Novel & Cerita Half Moon Spectacles

Eyes glowing in the daylight. Eyes the shape of crescent moons. “Who are you?”

Mentions of wounds that won't heal properly, of something dark spreading through the territories. My hands shake as I return to my room later, the morning's events swirling in my mind. As I change for bed, my fingers catch on the small pendant I've worn for as long as I can remember – a simple silver crescent moon with a tiny flower etched into its curve. In the mirror, my violet eyes seem to glow in the gathering dusk. For just a moment, I see another face superimposed over mine in the glass – a woman with the same eyes, singing about moonlight and healing while mixing herbs in a moonlit garden. The vision fades as quickly as it came, leaving me with that hollow feeling again.

I took hold of it, and opened it, and was almost blinded by the light that shone forth from the box. I held up my hands to shield my eyes from the bright light that shone from the box. The light finally dimmed, and I was able to stare at the box and the content in it. In the box was the most beautiful silver necklace ever. It had an ethereal glow to it. For its pendant, there was a full moon, and in the full moon was the face of a woman. It was Selene.

Then Nyra and Selene stood face to face beneath the violet sky, hearts pounding in synchrony. The violet sky deepened to bruised indigo as Nyra and Selene stood within the shrine’s obsidian ring. Their daughters nestled in Kaelia’s arms blinked sleepily; Ryker and Caelum formed a solemn circle around the twins, their blades lowered in reverence. The moon’s waning crescent glimmered overhead, a silent witness to the covenant about to unfold. Selene reached into her cloak and produced a small silver mirror, its frame etched with twin crescent moons. She held it between them. “Mirror of the Moonborn,” she intoned softly; “reflect our truth. Bind our essence into one.”

A small mirror with a moon etched on its surface. And a thin black book.

Running in heels isn't that difficult, I must say. I held a small box in my hand wrapped with some shiny paper and yellow ribbon on top, the birthday girl's favorite color. The only present that I could afford for her was this handmade pendant that was her name molded with metal wire, with a rose quartz shaped as a crescent Moon, fixed on the top of her name's last 'A'.

On the fourth day, I gave up pretending. I stood in front of the tall mirror in my quarters, the one I’d once used to track the shifting glow of the moon in my eyes. I’d done this ritual since I was old enough to shape light, watching the subtle differences between a waxing crescent and a full moon reflected in the color of my irises. Tonight, the moon was almost full. My eyes should’ve been bright. Sharp. Silver with that faint outer ring that matched the halo around the moon itself. They weren’t.

"If you take more than fifteen minutes, we won't mind dragging you out butt naked." Iris shivered to hear such words while forcing herself lightning speed to finish her morning business. The moment her eyes landed on the mirror a silent gasp left her mouth seeing herself. There were eyebags, dark circles. Her eyes didn't have the glint that used to be. It took barely a day to drain out every single charm of her appearance turning her into a walking dead.

Hanging from the moon charms are silver initials: Z. I close my eyes and reach for a memory—any memory—of these bracelets. But there’s nothing. With trembling fingers, I align the two halves. As they click together, forming a perfect, glowing moon, the room disappears. Darkness swallows me whole. When it lifts, I’m standing in a lavish room. A single grand chandelier glows above, scattering light across the polished marble floors. Gold-framed mirrors reflect a space fit for royalty, but before I can absorb it fully, grunts echo through the room.

Before Annie could finish, Renee stepped forward and began picking up the scattered pieces, one by one, and adorning herself with them. A necklace, earrings, a bracelet, and a ring. "This is an entire set of jewelry. The centerpiece is a Victorian star embraced by a crescent moon. The crescent is encrusted with white diamonds and sapphires, each cut to reflect light differently, creating a soft glow. The star and moon shine together, close and inseparable." "As for the crown..." Renee removed the ring from her finger and gave it a firm pull. The small ring expanded into a circular frame. She then unfastened the necklace and connected all the clasps.