The doll lies inert, a weight of silence in her limbs. Luna stepped into the darkness, tapping her foot until it found solid ground. She placed her foot carefully, half-expecting a void, but the floor held firm.
Luna cautiously walked in, looking around, but she saw nothing but darkness.
The eerie mystery that leaked before now was gone. The room emanated a strong overall feeling that kept Luna wanting to come in.
But the room held the feeling of absence, like the doors that opened onto the winter land.
There was a void, and in that place, there was still something that could be felt, but it was as if it was disappearing forever, being replaced by that darkness.
This place was like that place, but with everything gone—as if something that had lived here was already dead. Luna sighed, walked up to the doll, and looked down at her.
She touched the doll's hand, awaiting a response, but there was nothing. The doll sat still.
Luna picked up the doll and extended her hands, admiring it.
She was beautiful, with her long silky white hair, deep red eyes, and the red lipstick on her lips, as well as the thick round eyebrows. Beautiful.
Luna glanced down at the daggers and pulled one out. The metal was silvery, and the handle was dark.
It's very shiny somehow. Luna thought
She placed it back and hugged the doll, and seeing that there was nothing to see here, she took the doll out of the room and strolled back to the living room.
I don't know why, but while I hug this doll, she really makes me feel at peace, as if someone is protecting me, like whenever Theo is near me.
That's that, but the doll is very pretty. Like I've never seen someone this beautiful… beside the painting girl, but those two people are really pretty.
Luna hugged the doll, holding it near her heart, and walked down the corridor with a smile, past the unfortunate doors she toured.
"I'll take you to my home. I'll play with you and take care of you. You won't have to stay here alone, like that girl from the diary, and I will make you happy, so that you won't feel lonely"
I don't know why, but those words flooded into my mind once I touched you… Luna chuckled at the thought of it and exhaled deeply, and kept on walking.
…
Luna opened the door to the living room, the place where every path she walked in the palace originated. With a doll held close to her heart, she hugged it tightly.
Luna turned towards the girl in the painting, who looked back at her. With a genuine smile, the girl waved.
She noticed Luna had found the doll. Luna beamed with joy at the painting girl's affection for the doll.
She picked up a tissue she had around and placed it on her palms, then showed it to Luna, gesturing for her to place her palm on it. Slowly, a bluish glow engulfed the tissue, as it always does when mana is in something.
Luna watched what the girl in the painting was doing and saw that she pointed at the doll.
Luna looked down at the doll and up at the girl, saying, "Do you want me to pour mana into the doll?"
The painting girl nodded enthusiastically, happy that she understood. She cheered her on while shaking a fist up and down with a cheerful tone.
Luna sat down on the ground, placing the doll with its back to her in front of herself. With her palm on its back, she closed her eyes, focusing on the task in front of her.
Remembering what the old magician taught her, she took a deep breath.
The mana went from her chest, up her arm, to her fingertips, and finally into the doll.
Just as she did, the doll's arm jerked. Seeing that, Luna stopped what she was doing and crawled back from the doll, watching from afar.
The doll's arms continued to jerk for a while and then stopped. Just as they did, the doll stood up mechanically.
Its joints groaned as it turned to Luna. Her stony gaze was replaced by a warm, loving gaze in her eyes, and it spoke up in a feminine, longing voice, "Oh, we'll meet again, Master."