Luna walked slowly up the stairs, the photograph of "TheObserver" burning a hole in her pocket. She felt the heavy silence of her room envelop her as she closed the door, a wave of frustrated disappointment washing over her. Her parents had shut her down, sealing off the truth with a simple, united lie about a distant relative.
Downstairs, her mother, Claire, immediately burst into worried tears. "Mark, she's so upset. We shouldn't have been so abrupt."
"We had to be" Mark replied, his voice firm but strained. "Every question, every memory, she digs up, is a risk. We have to keep her safe, Claire. She has to forget about that dream and that photograph."
Just as they were debating the best way to cheer her up without revealing any secrets, the doorbell rang, a loud, cheerful ding-dong that shattered the tense atmosphere.
Claire opened the door to find Chloe, Luna's friend (and Atlas's friend, unbeknownst to them)standing on the porch. Chloe was smart and observant and possessed a brand of relentless, awkward optimism.
"Mrs. Hayes! Hi!" Chloe chirped, holding up a greasy brown paper bag. " I brought comfort food and mandatory comic relief. Luna missed the algebra II exam, which is like a national tragedy, so I figured a large order of Fries of Forgiveness was in order."
Claire tried to muster a polite smile. "Oh, Chloe, that's so sweet of you. Luna's having a bit of an off day. Come in."
CHLOE: (Stepping inside, surveying the tense living room) An 'off-day'? Mrs. Hayes, this is Luna we're talking about. She defines 'off-day'. Usually it involves her arguing with a pigeon. This is serious. I saw her backpack was still on the porch. Is she having a deep existential crisis because she can't find her favorite pen, or is this about... the dream?
Mark emerging from the kitchen, stiffened at the word 'dream.'
MARK: (Clearing his throat loudly) There's nothing about a dream, Chloe. It was just a stressful morning. Exams, you know. High-stakes testing. The pressures of modern academics.
CHLOE: (Blinking slowly) Right. Because missing an algebra exam is exactly the kind of thing that makes Luna lock herself in her room like a tragic Victorian heroine. Last week she volunteered to clean the snake cage at the pet store. This is bigger than the quadratic formula, Mr. Hayes.
CLAIRE: (Waving her hands vaguely) Honestly, Chloe, it's just... adolescent intensity. You know how fourteen-year-olds are! One minute they're perfectly fine, the next they're obsessed with... I don't know.... handsome, green-eyed figures from a dream and demanding answers about history that happened before they were born! (She winced, realizing she'd accidentally said too much).
CHLOE: (Her eyes widening slightly, but her face turning mischievous) Handsome, green-eyed figures? Oh, is this about the mysterious, silent, tall dude again? She told me, he had an air of unsettling perfection. Like a mannequin that got an advanced degree in brooding. That's probably just stress, Mrs. Hayes. She needs a distraction!
MARK: (A forced, hearty laugh that sounded alarmingly like a strangled duck) Exactly! A distraction! You're perfect for that, Chloe. Just go up there and... talk about normal things. School gossip! TikTok dances! Anything that isn't ancient family secrets!
CHLOE: (Saluting them with a French fry) Say no more, Captain and Commander of Distraction! I shall deploy the full force of my pop culture knowledge. I'll make sure she forgets that whole morning ever happened.
Operation: Erase the Existential Crisis is to go!
Chloe bounded up the stairs, calling out Luna's name with exaggerated cheerfulness.