Glass rained down like glittering shards of a broken sky. I hit the floor, heart slamming against my ribs as masked figures in dark uniforms rolled into the room with terrifying precision. Smoke hissed from small canisters they threw, filling the air with a thick, choking fog that stung my throat.
Orion was already up, shielding us instinctively, eyes flashing silver as he summoned a barrier of stone that jutted up from the ground. "Stay behind me!" he barked, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Leo pulled me back, still shaky from earlier but already shifting, his body trembling as fur started to crawl up his arms. "Who are they?" I whispered, but even as I asked, I knew. This wasn't random. This was a message.
The Eclipse Order had found us.
Orion then created a sword. He looked at Leo. "LEO! SHIFT INTO A HORSE AND TAKE LUNA OUT OF HERE!" "What will you do!?!?!?" I asked, worried about Orion. "Don't worry about me! Get out of here! I'll find you." Leo did as Orion asked while Orion ran to distract and defeat the Eclipse order. I got onto Leo's back and he ran out of there. I looked back at Orion and saw him fighting off the order and one of them nicked his arm. I looked forward hoping that Orion was ok. When we got officially outside I could feel everyone's emotions weigh on me at once. Leo found a spot where we could relax, set me down, and shifted back into human form. He wobbled a little. "Still getting used to that." he said but I could barely hear him. Everyone's emotions around me were flooding into me. I felt like a human magnet for emotions. Out of nowhere, I started crying and had no idea why I was crying. "Luna, are you ok?" Leo asked, sitting down next to me. I could barely speak through my sobs, I wasn't sure they were even mine. "Emotion, overload… again." I said, still crying. Leo nodded, letting me sort out my powers. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths trying to focus on a calm emotion to put ahead of all the others.
After a few minutes I managed to make myself feel calm again. I opened my eyes and looked at Leo who looked worried about me. "Luna, it seems like you're having a really hard time controlling your emotions." He said. I half chuckled and sniffled since I was just crying. "What gave you that idea?" I said jokingly. I then shook my head. "It's fine, I'll learn." Leo smiled. "I know you will." he said, hugging me. I then looked down at my feet and realized I had no shoes. "Damn it, I can't really walk without shoes can I?" Leo put his hand on his chin as if thinking then checked his pockets. "Orion gave me this incase of emergencies, we can buy you a new pair of shoes?" He asked. I nodded happily. "That sounds great Leo." He smiled back nodding. Leo then stood up and offered his hand to me which I gladly accepted. He helped me up and I put my arm over his shoulder. I still couldn't walk by myself because I would get random dizzy episodes.
We made our way toward the door, slow but steady. Leo kept one arm around my waist, steadying me like I might fall apart but not in a way that made me feel weak. I was thankful for him, more than I could say.
Outside, the air was soft and gray, the sky coated in low-hanging clouds. It smelled like rain, like the kind of day that makes the world feel quiet.
"I think there's a shop a few blocks down," Leo said, glancing around.
I nodded, leaning a little more into him as we moved down the gravel path. My legs still felt like jelly, and every few steps, the dizziness tugged at me again.
"Leo," I said softly.
"Yeah?"
"I… remembered something. In my dream. From when we were little. Really little."
He looked at me, his brow furrowing. "Like what?"
"Our mom. Her voice. I couldn't understand the words, but I felt them." I paused, trying to find the right way to say it. "She gave us to Orion. She told him to protect us."
Leo was quiet for a moment. Not doubtful, just processing.
"Do you think-" he paused, but I knew exactly what he was thinking.
"Yes, she did love us," I replied
He nodded, and we walked in silence for a minute.
We walked a bit farther in silence. A breeze danced past us, stirring the leaves. I glanced at the sky, feeling the faint pull of something, maybe the moon, even hidden behind clouds.
Leo grinned suddenly. "Once you get your shoes, we're racing back."
I raised an eyebrow. "You'd lose."
"Says the one who can barely walk."
"Exactly. Imagine what happens when I can."
He laughed, and so did I. And for a moment, everything felt normal.
Eventually, we arrived at the store, and Leo sat me down on one of the stools inside the store. The inside of the shoe store was small and a bit cluttered, with narrow aisles and wooden shelves stacked high with boxes. The walls were a faded cream color, and the lighting was warm but slightly dim. A faint smell of leather and old polish hung in the air. Shoes of all kinds, practical flats, worn boots, and a few fancy heels were lined up neatly, though nothing looked brand new. The store had a quiet charm, like it had been there forever, untouched by the rush of the city outside.
Leo found a sturdy pair of black boots and showed them to me. "Would these work?" Leo asked me. I nodded my head. "Yes! These will be fine." Leo smiled, then nodded, and he checked out with them. I put them on and felt much better. Leo and I walked out. Since I had my boots, he no longer needed to help me. Even though I was still dizzy, I could walk on my own." I was worried about Orion. I felt a connection with him that I had only felt with one other person: my brother, Leo. I knew it had to be related to the dream, but I had no idea why I felt this connection with him. I could tell that Leo felt it too because I could see worry all over his face. I put my hand on Leo's shoulder and asked. "Hey Leo, do you want to go to the Eiffel Tower? We've always wanted to go there." I said, forcing a smile on my face. He looked at me. "Yes, I'd love to. Let's go." Leo and I walked to the Eiffel Tower to finally be able to see it. When we finally arrived, we sat down on a bench in front of the Eiffel Tower and admired it for a minute. The beauty almost made me forget about Orion and how afraid we were for him. "Do you think Orion's ok?" I asked him while he was admiring the Eiffel Tower. He turned towards me then made a curious face. "Isn't that him right there?" He asked. I quickly turned around and there he was! Orion was coming toward us. Leo and I looked at each other and then quickly got up and ran to him. "Orion!" I said, looking at his face. It didn't even have a scratch on it. "How did you get out? Are you ok? Was that the eclipse order?" I asked. He chuckled. "All will be explained within time, kids." He said, tapping our shoulders. "Within time. Follow me." He said. Leo and I hesitantly nodded as we followed him for what felt like hours. When he finally stopped, we were in an alleyway, and he told us to sit down. I suddenly felt a wave of emotions coming from Orion.