selenfall

Rey strode down the hallway, heart pounding. His instincts screamed at him to act. He stopped in front of the laboratory door, catching his breath for a brief second.

"Don't tell me she screwed up… again."

He slammed the door open with his shoulder.

"Huh… What the…?"

The lab looked like a war zone. Torn cables, sparks flying, smoke hanging thick in the air. In the middle of the chaos, Noah sat calmly on a small metal bed—looking completely at ease. Marie leaned over him, inspecting every inch.

"How do you feel?" she asked, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Uh… fine?" Noah replied, still a little dazed.

"Fascinating…" Marie whispered, pushing her glasses up with a finger.

Rey stood there, dumbfounded.

"Uh… What exactly are you two doing?"

"Oh, Rey!"

Marie grabbed his arm, barely containing her excitement.

"Come look at this."

She shoved a tablet under his nose. A blinking graph flickered on the screen.

"Look."

Rey squinted.

"I see… a '9.5'… dropping to '0.95'… And so?"

"And so?!" Marie exclaimed. "It's huge! His Eclat level was at 9.5. After the C-4 injection, it dropped by 90%!"

Rey stared at the screen, intrigued. Slowly, he turned his head toward Noah.

"That kind of level… on awakening?"

He took a deep breath.

"Marie… Can you give us a moment?"

"What?!" she protested, visibly disappointed.

"Please."

"Pff… fine."

On her way out, she snatched a small glowing orb from the table.

"What's that?" Rey asked.

"My toy. And nope, not telling you what it does. See ya!"

She vanished as quickly as she'd appeared.

---

Rey dragged a chair over, flipped it around, and sat down facing Noah.

"All right, kid. You and me."

Noah blinked, still a little lost.

"I've got good news and bad news. Which one do you want first?"

"Uh… the good?" Noah mumbled, uncertain.

"Excellent choice. The good news is… you've become a Signed."

"A Signed? What's that?"

"Not enough time for the full lecture. You'll figure it out when a monster's in your face. But first… the bad news."

Rey crossed his arms.

"You awakened your conceptual Eclat… way too early."

"Why… is that bad?"

"Ah… I keep forgetting you're a rookie. Listen up."

He leaned forward, his expression darkening.

"Some years ago… a massive moon appeared in the sky. Gorgeous—stardust shimmering, violet hues, an ethereal aura. But behind that beauty… it was a massacre. Two hours of pure carnage. And then… nothing. The moon vanished."

He paused.

"The worst part? Afterward… most people forgot. Loved ones dead at their feet… and they just stepped over them like nothing happened."

Noah frowned.

"Wait… What? Are you messing with me?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Rey replied, voice grave.

Noah stared at him, transfixed.

"And… what does that have to do with me?"

"You know… I watched my family die right before my eyes… and I forgot them, Noah."

He dropped his head, voice lowering.

Something tightened in Noah's chest.

"But… if you remember them now… maybe you never really forgot them, right?"

Rey snapped his head up, eyes gleaming with mock anger.

"How can you be so cruel?!" he cried, squeezing out a fake tear.

"Uh… I… I'm sorry…" Noah stammered, thrown off.

Rey burst into laughter.

"Ha! Got you, didn't I?"

"You're serious?!" Noah groaned.

"All right, back on track. The moon… we called it Selenfall. And it left scars. One of them… is the Eclat."

Rey raised his hand. A violet shimmer coiled around his fingers.

"That's the Eclat manifested."

"So there's… an inner Eclat?" Noah asked.

"Exactly. The Eclat's a spiritual energy. Ever since Selenfall, everyone's got it inside—but it stays locked away. Unless… something shatters your mind's barrier. Then it bursts out… and you get abilities way beyond normal."

"And the red moon I saw… what was that?"

Rey clenched his jaw.

"That… was Sangraveil. And—"

A blaring alarm cut him off.

The door burst open.

A young man rushed in, out of breath. Black coat, katana at his side, dark hair, crimson eyes, pale skin.

"Rio?" Rey called. "What's going on?"

"A lunar monster… just showed up… at the station," Rio panted.

Rey shot up from his chair.

"Damn it…"

He glanced at Noah.

"You're coming too. It'll be… good experience. I'll train you—on the field."

He tossed a small chip to Noah.

"Channel your aura into this."

"How?"

"Picture… a serpent slithering out of your body and into the chip."

"Seriously with the snake thing…?" Rio muttered.

"What? It works, doesn't it?"

Noah closed his eyes. Darkness enveloped him. A crimson light traced a path through the void. When he opened them again, red veins pulsed along his hand—as if his blood was trying to escape. His Eclat slowly flowed into the chip.

It instantly responded, forming a black coat over his body, snug fit—just like Rio's.

"Ha! Told you my trick always works," Rey said with a smirk.

"If you say so…" Rio replied flatly.

"Jealous…"

The three of them hurried out, eyes set on the station ahead.

To be continued…