there are places hidden from the mundane eye that only opens for the believers. many cliches have formed the idea that places like these are libraries or cemeteries where the undead have unfinished business. but the irony behind that isn’t so much as how simple of places these would be, but the fact that there’s only one. one as in, one place. when in reality, they’re everywhere. you just have to go through the gate to get to them.

her name is freya, and she’s the gatekeeper. but that’s what mortals would call her, all those who know of the unknown and speak the unspeakable call her for what she is, the twilight keeper.

for the few that have seen her, they claim she’s older than time but can appear to look younger than a child. and even after over centuries of her existence, only three facts about her are known to be true: her eyes are an ocean blue that holds more secrets than the water itself, only appears when the sun hides behind the horizon, but before the stars come out, and she’s bared only one child, with a heart of glass.

it’s been confirmed that the child's name is eve, but her whereabouts are unknown. it's been said that someone stole the baby from her crib, while freya was out working. others have whispered eve ran away when she was old enough to know about her mother’s work, and therefore vowed to never return. few dare to say that freya killed eve herself, so she wouldn’t have to suffer taking over the job one day.

nonetheless, every twilight, freya mourns the absence of her daughter. she sits by eden sea, the saltwater eve was born by. a place many say she use to love and live by, the salt making her feel alive. and while she drops pebbles into the water, freya sings the song of her daughter with a glass heart.

fragile you may seem,

with a heart filled by the sea,

but found you soon shall be,

come back home to me.

life is simply a collection of moments stolen by the beholder. and eve knew this better than anyone, for when you're heart's made of glass you pick your moments wisely and hold them close. however, there was one moment that was handed to eve, one she kept tucked away from the world. it was more of a memory than a moment, given to her from her mother. it was the only thing she knew or had that related to her. or at least, that's what she believed.

the memory starts with a woman staring at herself in the water. this was the perspective eve had, the one of the woman's. and in the reflection a pair of deep, dark, mystic blue that looked like eve's. and once the woman grew wary of looking into the water, she peered down at the child in her arms.

you'll be stronger than the others. those were words she thought but didn't dare speak out loud, for admitting the presence of strong power, especially in such a youthful being was dangerous. there were too many dangers lurking in the shadows and waters, waiting to steal the next much powerful creature and raise them as their own. and the memory begins to fade after the woman thinks these things and starts rubbing her thumb across the child's cheek. but before eve's thrown back into her present state, the child opens their eyes-the very same blue the woman saw in her reflection.

when she resurfaces from the memory, eve sucks in a breath and braids her hair into two braids. this memory fuels her to keep going and focus on searching for answers she's longed to know. by the time she's collected her gear and taken down her camp, the stars have fully emerged from the shadows and the moon lights the path toward the water. something she once trusted when she was younger.

but eve knows better than to go toward the water. her last encounter left her shaken and soaked to the bone, with fears too dark to mention and secrets far too vicious to think. eve no longer believes in the aid of the water nor the guide it once promised her. instead, she ignores the path as she's done for seasons now, and walks deeper into the woods. and although the moons takes allegiance with the sea, the stars have encrypted their truths within eve's soul. every so often they whisper their confessions with hidden meanings and wisdoms they know she'll find, so she can use them when problems arise.

there was once a little boy who wished on me, one of the stars murmured, giving eve an ounce of their power. and when we couldn't do ask he asked, he didn't stop believing in us.

"so tell me, queen serena, how do you live like this?" eve asked quietly, sitting her dagger on the ground. "persecuting those who commit treachery, even though they couldn't help it?"

there are always going to be questions people don't feel like answering, and those same questions it feels like they are asked the most. serena was queen, meaning for her, there were as many questions as there were stars and even more people asking them. but eve was different, it's like she knew queen serena didn't want to answer but asked her anyway, more for herself to think it over than anything. 

"i am queen," she said softly, glancing at eve as she said it. it was the only thing she truly knew how to say.

"but are you enough?"

these words were foreign to queen serena's ears, but known well as an old friend to her heart. audacity was an enemy to the people of her country, and so eve's words only further varied how she wasn't from here.

do you know what serena once wished for? one of the stars murmured, dancing on the ends of eve's powers, yearning to spill their desires within.

leave us alone. eve begged because for once, she didn't want to know the secrets the stars held. leave your exchange between the two of you, for it isn't for me to know.

oh but how the stars screamed for attention, bleeding their powers so eve would soak them in. this wasn't the first time the stars have spoken to her, but she wished it to be the last. eve realized not all secrets weren't meant for her ears, even if they held wisdoms and messages about finding lost things.

"eve?" queen serena called out, but her voice was distant to eve's mind. for eve's mind was occupied with the stars and their unwanted confessions.

she's begged for her daddy back. they breathed. but we can't raise the dead, so we showed her a favored memory instead.

she's screamed at us to take back what she said. they giggled. of course, we didn't give in. instead, we told her to forgive and forget.

she's wept for the sacrifice of those who's blood runs gold. they hissed, knowing this one would hurt eve the most. but we would never betray those who serve us well.

"you've asked for sacrifices?" eve cried out, grabbing her dagger as she jumped up. "turned back on those with golden blood, who can't help be who they are?"

eve knew what she was doing, that by lashing out about such things was also admitting she about them. it also revealed her source, for queen serena only confessed such things to the stars.

"so it's true?" queen serena shouted, standing across from eve. "you trade secrets with the stars."

instead of answering, eve pointed the dagger to her.

"you beg for mercy because you commit treachery! all the people of my country know it's forbidden to speak to the stars and draw power from them." 

a pale moon flashed in queen serena's eyes, and immediately eve knew. after silently thanking the stars for warning her, eve took a step back and opened her soul to the power and confessions she had moments ago try to keep from getting in.

"moonlight princess," eve said, the words poison and toxic. "you shall never truly be queen, you'll never be enough."

and then, she lunged.

why try so hard if we know how it's going to end? eve asked the sea quietly, knowing the stars would soon hear of her treachery. but it was day, the sun kissed her skin with sincerity and the wind blew the hair out of her face gently. for the moment, she was safe and protected, while still being out in the open. right now, she was youth and innocence and everything in between, which was what she needed.

we've missed you, eve. never leave us again, don't lose faith. and the sea knew better than to answer her question. instead, it washed seaweed onto the sand next to her feet.

and what have you brought me? eve was growing irritated, as the memories and thoughts of why she left the sea were quickly resurfacing. it was too abstract for her, even when she needed it the most.

just look closer, please. the sea begged, and the cool wave at her feet reminded eve of how kind it can be.

slowly, eve picked up the seaweed and held it closer. it was three strands of seaweed braided together, each a different shade of green.

one was the light green of the grass, reminding eve of when she ran through the fields with that village boy all those summers ago, back when she was naive enough to think nothing mattered besides love.

the second strand was emerald green, reminding eve of the one on queen serena's crown and all the times she was encouraged to try it on. she remembered the glint in queen serena's eyes and sparkled from the jewel on the crown, when eve let her name slip without the title for the first time.

as for the third, the darkest strand, it was the dark green of that evergreen tree during midnight that stood next to eve as she hugged the witch of dusk, the closest thing to family she'd ever known.

one for each of your most innocent moments, one for each of your biggest weaknesses. the sea began to pull away as it whispered the words, hinting at eve it was time for her to leave.