types qw

We need more Burn Curses, we're running out of charms. Should we just set the corpses of fire normally?"

Degster asked, looking at the already charred bodies.

After he didn't receive a response, his eyes moved to the other five before him.

His eyebrows rose.

"Why are you all spacing out? We don't have time to spare."

Ellone flinched, her eyes moving away from Natia and to Degster.

She's been in a daze for a while.

She rubbed her hands together, smearing the blood.

"I think we can do that, most of the Beyonder characteristics already appeared. Have they been collected yet?"

As Ellone snapped back to reality, her stomach swirled.

The smell of blood was nauseating.

Degster, seeing this, had to hold back a sigh.

He didn't blame her even though he already answered that same question thrice.

"Yes, they've been taken and properly covered. Let's-"

He froze before exhaling deeply.

Ellone's pupils were already dilated, already staring to who-knows where.

"You know what, go back and get some sleep. Dager, you too. Bring Airina with you. Let her wash up before taking her home, her family would be beyond terrified."

Dager jumped, looking around as his name was mentioned.

"Huh? What-?"

Degster clicked his tongue.

He then turned to look to his right.

Shake was standing in their circle, but he was covering his mouth with his hand, in deep thought.

Degster's eye twitched.

Before he could stop himself, his arm moved as he hit the back of Shake's head.

"What are you zoning out for?!"

Shake's lowered head whipped back up, looking at Degster in complete disbelief.

"Did you just hit me?"

Degster's jaw dropped.

'Is he serious?'

Unknowingly, Degster looked down.

There sat, strangely enough, the most helpful member in the current Abyssal Troop.

Darmine looked at him before shaking her head with distain.

"Juny would be really disappointed if she saw you."

All three flinched, as if she had just stabbed them where it hurt the most.

Darmine sighed.

"I know how you feel, but think about it. If you can't focus, then take a break and get yourself together. What you're doing is wasting time which we don't have. Who knows when the officials might appear?"

Dager's frowned, scratching the back of his neck.

"I get it. I'll take them back."

Ellone shuddered, looking at Dager in surprise.

"Take who back? I don't need to go anywhere, I'm fine."

Dager looked at her as if she was stupid.

Although he wasn't especially listening, he still heard what Degster asked him to do.

"Why are you in denial? Ellone, how many times did you have to snap yourself out of a daze?"

Ellone narrowed her eyes, as if she was seriously counting.

"Six... or seven."

Dager's lips twitched.

"Let's just go..."

For unknown reason, Dager felt defeated.

Shake watched the two siblings and Airina leaving.

A voice came from beneath him.

"Maybe I'll need to ask Juny to establish mandatory therapy sessions..."

He didn't dare to look at Darmine, hoping that he would be forgotten when the time for psychiatrist visits came.

...

"..."

Darmine's fur stood up with uncertainty.

'I know what I was saying, but...'

Before she could even finish her thought, a loud crashing sound rang through the room.

Everyone turned, not too surprised.

Dager was standing there, having supposedly kicked and shattered a chair.

This happened a few times by now.

His face was distorted in both anger and frustration.

Nobody pointed it out, they just continued siting in silence.

It's been over 12 hours since they returned, but Juny...

"Um..."

Airina spoke up, her voice uneasy.

This was also not surprising or new.

Airina was always the one to say the most obvious, that everyone was thinking, out loud.

"Can't we just take a peek? See if she's alright?"

Daimira shook her head.

Her hair was tidy and her dress elegant, no longer bloody.

"No, if she's alright, we'd be intruding. And if she's not, well, there's nothing we can do anyway."

Airina looked down, pouting.

She received the same and exact answer every time.

Ellone sighed and turned towards the couch.

They were currently inside Daimira's mansion, since it was one of the only places which was big and hidden enough.

Tarkel was sitting there with the wolf, Kalim, next to him.

Ellone soon looked away, not feeling like saying anything.

She got her rest.

She was able to accept it for the first three hours.

The next six were filled with doubt and consolation.

But the last three hours.

It was just pure uncertainty.

Ellone leaned back into the soft chair, her palms were twitching.

A light tapping on the table was heard, but it was mostly ignored.

Only Shake, who was leaning against a wall nearby, turned towards the side.

"Could you stop that?"

Degster, who sat at the head of the table, stopped moving his finger for a moment, looking over at Shake.

"What?"

Shake frowned.

"It's annoying, so stop that."

Degster's eyes narrowed.

"Just ignore it then."

"What?"

"Just ignore-"

"I heard you! You- ugh, never mind."

Shake unfolded his hands, rubbing his forehead as if he had a headache.

Darmine looked away, as if she didn't see it.

She liked her life too much to ask if those two adult men wanted to try therapy.

She silently exhaled, letting her head drop as she lied down.

Natia stood nearby, brewing tea as if everything was normal.

Kein was sitting in a corner, disconnected while reading a book.

But if one looked close enough, they would see that he hasn't turned a page for over an hour.

His mind was clearly preoccupied.

At least they managed to get all the official stuff under control before turning into nervous wrecks.

The room once again turned silent, with noone really having much to say.

It was suffocating if anything.

Daimira shifted in her seat, but didn't speak.

Darmine observed everyone's expressions while Tarkel clasped his hands tightly on his lap.

Natia finally finished the tea, walking over to the table to place it down.

Dager was still standing in place after he kicked the last chair.

The room was a wreckage.

The first chair made everyone, especially Daimira, angry and irritated.

But after the next three, they just felt bad for Dager, who hadn't said a word for a while.

His hands were clasped into firm fists, knuckles white.

Suddenly, his arm shook, light flames appearing around him.

Most of those present flinched.

Shake reacted first, one of the very few unsurprised.

"Dager, you're overdoing it."

Dager flinched and the flames immediately dispersed.

Ellone watched this, her eyes unusually cold and tired.

"Shut up..."

Her voice was soft, barely audible, and ignored.

Shake sighed, shaking his head.

"Destruction isn't going to help anyone."

Degster looked his way, seating stiffly.

"And standing there with that smug look is helping?"

Shake flinched.

Looking at Degster, his eyes narrowed.

Shake's tone was calm, deceptively calm.

"I wasn't aware you were elected to hand out moral lectures, Degster."

Degster clenched the armrest of his chair, one hand still on the table, tapping.

"Maybe it's because someone has to act like an adult when the rest of you are falling apart."

Shake raised an eyebrow, a rare smirk on his lips.

"You call this 'acting like an adult'? Sitting there pretending to be composed while you've been grinding your teeth so loud I can hear it from over here?"

Degster leaned forward, his gaze turning colder.

"At least I'm not snapping at everyone like a spoiled brat who thinks sarcasm is a personality."

"Snapping? You haven't seen me snap yet."

'Click.'

Daimira placed down the cup of hot tea, interrupting the bickering.

"Enough, both of you."

Her hands moved into a cross on her chest.

The two turned to her, while the rest continued to silently observe.

As the quiet took over, if even for a moment, Dager bit his lip.

"You don't get it..."

He hissed, teeth gritted.

"You don't understand! She's been gone for hours! Plural! Twelve hours to be exact!"

His voice cracked mid speech.

Everyone's attention shifted at Dager's sudden outburst.

"It's never been over an hour! Never! No matter how bad it was, this- this is different! What if she..."

His words slowly faded.

Dager ran a hand through his disheveled hair as he turned away, his bitten lip now bleeding.

"You're not helping.

Degster finally nudged.

His voice was firm, but completely different from when he talked with Shake.

His voice was almost gentle, if he wasn't speaking so roughly.

"We all know how bad this is. We've known since hour three. But shouting about it isn't going to do anything."

"Neither is sitting here like it doesn't matter!"

Dager snapped back, his face flushed with a mix of emotions.

"Shut up."

A vague sound left Ellone's mouth again.

It was louder, but still disregarded.

Shake pushed himself off the wall, standing straight.

His tone was unusually soft.

"Dager, I get it. I do. But-"

"No, you don't!"

Dager's voice suddenly rose, near scream.

"You didn't see what I did. Last time she used power stronger than her own Sequence, she couldn't breathe! She just laid there in pain! Can you understand how-!"

"Shut up!"

Ellone's voice echoed through the room as her fist slammed down onto the sturdy table, shattering it into splinters.

The place went overwhelmingly quiet at the sudden burst of violence.

Even Dager jumped, taking a step away from his sister.

Almost immediately, the air hummed and shifted.

The space lightly cracked before spliting open, creating a portal.

All heads turned as Juny stepped out.

Instead of being relieved, their faces were that of shock or even horror.

Her clothes were torn and tattered, soaked both with dried and fresh blood.

What little skin wasn't covered in blood was ghostly pale.She looked like a freshly painted white wall.

Her tired eyes were bloodshot with extreme, dark circles underlining them.

Juny took one step forward before stopping.

Ignoring the startled faces, Juny's eyes swept over the broken chairs and fully shattered table.

She audibly clicked her tongue, her eyes narrowing.

She gulped down the fresh blood in her throat as her sharp gaze landed on Dager.

Her voice was rasping but strangely firm, as if nothing was wrong.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Stop destroying the furniture."

Dager froze, his face a mix of guilt and distress.

His hands moved on instinct, his tone immediately shifting into false innocence.

"I didn't touch the table!"

Before he could think it over, his hand moveed to point at Ellone.

"That was her!"

Juny's eyes widened as her jaw almost dropped.

She turned her exasperated gaze towards the beautiful Ellone.

Ellone's eyes shifted, suddenly finding the wall oddly intriguing.

Juny was speechless, but her throat moved before she managed to press it down.

She coughed, more than mouthful of bright red blood fell onto the floor.

Juny wiped her mouth with disdain, as if it was annoying.

She shook her head, her voice deprecating.

"What is wrong with all of you?"

Her tone was anything but aggressive.

"I mean, I could be the one to blame. Being gone for twelve whole hours, that's practically a lifetime. How dare I leave a group of adults alone for half a day~"

Dager looked down at his feet in embarrassment.

"I wasn't trying to destroy stuff. I just didn't know what else to do..."

Juny's eyes softened ever so slightly, but she quickly masked it with another cough.

"It's fine. I mean, Ellone did a pretty good job one-upping you with the table, so maybe next time aim for something bigger. A chandelier, maybe?"

Ellone's face flashed red, but she kept silent.

Shake, who's been frowning ever since she appeared, stepped closer.

"Juny, you are-"

"Alive,"

Juny interrupted, waving him off as if he was saying the unimportant.

"Obviously."

Degster has long stood up and was now glaring Juny's way.

"You look like you're about to collapse."

Juny looked at him, her facial features shifted into a 'oh, is that right?' look.

But Degster's frown didn't weaken as he moved away from the table.

Shake nodded, walking over to her.

"Sit down."

Juny blinked a few times, looking at him in disbelief, but not taking a step.

'Cuse me? Why is everyone here so aggressive? Have you never seen a little blood?'

(Note: Juny has no idea what she looks like right now, that's why she can't understand the intense reactions)

Juny's vision wavered for a moment.

She rubbed her temples as if to fight off a headache.

Shake, feeling impatient, lightly grabbed Juny by the shoulder.

"Now."

Juny flinched, looking up with a withering look.

But she ended up sighing.

"Yea, okay. I get it."

She gently brushed off Shake's hand.

"Also, don't touch me. You'll get blood on yourself."

Juny received looks as if she was crazy, but she didn't bother responding.

Since, frankly, it was fun teasing them.

Juny swayed slightly as she sat down on a nearby chair.

She once again looked around the room.

She took in the broken chairs, the shattered table and the tense, anxious faces.

"I leave for 12 hours..."

Juny couldn't help but mutter, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"And this is what I come back to? Really? You're all acting like a pack of feral kids. Which is ironic."

"Nobody cares about that right now."

Darmine jumped down from her chair.

She walked over, observing Juny closely from the floor.

"What happened?"

Natia stepped in, asking as if in a hurry.

"Are you-"

"I'm fine."

Juny cut her off with a smile.

But, as if to prove her wrong, a wet cough interrupts her.

'F*ck...'

It took everything in her not to curse out loud.

She wiped her mouth with her sleeve before looking around.

All she got were fierce glares.

Juny swallowed what little blood was left in her throat before lifting her hands in defense.

"Okay, I did not do that on purpose!"

Degster clicked his tongue, stepping closer.

"You need rest."

Juny bit her inner lip, barely suppressing herself from countering with 'no sh*t Sherlock.'

Since noone would be able to understand her top notch humor.

Juny instead said nothing and looked down at her bloodied hands.

The room was quiet for a short moment before Dager spoke up.

"Juny, how long is this going to last?"

The 'this' referred to Juny coughing up blood because of penalty.

Juny's gaze shifted from her hands to him and then to the broken chairs behind him.

Instead of answering, she lifted her blood-drenched hand, drawing a Runic symbol into the air.

Everyone flinched, startled that Juny was using her abilities in her current condition.

"Wait!"

Shake, who was the closest, moved to grab her forearm, but the symbol already shone with bright Violet light.

Shake gripped her arm, tighter than he might've intended.

"What are you-!"

"Five days."

"Huh?"

Juny's voice was calm.

She didn't do that to flex.

She just grew too used to the current level of pain.

Also, the best way to accurately measure, was to check how unstable her spirituality was.

Shake still didn't let go of her hand, his grip actually just got stronger.

"Can't you give a warning first?"

Juny looked at him, raising an eyebrow while the chairs repaired in the background.

"A warning for what? 'Careful, I'm about to answer your question!' Did you want me to do that?"

For a moment, Ellone felt like Juny was the stupidest person in the room.

'How does she not get it?'

She looked to her side, her brother was wearing the exact same face as her.

'Is she just an idiot when it comes to social cues?'

Juny scanned the room, misunderstanding the reason behind everyone's expressions.

"Five days is not that bad. It's expected, really. Not to mention, it doesn't hurt anymore."

Darmine narrowed her small eyes.

"It doesn't hurt or you got used to the pain?"

Juny wiggled her arm from Shake's grasp before turning to Darmine.

"What's the difference?"

"Ugh!"

Daimira, who watched this all unfold in silence, groaned with genuine frustration.

Noone blamed her as even Tarkel burrowed his face in his hands.

Kein silently sighed before bending over to pick up the fallen book.

'The worst thing is, that Juny genuinely looks clueless.'

Ellone, who's been quiet this entire time, narrowed her eyes.

'Hmm.'

"Juny?"

She spoke up, feeling something amiss.

Juny looked over.

"Yes?"

Ellone lightly leaned forward.

"Have you seen your reflection?"

Juny tilted her head.

"Where should I have seen, my reflection? It's not like I go around admiring myself."

"Ohh!"

Dager exclaimed, as if it made sense.

Shake looked at the two siblings, and then at Juny, also slowly understanding something.

Daimira was confused, but still walked over to a nearby drawer.

She opened it and pulled out a small hand mirror.

Juny looked at it with uncertainty, but accepted it nonetheless.

She stared at her own reflection for a while, just blinking.

"Wow..."

She finally muttered.

"No wonder you're all freaking out. I look like a freaking zombie!"

Juny was smiling unusually wide, as if she's just seen something hilarious.

Seeing her laughing, Shake frowned.

"That's not funny."

Juny placed the mirror down on the table.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean it. I'll clean myself up and come back."

Juny shifted on the chair, getting ready to stand up.

Seeing this, Shake hurriedly pressed down on her shoulder.

"No, you don't need to. It's fine."

Degster nodded along.

"Yes, didn't you want to receive a report anyway?"

Juny was silent for a moment, as if thinking it over.

Then, she leaned back into her seat, stealing a glance at Degster.

She mumbled like a whisper, but of course, it was heard by everyone.

"I didn't know you were a workaholic..."

Out of Juny's sight, Daimira started pulling her hair in irritation while Dager's jaw was wide open.

'You're the one saying that?!'

...

The leaves shook in the air.

It was the only sound spreading throughout the dark forest and quiet mountain.

The wooden cottage stood sternly, not too different from two years ago.

Its silhouetted was deep, created by the late-afternoon sun.

Juny walked over, crouching before a tall apple tree.

It hasn't changed much, just that the branches spread out further than she remembered.

She gently placed down a couple of blood-red tulips.

Her fingers were covered in thin layer of dirt.

She had cut these flowers herself, without using her abilities.

Juny stood up, her back straight.

She hovered over the flowers, a light smile on her lips.

"Happy Birthday, Miss."

Her voice was close to a whisper, but not too sad.

Juny didn't know this woman, but she had the memories of her child.

She was occupying her daughter's body.

This was both her wishing happy birthday to Miss Mari and to Kalia.

Juny never saw herself as Kalia, which is why she would never celebrate her birthday as Kalia's, although it would be correct age-wise.

Juny stared down for a while longer.

After a moment, she lightly bowed her torso.

She then looked to the side.

An untidy path up the mountain was there.

It was made by a history of many travels through that one, singular path.

Juny began following the stumped route in unhurried stride.

Memories surfaced with each step and each removed branch.

But they weren't her memories.

Juny didn't step up and she didn't slow down, her face still wearing a light smile.

At the summit, Juny removed one last branch.

The wide world unfolded before her, vast and clear.

Juny stopped her leisurely advance, taking in the breathtaking scenery.

The golden sun hung low, casting a deep orange light across the twilight skies and painting the horizon in bright colors.

Dim stars were peeking out, as if waiting for the dusk to pass.

Juny moved, her expression unchanging.

She moved closer, sitting onto a large rock by the cliff's edge.

She gently placed her clasped hands onto her lap, watching the gloaming silently.

Juny stayed quiet, her mind filled with echoing recollections.

They were vague, hazed.

In all of her memories, a brown-haired child played a role.

But the brown-haired girl barely ever saw her own face.

She mostly remembered a very pretty, older lady, who was very similar to Miss Mari.

Or a tall, older man, one who always had jokes to share.

Juny watched the sun slowly fall into the bright blending of colors.

The silent stillness was broken by a light ripple in the space behind her.

Juny wasn't surprised, her Space Awareness had shown her the dimensional disturbance when she first arrived at the peak.

A muscly man with short black hair stepped out of the galaxy-styled portal.

Shake stopped as soon as his boots crunched against the stones.

He took in the view, a low whistle spread through the air.

A smile tugged at his lips.

"Not bad, kid. I didn't know you had an eye for scenery."

Juny didn't react even as she was called a kid.

The next footsteps were heavier, more urgent.

A young man with long brown hair and green eyes came through.

Dager's eyes darted to Juny's straight back before slightly narrowing.

"Why do you always disappear without notice?"

He grumbled, barely hiding his pouting face.

"It took me so long to think of a place you might be at."

"Exactly, you did the same last year."

A beautiful girl with golden hair passed through, her red eyes reflecting the sunset.

"But you at least told us where you were going."

Ellone spoke in almost a whisper.

Her expression was a mix of exasperation and relief.

An elegant lady with straight light-brown hair and emerald eyes silently passed through behind her.

Airina drew a deep breath at the mountain's beauty.

Her voice was like a quiet mumblings, more for herself than the others.

"I understand why you'd come here..."

She's never seen anything quite like this.

A tall man with disheveled brown hair and small tidy beard arrived behind her.

Degster's arms were crossed as he scanned the summit.

"You don't get to see stuff like this in the city."

His voice was calm, soft.

A heel lightly hitting the stone ground was heard.

A mysterious woman in layered wine-red dress passed through.

She had majestic, chocolate-brown hair and beautiful red eyes with dark corners.

Daimira looked around, her voice captivating.

"It's worlds different from my view. It's colorful."

As someone who's house was high in a dark forest, Daimira never got to see a truly beautiful sunset.

Unlike the others, no sound came as a short-furred black cat moved onto the rocky floor.

Daimira's pupils lightly dilated, but she wasn't stunned by the beauty.

She moved closer, her voice steady.

"You shouldn't vanish like that, especially since you've not fully recovered yet. It's reckless."

She didn't get an answer, but she didn't expect to get one.

A small boy was the last one to cross the border between the portal and the cliff.

He had soft curly hair, bright red in color, with light-blue eyes.

Tarkel's smile was beaming as he stared at the beautiful dusk.

"Wow~ it's so pretty."

His smile was wide, as if he was seeing paradise.

The galaxy portal silently closed behind him.

Juny didn't respond.

She didn't move or turn around.

She sat there with a light smile.

Juny's hand flinched slightly, then she unclamped her hands.

She placed her hands next to her body, gently leaning back on them.

The newcomers didn't try to uselessly interrupt.

Shake leaned on a nearby tree while Dager and Ellone sat on a big rock, separated from Juny.

Degster kept his hands folded as he moved to stand by Juny's side.

Airina lightly sat on a tree trunk, her right leg crossed over her left.

Daimira stayed standing straight, admiring the bright colors.

Tarkel didn't mind the dirt, sitting down on the stony ground next to Darmine.

And just like that, minutes passed in silence.

The sun slowly fell further and further behind the horizon.

The brightest of stars already peeked out.

Only then did Juny speak.

Her voice was soft, recollective, but also calm.

"When you were small- Heh, no. That's not quite right."

Her voice carried lightly over the quiet, the sound was lighter than ever before.

"Let's say 8 or 9. Did you have a dream of what you wanted to become?"

The friends present exchanged glances, surprised by the unusual question.

Nonetheless, they were drawn to answer, as if it was the most obvious thing to do.

Dager hummed, kicking a pebble away.

"A pirate. I used to think it'd be fun. Adventure and all. And I still kind of do."

His smile could be described as a sneer, but his words were genuine.

Ellone looked over at her brother, her eyes narrowed.

But she followed suit slowly, still half in thought.

"A doctor. I think there's something that's just so admirable about doctors. I really wanted to be someone who'd help others. Make life easier for them. Or even make it better."

Juny didn't do anything acknowledge the words, her eyes never leaving the twilight.

Shake scoffed, his voice hoarse.

"I wanted to be a leader. Someone respected, while also being someone who respects others. Being supported while having the strength to support others. The darkest of alleys were always chaotic, I wanted to rule over them."

He shrugged, feeling like continuing was unreasonable.

Airina spoke with a light smile, her gaze landed on her smooth hands.

"I always wanted to be like my mother, a Baroness. To be a merchant worthy of taking over the coal business. I found it fulfilling, something to push me forward even when I get lost."

Degster sighed, his voice wore an edge of bitterness.

"There wasn't any space to dream where I grew up. No place for ambition could be found in the slums. But..."

Unbeknownst to her, Degster's eyes landed on Juny's back.

"I always wanted to be the Law. Being the order in the disorder of the underworld. I'd say what's right and correct what's wrong. It's a role someone has to fill, I thought it could be me."

His eyes quickly moved back to the sky, not lingering on Juny any longer.

Daimira softly chuckled, it was a laugh filled with wistfulness.

"I wanted to be famous. Anyone was fine, as long as I was liked. Someone whom others admired. Maybe an actress? A singer would also do."

She gently shook her head, as if it was funny.

Darmine's golden eyes scanned those present.

She then looked at the gloaming, which's colors were dimmed and unclear because of her cat vision.

A vision which was different from everyone else present.

"I didn't even know what it meant to dream. I could barely comprehend what the meaning behind certain human words were. But if I had to say now, I just want to live, really. Being able to live while comprehending the things around me is much nicer than not knowing anything."

Tarkel nodded along.

"I also just want to live. My dream was to live, so I'm happy to be alive. My dream is to enjoy life and help others enjoy it. Make it nicer, with less bad. I think that's nice."

Tarkel's cheerful voice spread through the surrounding nature.

And then, the group fell into silence once again.

All their responses faded into the stillness behind the horizon.

Their eyes turned to Juny, waiting for her to share.

They waited for the reason behind Juny's prob, but noone spoke up to ask.

Juny's smile didn't fade or waver.

Unbeknownst to them, she was listening much closer than they might expect, taking notes.

In her movie filled with memories, it was as if time came to a stop.

A scene played out.

It was a forgotten memory which she remembered only recently.

A young girl, she couldn't be over nine years old.

She had dark-brown hair, messily thrown around.

Her vision was obstructed by the loose strands, but she wore a joyful expression.

The girl sat behind a desk, scribbling down on a piece of paper with a pencil.

Her fingertips were gray, if not black.

Her index and middle fingers were stiff from writing and her wrist hurt.

But she scribbled words nonetheless.

The girl was smiling wide, even when her sentences were filled with mistakes.

She was happy.

Juny stared at the colorful dusk, the sun's light was dim.

Her smiling lips parted.

She exhaled, her voice was unchanged by her sentiment.

"I wanted to be a writer."

It was a light tone.

One that rung in everyone's ears and will still echo for hours to come.

Juny paused for a long while, her vision was slightly fuzzy, but her smile peaceful.

She then spoke again, her tone just as composed as before.

"Funny how life turns out."

At that moment, the sun disappeared.

Pure black spread from above everyone's heads, countless bright stars peeked out one by one.

The transformation was almost instant.

The mountaintop silently bathed in the tranquility of the night sky.

It was beautiful in its own way.

Juny felt eyes stuck on her back, but she didn't react.

Slowly, the gazes moved away one by one.

They watched the starry heavens stretch out above them.

Juny tilted her head, looking up at the brightest star above her.

Unknowingly, she reached out, grabbing the black necklace which hung around her neck.

It was a light squeeze, just making sure it was in place.

Unlike before, she was not alone, no tears flowed.

And then, just as her hazed eyes cleared up, she felt homesick..

Notes: