The clock strikes two in the morning.

Moon finds herself wide awake in the deep silence of the house. She started examining the mission that she’d received earlier.

― Se sisterent.

Noira appeared, annoyed as she wasn’t used to being randomly called like this.

― What, now? It’s almost two in the morning… 

― Hey, hush, will ya? ― she glanced over Gray’s room. ― I need to see something back in my house… Lend me your eyes.

Noira huffed but promptly stood in front of Moon, opening her eyes and looking at the ceiling. A cloud of black smoke filled the room, in a circular motion around Moon, who had her head up, eyes fully black, getting a perfect and clear vision of her place back in the border.

She could see the place engulfed by darkness and, speaking in a low tone, she told Noira to search for her grandmother’s journal.

― Look for the page of finding someone…

As the pages flipped in front of her, soon her eyes caught what she was looking for.

― So many ways… ― Moon mutters. ― Guess we’ll do that one. ― Moon says, closing the book.

Slowly, her eyes got back to normal, and Noira once again materialized in front of her.

― We’ll need water. ― Noira said, taking a seat on the sofa and flipping through the contents that were earlier secured in the black folder. ― This is your first mission? ― she kept looking at the file.

― Yeah… ― Moon replied, coming back from the open kitchen with a big basin full of water.

― Do you know her?

― No. But it certainly looks like it’s someone important.

― She seems cool. I loved her code name... Countess. Sounds good. ― Noira chuckled, letting go of the file and making herself more comfortable on the sofa. ― I could find her, you know. ― she smiled creepily at Moon.

Moon carefully set the basin above the table, and pushed the chair out of her way, glancing at Noira.

― I’m not crazy, nor loud like you.

― You may not be loud, but you can be so much worse than me… ― Noira chuckled. ― Oh if people knew what actually lies inside of you, Moon.

― Just go, Noira. Abscondere se.

Noira was gone.

The dim light of the moon, coming through the window, shone directly in the basin, reflecting itself on the water. With her right hand, she put her index finger on the water, making circular motions clockwise.

― Recedant umbrae et lux revelare.

The water moved as if the table was vibrating but still was just water.

― Et lux revelare. ― she spoke more sternly this time, and the image of a woman pacing back and forth inside a hotel room was clear. ― Found you.

― Found who? ― Gray was suddenly behind her, with one hand resting on her hip and the other on the table, peeking at the water inside the basin. ― And who were you talking to?

― Ah… The one from earlier was… ― Moon stuttered; his body so close to hers was giving her a really hard time. ― That… that was Noira.

― Who is Noira? ― he rested his face on her shoulder.

― Why is it so hot in here? ― Moon thought, but then, it wasn’t the weather, it was Gray. And the touch. Moon inhaled deeply, and his scent made her regret. ― Noira is... a demon, attached to me… I guess...

Gray hummed.

― A little magic to help you find Ada?

The weight on her shoulder was messing with her heart.

― Could you stop whatever you’re doing now?

Gray chuckled in her neck; his breath only worsened the burning feeling in her skin.

― I’m not doing anything… ― he then pecked her neck.

― Gray, please… ― Moon felt that, soon, any self-control or consciousness would vanish from her. 

He chuckled again and pecked her shoulder.

― I don’t know how far will my father ask you to go on this mission. But, please, tell me everything… Ada is dangerous. She’s not an ally to us anymore. ― he then started to walk back to his room. ― Good night, love.

Moon stood there, frozen, trying to stead her breath. If only she knew that, despite rarely seeing each other, Gray was losing control…

She couldn’t sleep that night.

At six o’clock in the morning, Moon was already opening the pub; the place is usually opened by Barlow during lunch. It’s rare for them to open so early, but when it does, the regulars always come for breakfast. Barlow was an excellent cook.

For some odd reason, her heart had been beating erratically since she woke up; something was about to happen, she could feel it, but she couldn’t see what.

As she finishes her breakfast and puts on her apron with the pub logo to start another day, Moon goes to the counter waiting for the first customer of the day.

― Good morning, what can I get you? ― she says without getting her eyes off the screen.

― Two double espressos, and a… ― a man orders, and is soon interrupted by a woman.

― Latte, sweetened, please.

Moon freezes, recognizing the voice. She raises her eyes and smiles at them. Not a genuine smile, but the kind you learn when you deal with customers daily. ― Now, that’s a group I’d never thought I see. Anything else?

― For you to be gone. ― Bailey said smiling.

Artur sighed.

― Bailey, don’t start.

Just then, Moon sees another client coming in with her little poodle in a small bag.

― Ace! ― she calls her friend without taking her eyes off the trio in front of her. ― You forgot to hang the sign that forbids animals from entering.

As Bailey prepared to answer, Moon leaned a little over the counter, looking in the direction of the dog’s owner.

― Mrs. Thompson, I’ve told you several times that as lovely as Lily is, we can’t allow her in…

― Oh, honey, that head of mine... I'll take my tea outside then, all right?

Moon looked through the window; it was a bit chilly.

― How about that… Today, Ace will take Lily to a place where she can stay while you have your tea here, all right?

Mrs. Thompson nods with a big smile, showing all her wrinkles.

Moon then looks at the trio again, taking a little longer in Gray’s direction.

― Will you have it here, or will it be a take-out?

― Take out, Moon, please… ― Artur pleaded.

After Ace served their drinks, Bailey left first, angry, as usual. Artur followed but threw his friends an apologetic look.

― Thanks. ― Gray says as he picks up his drink. ― See you later, love.

Moon tilted her head.

Ace bit his lips.

― Love. ― he said while holding his laugh. ― Love… He called you love… Oh, love… ― Ace began dancing around her. ― Love is in the air… ― he sang.

― Stop. ― she threw a cloth at him. ― This isn’t even your shift...

Ace kept dancing and singing. Moon pushed him back to the kitchen, already annoyed.

― We gotta work, Ace. Go.

― Hey, what did you want to tell me earlier? You said you needed to tell me something, but you disappeared as soon as Barlow told us to go lunch...

― Oh, right! ― Ace seemed enthusiastic. ― I talked to Barlow about, you know, me wanting to open up a pastry shop… We made a deal.

― What deal?

― He’s gonna sell me the empty storehouse he has at the back for cheap… And, in exchange, he’ll be my co-CEO.

― That’s actually a good deal. How can I help? It’s not much, but I have some savings…

― I got it. Thank you. ― Ace smiled. ― But I’ll need your help with… decorations? I’m bad at it.

― Don’t worry. We’ll help. ― Barlow suddenly showed up carrying a metal mold with a big apple pie, the cinnamon smell filling up the whole place. ― This is all I know how to bake. It just came out of the oven… ― he looked at Ace and tapped the man’s shoulder. ― I’ll get that place cleaned this weekend. And I’ll take you to good furniture stores, with good pricing. Friends of mine.

― Thanks, man…

Moon wasn’t even listening anymore. She was already holding a spoon, almost drooling.

― Oh, I was dying for this pie… ― she exclaims, hurrying to get a taste of it. ― It’d be perfect if it was raining…

― You know… It’s not the first time you wish for it to be raining… ― Barlow noticed, then furrowed his brows. ― Is that his scent? 

Moon looked at him thoughtfully. It couldn’t be. But she remembered the party, and how she asked her friends if it was raining.

― Oh, that makes sense… ― she said almost in a murmur, suddenly feeling down. ― Damn it.

Ace starts laughing, even closing his eyes as tears run down his face. As he laughs at her, they listen to the pub door open.

The second her uncle calls her name, she gets up and as she barely turns around, she finds herself being pulled into a suffocating hug.

― I’ve missed you… so much… I can't believe I'm here… ― a young man said between sobs.

Moon stared at her uncle. She was petrified, every cell in her brain in pure denial. He was still at the door, smiling tenderly at her, nodding; Gray was beside him, both carrying suitcases.

She hated to be seen crying. Moon turned her head away, holding back the tears, and tightly hugging her brother.

It’s been over twenty years since she’d last seen him.

After a few minutes, her brother finally let go, face red and swollen from so much crying; she was sure he cried as well when their uncle found him. She wiped his tears and smiled at him.

She tried to say something, but the words were stuck within the tears she was holding back. Moon hugged him again, and all that left her mouth was “I’m sorry”.

Gray watched the scene for a while, before saying goodbye to Damion.

Moon spent a long time looking at her brother's face, recording every detail of him, every change that happened with his growth.

Gunner, now twenty-three years old, was taller than her.

His skin was a little lighter, and he certainly needed a haircut; his bangs were so big that they covered his eyes all the time. Ace offered to cut it later.

― Gun, where have you been all this time?

― With Aunt Lou.

― Aunt Lou?

― You must remember her… ― her uncle said. ― She was a friend of your mother's, the owner of that bookstore near your house... You loved to run away from home and get in there…

― Aunt Lou? ― Moon vaguely remembers hiding among shelves of dusty books, and the bookstore owner's dress bar, always bringing her snacks and saying that she would tell her mother she was fine. The girl started doing this when she turned eight. A year before everything happened.

― I heard that Lou went after your mother but only found Gunner, hidden under his crib. Afraid of being caught by the Cerdaville, she decided to run away with him. Lou was very smart, you know? She ran away to a distant city to the east and raised him like her son…

― And where is she now? Why didn't she come with you guys? ― Ace asked as if he were part of the family.

― Aunt Lou was very sick... Uncle Dam appeared there a couple of days before her, you know... ― Gun spoke softly, shrinking next to his sister.

― That's why we took so long. I don’t know if your father ever told you... But I kept my promise. I came back for you. ― Damion pushed a little blue package across the table. ― Oh, right, Moon, dear… We have a birthday gift for you. Consider as we’re anticipating it. I hope you’ll like it.

The package had been rushed through, which was expected of her uncle, who had no way of doing things delicately. When she cut the silver ribbon that adorned the paper, Moon took off a gold necklace with a half-moon connected to the chain at both ends.

― Your brother chose it. ― her uncle pointed to him.

Gunner timidly pulled a string from inside his blouse and the necklace was the same style, but with a sun instead.

― I’m sorry it took us so long to find you… ― Moon thanked him.

Now the tears were falling.

Like a cascade.