"Haa!" Luna gasped, catching her breath as she awoke on a wooden bench in the training grounds. A strange snowstorm swept across the area, the wind tangling her pink hair, pulling it toward the white-haired girl at the center.
The girl's sword danced , a sharp vertical cut melting into a smooth horizontal sweep, the two strokes meeting in a quick thrust.
Without pause, she carved an 'X' through the air, then spun, her blade rising and falling in seamless arcs.
Her white dress swayed like leaves in a gentle breeze, each fold gliding with her movements. With a lift of her sword toward the sky, she traced a circle, dropped low, and spun , a rush of snow and wind surging toward Luna.
Luna stared in awe, the beauty and precision of her art kept her captivated.
Jolting out of it, Luna glanced left and right, beside the training ground and few wooden benches around there was only a plane filled with snow, and far into the distance visibility was obstructed by the raging snow storm.
Luna gazed into the far distance, where a faint silhouette emerged through the storm , a statue of someone with long hair and intricate armor, a sword held before them, its tip aimed toward some unseen point on the horizon.
Just as she leaned back against the wooden bench, a sword came hurtling through her vision, blocking the statue from view. Its polished steel reflected not her own face, but a skull.
With a sharp thud, the blade buried itself into the bench's support, the eerie reflection still lingering.
Startled, Luna turned her head. Standing right before her was a white-haired girl, her expression oddly gentle, as if careful not to frighten her. Her long, beautiful hair swayed untouched by the raging snowstorm. She reached out, patting Luna's head before drawing her into a soft embrace against her stomach.
Confused, eyes wide, Luna tilted her head upward to glimpse her face , but there was nothing. Only a black void… and a warm smile.
The girl stepped back, tracing glowing letters into the air: This is a gift from me to you.
Then, extending one finger, she touched Luna's forehead where the snowflake mark lay. The mark glimmered faintly, then faded just as quickly.
Luna blinked rapidly, watching the girl turn and run toward the statue. As she did, the sword's reflection returned to normal.
The girl climbed to the statue's head before vanishing into the storm.
I saw her smile… Luna thought, awestruck. She sat back down, expecting the dream to end. But the minutes passed, and nothing changed.
Mmm? What? Why am I not waking up?
She looked around , the storm still howled.
Maybe…
The thought pushed her to her feet. She hurried toward the place where the white-haired girl had disappeared, careful on the slick ground, until she stood at the statue's base.
It was enormous , easily ten times her height! A woman clad in ornate armor, long hair frozen in a wind-swept arc, her sword pointing ahead as if marking an enemy. Cracks lined the weathered stone.
Luna reached out to touch it.
In an instant, the raging storm vanished, replaced by a vast, silent plain covered in ankle-deep snow. In the far distance rose a mountain piercing the clouds, and not far from the statue stood a sparse cluster of pine trees.
Then , the world shattered. Dozens of cracks raced across the sky and ground, splintering reality before it broke apart entirely.
Luna plunged into a bottomless black void. Wind whipped her hair like a snapping whip, her dress flaring wildly.
I knew it… so that's what you have to do to wake up…
She slammed into the ground.
Her eyes snapped open , she was in her empty bedroom, lying beneath the white duvet.
Aisha was nowhere in sight. Sighing, Luna glanced down… and froze. A large patch of the duvet was soaked in red.
Blood!
She bolted upright, and droplets fell with her.
What?!
Her hand shot to her mouth. When she pulled it away, it was smeared crimson.
Rushing to the mirror, she saw it , blood all over her dress, her lips, and pouring from her nose and mouth. She glanced back at the bed. Half the duvet was stained deep red.
What…?
"Already?" she exhaled, the word slipping out with her breath.
No, no, no, no, no, it can't be this soon.
Luna's hand trembled as her gaze darted between her reflection and the bed. Back and forth.
"Doctor!"
She jolted toward the doors, but the memory of the aftermath stopped her cold.
Instead, she rushed to the bed, yanking the duvet out of place and shoving it underneath. Without a second thought, she leapt onto the mattress and reached for the closet to her left.
Throwing it wide open, she snatched a deep navy-blue dress, simple and proper, then hurriedly to put it on.
Wiping her hands and face against a pinkish dress hanging inside, she darted to the door and flung it open, only to nearly crash into Theo.
"M-My lady, what can I do for you?" he stammered, his tone anxious.
"Please, bring Aisha to me!" she urged, giving him a light push on the back to hurry him along.
"Yes, of course! I'll bring her immediately, my lady, please wait just a moment!" Theo replied, almost excited as he strode off in search of Aisha.
Luna shut the door behind him and sank into the sofa near the lit fireplace.
Leaning back, she let her eyes wander to the ceiling. The delicate flowery engravings above stirred a faint unease in her chest.
Ah… I panicked again, she thought, her hands trembling as she wiped at the fresh trickle of blood from her nose and mouth.
Luna exhaled, her breath curling in the air like a pale wisp of winter.