A storm of invisible ribbons swarmed Luna—clarity and pain intertwining. She could feel her mother racing towards them before she saw her.

“Ansel, Luna, get down!” A flash of light—cold air bending to her presence—preceded the lithe lady who soared beyond the burst of running people.

She flung herself diagonally across the floor, simultaneously throwing her daughter and husband down. With not a single moment to waste, she motions her hand upwards and encases the entire area with wide glaciers.

“Naomi, what’s going on?!” Ansel shouted, coming to a halt when a high-pitched whistle grew near. Thunderous cackling. Deafening light.

“Brace yourselves now!” She demanded urgently, swiftly placing both her palms on the floor below, emitting layers of ice around all lancet windows as fast as a blizzard storm.

The power of the Moonlight husk and its wielder.

An overwhelming display of power, leaving them frozen in place.

But before the light consumed the palace, Ansel looked at his little moon once more. “I’m sorry.”

A single teardrop fell from his terrified glance.

And before the little princess knew it, it all snapped. 

A desolate void. Silent cries before the inevitable blinding flash. The darkest of white consumed all of her sight. The agony across her body pierced her soul.

The voice from before returned, whispering the same three words.

Facalor is near, and left as fast as it came. 

For what felt like ages, her senses returned, though at their lowest capabilities, it was enough for her to confirm her consciousness.

From what she could barely make out, eyes shut and unable to feel, she was being carried away from the distant warfare outside the castle. To think all this would unfold only a few hours before her ranking confirmation, for what could’ve been the remedy to such tragedy.

Her lungs gasped for air. The noise faded, but her body still trembled—her tears slow like ice.

“I-I’m scared…” She weakly whispered. As she wept silently, the hallucination of the sapphire eyes and the whispers felt as if they were connected.

Naomi clutched her daughter closer, her breath uneven. “It’s okay, sweetie.” Naomi gasped for air. “I’m scared as well, so hang in there for me, alright?” Her voice cracked, like glass about to shatter.

Was this all my fault? The thoughts came as sharp as pain– her sight flickering. She hugged her mother tighter, the pain growing. The fragmented walls were overrun by steel and dust. The glass displays—once beautiful—now lie as broken shards on the depressed flooring. 

“We’re almost there,” Naomi muttered, her breath quivering as ash stained her rich scars and royal attire. She repositioned her hand behind her daughter’s head, stroking her bristly hair.

“Where… where are we going?” The bleeding irked her, making it difficult to breathe, let alone speak, for her energy was short and limited, like the flicker of a dying candle.

“Wherever it is safe, far away from here.” Her breathing was unstable like a lost storm. "And if we come across the communications room, then we'll contact for help."

“Where’s dad? Shouldn’t he be here with us?” Luna desperately asked, crestfallen. She was still trying to make sense of it all, but nothing came of it. Her heart pounded so fast she thought it was going to stop.

Breathe, breathe… breathe. Naomi thought, hesitating to answer until she noticed her daughter’s downtrodden eyes. 

As she looked into her daughter's muted eyes, her heart broke into more pieces. Once shining diamonds, now dull gems, afroment of any vibrancy or joy.

“Don’t worry, he’ll catch up.” She spoke, forcing the words through a breaking tone. “He always does.”

“What…what about Ava and Kazai? They could heal us–” Luna violently coughed up a few drops of blood, momentarily losing breath.

Glancing at the crimson streams of blood on her mom’s left arm and leg, she decided not to worry her any further for the sake of her focus.

“This attack wasn’t just for us. It was a planned raid—our kingdom… and the city of Yokohama. I must assume… they went back to protect their–” Her sentence was abruptly broken by the trembling surroundings, a treacherous fracture all around.

The path forward collapsed, an eruption so intense that the smog blasted across them like a starving storm, engulfing them momentarily. Summoning powder snow from her palm, she swiftly pushed the intoxication away, slowly progressing the nasty clouds away.

Suddenly, a glimpse of a gem-like shell appeared. The Moonlight Husk – an ancient relic passed down through her family, one sworn to their care and safety – gleamed in her thoughts.

After a few seconds, the rapid exchange began to lower in volume. Though they weren’t always consistent, they were always sharp, for she had no experience controlling it whatsoever. 

At last, the warning had concluded and, in return, provided Luna with knowledge in the form of emotional turmoil. No, it's whoever is behind us right now. They must’ve had something to do with this hell. Luna thought– 

And then she saw him—the figure behind it all.

Wielder of the Crimson Husk…