Moon Bound

Night had settled around them, the fire casting flickering shadows on the trunks of towering trees. The forest, though still and silent, felt less ominous with the warm glow of the flames dancing between them. The others had already settled in for the night, exhaustion weighing heavy on their shoulders, but Selene found herself unable to close her eyes. Not yet.

Instead, she sat with the boy, both of them staring into the fire. He was small, fragile-looking despite the weight of something ancient behind his golden eyes. He hadn't spoken much since their journey began, but Selene could feel the turmoil within him. She saw it in the way his hands curled tightly into his lap, the way his shoulders remained stiff as if bracing for an unseen force.

"Are you cold?" she asked softly.

The boy hesitated before shaking his head. "No."

Selene sighed, watching the way the flames flickered in his eyes. "Do you want to talk?"

For a moment, he didn't respond. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he said, "I don't know what to say."

She studied him, noticing the way his gaze remained locked on the fire, distant. "You remembered something last night," she prompted gently. "About a girl. About Iris."

His fingers twitched. "I see things," he admitted. "But they don't feel like memories. More like... echoes. Like I was watching everything happen, but I wasn't really there." His brow furrowed. "Like a dream I couldn't wake up from."

Selene felt a pang in her chest. "That must be terrifying."

The boy didn't answer, but the way he clenched his jaw was enough of a response.

She hesitated, then reached out, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. He flinched slightly at the contact but didn't pull away. "You're not alone anymore," she murmured. "You don't have to carry this by yourself."

The boy exhaled shakily, his gaze finally lifting to meet hers. "I don't even know who I am."

Selene smiled softly. "Then we'll figure it out together."

He looked down again, silent for a long while. Then, almost hesitantly, he asked, "Why do you care?"

The question caught her off guard, but she answered without hesitation. "Because I know what it's like to be lost. To not know where you belong. And because... you remind me of someone."

His head tilted slightly. "Who?"

"My sister," Selene admitted. "She was young when we were forced to run. Afraid. Alone. I swore I'd protect her." She swallowed. "And now I will protect you too."

The boy blinked at her, something unreadable in his golden eyes. After a moment, he looked away, staring at the fire once more. "I don't deserve it."

Selene frowned. "Why would you say that?"

He hesitated, then murmured, "Because I saw it all. The destruction. The pain. And I couldn't stop it."

Her heart ached at the anguish in his voice. Carefully, she turned to face him fully, reaching out to take his hands in hers. They were small, calloused, trembling. "You were trapped," she told him. "Whatever happened, whatever you saw, it wasn't your fault."

Tears welled in his eyes, but he blinked them away quickly. "It feels like it was."

Selene squeezed his hands gently. "You are not the monster that did those things. You are just a boy who has been through too much."

The boy stared at her, as if trying to believe her words. He looked so lost, so unsure, that Selene felt a fierce protectiveness rise within her. He needed something to ground him. Something to make him feel real again.

A name.

She studied him for a moment before speaking. "May I give you a name?"

His breath hitched, surprise flickering across his face. "A name?"

Selene nodded. "Everyone deserves a name. Something that belongs to them."

The boy seemed to consider this, his lips parting slightly as if he wanted to argue but didn't quite know how.

She thought carefully, turning the idea over in her mind. Something strong, but kind. Something meaningful. Then, suddenly, it came to her.

"Kael."

He blinked. "Kael?"

Selene nodded. "It means 'mighty' in an old tongue. But it also means 'reborn.'" She searched his expression, hoping he would see what she did. "You've been through something horrible, but that doesn't define you. You have the chance to become something new. Someone new."

Kael looked down at their joined hands, as if weighing the name in his mind. Then, ever so softly, he whispered, "Kael."

Selene smiled. "It suits you."

He didn't respond right away, but something in his posture shifted. The tension in his shoulders eased just slightly, and for the first time since they'd found him, he looked... lighter.

"I like it," he admitted, voice barely above a whisper.

Relief flooded Selene's chest. "Then Kael it is."

For the first time since she had met him, he smiled. It was small, hesitant, but it was there.

A name. A start.

As the fire crackled between them, Selene knew that the road ahead would not be easy. There were still dangers lurking in the darkness, still battles to be fought. But tonight, under the watchful gaze of the stars, she had given Kael something no enemy could ever take from him.

A chance to begin again.