The Restart Eclipse

Eclipse destroys the evidence.

Michael's POV

I rummage through my bag of supplies as I glance over at Vanessa, who’s on the phone with Gregory's teacher. She's Gregory's legal guardian, and I can’t help but notice how well Gregory and my daughter Abby have been getting along lately.

"So, what are your plans for the weekend?" I ask as I finish packing up, looking at her with a smile.

"Gregory and I are heading to the zoo. How about you and Abby?" she asks, returning my smile while glancing up from her phone.

"Abby has a sleepover with her friends, and I'll be busy with work," I reply, just as the door swings open. Lunar walks in, making me instinctively reach for my mask, but it’s tucked away in my bag. I quickly glance at Vanessa, who’s already wearing hers. My heart races, and I brace myself for trouble.

“Hey, I’m not here to hurt anyone. Where’s Vanessa anyway? You two are usually together,” Lunar says, sounding calm, but my instincts kick in, and I step in front of Vanessa, just in case.

"So, what do you want?" I ask cautiously, still on edge. It’s been less than a week since the last red alert, so everyone’s on high alert.

"I need access to the camera footage from the daycare," Lunar explains. "I know you get all the camera feeds sent here, and I need to figure out how Eclipse got out of the playpen."

I glance at Vanessa, and with a subtle nod, she starts up the system to pull the footage Lunar needs.

---

Lunar's POV

I watch as the monitors flicker to life, and the camera feed from the daycare appears. I focus on the moment Eclipse escaped. To my surprise, I see him grabbing onto something and using it to climb out of the playpen.

"What the...?" I mutter, completely baffled. Eclipse is just a baby—how did he manage to do that? I quickly copy the footage onto a VHS tape and head out of the office, eager to show Sun and clear my name.

As I hurry through the building, I replay the scene in my mind. How did Eclipse even think to climb out like that? I can’t shake the confusion. When I reach my room, I leave the VHS on my desk and rush to find Sun and Moon. My bedroom is one of the few places with a VHS player, so I need to bring them here.

---

Eclipse's POV

Luno and Apollo are dragging me into another game of hide and seek, so I slip into Lunar’s bedroom to hide. As I search for a spot, I notice a VHS tape sitting on the desk. My heart sinks when I see the date on the label—it’s the footage of me escaping from the daycare.

Panic washes over me. If anyone sees what really happened, they’ll know, and I can’t risk that. I still don’t trust anyone here. Without hesitation, I grab the tape and tear it apart, destroying the footage beyond repair.

I feel a pang of guilt knowing this will get Lunar in trouble, but the fear of being discovered, of possibly dying again, is too much. I don’t know if I’ll even have another chance to survive if that happens.

With the tape ruined, I slip out of Lunar’s room and find another hiding spot, hoping no one realizes what I’ve done.

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Lunar's POV

I drag Sun into my room, eager to show him the footage and prove my innocence, but when I get there, the VHS tape is destroyed.

"No, no, no..." I mutter, picking up the remnants. It’s unsalvageable. I was sure the tape was fine when I left. How did this happen?

---

Sun's POV

I stand there, watching Lunar, wondering why he dragged me away from my work, just to show me a broken tape.

“Lunar, I know you want to prove yourself, but Moon was right. You need more time to practice. Stop pretending everything is fine when it’s not,” I say, turning to leave. He’s a good kid, but he’s still learning. I’ll check in on him later and remind him it’s not his fault—but he still has a lot to learn.

“Wait, Sun, I can explain!” Lunar calls after me, sounding desperate, but I’ve already made up my mind. He’s got potential, but he needs to figure things out on his own.

As I walk out of his room, I remind myself that he’ll get there eventually. He just needs time.