"Will you go back with me?" As Luna rose from Theia's lap, she looked at her
Theia's frown deepened, a faint, puzzled twitch pulling at her eyebrow. "Of course?" she said. "Why wouldn't I?"
Luna genuinely smiled at Theia and added, "Okay then, let's go." She grabbed the diamond-shaped stone with cracks like a plus in the middle, taking hold of the right top side and left downside of the shards. With a gentle pull, she widened the cracks.
From the cracks, a semi-transparent, jelly-like portal opened and hovered over the table.
Theia stood up and walked into Luna's arms, waiting for her to move. "So we're going?" Luna suggested. Theia nodded in answer, so Luna stood up and pinched the portal, sending ripples through it.
Luna looked back at the grassland, the paths, and the gate far into the land. She narrowed her eyes and thought, Gate, wait there for me! I'll be back soon to explore what you have inside!
Pulling Theia tight against her, Luna took one last look at the portal before stepping through.
***
A jelly-like, semi-transparent portal opened above a bed in Luna's room. Out of it flew the pink-haired Luna and white-haired Theia.
They fell onto the bed, bouncing once before coming to a stop. Both looked up at the portal as it closed instantly, and the gem slowly descended onto Luna's chest, above her heart.
"So this is the place you are living in," Theia said as she observed the room, committing every nook and cranny to memory.
Her eyes landed on the painting above the table. Pointing at it, she asked, "Who is that?"
Luna looked at where Theia was pointing and said, "It's my dad."
Hearing her words, Theia sat in silence for a few seconds, deep in thought. "Is he important?" she asked.
Luna sighed, glancing at Theia. "I don't know."
"Okay," Theia muttered. She jumped onto Luna's stomach, hugging her tightly, and tucked herself in on her lap.
Luna looked down at Theia and covered her with a quilt. She exhaled slowly and let herself fall back onto the pillow.
She stared silently at the ceiling, processing everything that had happened. She turned her head towards the open balcony window and saw the sun was in the same place.
So barely any time has passed? Huh. Oh well, that was fun.
Luna thought as she closed her eyes and drifted into the world of dreams.
***
Luna lay in a fetal position on a floating island over a void. Four figures stood over her on the four corners; only their silhouettes could be seen—three of men, and one of a woman.
One had a beard, one had violently shaped hair, and one had long, silky-looking hair. The last was a void.
Their silhouettes were unrecognizable; only certain things could be recognised.
The only female silhouette had a red lotus flower on her right shoulder, the only thing recognizable of hers.
The sturdy-looking man to the right had only one thing recognizable: a hammer on his back, with a wooden handle and a black metal hammer head.
To the right of the sturdy-looking man stood a man with sharp-looking hair, the only thing that could be recognised being a sword by his side.
The last man that stood over Luna had only one thing that was recognizable: a deep void from his body.
Luna opened her eyes, gasping for air, and looked around, seeing nothing on the floating island. Only the void surrounded her. She slowly got to her feet, looking around; her eyebrows twitched in perplexity.
Where am I? Luna thought.
Ah, another dream. But this time, there is nothing?
Luna walked up to the edge and stared down at the void. The emptiness seemed to embrace her with warmth.
She stepped back and crouched, digging into the island. She gripped the ground and, holding it in her hands, walked to the edge and threw it there, watching as it fell down, slowly disappearing and dispersing in the void.
Huh, I guess it's really deep.
Luna looked up and stared at the void, listening for anything, but there was no sound, no wind, no bird sound, no human sound, nothing.
She sighed and walked to the middle where she had dug a hole, crouching, hugging her legs as she sat and waited.
Seconds passed by, then minutes. Luna played with her hair, gripping it and pulling down.
Then hours passed. Luna gripped her clothes and scratched her skin till blood came.
Doesn't really hurt anymore, Luna added inwardly.
Then a day passed. Luna kept scratching her left leg and left arm over and over till flesh came out.
Then a week passed by, with a hole through her arm and leg. Luna stood up, her leg and her arm trembling, and walked up to the edge to stare down.
Looking down into the void, that embracing emptiness welcomed her again. Seeing that there was nothing else to do, she leaned forward and slowly tilted over the line.
She fell past the edge and fell down, falling.
Just as she turned midair, Luna saw a white-haired girl, her face unrecognizable, dressed in a white nightgown, staring down at her.
A simple sentence sounded in Luna's ears: "You really don't understand? You can't do anything about it. There is no escape; your end has already been written."
At these words, Luna placed her hands over her ears and closed her eyes, shouting, "Shut up!"
And Luna woke up in a bed with Theia on her stomach.
The white quilt she was under, the pillow that was white, the bed curtains around Luna that were white—all were now drenched in blood as blood dripped from Luna's mouth.
Luna looked at her hands and clenched them, wiping the blood from her mouth.
She tugged at Theia and asked, "Please wake up. Help me clean this mess."
Theia groaned as she pushed her body up with her eyes closed, muttering, "Okay…"
Theia rubbed her eyes, still in a daze. Then, as she suddenly woke up fully, her gaze landed on Luna.
Seeing the blood around Luna—on the quilt, the pillow, and the bed curtains, all drenched with blood—she looked at Luna, her eyes wide open. Her eyebrows twitched uncontrollably and her mouth was agape. She mumbled, "Luna?"