Lucifer leaned back in his leather chair, the hum of the city outside barely breaking the silence of his office. It was the weekend, and the place felt emptier than usual. His thoughts, however, were far from quiet. Luna. The name echoed in his mind like a song he couldn’t get out of his head, a melody both haunting and beautiful. He had spent years looking for her, piecing together the fragments of information he had from her sudden disappearance. It felt like chasing shadows, but he refused to give up.

As he stared at the screen in front of him, trying to focus on work, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Without waiting for an answer, the door creaked open, and in stepped his childhood friends, William and Kyle.

"Working on a weekend, Lucifer?" William teased, his mischievous grin matching his carefree attitude. Kyle, ever the quiet one, leaned against the doorframe, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

Lucifer rolled his eyes, leaning forward on his desk. "What do you want? I’m trying to be productive here."

William flopped down in the chair opposite Lucifer, ignoring the comment. "You’ve been looking like you haven’t slept in days. Something’s on your mind."

Before Lucifer could respond, Kyle, who had been casually browsing through his phone, suddenly froze. His gaze shifted from the screen to Lucifer’s. "Wait a second. Is that... Luna?"

Lucifer’s heart skipped a beat. He followed Kyle’s line of sight, realizing that his phone screen had accidentally displayed a picture of Luna, one he had taken secretly back in college, when she was still full of life. He quickly snatched the phone from the desk, but it was too late.

William leaned forward, intrigued. "Luna? You mean the Luna you’ve been obsessing over all these years? The one who disappeared?"

Lucifer’s cheeks flushed, but he tried to cover it up with a smirk. "What’s it to you?"

Kyle leaned in, his tone serious but with a trace of sympathy. "You’ve never told us what happened to her. We know she’s the reason you’re acting like a lost puppy."

Lucifer shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the weight of his unspoken feelings pressing down on him. "It’s complicated."

William stood up and stretched, a grin spreading across his face. "Alright, enough with the drama. Let’s head to my bar. It’s on me tonight. Maybe a few drinks will loosen that tight-lipped attitude of yours."

Lucifer hesitated for a moment but then sighed. "Fine. I need a break anyway."

The three of them made their way to William’s Bar, a cozy, dimly lit place where they had spent countless nights during their college years. As they settled into a booth, the playful teasing began.

"So, what’s the deal with Luna?" Kyle asked, his eyes scanning Lucifer’s face for any sign of vulnerability.

Lucifer sighed deeply, swirling the drink in front of him. "She... she was everything to me. But after she disappeared, no one’s heard from her. I’ve searched everywhere, but it’s like she vanished from the world. There’s not a single trace of where she went."

William raised an eyebrow. "You think we could’ve helped? Why didn’t you ask us sooner? We’ve been here all along."

Lucifer shrugged. "I’ve kept it to myself. I didn’t want to drag anyone else into my mess."

Kyle, ever the pragmatist, leaned back in his seat. "Well, you’ve got two guys here who aren’t afraid of a challenge. If you really want to find her, we’re in. Let’s dig into this and figure it out together."

The warmth of his friends' support lifted a small weight off Lucifer’s shoulders, but a new fire ignited within him. This wasn’t just about finding Luna anymore—it was about uncovering the truth behind her disappearance, learning what happened to her, And maybe, just maybe, winning her heart this time.

As the night wore on, laughter filled the air, but in the back of Lucifer’s mind, the search for Luna was just beginning. Chasing shadows was no longer a lonely pursuit—it was a mission with his friends by his side.

"Tomorrow, we start fresh," Lucifer said, more determined than ever. "Luna won’t be a shadow for long."

Lucifer woke up early the next morning, the faint rays of sunlight creeping through his office window. The coffee in his hand felt like liquid hope as he stared at the papers scattered across his desk. The lead William and Kyle had suggested seemed too good to be true, but he had to try. His pulse quickened as he went over the details in his mind again.

One of his old contacts, a private investigator, had tracked down a possible sighting of Luna. It was a long shot—an unconfirmed tip from a small town hours away from the city—but it was the first concrete lead he’d had in years. The possibility that Luna might be alive and living quietly, hiding from the world, sent a mix of excitement and fear coursing through his veins.

"She’s still out there," he muttered to himself, his heart pounding at the thought. But even the thrill of the discovery couldn't fully banish the worry. What if the lead was wrong? What if she had moved on, not just physically, but emotionally? He’d been through the worst years of his life without her, and the uncertainty of the present seemed just as unbearable.

He opened his phone to check the details again. It was a small, remote town where she was last seen. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he read the message again: "Possible match for Luna." It was enough to send a surge of adrenaline through him.

Without hesitation, Lucifer picked up his phone and texted William and Kyle, his fingers shaking with anticipation.

"Got a lead. Small town. Possible sighting. I’m going. You guys in?"

It didn’t take long for the replies to come in. William’s response was immediate, as expected: “Hell yeah! Let’s go. I’ll drive.”

Kyle’s response was slower, but still in the affirmative: "I’ll meet you guys there. Don’t do anything stupid, Lucifer."

Lucifer grinned to himself, his friends’ teasing comments oddly comforting. They had always been there, and he couldn’t let this slip by. His thoughts went back to Luna—her laugh, her smile, the spark in her eyes that he hadn’t seen in so long. It felt like chasing a memory, but he refused to stop.

By midday, the three of them were on the road, the car speeding through winding highways toward the small town that held the mystery of Luna’s disappearance. The further they drove, the more anxious Lucifer became. It wasn’t just the miles that stretched between him and his past; it was the fear of what he might find—or what he might not.

They arrived at the town by late afternoon, a quaint place with cobblestone streets and small, tightly-knit houses. It was a far cry from the bustling city Lucifer was used to, but it had an undeniable charm. The people here seemed to move slower, quieter, as if they were holding secrets in their hearts.

"Alright, let's split up," William suggested. "You take the café, I’ll hit the local bar, and Kyle, you check with the locals. If anyone knows something, they’ll talk."

Lucifer nodded, his eyes scanning the streets. "If she’s here, I’ll find her. You guys check in with me in an hour."

With that, the trio dispersed, and Lucifer found himself standing in front of a cozy, little café on the corner. The warm aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods hit him as he stepped inside. The bell over the door chimed softly, and the elderly woman behind the counter looked up, giving him a curious smile.

“Can I help you, dear?” she asked, her voice kind but cautious.

Lucifer smiled back, trying to keep his nerves in check. "Actually, I’m looking for someone. Have you seen a woman—about my age, around 25, brown hair, striking eyes? Her name’s Luna."

The woman’s expression shifted, a hint of recognition flickering in her gaze before it was replaced with uncertainty. "Luna? I might have seen her around here a few times... She doesn’t come in often, but she did last month. Quiet, always sitting in the corner, reading."

Lucifer’s heart skipped a beat. "Do you know where she lives? Where I can find her?"

The woman hesitated, her hands wringing a dishtowel. “I’m not sure, dear. She doesn’t talk much to people here, keeps to herself. But you might want to try the old house at the edge of town. The one on Willow Street. I think she stays there.”

Lucifer’s eyes lit up with hope. "Thank you."

He left the café, a sense of urgency taking over. The house on Willow Street. Could it really be her? He had to know. He had to see for himself.

As he made his way down the quiet streets toward the edge of town, he saw the house. It was a little run-down, with overgrown vines creeping up the sides, but it had a certain charm. It was the kind of place someone might disappear to—someone trying to hide from the world.

Lucifer’s heart raced as he approached the front door. Was this really it? Was this where Luna had been all this time? He knocked softly, and for a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.

The door creaked open, and there, standing in the doorway, was a woman. She was looking down, her hair falling in front of her face, hiding her expression.

Before answering, the woman hesitated, glancing over her shoulder as if expecting someone else to appear. Her guarded demeanor made Lucifer question if she was hiding more than just herself.

As the silence stretched, a flicker of recognition seemed to cross her face, but it disappeared as quickly as it came, leaving Lucifer wondering if she truly remembered him—or if he had just startled a stranger

"Can I help you?" she asked in a quiet voice, her words barely audible.

Lucifer’s breath caught in his throat as he took a step closer. He couldn’t see her face clearly, but everything about the way she stood, the way the air seemed to change around her—it all felt like Luna.

He swallowed, trying to steady himself. “Luna?”

The woman’s head snapped up, her eyes wide with surprise. For a moment, she didn’t say anything. Then, her lips parted, and she spoke with a mixture of disbelief and hesitation.

“Who are you?”

And just like that, the chase had led him here, to the moment where everything was about to change.

Lucifer’s mind raced: Is this really her? What if she doesn’t remember me? Can I bear the pain of seeing her like this?

The woman hesitated, her heart pounding: Who is this stranger? Why does his voice feel so familiar, yet stir memories I’ve buried?