Morning arrived slowly on Distantmoon Island.
Golden sunlight spilled over the ocean as fishing boats returned to shore. The sound of waves mixed with the voices of merchants opening their stalls.
Distantmoon was small compared to the great cities of the mainland, but it was alive with quiet energy.
Lanterns still hung outside wooden houses.
Palm trees swayed gently in the ocean breeze.
And villagers were already moving through the narrow streets.
Arjun walked through the village carrying two baskets of dried herbs.
“Morning, Arjun!” called an old fisherman from the dock.
“Morning!” Arjun replied with a smile.
He placed the baskets outside a small shop with a painted wooden sign.
Moonshore Trading Co.
It was his parents’ store.
Though his parents were traveling merchants who often sailed to other islands, they still kept a small trading house here.
Inside, shelves were filled with:
-
dried herbs
-
sea shells
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cloth from distant islands
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simple tools
Arjun pushed the door open.
A bell above it rang softly.
“Already working this early?”
Arjun turned.
The voice belonged to Lina, the shopkeeper next door.
She carried a basket of fruits and stepped inside.
“You’re helping your parents again?” she asked.
“They’ll be back in a few days,” Arjun said. “Someone has to keep the shop open.”
Lina placed the fruit basket on the table.
“You should become a merchant like them.”
Arjun laughed.
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“I think the world would lose money if I tried that.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“So what do you want to become?”
Arjun paused.
He looked out the window.
Beyond the village rooftops, the ocean stretched endlessly.
Far beyond that…
continents.
kingdoms.
unknown lands.
“…An explorer,” he said quietly.
Lina smiled.
“I knew it.”
Before Arjun could reply—
The door suddenly burst open.
A group of children rushed inside.
“Arjun!”
“Come see!”
“Something happened in the forest!”
Arjun blinked.
“What do you mean?”
One of the boys pointed toward the hills behind the village.
“Last night we saw a strange light in the forest!”
Another added excitedly.
“Like fire… but blue!”
Lina crossed her arms.
“You children probably saw fireflies.”
“No!” the boy insisted.
“It was big!”
Arjun’s expression grew thoughtful.
Blue fire?
That didn’t sound like fireflies.
Just then—
The shop door opened again.
This time slowly.
A tall man stepped inside.
His clothes were covered in dust from travel.
A long cloak hung over his shoulders.
And on his chest…
a silver emblem shaped like a crescent moon within a ring.
Lina immediately straightened.
“A Nilan Moon officer?”
The man nodded politely.
“Yes.”
His eyes scanned the room.
“Is this the trading house owned by the merchant couple who left three days ago?”
Arjun stepped forward.
“That’s my parents.”
The officer studied him carefully.
“You must be their son.”
Arjun nodded.
The officer’s expression softened slightly.
“I’m not here about your parents.”
He walked toward the window.
“I’m investigating something that happened last night.”
Arjun felt a strange chill.
“What happened?”
The officer turned back toward them.
“An unidentified energy surge was detected on this island.”
Lina frowned.
“Energy surge?”
The officer nodded.
“It appeared briefly near the forest behind the village.”
Arjun remembered what the children said.
Blue fire.
“Did you find what caused it?” Arjun asked.
The officer shook his head.
“Not yet.”
He paused.
“But strange events have begun happening across the world.”
His voice lowered.
“The Bloom Cycle is approaching.”
The room fell silent.
Even the children stopped whispering.
Everyone knew that phrase.
The Bloom Cycle.
The time when explorers began searching for the Shiv Seed.
The officer stepped toward the door.
“If you see anything unusual,” he said calmly, “report it immediately.”
Then he left.
The bell above the door rang softly.
For a moment no one spoke.
Finally one of the children whispered:
“…Do you think the Shiv Seed might appear near our island?”
Lina laughed nervously.
“That would be impossible.”
But Arjun didn’t laugh.
His mind kept returning to the children’s words.
Blue fire in the forest.
And the Nilan Moon officer’s warning.
Something was happening.
Outside, the wind shifted.
The leaves of the distant forest rustled.
Arjun looked toward the hills behind the village.
For a moment—
he thought he saw a faint glow deep among the trees.
Blue.
Just like the children said.
Arjun clenched his fists.
“Maybe I should take a look.”
Lina turned quickly.
“Don’t be reckless.”
But Arjun was already moving toward the door.
His heart was beating faster.
Something in that forest felt…
important.
Behind him the children followed excitedly.
The peaceful morning of Distantmoon was about to change.
And deep inside the forest—
the mysterious blue flame flickered once more.
Watching.
Waiting.
For someone to come closer.
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