In the dark and echoing building, dust filled the air, as the reverberation of explosions resounded, leaving everyone inside on edge.
I woke up, my body wracked with pain, hesitant to open my eyes, unsure of what fate awaited me. The relentless experiments and stress had taken a heavy toll on me.
Amidst the sounds of clangs, booms, and explosions, I yearned for this never-ending nightmare to come to an end.
I constantly lived in fear of my body primal instinct, haunting my every moment. Flashbacks haunted me, recalling the unsettling act of consuming celestial flesh and reveling in drinking blood from a seemingly living body.
Examining my soul and astral body, all I can perceive are cracks spreading everywhere, leaving my astral form in shattered fragments. My soul, too, lies in shambles, torn apart by multiple essences engaged in a fierce struggle for dominance.
All I desire is to rest, to find solace in slumber, hoping that someday everything will heal and improve. The thought of never waking up crosses my mind, a desperate escape from the unending pain.
In my state of lying around and feeling pain, I sense a presence.
I feel a tear escapes and traces down my cheek, sensing someone else's sorrowful cries. Deep down, I recognize her, the connection between my body and this fragile being.
The moment when I glimpsed her in the chamber, barely clinging to life, I couldn't bear the anguish.
In this moment, I can't bring myself to open my eyes, fearful of what lies ahead.
"I know you're awake," she softly uttered, her touch comforting as she stroked my hair. "I apologize for the pain you've endured. You should know that I feel your suffering too," she said, tears streaming down her face as she trembled.
Aware of her limited time, she reassured me, "Take all the time you need." But fear gripped me, witnessing the terrible state she was in – a result of my actions.
Summoning courage, I opened my eyes, tears cascading down my cheeks. "I'm sorry," I stuttered, overwhelmed by emotions.
"I don't know what happened to me, I... I..." My words trailed off as I beheld her horrific condition – a hollow heart, torn limbs, blood staining everything. Yet, her face remained compassionate, calm, and sorrowful, silently bearing the pain she, too, was enduring.
As time seemed to stretch in our unique moment of connection, Lumenia comforted me with her gentle words, acknowledging that neither of us had chosen this predicament.
Curiously, she asked for my previous name, and I hesitated before responding, "Atthy."
Her chuckle was warm and endearing, as she playfully corrected me, "No silly, I meant your name before Atthy."
Surprised, I finally revealed, "Lu-Lucas."
Lumenia's smile grew even warmer, and a sense of familiarity enveloped me despite the unusual circumstances. "Ah, Lucas," she repeated softly, her soothing touch still caressing my head.
"My name is Lumenia, the fading star," she added with a touch of melancholy.
As Lumenia's essence dimmed, she declared, "I'm not sure we can hold a conversation like this," gesturing to our current dire predicament.
She carefully moved her broken arms, causing a dance of stardust in the air. The countless stars illuminated me.
Suddenly, I felt a strange shift in space - as though I were transported, but my body remained stationary.
"We're in my domain," she announced. The place was stunning - stars scattered across the heavens, verdant landscapes, and water flowed like a celestial river across the ground.
However, there was an eerie element, the sky was slowly being consumed by cracks, and fragments of broken space littered the expanse above.
"Now we can speak freely here," she stated, maintaining her celestial form - there were no injuries, no sign of broken limbs or torn flesh. Nothing gruesome about her.
Her hair was the color of silver; her face was beautiful and her cosmos-colored eyes held unfathomable depth. . Her wings unfurled, majestic and iridescent. Every movement she made was imbued with elegance.
"Have you had a good look yet?" she chuckled. "Well, this is my soul form."
Looking at her majestic form, I feel something horrible when i sense myself. Looking at my own form was horrifying. I bore no resemblance to a human.
My soul felt like an amalgamation of various monsters. I had three heads - a phoenix, a human, and a demon with horns. I had multiple wings: bat-like black wings, white wings mirroring Lumenia's, and fiery wings that blazed brightly.
I couldn't bring myself to look at my own body any longer, for it appeared grotesquely deformed.
I was consumed with fear and shame in front of her. "Don't be," she asserted gently. "It's not your fault." She seemed intuitively aware of my disturbed emotions.
"Can I revert to normal?" I queried.
"I'm not sure, this is my first time seeing something like this," she admitted honestly. There was no judgment or repulsion in her tone. She appeared to show genuine concern for me.
"It appears you're able to absorb the essence, even my essence" she revealed, "Although there's some of my presence infused, it morphs when merged with your technique."
"You should know, not all essence in this world is benevolent. Sometimes, corrupt essence lurks in the world. You must be cautious," she cautioned
The fractures in the sky gradually extended, and the slowly consumed space turned into dust.
I sensed our time together was dwindling, and the connection between us was faint, stirring unease within me.
"It's okay. We still have some time left to talk," she reassured, her smile as soothing as ever.
Despite her assurances, I couldn't shake off the lingering unease. Intrigued, I wanted to know more about her, especially since she seemed to be a star on the verge of extinction or you called "the fading star"
Lumenia began to recount tales of her existence as a celestial being, her light - just like stardust in our universe - slowly diminishing. Her essence was bound to their fate, and as the stars faded, so did she.
Despite the bittersweet poignancy in her story, Lumenia embraced her destiny and accepted her purpose as a beacon, guiding lost souls and spreading hope in the farthest, darkest corners of the cosmos.
"Do you know," she started, a spark of mischief playing in her eyes as she glanced my way, "there once came a time when I sensed a soul from the outer boundaries of this universe, relentlessly yearning to live."
"This was quite some time ago, mind you," she continued, her tone resonant with remembrance. "I still recall the vivid resilience this soul exhibited, navigating the harsh crossroads of destiny, persisting even when it was being torn apart. I realized then that I couldn't watch it succumb to such excruciating agony."
"I knew I had to steer it towards a reincarnation pathway that promised less torment, maybe even a future filled with tranquility. Who knows - we might just meet again someday," she said, her words concluding with a warm and uplifting smile.
Her eyes held a gentle glimmer as she continued, "Or perhaps we already did. After all, doesn't our current conversation feel unusually nostalgic?"
As her tale unfolded, her glow began to fade, her radiant form becoming increasingly cold as stardust enveloped her. "Time is fleeting," she noted with unmistakable melancholy in her voice. "My being is dissipating."
I was overwhelmed with despair at the impending loss of this compassionate entity who'd shown me empathy and kindness. "Is there any way to save you?" I pleaded desperately.
"No, my dear Atthy. This is the natural cycle of things. I've accepted it, and so must you," she said, her voice filled with profound wisdom.
She reached out, her ethereal touch sending tremors of stardust through my soul. "You possess an extraordinary connection to the essence," she murmured. "You bear a divine gift…and a burden. Embrace your true identity, for it reveals the mysteries within your being."
Her words made me understand my true nature: I am not an abomination but something different. Something different where you must determine the path you traverse. A path that defines who you truly are.
As the last fragments of her presence shimmered in the air, I held her fading hand, trying to preserve this fleeting connection. "Thank you, Lumenia," I whispered, tears streaming down my cheeks.
With a serene smile, she uttered her final words, "You carry both the light and the darkness within you. Embrace your journey, and let hope guide you."
And then, in a soft glimmer, Lumenia disappeared. Her physical body transformed into a fine powder of stardust, radiating a somber beauty.
The ugly remnants of room experiment - splotchy blood stains and remnants of torn veins - seemed to be swallowed up by her ethereal transformation, leaving behind an otherworldly elegance that was agonizingly melancholic.
The building trembled once more, and I was left alone. Again.