9 The Meetings of the Cerins.

The eighth Cerin opened her eyes to see eight other women sitting in a lounge-like room, having formed little cliques and happily chatting with each other. A large window that showed the cosmos sat on a wall, occasionally attracting the attention of one of the Cerins only to be quickly dismissed.

Another thing that was impossible to miss was the large text on the ceiling.

[ Jade star: Level one. 8/9]

The eighth briefly wondered what it meant but her attention was caught by the rest of the people in the room.

Including herself, there was a total of eight women in the room. There were three women of similar age chatting about their lives and loves, and three much younger women speaking about their deaths in loud excitable voices.

The eighth Cerin drifted towards the fat woman, who sat by herself and munched on the few jade-like snacks with a blissful expression. The reason she chose the woman was that she looked similar in age as well as approaching an individual was much easier than approaching a group.

" Hello."

The fat woman looked up, and smiled welcomingly then patted the seat beside her as she finished off the snack in her mouth,

" Hello to ya. I'm Cerin and I assume you are as well?"

The eighth was taken aback by her accurate guess and could only reply in a slightly defensive tone.

" how did you know?"

The fat woman chuckled at the eighth's reaction and calmed her down with a soothing tone.

" Now, now, don't be so defensive. I only guessed because we're all named Cerin here. I'm the seventh by the way. And you'd be the eighth"

The eighth quickly calmed down and finally sat.

" So you were pulled through the green star as well?"

The seventh nodded,

" well I was but it's different for some of us. Some of us came towards it willingly and some of us here dragged, while others were lured."

At the word lured Seven blushed and it was made clear that she was the only one that this had happened to and it didn't take a genius to put the jade-like snacks that she ate together to the green star.

" So, do you know what's going to happen to us?"

Seven shrugged.

" Either way we're already dead right? Whatever happens, happens."

Eight was astonished by the total lack of tension in the room and was tempted to raise it but a sharp glare by one of the elders forced her back down and she began to chat with Seven.

The Cerins stayed like this for what felt like an eternity; sitting, chatting and snacking at will until suddenly the room suddenly went dark plunging the Cerins into total darkness save the window that shed the light of the cosmos. It began to shake, displacing all the women from their seats and onto the floor.

The star was moving.