Nova was still dumbfounded after learning everything. She’s sitting on her bed while Nadine was just watching her every move. She understands the feeling, as she was like that before the first time she was here in Luminary. But the thing that she never understands is that...

“How come you didn’t know?” Nadine curiously asked. Nova looked at her, confused. 

“What do you mean? Are we supposed to know we’re dead?” 

“I mean, yeah, we should be. An angel should be there to fetch you from the hospital and get you here, right? In my case, Clay has been my angel. Did I mention that this is my second time in Luminary?” Nadine said nonchalantly. Nova just looked at her reaction. For a kid like her, she seems so calm despite being here for the second time.

“Why? Second time? That means you died twice. Are you okay?” Nova concernedly asked.

***

Year ago

“Nadine, come take your medicine; it’s 7 pm.” said nurse Mabel, who opened Nadine’s room, but she found no one. “Nadine?” she called, and when no one answered, she started inspecting every nook and cranny of the room, but her presence was not found. 

Meanwhile, Nadine was just in the hospital entrance waiting for her mom to come, just like she does every night, but since she started to stay in the hospital, she didn’t get to do this anymore. She looked at the dark sky with a few stars shining brightly and looked down again to the ground. Fiddling with the stones, she suddenly started coughing until it became harder for her to breathe, grasping her chest and losing her breath.

“Nadine!” She looked in the direction of the voice and found Mabel running towards her. Mable carried her and brought her inside, but Nadine had already passed out.

Nadine woke up with a bunch of people surrounding her, but only one person caught her attention. He was wearing a long black coat and just staring right at her. She smiled at him, his stoic expression softening, and he extended his hands to her. She didn’t hesitate, reached for his hands, and got up from the bed. 

As they walk together out of the room, Clay looks back and sees Nadine’s physical body lying  in the bed, surrounded by doctors and nurses trying to revive her. They held each other's hands, going outside of the hospital. Nadine stops, and so does he.

“What are you doing?” he asked. Nadine looked at him innocently and smiled.

“Waiting for mom,” she answered. Clay looked at the stars and back at her again.

“Let’s —”

“I’m already dead, right?” Nadine blurted. “Let’s wait for mom, then I’ll go with you.” 

“You’re not dead, Nadine,” he said, looking her in the eyes. “I assure you. You said you're waiting for your mom, right? Well, she’s not here yet; I might as well use the time for you to have fun. Let’s make a quick stop, then I’ll bring you back here. Okay?” Nadine softly nodded, and in no time, they arrived at Luminary. She then meets Kai and Solari, together with Axl. She gets to paint and meet Chia. 

She had fun hanging around and meeting new people, but there’s really one person who became her favorite. 

“Clay!” She ran fast towards him. She looked up and smiled at him. “Chia said you guys are angels; you guide souls like me. I want to be one too.” Clay froze as he heard those words from her.

“It’s a bad joke, Nadine; you can’t be one; you should not.” Nadine became silent when she saw his grim expression. She doesn't know exactly why, but she just said sorry to him. 

“Let’s go home. I bet mom will be at the hospital right now. Come on!” she said, grabbing his hands and dragging him, but he never budged. She looked back at him, confused. 

“We can’t. You need to wait for the 28th day here at Luminary before you can go back,” Clay explained. Nadine’s eyes quickly filled with tears. 

“You said it’s just going to be a quick stop.” She started sobbing. 

“Yes, yes. The day is just going to be quick, Nadine; trust me,” he said assuringly, and he wiped her tears. “Now, I just want you to enjoy here. I promise you that I’ll bring you back.” But despite those words, Nadine didn’t stop crying. 

“But I miss my mom,” she cried. Clay deeply sighed and looked at her, crying. He saw the deep forest across him and thought of an idea.

“You want to see your mom?” Her cries stopped, and she slowly nodded. “Then let’s go.” They walked together towards the deep forest. Then it was the first time Nadine saw the massive open well. She looked at her reflection in the water and reached for it, but Clay stopped her. “Just wait, Nadine,” he warned. Clay held her wrist. “If you want to see your mother, just dip your hands in the water,” he says, dipping her hand in the water. “And swirl it three times, counterclockwise.” 

“1…” Nadine started, “2…” her eyes became heavier, and the seconds went by, “3.” her eyes completely shut. She opened her eyes, but some light blinded her, making it harder for her to look. As she finally adjusted to the light, she looked around, and now she’s in a car. She looked to her left, and she saw her mom with a panicked expression.

“Mom?” Nadine called but received no response. “Your back,” she cheerfully said and attempted to hug her, but she just went through her mom, as if she’s a ghost.

“Nadine!” she snapped out, and the surroundings changed again, back to the forest. Clay looked at her concernedly, but all she thought about was what happened earlier.

“What just happened?” she asked. Clay frustratingly released a breath as he witnessed what just happened.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought you here. I’ll bring you to Kai.” Nadine just went into shock, but despite what happened, she kept coming back to the forest, and every time she visits her mom, it’s still the same situation. In a car, a panicked face... as if the time has stopped, perhaps slowed down. 

The 28th day came. It’s the day that she’s been waiting for. She looked at Clay and remembered what he always said to her.

“Do not follow the light. Do not follow the light. Let’s not follow the light, Nadine,” she murmured.

She deeply closed her eyes to avoid being enticed by the light. The ocean started to divide, making a path towards the light. While the others started to follow the light, Nadine fought the urge and tightly shut her eyes. She can now feel the light subdued; now she has started to open her eyes. The ocean came together again, and now she smiled and looked back. She sees Clay’s relieved expression as she successfully fights the urge. She ran towards him, but she suddenly felt light. She looked at her arms, glowing and slowly fading like glitter. 

“Let’s see each other when you get a lot older, Nadine. It’s still going to be me, I promise.” That was the last thing she heard from Clay before she flew away with the wind. 

She opened her eyes, still surrounded by the doctors. “Nadine!” Mabel called as their eyes contacted. She let out a sigh of relief. “It’s fine. You’re fine,” Mabel comforted. She saw her mother coming in. It’s the same expression and the same outfit she sees as when she visits her mom as a ghost. 

“You came for me,” she mumbled. Nadine closed her eyes and remembered her memories and the time she spent in Luminary. 

Another year came by, but for some reason, Nadine’s name became one of the souls Clay needed to fetch again for the second time, but this time, Nadine promised that this was going to be the last.

***

Nadine snaps back to reality after recalling those memories. 

“Yep, I’m fine.” Nadine smiled. “I promise to myself that I will never come back here no matter what. This will be the last time; I mean, I’ll come back when I’m a lot older,” Nadine promised to herself. “How about you, Nova? Was it Solari? Kai?” 

After hearing everything, she feels something odd. “I... I don’t know.” Nadine just looked at her. “I just woke up on an island with Lucas, followed some fireflies, and now we’re here, in Luminary.”

“You mean you just magically got here? No angels?” Nadine asked. Nova shakes her head. Nadine stood up and checked outside. She knows she might break a promise but this is her way to help a friend. “You want to know the truth?”