Selene Castielle opened her eyes very slowly. Her long, pale eyelashes fluttered like soft feathers. They brushed against something cold and sharp above her face. Thin lines of glass were cracked in all directions, ready to fall apart. For a moment, she lay still, unsure if she was dreaming.
A low rumble passed through the stone beneath her. She felt it in her spine. It shook the chamber, like the mountain itself was groaning in pain. Her chest felt heavy, as if something deep inside her had been asleep for a very long time. Her heart beat softly, like it had forgotten its purpose.
Then the ceiling above her broke open.
Stone split apart. A narrow beam of sunlight slipped through the crack and touched her pale skin. The moment it did, Selene gasped. Warmth poured into her body like golden water. She had been cold for so long that she forgot what warmth felt like.
Her fingers twitched. Her arms shook. A soft whimper escaped her lips as she moved her legs, each muscle waking up slowly. She sat up, every motion stiff and strange, like she was learning how to move for the first time.
She was lying in a coffin made of glass. Its surface was shattered now, pieces of it glittering like stars around her. The glass reflected her faint image—silver hair like a waterfall down her back, round eyes wide with confusion, and skin so pale it looked like porcelain. Her features were soft and gentle. Her small mouth trembled as she looked around.
The coffin rested in the middle of a stone chamber, deep inside what seemed like a collapsed mountain. Glowing symbols covered the floor and walls, but they were dim now, faded with time. Moss and green vines had grown over them. The air was thick with dust and silence.
Selene blinked slowly, trying to adjust her eyes to the bright light from above. Outside the broken ceiling, the sky was clear and blue. Yet something felt wrong. There were no birds singing. No rustling leaves. No voices. Only stillness, like the whole world had stopped breathing.
She sat on the edge of the coffin and lowered her bare feet to the floor. The stone was rough and cold. Her body wobbled as she stood, thin and fragile like a reed in the wind. Her gown, once fine and elegant, was torn at the edges and faded with age. But it was soft, and it smelled faintly of roses.
Selene moved slowly toward a large crack in the stone wall. Part of the mountain had crumbled away, and sunlight spilled through. Big pieces of rock had fallen in strange shapes, almost like broken teeth. Plants had pushed their way up through the cracks, wild and tangled.
She reached out and touched the sun-warmed stone with her fingers. It felt alive. She leaned forward and looked out through the gap in the mountain.
What she saw made her chest ache.
A wide valley stretched out below. But it was not the world she remembered. Broken buildings stood like skeletons. Roads were split and empty. Tall towers leaned against each other like tired giants. Black smoke curled into the sky from far away. Trees grew through cars and houses. The world was ruined.
Tears welled in Selene's eyes. Her lips trembled.
"How long... was I asleep?" she whispered.
She reached up and touched the necklace around her neck. It was still there—a small silver pendant shaped like the sun. It glowed faintly, as if it remembered her. She closed her fingers around it, holding it close to her heart.
Then, she heard something behind her.
It started softly. A shuffle. A dragging sound. A low groan. Her ears perked up.
Selene turned slowly. Her heart beat faster.
From the shadowy corner near the chamber entrance, a figure stepped forward. It looked like a person, but not quite. Its skin was gray. Its eyes were pale and cloudy. Its mouth hung open, and it made a sound like a broken breath. It moved like a puppet without strings.
More followed it. One had torn clothes. Another had a twisted leg and bones poking through its arm. Their movements were slow, but their eyes were locked on her.
Selene took a step back. Her soft hands trembled. She was scared. She had never seen creatures like these before. She didn't know what they were, but something inside her screamed that they were dangerous.
The first one reached out toward her.
"No," Selene whispered, her voice small and afraid.
Suddenly, a warm light sparked in her palms. A golden glow spread across her skin. In a flash, a beam of sunlight shot forward and struck the creature in the chest. It let out a horrible cry and crumbled into ash.
Selene froze. Her eyes were wide in shock. She looked down at her glowing hands, then at the pile of ashes where the creature had stood. She didn't understand what had just happened.
The other two rushed at her.
She covered her chest with her arms, too scared to run. A second light, brighter and stronger, burst from inside her. It spread out like a wave, lighting the entire chamber. The creatures were caught in it. They didn't even scream. They turned to dust and disappeared into the air.
Silence returned.
Selene fell to her knees. Her whole body was shaking. She looked at her hands, which still glowed faintly. Her fingers curled slowly. Her heart beat fast and wild in her chest.
"What... just happened to me?" she whispered.
Dust floated through the sunbeams like tiny stars. The smell of old stone and moss filled her nose again.
Selene sat there for a long time, breathing hard and trying to understand. She had no answers. She didn't know what those monsters were. She didn't know what had happened to the world. But one thing was clear.
The sunlight had saved her.
It gave her warmth when she was cold. It gave her power when she was afraid.
She was no longer the weak girl the world had hidden away. The sunlight loved her. It made her strong.
Selene stood up again. Her knees still shook, but she didn't fall. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and walked toward the sunlight pouring through the cracked mountain.
The light followed her like a faithful companion.
And Selene—soft, innocent, and gentle as ever, took her first step into the ruined world that waited beyond.