In moments filled with quiet and gentle joy,
the village seemed more familiar than the arrival of the usually unwelcome rain.
The murmur of villagers exchanging conversations filled the main street.
At the same time…
in an upper room of Shon's house,
a clock ticked expectantly. It was spherical in shape, with a larger dial at its center and a smaller one inside it.
With cautious steps, Luna entered the room where Toki lay resting on the bed,
carrying a small bucket filled with cold water.
She sat beside him quietly
and replaced the damp cloth on his forehead.
She remained still for several minutes…
then gazed at his sleeping face, her expression wavering between faint anger and subtle sorrow.
Memories stirred within her mind, weighing on her chest with silent unease.
She took a deep breath
and gently held Toki's hand between her own.
Her eyelids lowered slightly as she whispered to herself:
"Can I truly feel? And what does feeling taste like?
Can I touch the sunlight and walk among people, even in the simplest way?"
She slowly lowered Toki's hand.
"Right…
I cannot feel what I touch, taste, or smell…
But you taught me how to imagine it instead of living it.
Still… can I continue like this?"
Silence filled the room,
while sunlight streamed across the space,
illuminating every inch of darkness.
The ticking of the clock buzzed with an unsettling rhythm.
Luna glanced at Toki's palm,
and her expression shifted slightly.
She formed a needle from her own blood at the tip of her index finger
and made a small cut.
But something unexpected…
happened.
A strange spark burst forth, shaking the atmosphere of the room.
Luna slowly opened her eyes, as though her breath had caught.
Beside her, she glimpsed a pitch-black void—
without surface or bottom.
Her spiritual body shimmered faintly.
Suddenly,
the void cracked like glass.
The fracture widened in a terrifying manner,
and voices began pouring out from within.
Screams… groans… murmurs…
An unbearable cacophony formed,
pounding violently against Luna's head.
She clutched her head in pain
as the color beyond the crack began to change.
A dark, crowded mass of distorted shapes—
grotesque creatures writhing in the void.
A fleeting presence… only for seconds.
—
Luna lay unconscious on a filthy floor.
Around her were stone walls
and prison cells stretching along a corridor.
Between each cell,
candles lit the ominous air.
Luna opened her eyes.
She rose slowly and looked around.
"What is this place?
Before…"
she whispered, staring into the candle flames.
Suddenly,
she heard a familiar voice that pulled her from her daze.
—
To be continued…
---
Author's Note:
One place… can it have hidden faces?