All Chapters of Luna Of The Lost And Forgotten : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

LyraWe didn’t leave the yard.Not really.Our bodies stayed there but our minds were already somewhere else, stretching toward a city that shouldn’t exist and somehow did.Kael was the first to move.He crossed to the low table near the perimeter wall, shoving aside a crate of spare parts to clear space. A map followed, then another. Ashland’s layout first, worn thin at the folds. Then regional charts—trade routes, old borders, territories half-erased by time and conflict.I watched him work, grounding himself through motion.I understood the instinct.“That was real,” he said finally, not looking up.“Yes,” I replied.He let out a breath that sounded almost like a laugh, though there was no humor in it. “Good. Just making sure I haven’t finally lost it.”Kyra stirred beneath my skin, pleased.‘If you had, it would’ve been far more dramatic.’I ignored her and stepped closer, resting my hands on the table’s edge. “We can’t wait,” I said. “If Warden’s Pass exists like that—if it’s acc

LyraMurmurs rippled through the training grounds long before the first strike was thrown.They moved like a living thing—soft at first, curious, then swelling as soldiers noticed who stood at the center of the field. Weapons were lowered. Sharpening stones paused mid-stroke. Conversations thinned into attentive silence as bodies subtly angled inward, forming a loose, expectant ring.Kael stood opposite me.He looked calm, almost deceptively so, his posture loose and unassuming, arms relaxed at his sides as if this were nothing more than a routine drill. I knew better. Everyone here did. Kael didn’t waste movement, didn’t posture for dominance. His authority lived in economy—in how little he needed to do to command attention.Rainclouds hung low above us, heavy but undecided.I rolled my shoulders once, letting the tension settle into muscle and bone. Across from me, Kael’s eyes tracked the movement with quiet precision.“Center your weight,” he said, voice carrying easily. “You’re le

LyraElrik stood there, blocking the path.Rain hammered down around him in relentless sheets, turning the grounds into a slick sprawl of mud and stone, but he didn’t seem to notice. His shoulders were squared, his posture rigid in that familiar way that always meant he was balancing ten thoughts at once and allowing none of them to show too clearly on his face.The young woman beside him was still in a way that felt deliberate, as if the storm had been given permission to exist around her but not touch her. Her hood was drawn back just enough to reveal a composed face—sharp eyes, observant, quietly weighing everything she saw. Including me.Something about her presence made my instincts prickle.Elrik’s expression shifted the moment his eyes landed on me. Relief flickered there—undeniable and raw—followed almost immediately by urgency.“Luna,” he said, his voice cutting cleanly through the sound of rain. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”I blinked. Everywhere?“I knew the last

LyraI was halfway down the stairs when I realized I was running late.Again.My backpack bounced against my shoulder as I hurried, fingers fumbling with the strap while I descended the familiar curve of the staircase, its polished wood cool beneath my palm. Sunlight spilled through the tall windows along the hall, dust motes drifting lazily in its wake, and for a moment—just a moment—I slowed, struck by how warm everything felt.The scent of breakfast reached me before I even stepped into the dining room. Something sweet, something buttery. “Morning, Mom,” I said, breathless as I crossed the threshold.She was setting the table, moving with practiced ease, her hair pulled back loosely, sleeves rolled to her elbows. She glanced up just in time for me to lean in and press a quick kiss to her cheek.She smiled, but it came with a look. “What took you so long?” she asked. “You’re going to be late for school.”Again was implied, if not spoken.I grinned and didn’t answer, already moving

LyraElsa stood before me, hands folded lightly, her gaze steady. “Eleven… no, seventeen years,” she corrected softly, almost to herself. “Before any of your… friends arrived. Before anyone thought to make this place anything more than what it was.”Kyra’s voice broke in, gentle but teasing. “Think about it, Lyra. How do you think the clothes you’ve been wearing came about?”I laughed softly, shaking my head. “Fair point,” I admitted.Elsa’s lips curved into a faint smile. Without another word, she gestured for me to step forward.She pulled a tape measure from the stack of tools at her side, letting it unspool in a gentle, controlled arc. “Let’s start with the basics,” she said. Her tone was casual, but there was precision in every movement.I stood, adjusting my posture at her slight prompts, holding myself in ways I hadn’t even realized mattered. “Relax your arms,” she murmured once, a note of gentle authority in her tone. “Breathe. Don’t think of me as a stranger with a tape.”I