Before We Knew Novels & Stories

The night loomed between us, packed with the words we weren’t ready to say. And I had this awareness—I don’t know what, for the first time— This moment was getting away from us.

The bond between us grew stronger, fueled by love, forgiveness, and the unbreakable spirit of a family reunited. And as we stepped into the unknown, we knew that no matter what awaited us, we would face it together, ready to confront the secrets of our past and build a future filled with hope, redemption, and the unwavering strength of a family united.

Because we both knew what that had been. A message. A reminder. We see you. And they didn’t care that I was watching back.

"But what do we do, now? It's not like we can un-see all that. Or un-know stuff we didn't know about Mom and Dad, before." Vickie stared vacantly at the dark video screen, and as the wheels in her head spun, she answered, "I'm thinking."

A promise. For tonight, that was enough. For tonight, we could forget the world outside this room. But in the morning…the war would start again. And neither of us knew what we’d become by the end.

Something none of us were prepared for. And as the last rays of the fading sun hit the horizon, I knew we had just stepped into the beginning of something even more dangerous than what we had left behind.

We both knew the truth. If we didn’t make it to the Red Moon before sunset, we’d lose them both. And I wasn’t ready for that. Not yet.

How did I not see it before? He knew who I was when he approached me, the realisation slams into my chest. I don't know why I didn't think about it before. When we spoke it sounded like he knew more about me than he was letting on. It felt weird back then, more than weird but I pushed it out of my mind before it could fester.

Searching. He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well… you were taking too long, so I just guessed." A beat. "Am I right?" I swear my heart nearly bursts. I want to hug him. Shake him. Cry. He remembered. Not consciously, not fully— But his body remembered me. His mind remembered me. Something in him still knew me. "Yes," I breathe quickly, turning to Alex. "That’s what we want." Alex just stares at us—between me, between Hermes—with his lips pressed into a hard line.

Because this wasn’t something we could fix the way we had before. The ground split beneath us again and this time The territory didn’t recognize anyone. Not even us.