Under the Shadow of the Moon

Chapter 26

Luna was woken up to the sound of heavy rain hitting her window and the soft light of the setting sun breaking beneath the clouds on the horizon. It was strange being able to see it after so long, the melting colors capturing her attention and blurring all her thoughts. She knew the longer she stared at it the more her eyes would burn, but she couldn't help it. It had been almost six years since she had gotten a real look at the sun, even just through a window. Even now as it set over the horizon, bringing with it all the color from the sky, Luna couldn't tear her gaze away.

Although the window had always been there, she hadn't been awake during the daylight to cast a glance through it. Even if her eyes had opened enough to catch a glimpse of light, thick curtains were always drawn over it to protect her. This time she had purposely left them open just enough, in hopes of catching the rays before they vanished again.

With a sigh she stood up from the bottom bunk of her bed, stretching out slightly before stopping to stare at herself in her vanity mirror. She blinked back the sleepy blurs smeared across her vision, trying to pick up on every detail.

In a way she looked the same as she always had, stringy brown hair that was almost blonde, a nose with a bridge too high and visible for her liking splattered with faded freckles, and soft brown eyes. She thought she could see a glint in them that hadn't been there before, but she left it up to her lack of sleep. She found it was nearly impossible to fall asleep when her mind was running overtime trying to process all the information that had been shoved down her throat.

She pinched her nose, closing her eyes as a wave of nausea hit her. She leaned against the vanity to steady herself, taking in a few shaking breaths. She didn't feel much better than she had the first time she woke up from the Shadow Realm, but she was thankful that she at least looked a bit better.

Her head still felt unusually light, and her entire body felt numb. She resisted the urge to crawl back into her bed and sleep a few more hours, thinking better of it.

☆★☆

Although it was the beginning of summer, it didn't feel too warm. The helicopter blades sounded even louder this time, even through the large headphones covering Luna's ears. She was much more alert this time, her body buzzing with nerves. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, the thick sheets of dark clouds retreating. The sun was still out, and Luna was watching the pink and blue sunset as it disappeared behind the mountains.

When the helicopter had arrived at the crest of the mountain, all Luna could see was rushing water. The waterfall was miles in the air, and Luna felt an invisible hand grip her heart whenever she thought about both the height and the idea of having wings. She still hadn't fully processed everything, and she regretted not taking anything for her motion sickness. The last time she had rode in the helicopter, she had been too stunned to be sick, but this time around she was simply confused. Confused and dizzy.

As the helicopter flew above the water, Luna couldn't help staring out the window. As they descended, they seemed to pass through a hologram, disguising a landing platform as rock. She blinked, staring up above them. From the inside, the hologram provided a transparent ceiling, through which she could see the sky, as if through colored glass.

The others were staring up at it too, none of them focused on the task at hand. Luna almost tripped on her walk, Lloyd having to steady her.

They entered into the Conference Room, Cleo and Grant already waiting for them at the front of the room. As Luna came closer to them, she saw that on each chair around the table sat a black bundle. "Those are your uniforms," Cleo said as they stepped up to the table, waving a hand around her. "You'll need to wear them on missions and during training."