Luna’s footsteps echoed through the vacant hallway, reaching the staircase to the top floor.

Each step felt heavier than the last, making it harder to walk up the spiral stairs. 

Sliding her hand against the smooth wall, she dragged herself to the room and shut the door behind her.

To her surprise, another Sister was inside her room, fixing her bed.

Luna panicked and stood up straight, quickly cleaning her face and hair. 

“Greetings, Your Majesty.” The maid bowed, lifting the sides of her dress. “I’m almost done cleaning.”

“Greetings to you too, Lux,” Luna replied, bowing her head ever so slightly, her smile arriving a second late.

“You actually remember my name?” Lux covered her mouth in excitement.

For a brief moment, Luna found comfort in the question and smiled.

“Why wouldn’t I?” She tilted her head in a playful tone. “Every single one of you came from me.”

“It’s such an honor, really.” Lux bowed once more, her mana adding a little more warmth to the atmosphere. “With how similar we all look, I thought I was another face in the crowd. In fact, I was one of the original thirteen.”

“Yes, I remember that too. You were the one who offered me strawberries when I woke up in the igloo.”

“You remember that too?” The maid jumped up and down in excitement, squealing with joy. “Oh my, I can’t believe this.”

And again, Luna’s body grew a little less stiff.

The room didn’t feel so dark anymore.

“Glad to see you in high spirits.” She said softly, leaning against the wall.

“Speaking of which, why do you seem kinda down today?” 

Luna froze for a second.

Her thoughts turned into a scrambled mess.

Until she remembered what she came for.

To breathe.

“I do?” Luna turned the scale to her facade, fixing her flair.

“Yes.” She stretched the pillows, stacking them neatly. “When you entered, you had these teary eyes and a low voice.”

Luna crossed her arms proudly, briefly flicking her hair.

“That’s because I’m sick.”

The combination of her gesture and words left Lux speechless for a second.

“But we’re all immune to the cold. I doubt it was because of the heat since there’s barely any sunlight.”

Luna realized too late, glancing around her room for something to bring up.

Her shoulders grew too heavy, and her heart beat quickened.

“I just remembered that I have some important business to attend to.” She blurted, her expression lagging behind a little.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Lux bowed once more before picking up her equipment, scurrying towards the door. “I shall take my leave now.”

“Have a great day, dear Sister,” Luna said as she held the wooden door open.

“To you as well, Your Majesty.”

Lux slipped past the door, taking the gentle warmth with her.

Click!

The door lay guard between the room and the rest of the castle.

However, it couldn’t do anything about the slithering silence.

Her room didn’t even make the faintest of sounds.

Luna just stood there, unable to keep her smile.

Her hand on the door, eyes peering at the doorknob. 

Not until a few seconds later did she budge, only slightly. 

She took her gaze off the doorknob and withdrew her hand.

A single tear grew from her cold eyes.

And for a second, it refused to fall.

“Everything’s going to be fine.” She whispered to herself, ignoring the teardrops' existence. “I can do this.”

She tugged herself away from the wall, her feet nearly sinking.

Grabbing hold of the frame, she slowly quivered to the side of her bed.

The center above her chest began to illuminate with a radiant glow, the only light in her room.

And with that, she let herself fall back onto the murky sea. 

Her eyes gradually succumbed to the urge to sleep.

Every limb grew limp.

And accompanying her departure, the light vanished too.

Luna sprang up from the heavy stream, soaked in brilliant water.

She drew her legs closer as she caught her breath, barely glancing at the stunning surroundings.

The vibrant skies and surrounding trees only seemed to irritate her further, little by little.

She kept her gaze on the singing stream, her expression as blank as a canvas.

Until she caught her reflection.

Splash!

She slammed her fists into the water relentlessly, shouting in frustration.

Her wings jolted outwards, her eyes flickering a brighter shade of blue.

But her hands gave up before she did.

“Right,” She whispered, her hands trembling. “I’m weak too.”

She used the last of her energy to lift herself, standing up sluggishly.

Her feet dawdled through the gravel, her arms swinging like those of a puppet.

She stopped in the center of the forest.

And with a deep breath, her wings withdrew into the comfort of her hair.

“Come on out, you liar!” Luna yelled, her hands forming a megaphone around her mouth.

At the crunch of a leaf, she rolled her eyes and turned around, scoffing mildly.

“Why the assumption?” The pure black silhouette replied, her voice deep and riddled with partial static. 

“You said that my kingdom would forever be safe if I followed your stupid routine.” Luna stomped towards the shadow, grabbing her by the shoulders.

“It was your routine first.” Her head tilted to the side in a glitch-like fashion. “I simply readjusted it a little.”

“Don’t you dare try to get off track again.”

“I’m really not, though.” The shadow paused, taking the chance to teleport behind her. “You just keep interrupting me.”

Luna groaned in frustration as she shifted her gaze once more.

The vibrant surroundings began to dull, growing closer in monotone. 

“A bounty on my head? The Crimson Blood? What’s next, a god?” 

Luna walked over to her, stopping only right before her face.

“The problem is you’ve been slipping up more and more recently.” 

The shadow, still glitching occasionally, lifted her arms sluggishly as if to mock her.

“There’s something you’re not telling me, isn’t there?”

The realm around them had finally turned gray, leaving them no stage to perform on.

“And why would I lie to myself?”

In the blink of an eye, the lady now sat on a pitch-black throne, her legs crossed.

“Because maybe that too was a lie.” Luna grew more impatient, taking another breath. “If you’re another supposed Sister, why aren’t you in the physical world?”

And again, the shade glitched, this time, triple Luna’s size.

Grabbing onto her crossed knees, she swayed from side to side.

“Tell me,” She poked her face with glee. “Are you afraid to die?”

Luna shoved the giant finger away, her expression unchanging.

And despite having no face, she could already tell the glitch wasn’t taking much of this seriously. 

“Stop wasting my time already.”

The apparition returned to normal size, shifting through the appearances of her Sisters: Neoma, Luana, Lucy, and Lux. 

Luna remained still, doing her best not to pay her any attention.

Until she pushed against her, having taken the form of Luna herself.

“There’s no one to blame for that but you.” She grinned, her face haunting hers like a shattered mirror. “Luna.”

Luna pushed against her in a panic, stumbling back in fright.

Despite living with hundreds of clones, seeing her face, copied down to the last detail, left her paralyzed. 

She rapidly grabbed her knees, catching herself before she fell.

“Please,” Luna’s voice broke, desperation crawling in. “Just tell me what I have to do to keep my people safe.”

The ghost teleported beside her, having returned to her original form, wrapping her hand around her shoulders.

“There’s no other way.” Her hand made itself comfortable in Luna’s hair, the other guiding itself around her neck. “Keep making everyone happy, make them safe, and you’ll be just fine.”

Luna pushed away her hands, falling onto her knees a second later.

Her chest heaved and puffed, her eyes fighting back the tears.

“Lunar Province runs on the system you’ve created.” With her knotted hands behind her back, she skipped around Luna. “One mistake will affect all your dear Sisters. And with no stable connection, what do you think will happen to everyone? What about the food? What about threats? Think, Luna, think.”

A moment of silence followed.

The skies and forest had begun to succumb to the abyss, latching onto Luna’s color too.

And before she knew it, she too had become as dull as the realm’s host.

“Someone's approaching your floor.” Her silhouette also disappeared, only her unnerving voice remaining. “Do you have any more questions before I send you back?”

Luna widened her eyes with the tiniest glimmer of hope, wiping away her tears.

“Then,” Luna looked up towards the empty void, her wings flapping just a little. What’s the spaceship you still had me build for?”

“Good luck, Luna.”

The space below her began to shatter, causing her to lose balance.

She tried to lunge forward but to no avail; she was still caught in the fall.

“Damn it, answer me.” She shouted as she fell, crashing into the thick black water.

For a mere moment, all her senses were disabled.

The void itself stirred her conscience.

Until the darkness spat her right out.

Gasp!

Luna burst up from her bed, wheezing for air, drenched in sweat.

Her head swirled with a sharp headache as her limbs slowly recovered functionally.

She pushed the crown off her head, watching it as it fell onto the mattress.

With her hands pushing against the bed, she leaned back as she gathered all her strength.

The tip of her right wing flicked, acting as an alert of an upcoming visitor.

“Alright,” Luna said, shaking her head as if she had just finished a race. “Here we go.”

Halfway through the hallway, Lux returned with a few organized files, her feet scurrying across the clean floor.

Arriving before the door, she readjusted her posture and cleared her throat.

Taking a deep breath, she summoned the courage to knock on Her Majesty’s door.

But it flew open, the gusts of wind brushing against her face.

“What may I help you with, dear Sister?” Luna cheered, her posture that of a fashion icon, her outfit swaying elegantly. “I hope I didn’t scare you.”

“Not at all, Your Majesty.” Lux bowed, twirling her feet, and lifted the tip of her dress. “I’ve been instructed to tell you that it’s time.”

“Time for what?” Luna curled her lips, leaning towards the side.

Lux patted the files she carried under her shoulder.

“To interrogate the prisoners.” 

She nodded and followed her towards the staircase.

And with one more breath, Luna shed a single tear as one thought, and one thought alone returned.

That’s right, there’s a bounty on my head.