The Moon Never Chose Me Chapter 06

The Moon Never Chose Me Chapter 06

The storage room was empty.

The old cardboard boxes that used to hold my clothes and books were gone.

No sheets on the bed. No cup on the desk.

Even my scent in the air had faded so thin it was barely there. –

It finally hit my parents, slow and awful.

I never came back after the banquet that night.

I hadn’t been home for days.

For the first time, fear crawled across my mother’s face-real, ugly, undeniable.

Her hands shook as she pulled out her phone, firing off messages between panicked curses.

“Layla, where the hell did you go? You actually ran away over something this stupid?”

My father stood beside her, his face just as grim.

But he didn’t say a word. Just chain-smoked cigarette after cigarette.

No reply ever came.

My mother started to panic.

She grabbed my father’s sleeve, her grip tight.

“She’s never been the type to act out. This is the first time she’s ever left. She has no relatives out there, no friends. Where could she even go?”

My father clenched his jaw.

“What do I care where she goes? What’s the point of raising a kid who just runs away?”

But even as he said it, he was already pulling out his phone, scrolling for the school advisor’s number.

Just as he was about to dial, shouting erupted from upstairs.

Caelan and Maeve. Going at each other.

“So what if I put my black training gear in the washer? How was I supposed to know you were washing a

dress?”

“And why does Mom buy you clothes and not me? That’s not fair!”

Maeve’s crying got louder.

“I don’t care! You have to buy me the exact same one!”

Another fight. Over fairness. Again.

My parents exchanged a tired look.

And just like that-instinctively, automatically-they put the search for me on hold.

One went to calm Caelan.

One went to soothe Maeve.

It took hours and more money than they should’ve spent to barely settle the twins down.

My mother’s voice was hoarse from talking by the time Maeve finally stopped crying.

But Maeve still glared at her, unconvinced.

“Are you really going to look for Layla?”

My mother paused. Then she nodded.

“She’s still your sister.”

Maeve’s voice shot up.

“Sister? You and Dad already had me and Caelan. Why did you even have her? Now she’s copying us— running away like it’s some kind of trend. She’s just going to keep trying to take everything from us.”

Caelan, for once, was on Maeve’s side.

“You spoil her too much. She was never supposed to be part of this family. How could she ever be as important as us? She ruined our celebration. If you go after her, I’m not showing up to next month’s Youth Warrior oath ceremony.”

Maeve jumped in immediately.

“Then I’m not going to the Moon Crown Gala either.”

Hearing those threats, my parents barely hesitated. They promised to put off looking for me.

Because that’s how it had always worked. Every conflict got solved by pushing me aside first.

Only after the twins were happy did they ever have time for my feelings.

Late that night, my parents sat in the empty living room. Neither had eaten a real meal all day. Chapter 6

Back then, I would’ve already tied on an apron and had dinner waiting.

My mother stared at the cold kitchen and felt something crack inside her.

“Is this really the right thing to do?”

My father was quiet for a long time.

“We only ever planned for Caelan and Maeve. They’re the pride of Moonhart. Layla was always just an

accident. The twins can’t handle sharing resources with her that’s just how it is. And besides, with Layla’s personality, she’d never actually leave us for good.”

My mother nodded slowly, like she was trying to convince herself.

Then a crash exploded from Caelan’s room.