Trigger Warning: This chapter contains themes of manipulation, non-consensual actions, and emotional abuse. Reader discretion is advised.[1]
And so, walking down the path in between the massive trees, towards their home, Luna and Mytri walked in silence.
Luna kept her gaze fixed on Mytri's feet, afraid to look up at him, afraid she might anger him again. She watched his boots as they moved along the path, her thoughts spiraling in silence.
The quiet between them was deafening. The occasional chirping of birds only made the tension heavier.
Mytri walked with a deep frown carved into his face, his fists clenched tight. His eyebrow twitched with regret. Behind him, Luna fought back tears as they walked the rest of the way home.
What did I do wrong? I didn't do anything, I think. I just wanted to repay him, but what's wrong with me hunting monsters?
I don't understand…
Her tears traced a path down her jaw, dripping onto her white dress. She clenched her teeth as her vision blurred.
Did I hurt him in any way? No… I did something I didn't understand. Why? Idiot!
Why couldn't I keep my mouth shut? If I did, Master wouldn't be mad at me, and we would be talking our way back home. What's wrong with me?
Am I always this horrible? Should I just keep my mouth shut whenever we are around people? Is this why people act all around me with caution, is that why only my family, Aisha and Mytri talk to me normally?
Am I really a bother to everyone?
I am, aren't I? I'm a bother. But if I said that to them, would it fix anything? No. It would only make them hate me more…
An unknown female voice echoed through her head, whispering to her "You are horrible, you shouldn't have said that"
No! I am not that horrible!…
"You are, and you can't fix that, why are you refusing to believe such a simple thing?"
B-because that's not true!
"I know you better than you do, I know everything about you, you know nothing about yourself, laughable it is, You are a bother, so close your mouth and let people hate you, that way you'd free them from suffering"
N-no… That's not true, you are wrong! People love me! I am a bother but even if I am, people love me!
"How do you know that?"
Luna looked up from Mytri's boots to his back. He swayed as he walked, his mind fixed on a goal. He did not slow. He did not look back. His fist remained clenched, blood pouring from his hand and leaving a trail behind him.
Right… H-how do I know that?
Tears welled up in her eyes as she silently wept, her eyes becoming bloodshot and red, Luna's jaw clattered as everything she believed to be true was washed away by waves of doubt.
I don't know anything… sister, family no one wrote back to me, even after a month and a half, Luna gritted her teeth, Why! It took me at least half of that time to reach here, so why is there no reply? I thought my family loved me!
Do they even love me?!
"Maybe they did, maybe not, but to truly know that they love you, you have to possess everyone around you, you know that,"
B-but, that's wrong…
"Why is that wrong? Is it wrong to be entirely sure that people love you?"
….No…But possessing people feel… wrong
"It may feel wrong, because you were raised that way, there is nothing wrong with possessing people, you can be sure that they love you. Wouldn't it be easier if you never had to wonder again?"
W-why? What's so good about that…
"Everything, once you try it, you'll realise the true worth of it"
I don't know… I don't know… I don't know… I don't know!
"You don't have to."
I don't want it… I don't! Why…. Please stop, I can't. It's wrong, People will hate me, they already do, if… if I do it… they will throw me away!
"Then why not make sure they can't leave?"
I don't know! Leave me, I d-don't want you in me!
"Why? I am you"
Tears poured down Luna's cheek like a summer waterfall, No, I wouldn't want to possess people! You can't be part of me! That can't be me!
"People can deceive oneself in mind, but at heart they hold their deepest truest desires… Just try it, If you don't like it… I will leave you"
Luna bit on her lip as she looked from her hands to her boots, and back to Mytri back, she furrowed her eyebrows as she clenched her eyelids thinking, Will you?
"yes"
Luna's jaw was shaking as she fidgeted with her fingers, looking at her fingers and back to Mytri, over and over until a thought came across her.
Then… Once, just once… I will hate it, so leave me immediately afterwards…
A great burning pain shot through Luna's chest and her back, as an excruciating pain washed over her, she groaned silently as she covered her mouth with her hand,
See? I already hate it, my body is refusing it…
"Oh Luna, dear Luna… how terrible it is to see you deluding yourself…"
What do you mean… Hey!... Please tell me!
Luna called out in her mind but the voice ceased to respond, she gripped her other hand tightly to the point the as blood came out,
Just this once… I will try once… He will go… They will go, But how?
…I don't know… I don't know.
***
They arrived in front of their home, as the sun sank behind the horizon, Mytri walked up the stairs and opened the doors to their home.
Luna walked slowly behind him , she kept her gaze on the ground. As Luna stepped into the house Mytri walked into the kitchen and into his room, closing the doors with a thud, leaving Luna alone in the living room, the silence pressing against her ears.
But, how will I possess Theia? Luna thought dully.
And immediately an unknown female voice from inside Luna's head spoke "Don't worry, I will guide you, just do as I say and you will succeed"
I don't know… Luna added internally ,
"Don't worry, Lovely Theia already loves you almost to the brim,so no matter what you do to her, as long as she feels affection from you, you don't need consent. You just need to push on what she already believes, and she will fold like a paper, with some affection she will do whatever you want, just trust me," Luna's chest tightened. The voice didn't sound reassuring, but certain.
I guess… Does she love me? Luna asked but the voice stayed silent, she sighed and walked slowly towards their room, silently to not make any noise.
She opened the door slightly and with her teared eyes she looked in, she wiped her tears, somehow just by wiping her tears, any signs of her crying were not so visible at the first glance.
She walked in as Theia was asleep on the bed. Luna closed the door behind and walked up to her, looking down at her, heart pounding as Theia slept, unaware.
"Wake her up" the voice said internally.
Luna bent above Theia and tugged her by her shoulders,
"L…Luna?" Theia eyes blinked repeatedly as she rose up slowly with her eyes closed, she slowly looked at Luna, "A-are you back?"
Theia, still half asleep, barely comprehended what was happening around her.
"Sit beside her to your right" The voice added.
And so Luna did. Sitting by Theia as she followed her with her eyes, "What's… going on?"
Luna sat in silence as she watched Theia's face with her straight face, … Is everything going good? I don't feel like anything is bad…
"Now smile warmly and place your right hand on her lap, just above her knee and slowly go up to her waist,"
But, that's what I have to do… Right, I have to. I have no choice
Luna hesitated, but slowly smiled and let her hand rest on Theia's knee. Her chest tightened—is this right? The pull inside her head urged her forward. "L-Luna?" Theia asked as she blushed lightly.
Slowly Luna moved her hand across her lap towards her waist. Theia immediately blushed brightly as she was taken aback, startling her awake "W-w-what is going on, Luna?" , and Luna stopped as her hand touched Theia's waist.
"Now caress Theia's hair with your right hand, tilt your head slightly downwards and say 'You really are beautiful'" Inwardly the voice echoed through Luna's head.
And so Luna did, slowly caressing Theia's hair, as her eyes followed every movement of Luna's hand, her heartbeat picked immediately as her hand's twitched
Luna tilted her head slightly downward and said "You really are beautiful,"
Theia was speechless, her eyebrows and mouth twitched uncontrollably, she started slowly breathing faster then usual.
"Now, touch her ear with your thumb and index finger, and say 'Theia, please tell me am I beautiful to you?'"
Luna slowly caressed Theia's hair down to her ears, Touching it as the voice in her head instructed, "Theia, please tell me, am I beautiful to you?"
Theia jolted back, hitting the wall with her back as she looked at Luna and saw her gentle warm smile, almost theatrical smile, she wanted to ask 'What is happening, Luna?' but couldn't, the only thing word that escaped her mouth was "Y-yes" and immediately she looked away as she blushed
W-w-what? Am i, no… this is wrong, I cannot do this to her, I already know that she loves me! Luna pleaded internally but the voice insisted.
"You can't know it yet, you promised right? are you going to be a liar? it's no wonder that your family hates you…"
No… they… Luna gritted her teeth as she said Okay…
"Now slowly crawl on all four up to Theia and place you head onto her chest, hug her and say 'I don't know'"
Luna silently gritted her teeth and crawled up to Theia. Her face flushed as she hesitated, pausing for a heartbeat before shaking the feeling away. She rested her head against Theia's chest and wrapped her arms around her tightly, and with a stutter in her voice, she said, "I-i don't know…"
"Now don't give her time to thing, look up at her and ask 'Do you trust me?'" The voice said
Immediately Luna looked up at Theia as tears welled up in her eyes she asked "D-do you trust me?"
"L-Luna, what's going on…" As Theia asked, she noticed Luna's tears flowing down her cheek and burst out, "Y-yes! I trust you!" Her breath hitched on the verge of hyperventilation, her heartbeat a frantic drum against her ribs.
The voice with a stern and cold voice said" now immediately kiss her and keep kissing her until your breath lasts, afterwards place your forehead onto hers and keep looking into her eyes, pull her into a hug and grab her hips with both of your hands, and keep like that until both of you fall asleep, that should do to push her beyond the line,"
B-but, this feels wrong… if I do this… I don't think we will be the same… b-but if I don't I will have nothing… I-I can't, but… I have to…
Sweat poured down Luna's cheek as she internally added W-why don't I hate it?
She kept looking at Theia's face as she was deep in thought. Was I wrong? I should hate it, no… I can't possibly like the voice… b-but if I don't do this, she will leave me, like Master just did…
Luna immediately lunged forward and kissed Theia on her lips as she was startled and pushed her feet on the bed.
Theia groaned as she tried to push Luna away, she wanted to exert force but feared that she would hurt Luna "L-lua, pl stp, wy" (Luna, please stop, why)
But Luna tightly hugged Theia in response, and thoughts flooded Theia's mind, every time she thought that why possibly Luna would act this way, but every time she searched for the why,
"No! Niv why are you like this, you are Luna now, you can't have Niv's memories… how, that ritual… couldn't possibly, No, what if… you loved me back then, but never… showed it… ah… that make sense" Theia thought
But as constant thoughts flooded her mind, reasons and questions, something broke inside her, like thousands of glasses falling onto the stone ground. As she fully broke she let go of Luna and allowed her to tightly hug her, and both of them fell to the side onto the pillow.
Luna kept kissing Theia for a long while , until she ran out of breath and Theia kissed passionately back.
With a gasp she placed her forehead to hers and looked straight into her eyes, and without hesitation she placed her hand on the back of her hips.
"Let's go… to sleep, Theia" Luna said as she closed her eyes, tightly hugging her.
Did I do it right? Voice… hello?
Again… Why doesn't this feel wrong? I should hate it… but I don't. Is this really me? Or the only way to keep everyone near?
They will just leave me if i don't do anything…
Right… I can't turn back… anymore… this is what… I chose
Luna's thoughts slowly faded as she drifted into sleep, but Theia kept looking at Luna's closed eyes. She was unsure at first but a distant smile grew on her face as she warmly blushed muttering to herself "I knew you felt this way Niv…"
"I… I will do everything for you, If it's for you, and only you…"
[1] I mean, I thought you might need a heads-up. It's not really that bad, but my friend told me to give you a heads up.