The world was being devoured by flames, entire forests crumbling to ash as the hungry flames raged. Countless worlds burned, kingdoms were toppled, and countless drops of golden ichor rained endlessly from the desolate sky...
The gods were dead...
And in the wake of their demise, a new world was born. Glorious forests rose from the ashes, kingdoms rose once more, and civilization continued to thrive, their growth seeing no end. The world of Astryss was ever-changing; it had changed once more, and if one were to look at it from above, all they would see was an existence so prosperous it could thwart the heavens.
This was perhaps the first time the world desired no change.
Walking along the pavement, Moon regarded the book in his hand with silent glee, disregarding the slight headache he had been feeling earlier. After so long, he had finally gotten his hands on the fifth volume of his favorite novel's comic adaptation. The story was long finished and awaiting a sequel, but it had gotten a comic adaptation in the meantime and would soon be getting a movie adaptation as well.
However, that wasn't the reason for his gloating.
The volume which he held in his hand contained his favorite part of the entire story. It was the part where his favorite character, and second lead of the story—the deuteragonist—defeated the villainess in an especially gruesome battle.
He wanted to open the first page, but quickly stopped himself, letting out a sigh as he turned to the side. His dull blue eyes reflected in the window of a nearby building, its glass slowly being encased in snow. His entire reflection was a hazy blur.
Winter had arrived, bringing with it the usual chill. His umbrella was already starting to get heavy from all the snow piling on top of it, and he could feel his fingers growing numb from the cold.
'I should have worn gloves.'
Well... then he would have missed the chance to be the first person to get his hands on the fifth volume's hard copy. His hands weren't going to freeze anyway, so it was all worth it in the end.
Smiling joyfully, he stopped by a cafe and took a deep breath as he walked in. The air felt much warmer, and most of all, it felt so quiet and relaxing. The cafe belonged to the aunt of a very good friend of his, so it was a usual spot for him.
Taking a seat, he didn't even have to place an order before a hot cup of coffee was placed in front of him. As he reached for the cup, he raised his head and looked at the young waitress who was gazing at him with an unusually forced smile on her face.
Moon's fingers paused just as they touched the cup, his voice tinged with concern.
"Is there something you're worried about?"
She regarded him silently as her smile disappeared, replaced by a subtle frown. Taking a step away from him, she asked,
"What makes you think that?"
He pursed his lips and turned to his coffee, grasping and lifting the cup to his lips. Taking a sip, he lowered the cup.
"Don't worry about it... Your smile just seemed a little dull today, that's all."
Letting out a sigh, Amber took a seat opposite him. Leaning back in her chair, she groaned and palmed her face, only stopping when she noticed his worried glance.
"Alright, you caught me. Happy now?"
Moon chuckled at her question. He didn't know if it was because of the face he was making, but a smile found its way to her face, though it soon disappeared the moment she stood up.
"Anyway... finish up quickly so I can close this place and go home."
Moon raised an eyebrow.
"This early?"
His friend adjusted her apron.
"I'm going back to my family for Christmas. Oh, and also, you might wanna start looking for a new cafe to drop by."
This time he was really concerned. Setting the cup of coffee down on the table, a frown settling on his face, he opened his mouth to ask another question. But she had already begun walking away by then, waving a hand at him.
"I'll tell you everything on our way back."
'Oh...'
Left in his own company, the silence suddenly felt heavy, and the peace he felt earlier was now replaced by a turmoil raging in his heart. Moon could not stop thinking about the words Amber had spoken, and in the end, he was barely able to drink half of the coffee before it turned cold.
Amber cleaned up his table. A few minutes after that, he watched from the side as she locked the cafe he had come to know and love for more than a decade. This certainly wasn't the first time he had seen the place close early, but it felt different this time.
Like a goodbye he wasn't ready to accept.
He stood completely still, unable to take his eyes off the humble building. Amber walked up to him and lingered for a while. Then she grabbed his hand and pulled him along.
Moon staggered forward, trying his best to keep his balance. He tugged on her arm slightly, prompting her to slow down so he could catch his breath.
Rubbing his hand, which was already turning cold, he asked,
"What the hell was that for?"
Kicking away a small pile of snow, she kept her face low.
"I just thought I would pull you back from your daydreaming... that's all."
Moon pursed his lips and looked away. Just as a few more flakes of snow fell on him, he stopped and turned back, his eyes widening in shock.
"What's the matter?"
"My umbrella. I forgot it back..."
Amber cut him short.
"We're not far from home anyway. I mean, it's not like you're gonna die from the cold or anything, right?"
Fitting his hands into the pockets of his jacket, he continued down the street along with her. They both remained silent, her gaze lowered to the ground while his remained fixed on the cars that flew by.
Eventually, though, they parted ways. They reached Amber's house, and she waved him goodbye before slowly walking past the fence gate. But just before she could reach her front door, he called out to her.
"Hey, wasn't there something you promised to tell me?"
She stopped, caressing the side of her neck with the tips of her fingers nervously. Pulling out her phone from her pocket, she reluctantly checked the time.
She seemed to be contemplating what to tell him, and only when she came up with an answer did she raise her head.
"Can we talk later this evening?"
It was a short and very simple request, but it carried with it a weight he quickly took notice of. Moon had known that his friend was out of sorts from the moment they met in the cafe, and now it seemed that she was having much more trouble holding back whatever it was weighing on her heart.
Perhaps it would be best if he just left her alone.
Taking hurried steps towards the fence, he strained onto his toes, looking over it to see Amber staring at him with a confused expression on her face.
He tried to sound as considerate as he could.
"You know what? Just take your time. Let's forget you were going to tell me anything anyway."
Amber simply smiled.
"Well, I've got too little time left to take it slow... Also, it would be best if you dressed as well as you can when we meet later in the evening."
Moon leaned heavily on the fence, straining to keep his chin above it.
"Erh, why should I dress the best I can?"
His friend shifted from foot to foot, her voice turning low as she tore her eyes away from his gaze.
"I know it will still be just the two of us, but I want you to think of it as something different this time. Like, you know... I guess I'll just tell you when we get there."
Before he could say anything, she rushed inside, leaving him completely alone. The winter did not feel as cold anymore, and he would have been sweating were it not for the chill. The last bits of strength he had suddenly left him, and his hand slipped from the fence.
He covered his cherry-red face with both hands and quickly ran home, Amber's words endlessly ringing in his head. And with each stride he made, it seemed like a litany of barely audible voices were whispering to him.
A few hours after that, he was standing by the road, staring blankly at his phone screen. He was dressed in the best outfit he could manage and had come dashing out of his house as fast as he could, though not without receiving a few comments on his clothes.
His mother had asked him her usual cheeky questions, while his father had simply flattered him. So, before his sister could return home and shatter what remained of his already bleeding self-esteem, he left home and found himself right where he was.
"My head hurts."
Yawning, he lowered his phone and took a few steps along the pavement when he suddenly gnashed his teeth and winced in pain. The ache had only been a mild throb earlier that morning, but now it had become so painful that he wanted to call Amber and cancel their date.
Sadly, his phone chose that moment to suddenly lose its signal.
It had all been so sudden. He had been just fine a few hours ago. But now he was reeling in pain, struggling to keep the myriad voices screaming at him at bay. Their echoes fused into a beautiful song of benevolence, one that had been etched deep into his being countless times over.
Pressing his palm against his head, Moon looked up at the sky.
'What was I thinking about just now?'
He strained to remember the thought, but only served to worsen the immense pain he already felt. Helpless, Moon fell to his knees, overwhelmed with the desire to shout at the top of his lungs.
And yet, in the end, no sound escaped from his lips. His jaws hung open as he collapsed on his back, darkness rapidly devouring the faint, smudgy view of the stars above. An endless wave of insidious whispers assaulted his mind, each voice as sweet as honey, as sour as lemon, and as bitter as...
Those whispers were his own thoughts—alien thoughts that he could not remember, yet belonged to him nonetheless. Sadly, he did not get the chance to ponder on these strange thoughts.
This time, a voice that did not belong to him wailed, a devilish screech tearing the silence apart and almost ripping his eardrums to shreds. He tried to cover his ears, but all he felt was pain in the left side of his chest and right shoulder, pain that made him cry out in agony.
And when he opened his eyes...
All he saw was a dark boulder falling right where he lay.