next lunar eclipse was rumoured to happen in Vox that day, the place closest to the Shadow region, and Xombreil Ande had promised himself to go out of the house and look at the sky the coming night.
“But how can you see it, Xombreil?” asked Eluna. “The moon will be as dark as the sky.”
Her brother paused for a while, thinking. He was standing a foot before Eluna, looking up to the sky. They stood idly in front of their wooden bungalow home, which was found on top of a lonesome hill at the Southern edge of the Voxan region.
“I don’t know…” he ultimately answered in a low voice, showing no expression.
Eluna stepped a bit forward and held Xombreil’s right hand with hers, their birth marks – a white circle at the centre of Eluna’s palm and a black one on Xombreil’s – opposite of one another.
“Let’s go back now,” she said as she slightly pulled her brother’s hand.
Xombreil gave his mysterious stare again at her, creepy like a watching owl.
“I smell lunch!” she continued with a sudden grin on her face, pushing the unexpected awkwardness from her mind.
Finally, they went back inside the lonely house.
Fear crept into Eluna. Thoughts of the upcoming evening darkness were unbearable for her.
At least, the stars will still be there, she thought, comforting herself.
A vision then came to her – The half moon…through the four corners of a window…the sound of a baby crying. She always had that vision and had always wondered why that vision kept on coming back to her, but yet, didn’t ask her loving aunt.
Well, maybe their Aunt Mella has already said something, like the story of their birth. It was just the same as her vision. Mella told them she was born a few minutes before her brother…seeing light before he did. She also mentioned their parents. She said that they were gone but she would not tell how and where they went. Poor little, innocent kids, they didn’t know the actual truth. Whenever some of the other kids in the village down the hill would ask or talk about parents, Eluna and Xombreil would simply keep themselves quiet.
These memories came into Eluna’s mind through lunch, and Xombreil wondered why his sister was unusually silent. Maybe the thought of the lunar eclipse bothered her. Maybe it was her love of light, especially of the moon.
Xombreil waved his hand right in front of Eluna’s blank face across the wooden table.
“Luna,” he called her by nickname.
Eluna was surprised, her eyes widening.
“What is it, Breil?” she unconsciously asked.
“Nothing,” he replied as he put arm down. “You were just…quiet.”
“Oh,” she said, still fuzzy.
“Finish eating your food now, Eluna,” said their aunt as she spooned the last of her meal into her mouth.
“Okay,” she finally said.
The three sat still inside the dining area. Their momentary silence echoed through the solitude of their home. The unpainted wooden walls remained indifferent. On the other hand, the living room happily greeted the warm, calm sunlight through the open door. The chimes hung rang as the breeze blew every now and then. Nearly everything in their house was made of wood.
A painting of a giant crescent moon, which swam in midnight blue, hung majestically on the wall of the twins’ bedroom, facing the latter’s two beds. Eluna always enjoyed looking at this painting. She always felt that she had this strange connection with the moon, but no one was able to explain this to her.
“Where are our parents, Aunt Mella?” Eluna asked, moments after they walked from the dining area to the living room. She was sitting with their aunt in between of her and her brother.
The old question was asked again since a month ago. The lady looked at the odd carvings on the wooden furniture they were sitting on as she paused to think of an answer. The twins simply looked at her as they waited. In the end, she answered the same—
“They’re gone, Eluna,” she said with a weak, persuading tone.
“But- “
“I,” the anxious lady cut the questioning with an excuse as usual, “forgot to wash the dishes.”
She stood up and went back to the kitchen, the twins following her with their eyes. Xombreil then looked at Eluna and the latter just raised her shoulders in response.
- - -
The following night, Xombreil excitedly rushed outside and looked at the night sky. Only a few stars were visible, but still twinkled with all their might.
“Xombreil, wait up!” called Eluna from behind as she went out the door.
She looked up and was relieved that there were still stars that can be seen in the sky.
“Whew,” she uttered. “I thought it was going to be really black. Well, what are you looking for?”
“I actually have no idea, Luna,” he naively admitted, still looking at the heavens like he was searching it for something.
The blurry dark-looking things which were actually clouds seemed to have started moving away. The light of the remaining visible stars were coincidentally devoured by the movement of the clouds. An area in the sky was completely black.
“Aw,” Eluna silently mumbled in displeasure from behind.
Xombreil thought the moon was there, but gave no light. The darkness and crept and crawled and lingered. It grew and grew – The shadow of Neitheris on the surface of the moon was impenetrable.
The boy’s blond hair and his brown eyes turned black. His face was firm and he stood like an immovable statue. His birth mark was as dark as the void moon. The wind circled like a tornado. Eluna started to worry and get scared. Panic-stricken, she shouted—
“Xombreil, what’s happening!?”
Receiving no response, she shouted louder—
“Xombreil!”
- - -
Echoes – The name echoed again and again. And, Avicrus, the Lord of Light, did nothing but stare at the crystal ball, this time, with trembling eyes…
) The description about their bedroom can be used later if they actually enter the bedroom. Also, I wouldn't worry about the precise placement about rooms unless your characters move from one room to another (it should always be consistent where the rooms are in relation to each other)
