// Chapter 10 \\

Peace and a soft warm feeling of comfort thrummed through my body. It was so unusually content— my entire state of being. However, it wasn't at all foreign. This feeling felt right, like it had belonged to flow through me. It didn't meet halfway, it filled me with such a full state. There was no fear, no sadness, no spite, no conflict. I felt truly and entirely happy— fulfilled. I was satiated.

The room blossomed in a gorgeous gold. Every inch and ever surface was covered in that: gold. So pure and so bright that maybe perhaps it could've been mistaken for a gorgeous white. All in the same, the room looked completely saturated from this. A glowing and unblinking beauty. It was formed into a square shape and the roof aimed on into the heavens where color and pictures floated and flourished. They fizzled and zinged, changing into a new time from one flicker to another. It was as if time itself had owned that ceiling. Below the dancing pictures were bright golden rings with even protrusions of square shapes. Those floating objects called gears which were linked by those protrusions in a sanctuary of movement. It was so fitting and intricate— a delicate balance of harmony.

It all surrounded the golden clock tower. Every inch of its square space seemed to be filled with gears of all shapes and sizes. Even the golden vine which grew in between and around these gears didn't deter this fit. Even the vibe grew blooms of gold which were shaped into gears. These gears, somehow, also pieced together with the other gears. They all pieced together perfectly, rotating in perfect motion. All of the rotation which met at the top of the tower where the white clock-face. The intricate golden hands of the clock moved along its rotation perfectly. Peacefully. It ticked in sync with time which was how we all ticked.

Suddenly, a hand on the tower shuttered with a churn, sending my heart into a jolt at the same time. It had hurt. It hurt me.

A hand had gone to my chest as my brows suddenly furrowed in question, gazing up to the great tower.

Surely that didn't actually happen. It would never happen.

For a while, everything seemed to tick in harmony like normal. I'd almost let out a sigh of relief. The fear that had jolted inside me with the previous churn began to mist away into nothing as harmony ticked inside me once more.

Another churn.

It was loud and thunderous. It was disruptive of the delicate balance. I could tell by how the gears creaked and clanked in a whimper. Their whimper was far greater than my own as I clutched my chest, curling in as I fell to my knees. I squinted my eyes closed. I caught my breath as the effect of the shutter began to wear off, the clicks of a clear path snapping back into place.

That didn't last long.

The shutters and uneven clanks and clatters continued, breaking down every gear and every fizzling picture above. It all seemed to be a blur because it all happened at once.

One by one, the pictures above all began to flicker and fizzle. The noise of them seemed to blare and become erratically faster. Just as the images which blurred and ultimately became a chaos concealed in a fuzz.

The gold of the room began to appear not so saturated, shining, or white. It began to gleam like a dull polish, eroding in its efficiency like a plague of rust.

And those vines and gears of the clocktower, they began to clink back and forth in a squeaking rhythm— a screech of pleas. They were all stuck in a jam to the clock hand which shuttered forward, but always reverted back in a clank that sent them into a panging scream that echoed in my soul.

No.

The images in the sky blurred and reeled upon their playbacks of time, stuck in a jostling fast state of forwards and backwards. They all began to shatter in the sound of breaking glass, their shards of color becoming mist of black which evaporated up into the white fog of sky.

No.

Just as they did, the gears cracked and shot out. They spat in every discoursed direction, falling out of line. Some shattered completely, while others stayed in place. The sheer loss of sense that had come with that explosion of the broken path's force. The floor, now white of a dull noir scene, bent like a liquid upon the gears' impacts. It swallowed them like a jello of mud and left only parts to stand jutted out from the floor. Others of the gears that landed on the floor impacted with a clang to the hard surface. They skittered in their screeches to a stop, the ground not moving to claim them in any way. Some even stopped in a manner of floating in the sky despite not being placed there, which was unheard of.

NO.

But it was too late.

The vine of the tower wilted, no matter where each gear sat discarded and disgraced. The scene was now a dull scale of grey with no trace of the saturated pure gold color. The images in the sky had left to expose the white chromatic void. The gears were shattered beyond repair. And the gears that were left on the clock tower were left to creak in that back and forth rhythm with the hand of the clock. They were much more faint— with the lack of gears— than before, but they didn't fail to send my broken body into a shuttering churn I choked upon, kneeling down there.

No, the fear I had wouldn't mist away.

It was the harmony that had misted away.

I felt empty inside.

My vision darkened and the screaming shutters of those gears died out in an echo.

Then, it was all quiet as my vision blurred. I saw the grey color of a ceiling above with blurred shadows of heads between that ceiling and myself. A pang of thuds and rings faintly but prominently were heard by me before I picked up the sound of what seemed to be faint murmurs. My hearing cleared more for me to know that those murmurs were voices that were quite loud. Those loud voices soon became decipherable.

"Star? Star!" Hongjoong's frantic voice could be heard as one of the silhouettes in my vision kneeled down. The dull colors of cream skin and auburn hair were soon made out as it was Hongjoong who had kneeled down closer to my face.

I acknowledged my position of laying down on the floor, looking up to his gaze. I acknowledged the thundering of my heart as the vision of what I'd just seen behind my eyelids played back to me. That's also when I realized a hand of mine was bunched at the cloth that was between either of my breasts. The grip my hand had on that cloth was one of a death grip before I lessened it and gingerly let it fall to my side.

That's when I could feel the warm brush of hands on either shoulder. I thought of them to be Hongjoong's until I saw his agape lips and worried eyes turn into a frown and a cold gaze as he looked towards someone ahead of him in my vision. I tilted my head upwards, feeling a silken surface beneath me; my head wasn't on the floor. No, it was propped on something. The first thing I noticed was the sharp curved end of his nose. The next thing were the golden eyes that were richer and darker than my own as his face tilted down slightly to glance at mine. His chest with the suit he'd worn to the party was in view as well. My eyes widened as I realized just exactly what the scene was.

I bolted upwards, almost smacking my forehead with Hongjoong's. I didn't much acknowledge how he jolted away with a yelp. I was more focused on the aching force that had spun my head as soon as I'd taken to getting up. I winced as I raised my hand to massage my head, quickly trying to recollect myself. I searched through the pain of my head to the previous thought I'd been trying to focus on.

Then, a hand that I hadn't realized had left my shoulder was back there with its warm grasp. "Star?" Seonghwa's silken voice came from behind me.

Night, I'd been laying in his lap.

I shivered, jumping out of grasp as the thought came to me. I turned back to find Seonghwa's hand still outstretched to where it had been placed on my shoulder. His golden eyes blinked as they met mine. He tilted his head as they narrowed slightly, reclining his hand. He was on his knees, sitting on his legs where my head was propped on his thigh. The entire idea had my cheeks tingling, but that was short lived as another pang swirled in my head. I winced as I clutched either side of my head with my hands, looking down to my lap.

"I think you've done enough, Seonghwa," Yeosang's calm but diligent voice spoke. I spared a glance upward to him to find his cool and calculating turquoise gaze looking to where Seonghwa was behind me.

There was a bit of silence before he replied in a similar tone to the one who'd spoken to him, "She was dreaming."

I'd looked back down to the ground at my lap only to see a pair of hands inching towards me. I looked up to be met with the grey-blue gaze of Hongjoong's. His eyes went wide and face flushed, but he quickly shook that away with a couple rapid blinks of his eyes. He leaned in slightly with a concerned gaze.

"Are you okay, Star?" Hongjoong asked in a worried manner.

Was I okay?

My mind flickered in the memory of the place I saw moments ago when my eyes were closed. Another shiver ran through me at that thought. How did I even find myself in that dreaming slumber?

Get. Off.

I recalled those words I'd shouted into Wooyoung's mind. He had listened to them. He had moved off of Elara in a mixture of fear and awe— how had I known that? His face had been a blur to me.

I turned my head towards the wall where I remembered him sitting. Perhaps I believed I'd find him still there in a shocked gaze to prove my knowledge of how he felt. Perhaps I needed confirmation to what I seemed to remember from my memory. The only trace of the scene were the harsh black cracks in the white stone where the silver sword had landed. Even that appeared to be missing. I felt a rumble of unrest and disappointment pace inside of me. Of course, Wooyoung had gotten away. Of course, I was left to still question what in Night's realm was happening.

"S-Star...?" Hongjoong hesitantly spoke from in front of me.

I looked back at him, my thoughts dissolving as I realized I'd never uttered a word to the question brushed my way.

"Stars in the sky, give her a moment," Nanny chastised, directing it towards the three men who surrounded me. She appeared strong and stern but I could even see the flicker of worry in her eyes.

It was a flicker of worry, wasn't it?

The three of them didn't hesitate to back away. As each did so, my headache began to lessen.

Yeosang had been the farthest in the first place, backing up a few steps to stand next to Jongho. That's when I noticed him standing there, watching, while holding a hand to a person next to him who's red eyes were devastatingly pinned on me. Heeyoung's gaze was a mixture of a strong worry. Her eyes quickly fell when I noticed. She gazed towards the ground before there was a squeeze of her hand and she looked to her side up into the light blue wintery eyes. Jongho and Heeyoung shared that glance for a few more moments before both their gazes parted to the ground.

Seonghwa had gotten onto his feet as well from what I could hear from behind me. He backed up a bit but I couldn't decipher anymore from my view.

Hongjoong hesitated from beside me before he too got to his feet. He gave one last glance my way before he looked to his kin. He walked to the other side of his sister, taking her other hand and then, too, taking a quick look to the ground before raising his gaze back towards Nanny who was looking down to me with a faint smile.

However, when she approached me, her smile turned grim.

"I'll always be here to help you," Nanny spoke softly and quietly. It was in a murmur so discrete it felt like I could be the only one to clearly hear it in the quiet room, "But you must take the reins of your own Court now. I certainly can't keep holding them."

I hesitated at her words: the words of taking my duty back as High Monarch. It was quite the opposite of that which I desired. Rest and recuperate; those were definitely the things I desired most. I longed to simply just do nothing for the first time of being eternally awake in this world. Even so, I found myself slowly getting to my feet, giving Nanny a level gaze as I stared down towards her. Her gaze bore knowingly into mine: I couldn't afford that desire. I nodded my head in agreement to her statement, though my mind betrayed my compliance with its thoughts of desire. I spoke out in a cold manner anyhow, "I have to fulfill my duty."

I faltered slightly at the words. I remember how I took pride in those exact words in the realm of dawn. I took pride in those words as I tore into peoples minds. Another after another after another until the aches of pain from my head were the only things I could know myself. Until all I knew was pain. Until he was the first thing to come to my mind when he was the first to come and comfort me. It was always him. The taste and texture of raspberry tea and cookies flitted into my mind. They stung just as sweetly as venom memory on my tongue. It was nauseating and I hated the memory of peace and joy it brought— rising the conflict inside of my mind because it was a memory of him. But I didn't spit out the venomous memory that stung my mouth. No, instead, I let it set there. I drank in the memory.

His bright dimpled smile and dark icy eyes had glittered towards me. I'd always thought they were so bright and warm. He always seemed to ignite an inferno inside of me. The fire he kindled with that was done well. So well, I never noticed the couple of uncomfortable chills he'd let slip by in our times together. I was too distracted by his aura to notice the few moments his eyes glinted in a taking manner.

The resentment that had been in my eyes had softened and molted into a gleam of purpose as I raised my head high, swallowing the venom taste. It didn't feel like bile seeping down into my throat. No, I began to feel a sense of relief.

No one spoke to my words and I didn't dare to take my eyes off of Nanny as I lowered my head back down to her.

Nanny gave a pleased smile. Content, she turned her gaze towards another person I hadn't acknowledged being in the room: the one person who had been there with me. Despite the fog of blindness, Elara's gaze was blankly facing down to the floor. The blade that had been etched into the wall was now attached to her belt at her side, a freckled hand gliding lightly above the hilt in a manner that appeared to be out of habit.

Nanny gestured her hand towards her with a pleased appearance covering her features, "I believe you have this Knight to thank; Monarch Lunar."

"Menkalinan or Elara are fine to call me by, Lady Nanida," Elara slightly lowered her head in apology for speaking out, though her words were polite and welcoming of giving permission to use her birth name and title over her Monarch name.

Nanny laughed lightly at her words with a grand smile, "Please, you can call me Nanny, dear."

Elara softly nodded her head, keeping her gaze on the floor. It was silent for a moment as I looked to Nanny, Elara, and then back to Nanny. Nanny gestured for me to speak, eyes sparkling and smile still flattered from Elara's words.

I cleared my throat then, awkwardly approaching the shorter woman as I scratched the back of my head, "Thank you, for your help... I wouldn't have even known that he was... there..."

"Of course, Ma'am," Elara looked up then, her gaze finding my body as she politely bowed slightly. Her features were strong and lovely. She still managed to be so polite while being so diligent; the marks of being a Monarch.

I tilted my head curiously at her, "How," I hesitated with the question pondering in my mind. I took to walking beside her, folding my arms in front of me as I leaned back onto the cool wall. I inhaled a light breath before I asked, "How did you know a Taker was there?"

Elara hummed as she nodded, her stare not looking towards me, "I could see him."

"But you're—"

"But I'm blind?" Elara slightly tilted her head towards me as I looked at her. She turned to me, eyes somehow focusing on my body with a smile. The fact she didn't meet my eyes had me slightly tense, but my brows furrowed in intrigue from her words. Elara looked forward again, smile still on her face, "My magic," she pointed to the pearl orbs of cyan mist that were her eyes, "I can see the life force of all human creatures. I call it neon vision."

I furrowed my brows, a knot forming in my stomach at the thought of what I was about to say. I hesitantly stated the thought, "But Takers are monsters, not humans."

Elara hummed, folding her arms behind her back, "Yet, I still see them," Elara glanced my way, her smile turning grim, "Humans look warm or cool. They can be scorched and blazing, or numbed and freezing, or look just the correct amount of... temperature. But Takers appear uncomfortably cold and dull."

I looked down to the ground there my booted feet stood on the silken floor, silently nodding. Her gift truly sounded like a blessing. The fact she could sense such things was unbelievable. No wonder her squadrons never missed their target. No wonder the Takers had come to know her face and fear her. Her sight was traded with a talent of seeing a humanoid creature's life force. I was stuck in thought with awe as I reasoned myself to how it actually looked and worked.

"Go ahead and tell her, Lunar," Yeosang spoke authoritatively, calling Elara by her Monarch name.

I'd let the room fall silent from my thoughts, but I raised my head in question to Yeosang's words. My brows furrowed as I took to looking at Elara once more.

Elara was silent for a moment before she sighed and glanced back my way once more, "Star, I would like to report that we have captured the Taker, Jung Wooyoung."

REMEMBER:​​​​​​

1. Smack dat butiful star

2. Leave a comment talkin abt dis tea

3. Share dis tea induced book with yo fwends

WHY? Because I appreciate it 🥺

\\ See u in the next chapter! \\