Chapter 1 — The Girl in the Shadows

 Luna's POV — Flashback

The rain had been falling for almost an hour, but twelve-year-old Luna Vance had nowhere to go.

She stood beneath the tiny roof of an old, closed shop, hugging herself as cold water dripped from her hair onto her torn dress. Her bare feet were dirty and scratched from walking through the streets, but the pain barely registered anymore.

All she could hear was Aurora's voice repeating in her head.

*Get out!*

Luna swallowed hard.

Her twin sister had locked her out again.

This time, their mother hadn't stopped her. She had simply looked at Luna with that tired, annoyed expression before telling her to stay outside until she learned how to behave.

Luna still didn't understand what she had done wrong.

She had tried explaining. She had tried apologizing. Nobody had listened.

So she had left.

The rain suddenly grew heavier, forcing Luna to look for somewhere else to hide. She spotted a narrow alley between two old buildings and hurried inside, wrapping her arms around herself as she walked deeper into the darkness.

At least she would be out of the rain.

She had barely taken a few steps when she heard something.

A soft groan.

Luna stopped.

She looked around the alley, her heart beginning to beat faster.

"Hello?"

There was no answer.

She took another cautious step.

Then she heard it again.

"Help..."

Fear immediately told her to run.But something else made her stay.

Luna slowly followed the voice until she saw a boy sitting on the wet ground with his back against a brick wall. He looked older than her, maybe fifteen or sixteen. His expensive clothes were soaked, and one hand was pressed tightly against his side.

Blood covered his fingers.

Luna gasped.

"You're hurt!"

The boy lifted his head. His face was pale, and blood ran from a small cut above his eyebrow.

"I'm okay."

Luna stared at him.

"You don't look okay."

"I'm fine."

"You're bleeding."

"I know."

"Then you're not fine."

For a moment, the boy simply looked at her.

Then, despite the pain on his face, the corner of his mouth lifted.

"You talk a lot."

Luna frowned.

"So do you."

A small laugh escaped him, but the movement immediately made him wince.

Luna's expression changed.

"Does it hurt?"

He nodded.

"Yeah."

She crouched beside him.

"What happened?"

The boy glanced toward the entrance of the alley before answering.

"I was going home. My dad's driver came to pick me up after school. We were almost home when a black car started following us."

Luna listened carefully.

"Then they hit our car."

Her eyes widened.

"What?"

"The driver told me to run."

He lowered his gaze, remembering.

"I didn't know what else to do, so I ran."

"Did they chase you?"

"One of them did."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

His voice became quieter.

"He caught me near the corner."

Luna's eyes dropped to his wound.

"What did he do?"

"He had a knife."

She covered her mouth.

"I tried to get away, but he grabbed me and cut me."

Luna stared at him, terrified.

"Then how did you get away?"

"I heard footsteps."

"Footsteps?"

He nodded.

"Someone was coming down the street. The man looked behind him and got scared, so he ran."

"And you?"

"I ran too."

He gave her a weak smile.

"I didn't know where I was going. I just kept running until I found this alley. I hid behind those boxes."

Luna glanced toward the crates nearby.

"You've been hiding here this whole time?"

"Yeah."

"All alone?"

He nodded.

Something inside Luna softened.She knew what it felt like to be alone when you were scared. She knew what it felt like to be somewhere nobody would come looking for you.

She looked at him again.

"What's your name?"

"Ethan."

"I'm Luna."

Ethan's eyes moved toward her bare feet.

"Why are you out here?"

Luna immediately looked down.

She didn't want to talk about it.

"My sister locked me out."

Ethan frowned.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Did you do something bad?"

Luna shook her head.

"I don't think so."

His gaze moved over her torn dress and wet hair.

"You're cold."

"So are you."

"I'm bleeding."

"And I'm cold."

Ethan stared at her for a second before a quiet laugh escaped him.Luna smiled too.It wasn't funny.Neither of them had any reason to laugh.But for those few seconds, the rain, the fear, and the loneliness didn't feel quite as heavy.

Then Luna noticed his wound again.

"You need help."

"I can't go to the hospital."

"Why?"

"They might find me."

"The people who hurt you?"

He nodded.

Luna thought for a moment. Then her eyes dropped to the torn edge of her dress.Without saying anything, she grabbed the fabric and pulled.

*Rrrrip.*

Ethan's eyes widened.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to stop the bleeding."

"You don't have to…and how do you know how to stop bleeding?"

"I know, because I have been injured a lot."

The scar on her neck caught Ethan's gaze but he kept quiet,he doesn't want to ask her about her scar.

She tore another piece of fabric.Luna pressed the cloth against his wound.

Ethan sucked in a breath.

"Ow."

"Sorry!"

"You said you were helping."

"I am!"

"You nearly killed me."

Luna frowned.

"You were already almost dead."

Ethan stared at her.

Then he laughed.

This time, it was a real laugh.

Luna couldn't help smiling with him.She carefully tied the cloth around his wound and sat back.

"There."

Ethan looked down at the makeshift bandage.

"You saved me."

"I just used my dress."

"Still."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver pendant.

Luna's eyes immediately settled on it.

"It's pretty."

"My mom gave it to me."

He held it toward her.

"Take it."

Luna shook her head.

"No. It's yours."

"I want you to have it."

"Why?"

Ethan shrugged.

"So I'll remember you."

Luna looked at him sadly.

"You're probably going to forget."

"I won't."

"You don't even know where I live."

"I'll find you."

Luna stared at him.

The words sounded strange coming from a boy she had met only minutes ago, but there was something so certain about the way he said them that she almost believed him.

The rain continued falling around them.

Ethan closed his fingers around hers and placed the pendant in her palm.

"I mean it."

Before Luna could answer, footsteps suddenly echoed from somewhere beyond the alley.

Ethan's smile disappeared.

He looked toward the entrance.

Luna's heart began pounding.

"Are they back?"

"I don't know."

The footsteps came closer.

Ethan quickly pushed himself against the wall.

"Luna, you have to go."

"But you're hurt."

"I'm okay now."

"You just said you weren't."

"I'll be okay."

Another sound came from the street.Ethan looked at her again.

"Go."

Luna didn't want to leave him.

But she was scared, and she knew she couldn't help him if the people who had attacked him returned.She squeezed the pendant tightly in her hand.

"Will I see you again?"

Ethan nodded.

"I'll find you."

Luna stared at him for one last second before running into the rain.

She didn't know who Ethan Blackwood really was. She didn't know that he came from one of the most powerful families in the city, and she certainly didn't know that the boy she had found bleeding in that dark alley would spend the next fourteen years remembering her.

All Luna knew was that, for the first time that night, someone had looked at her as though she mattered.

And she carried that memory with her long after the rain stopped.

Fourteen years later, Ethan would still be searching for the girl who had saved his life.And Luna would have no idea that the promise he made that night was one he had never forgotten.