Whispers Of Ember Hallow: The Luna's Awakening

It was dead quiet, like unnaturally quiet.

Normally, it was all screams, or groans of pain, or the soldiers' loud voices as they got drunk, or the girls screaming while they were being abused.

But it was never this quiet.

"Lyra," I said quietly, trying to find my little sister.

She was the only surviving family member I had left. The war has taken everybody away from me.

When the war started four years ago, my father and elder brother were dragged away from our home to join the fight.

I haven't laid eyes on them since. I didn't need anyone to tell me they were dead.

My father and brother had no skill for the battlefield.

There were mere omegas in a world that valued only the top dogs. Their lack of combat prowess left them vulnerable and unprepared, as they never deemed it necessary to learn how to fight.

After my father and brother were taken to fight in the war, my mother took my sister and me to a village where she thought the war wouldn't reach.

It turned out she was very, very wrong about that.

Two months of our stay at the village, the war got to us.

I witnessed the horror as my mother was assaulted before she was brutally killed right in front of me and my sister.

I tried to grab my sister and run, but I wasn't fast enough.

We were captured along with every other girl in the village. The women and men in the village were slaughtered and they took just us girls.

It's been four long years of torture. We were tortured physically, emotionally and sexually.

Four years of being treated like animals.

My sister was just eight, so I shielded her from the worst of it.

When the soldiers came, I'd hide her in a small hole I dug where we slept, covered with my sleeping mat, so the soldiers couldn't find it. She was tiny so she fitted perfectly.

With so many girls in the camp, the soldiers never noticed if one was missing. It was the only way I could protect her, keep her safe in this hell.

But that doesn't mean we could escape.

When I first got to the camp, I was planning my escape. That was until I witnessed girls being killed like animals because they tried to escape.

We had eyes on us, watching, every hour of the day.

We were kept in a big tent, and it was always guarded. Even if a girl managed to slip past the front guards, there were more waiting ahead.

I've managed to keep Lyra hidden till now because the guards never entered our tents. When the other soldiers were coming, they were usually loud, so I had time to hide Lyra before they got to our tents.

"Lyra," I murmured, hoping for a response, but silence greeted me. "Lyra," I called out again as I searched her hiding place.

A wave of relief washed over me as I found her sleeping.

I tiptoed around the sleeping girls and went to inspect why everywhere was so quiet.

I got to the opening of the tent and peeped outside, and was puzzled when I didn't see the usual guards.

This was really strange. They were always soldiers around, a constant reminder of our captivity.

If some ventured out to the battlefield, there would still be some remaining at the camp. Perhaps those in recovery, or those overseeing the camp operations.

But now, there was nobody.

I walked out of the tent to inspect more. I walked around for a while, but still, there was nobody.

I didn't know if I should be relieved or scared.

"The camp is empty," a voice startled me from behind.

When you stay in this camp for long, you learn how to walk around without being heard. I used to sense others' presence, but this girl's stealth surprised me.

"Not a single person?" I inquired once my initial shock faded.

"None," she replied, drawing closer, her face illuminated in the dim light.

I recognized her. She was a protector.

She was always looking out for most of the girls here. Shielding the girls and sometimes boldly standing up to the soldiers, enduring their wrath. I really admire her bravery and strong spirit.

"Then this is our chance." I declared as I hurried to go get Lyra.

"What if it's a trap?" Her words halted my steps.

"Why clear out the entire camp just to trap us?" I questioned. "They wouldn't relocate the wounded soldiers just to set a trap. " I reasoned as I continued walking.

They wouldn't go to all that work just to trap us. And why did they need to trap us when we were already trapped? If they wanted to kill us, they would have done so without setting any stupid traps.

I approached where Lyra was still sleeping and gently lifted her.

I took the sack where I hid the little bread I stole. Some of them were already spoiled, but I could manage that.

Some of the girls were already awake and were also gathering the little things they had to escape.

This was a rare opportunity. I would rather grab it and deal with the risk than just sit down here and wait to see if it was a trap.

I grabbed everything I had, it wasn't much, but it was enough, and moved.

Half of the girls decided to escape, the remainder stayed.

I tied Lyra to my back with a cloth, so it would be easier for me if I had to run.

"Seraphina?" Lyra's tiny voice called out.

"Yes, Lyra?"

"Are we leaving?" She inquired.

"Yes, Lyra. We are going far from this place." I murmured, but she still heard me.

"I love that, I haven't gone out and seen the sun in a long time." She said. I could hear the smile in her voice. And I just wanted to break down and cry. But I can't right now, I have to be strong for her.

"You will see the sun again, Lyra." I whispered, trying to hold back my tears. "I would take you anywhere you want to go."

"Then will you take me to that lake papa always took us to? " She asked, her voice filled with joy.

"I will, Lyra. I will." I promised her, tears threatening to suffocate me, knowing deep down we could never return to that cherished place.

We came out of the camp, and we still haven't come around a single soul. I was beginning to get scared, but I still continued walking.

We had just entered the woods when a piercing scream shattered the silence.

We heard the girl's scream up front.

A loud, piercing wail that shook the very trees.

What type of agony could cause such a scream?

I didn't wait to find out and bolted in the opposite direction of the shriek.

I wasn't going back to that camp. No, I was going to find a way to survive with Lyra in these woods.

I ran as fast as I could, not looking back to see if something was following me.

The screams suddenly multiplied and grew louder. They were all coming from behind me My legs were ready to give out, but I kept running, not stopping for a second.

All at once, the screaming stopped. Everywhere went eerily quiet.

It was that type of unsettling quiet like back at the camp. I think whatever this thing was, it got to the soldiers as well.

But there was no screaming at the camp, so it must have drawn them out.

I spotted a small hole and quickly jumped inside, not stopping to think about what could be in there. It had to be safer than whatever was chasing us.

"Lyra, are you okay?" I checked on my sister, worried when she didn't make a sound.

"I'm scared, Sera." She replied, her voice trembling.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Lyra. I promise." I reassured her.

We stayed hidden in the hole until the forest seemed normal again.

I stepped out of the hole and continued running. There should be a village nearby. I just had to keep going.

As I ran, I noticed the trees thinning out, and more wildlife appearing.

We had to be nearing a village.

I stopped running as I noticed everywhere was dead quiet.

"No, no, no," I muttered anxiously.

"Are you okay, Sera?"

"I'm fine, Ly. Just keep calm and shut your eyes tight, okay?" I reassured her, though my own fear was rising.

I searched frantically for a hiding spot but found none in sight.

Coming to a sudden stop, I notice a looming shadow as tall as a tree. It resembled a tree but darker and slimmer.

I ran towards it, hoping I could hide there, but froze at the sight of its glowing eyes.

"A shadow stalker." I uttered, trembling with fear.

Shadow stalkers are shape-shifting creatures that feed on fear and despair. They could sense the guilt and pain in one's heart, inducing vivid nightmares of their deepest fear, a method they used to claim lives.

This was what emptied the camp.

These creatures were often used to instill discipline in us when we were young. I never thought they were real.

"Lyra, no matter what happens, close your eyes and don't be afraid, do you hear me?" I instructed urgently, securing Lyra tightly to my back, getting ready to flee from this menace.

Despite the fear threatening to overwhelm me, I resisted, I wouldn't give this creature something to feed on.

I sprinted away as fast as I could, not daring to glance back and confirm its pursuit.

I ran as fast as I could but I wasn't fast enough to outrun a creature that floats.

It appeared in front of me, and I stood paralyzed, consumed by dread and panic as it drew near.

Its eyes glowed brighter from sensing my fear.

I was stuck there, scared stiff until I heard a scream from behind me.

"Lyra!" Her scream snapped me out of it.

"Lyra! What's wrong?!" I asked, panicking as I untied her.

"Lyra!" A surge of genuine fear coursed through me as I saw my sister's eyes bleeding black.

"Oh gods! Lyra!" I cried out her name repeatedly, feeling helpless.

"Take me!" I screamed at the creature. "Take me instead and let her live! Please, I beg you!" I kept screaming and pleading as tears streamed down my face.

"Please, I beg you! She is just a child! Please take me and spare her!" I pleaded.

Why was nothing happening to me? I was the one feeling all the pain and guilt, not Lyra. So why was nothing happening to me?

I kept pleading with the creature but it fell on deaf ears.

Suddenly, Lyra stopped screaming,and her body went limp.

"No, no, no," I repeated, shaking my sister, but she remained lifeless.

"No! No! Lyra, no!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs holding onto her lifeless body.

"Please, I beg you, take me instead! Spare her, please! I beg you!" I kept shouting, my voice echoing through the empty woods as the creature had vanished.

"Lyra, no! Please don't leave me! I will take you anywhere you want to go! I would take you somewhere where you could see the sun again! Please just don't leave me!" I cried out, hoping against hope for a miracle. But my sister remained dead.

"Ahhhhh!!" A primal scream escaped my lips, resonating through the forest.

Lyra was gone, and I was left all alone in this world. The gods, they are so cruel. How could they take everyone I love away from me?

I sat there, tears streaming down my face, holding onto my sister one last time.

Standing up, I sought a suitable spot and began digging with my bare hands to lay my sister to rest.

I couldn't bury my father, or mother, or brother, but at least I could bury my sister.

I gently placed her in the hole, holding onto her tightly as tears flowed uncontrollably.

"May the moon goddess's light illuminate your path to the underworld, where shadows dance in eternal embrace." I whispered softly.

"May the god of the underworld welcome your soul. In the realm of darkness, may your spirit find peace, fragmented yet whole in the cosmic tapestry. As the night whispers your name, may your essence linger in the starlit void, a fragment of eternity's embrace. "

"I love you so much, Ly." I kissed her forehead as my voice shook. "I will love you to the moon and back. " With a heavy heart, I let her be and covered her.

Sitting by her grave, tears flowing freely, a distant howl pierced the silence.

Driven by fear, I ran. I ran and ran until my legs couldn't carry me anymore.

Reaching a lake, my racing thoughts slowed.

Why was I running? Why was I trying so hard to survive when everything had been taken away from me? I had no way to go, and no one to go to. So what's the point of living?

Alone and lost, I stepped into the water, its cold touch a sharp contrast to my numb emotions.

I walked to the deepest part of the lake and just stood there and wept silently.

Drowned in sadness, memories of laughter and love with my family rushed in.

We were the perfect family. We weren't rich, but we were happy.

We were happy, until this war came and ruined everything.

I dunked my head in the water and stayed like that. The water rushed into my lungs, but I didn't pull out.

I remembered my mother's beautiful smile whenever my father got her the tiniest of gifts. I thought of how happy I was when Lyra blurted out her first word. I thought about how proud my father always was of me for the littlest things. I thought about how I always had a smile plastered on my face when my brother carried me around on his shoulders.

A faint smile played on my lips as the water filled my lungs and fogged my mind.

"I will see you again, Lyra." I thought to myself.

As darkness enveloped me, I held onto that thought.