Luna jolted out of her bed, disoriented and confused. A voice, unfamiliar to her, echoed through the room.
"Master, please shut your eyes and say yes in your mind. Once you grant permission, you will be able to understand who am I and what am I?"
She hesitated for a moment, but the curiosity was too much to ignore. Luna closed her eyes and complied with the mysterious voice's instructions. The next thing she knew, she was standing in front of a grand villa surrounded by acres of land.
A fluffy ball approached her, bouncing up and down with excitement. "Master! Finally, you're here! My name is Fluffy, and I'm the guardian of this space. This is a treasure trove where you can learn anything, store unlimited items, and do whatever you desire."
Luna was incredulous. A talking fluffy ball? It seemed almost too bizarre to be real. Nevertheless, she decided to play along and shut her eyes, allowing the knowledge of the space to wash over her. Fluffy was right - this was a priceless find in the apocalypse.
She opened her eyes and turned to Fluffy. "Can I learn martial arts here?"
"Of course, Master! You can learn anything here, from history to medicine to hacking skills. And you have mystical powers, too. Though there seems to be something wrong with them..."
Luna shrugged. "That's a problem for another day. For now, I need to get out of here. If the apocalypse hasn't happened yet, that means my parents are still alive. I need to find them."
With that, Luna left the space and grabbed her phone. She hesitated for a moment before dialing her big brother's number. They hadn't spoken in years, ever since she chose the Smith family over him. But she needed his help now.
"Hello, Luna? Is everything okay?" Her brother's voice was warm and concerned.
Luna broke down in tears. "Big bro, I'm so stupid. Can we meet, please?"
"Of course, cupcake. Drink some water and stop crying. I'll text you the new address and send Shawn to pick you up."
Luna groggily rubbed her eyes as she shuffled into the bathroom to freshen up. The warm water splashing against her face was a refreshing jolt, awakening her senses. As she rummaged through her closet for something to wear, her foster sister Emily barged in.
Luna tried her best to ignore Emily's constant demands and insults, but it was getting harder and harder each day. Emily had always been cold towards her, but lately, it seemed like she was going out of her way to make Luna's life miserable.
Despite all this, Luna remained calm and composed. She didn't want to stoop down to Emily's level, and she knew that reacting to her foster sister's provocations would only make things worse.
However, today was different. Luna was running late to meet her brother, and Emily's entitled behavior was the last thing she needed. When Emily demanded that Luna make her breakfast, Luna could feel her blood boil.
"Make it yourself. I'm not your maid," Luna snapped back, her voice full of anger.
Emily looked taken aback, as if she had never expected Luna to stand up to her. "What's gotten into you? Why are you acting like this?" she asked, feigning concern.
Luna glared at her, her eyes blazing with fury. "You know exactly why I'm acting like this. You've been a pure bitch towards me ever since I moved in here. I'm done with your entitled behavior, Emily. From now on, you can make your own damn breakfast."
Emily looked stunned, as if she had never expected Luna to speak to her in such a way. For a moment, there was silence in the room as the two girls locked eyes.
Luna grabbed her bag and headed for the door. "I don't have time for this. I have to go meet my brother."
As she left the house, Luna couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. She had finally stood up to Emily, and it felt liberating. She knew that things wouldn't magically get better between them, but at least she had taken a step towards asserting herself and setting some boundaries.