Thirteen generations ago, two great orders of sorcerers foretold the rise of a mage who would conquer every world. To stop him, they created two complementary bracelets, destined for those who could rule the parallel realms.
***
"Luna, have you packed your things?"
She walked toward her room and opened the door.
"Hey, didn't you say there were only five pages left? Because from what I'm seeing, there are more than a hundred pages to go."
Luna leaned against the wall, a thick book in her hands. As if she'd been caught red-handed, she flashed her aunt a guilty smile.
She straightened up and said, "Wow, you're really trying to kick me out after seventeen years this fast? Fine, I'll go, but…"
She took her aunt's hands and continued softly, almost pleading, "You know I've been waiting almost two years for the new volume of this book. There are only five pages left—can I finish them?"
"Oh my God, you're going to drive me crazy. Fine. Just read until the end of this chapter."
Luna jumped into the air. "Thank you, Aunt!"
She sat back down and returned to her book. Reading fantasy novels always pulled her away from the world around her—into a place that demanded nothing but excitement.
Yet somehow, a faint sense of fear was always woven into that excitemen.
She turned the page, but...
"Oh—sorry, my dear book."
The paper caught on her bracelet and tore slightly. Luna adjusted the bracelet, which had shifted out of place. It was different from the others—an icy blue stone set into a white band. It felt like the only thing that still kept her mother's memory alive.
She closed the book and murmured to herself,"Maybe if I'd listened to Aunt Suzy back then, this page wouldn't have torn".
She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a peach. Aunt Suzy entered, her arms full of boxes, and said tiredly, "Do you really need to take all your books with you?"
"Yes."
Suzy sighed, then tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled. "So, are we taking you, or is someone coming to pick you up?"
"Someone?" Luna raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by someone? If you're talking about Sabrina..."
Suzy grabbed one of Luna's romance novels, stepped closer, and cut her off with a laugh. "Come on, Luna.I meant, like… some guy."
Luna took a big bite of her peach, snatched the book back, and said through a mouthful, "At this rate, I'm going to end up marrying this book."
Suzy sighed dramatically. "Alright, alright."
The doorbell rang. Her uncle had arrived.
Luna opened the door, grabbed a few boxes, and carried them to the car. As she climbed back up the steps, a message from her aunt popped up.
What's this? A location?
Suzy called her and said, "Since you're already downstairs, why don't you stop by your new place?"
"Is it far?"
"No, Tom will take you."
"Okay."
She walked to the car and opened the door. Her uncle smiled. "I think you'll like the place. Suzy told me how much you love fantasy books, so I picked a small house with a library right at the corner of the street."
"Wait—seriously?"
Luna grinned, excitement finally bubbling up inside her.
About twenty minutes later, Luna joked, "You picked my house this far away so I wouldn't visit you all the time, didn't you?"
"Oh, we've been exposed," her uncle laughed.
Luna laughed too, then spotted the library through the window. She pointed eagerly. "You go ahead—I'll walk from here."
She jumped out of the car and ran toward the library. But when she reached it, the door was closed.
She muttered to herself, "A narrow, dark alley… a mysterious library…"
Her eyes drifted to the small park behind the building. She walked toward it and stepped inside. It was small, but alive. She bent down to pick a flower—one with a blue center and pale petals—
Suddenly, someone grabbed her wrist tightly.
Luna froze, confused. She turned to see who it was, but he, wrapped in a black cloak, pulled away and ran.