Blackened Hand

Polaris

*INTO THE ABYSS*

"W-wait, where am I?"

I keep questioning myself to this dark realm I'm in. It's so dark that only faint sparkles of fire cover a small area into this vast desert. The sand is pitch black, the realm is a mixture of hot and cold that I can't even imagine how it's possible

I saw a figure at a small patch of flames not far from me, a temple of which monsters are seemingly inhabiting the area. I quietly walk myself into the structure and hid behind one of the rough pillars heading towards an obvious throne, and a Queen on the seat, with white hair, large bat wings, dark fingernails, and showing a seductive pose.

I tried to get there but the girl in both white and black with wing-like accessory on her shoulders being dragged by some berserker in front of the throne. She is full of wounds, she's somehow mercilessly tortured with the monsters lying in this unpleasant world.

The Queen stood up, grinned somehow in victory that she knew, she knew she got what she wanted. All began shouting but the great berserker silenced such disrespectful act.

I ran behind the pillars but no one never noticed I was there, even if I touch them, my hands go through. So I went beside the Queen's guards holding well-smithed spears and with a monstrous appearance.

Crackles of flames surrounds us, chains continue to move, monsters growling, a realm in a total mess it is.

"Lunox, you're here. Come on, give it to me." The queen playfully ordered 'Lunox' to give something to the queen. The queen played with her hair while crossing her legs.

Silence bursted as Lunox didn't do anything, I only heard her panting, eyes covered with cloth, while kneeling down in front of her.

"A-Alice, don't do this. It's the balance of the universe it holds-" She spoke helplessly, her stuttering might be the result of the gruesome torture monsters did to her.

I can't even do anything.

"Why do you even believe in balance?! How come balance stood still when darkness mostly engulfed the universe? Don't be so naive, Lunox. You believed in balance and now, look at you! Look what balance did to you, you're helpless! You're not worthy of being a Twilight Goddess. It's the first time in eternity I have seen a useless, disgusting, ragged, imperfect, ugly, weak girl able to wield the Twilight Orb. Now, if you gave it to me back then, none of this would happen! Easy!" Alice ended her statement with a mischievous chuckle.

"Balmond, remove the blindfold." Alice added, so the berserker did.

Lunox's eyes are as deep as magenta and are not expressive. She's in anguish, but I can't help her. Her hands are tied presumably with a spell and I think Alice wants the Twilight Orb.

Alice became more lunatic, she laughed more and somehow tightened the spell on her hands at her back.

"How brave of you to say that, but it's not enough, never enough. You are just oppressing yourself with the Twilight Orb. You can't even stay still. Enough chitchat, surrender or die like what happened to your parents." She stretched over her hand in front of Lunox, persuading her to give her the Twilight Orb.

"N-no. If it's not for all living beings, I won't, and I mustn't." She continued to pant and reacted in anger.

What's only left of her is a mysterious necklace, and so Alice noticed.

"Balmond, bring me the necklace." Alice uttered.

"NO-"

He carelessly pulled the necklace right off her neck, leaving a scar on her nape. The necklace was pure turquoise with a mysterious glow.

"Oh, it's the dreamland amulet Faramis gave you." Alice chuckled once again.

"How did you know?" Her eyebrows met, she came into great confusion once she heard Alice's words.

"Once again, he failed. He should be dead by now, judging by the obvious mark on his back. Well played, Faramis." Alice stood up, she started to walk around Lunox.

Lunox desperately frees herself from Alice's spell but it didn't budge. Her eyes began to swell, she must've remembered something about Faramis.

"You didn't-" Lunox was shushed by Alice. Her eyes encircled the whole desert while looking at the malicious queen.

"I did, I gave him what he deserved. He betrayed me, he must be in chains along with Vexana, and die along with her. I only needed a spell to bring back Jack."

Jack?

Who's Jack?

She must've lost him a long time ago so she gained revenge.

"You don't need it anymore, Lunox. It's just an accessory." Alice shattered the amulet Faramis made. I thought it was an amulet that helps her control her powers.

"NO-" She began falling down on her body, but then she faced me.

She saw me. She needed help and she cried:

"Polaris, don't surrender the Twilight Orb-"

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"AGH-"

What was that? I-I never understood a thing. Only I remembered is that I must not surrender the Twilight Orb. Do I even have it?

Ugh.

I pressed my fingers against my head to relieve the slight headache the dream gave me.

2 minutes before the alarm struck. I must ready myself for my thesis defense.

6:08 AM, Monday

I felt something strange on my right hand but I wasn't able to see well yet. The lights weren't open, and it's the same old routine everyday.

Agh, the broken memories fill the room when my parents left me alone. But my grandmother stood up as my mother since I was 11 years old. It's all unclear, but she still gave me the best stories so I can regain faith.

She always believed in Lunox, she can balance both order and chaos and all the world's wars end. She said she's a remarkable Twilight Goddess. She gave me something, a mysterious ball with intricate carvings. It's quite heavy, but she believed it was good luck. I brought it home as a souvenir.

She always believed in magic, I should too, she said. Like Cinderella, we should always believe in courage, kindness, and magic. Not really like magic with effects, but the magic is felt in the heart, says she. I did, but what's the use?

Can this magic change this wounded world?

I knew I was a failure, when I overheard my parents. They had a war, I should've had an abortion, my mother said.

It struck me hard, I can't believe that my hard work for them just went to dust like how would Thanos snap with the Infinity Gauntlet.

I got lines of 9 back then but now, i-it's obvious.

I was the role model of my class, loved by all and believed in kindness and courage, but here I am. A literal mess in the house my parents left me.

At least I have some friends who support me whenever I fall. Lora, Daschara, Theo, some friends who sees my bad side and yet stays.

I'm still at bed. Alone in my house because my grandmother, recently passed away. So my aunt Lisa occasionally visits me from Saudi Arabia for food and money. She is the complete package.

The phone beside my bed started vibrating. I went a quick peek on my lockscreen and showed a sticking notification.

"Ms. Polaris Moira Daschernaut, boy you've been a lot later than past days. Don't act like it's Saturday, we've been practicing this for ages! Thesis defense starts at 9, see you soon!❤" Lora always ends her messages with a ❤ and I couldn't be anymore pissed off.

I didn't tend to reply her since I had to prepare myself quickly.

Oh, well.

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I lifted my bag resting on the dinner table, filled with formal attire, make-up, research papers, and especially, the ball grandma gave me. Straight to the doorway before the exit, my right hand now hurts a bit, and some black spots begin to cover it, so I snatched over the cabinet a glove. Did I get drunk last night and hammered my fingers?

Enough with the corny talks. This is serious, I should've applied cold compress before I left.

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While I was walking, a familiar figure of a woman appeared near a street light. A faint figure covered in a cloak concealing herself. Strange, I know I already seen one in my dreams, but science is true. You only remember some parts of your dreams.

The waiting shed isn't far away. I walked it along and it was beside 7/11. The sky gave an orange glow and a bluish hue at the other side. The cold surroundings bugged me, made me think that its real hot yesterday.

I checked my phone to see if there's a new notification sticking on my lockscreen.

Then a ragged guy appeared in front of me, he seems to be chased by some other guys because of his panting. He held me by my shoulders and shook like he's waking me up.

"Whatever you do, don't surrender the Twilight Orb!"

Was it just me, or did he just say the exact same thing I remembered in my dream? My eyebrows rose as he continued to shake me. He then ran off quickly.

Yet I don't see the gang chasing him.

"While we are prepared, Moira." Ganymede chatted.

God, I told him to call me Polaris and he didn't listen.

I saw a taxi at a distance and quickly waved my hand. It then drove me to the Moniyan Glory Academy.

"Polaris, what took you so long?" Daschara gave a worried and disappointed look. She rested her hand on her waist and maneuvered her body beside the table.

"I just have some personal things to take care of-"

"We're bummed, Polaris. We don't have time." Lora uttered whilst arranging the papers. They silenced for a bit, it's didn't sink in well.

"S-sorry." I lowered my head down and scratched my head. I never knew they would be this, so, strict to the rules, I think. I shook my head with some disappointment at myself.

"It's okay, it's not time yet. I just finished most of the, y'know? Some stuff. You could just help me finish them." Theo added, then he brought me beside the table near the window. I don't know what stuff he is talking about but, whatever.

The sky is covered with off-white clouds not seeing any of the blue patches. The sun didn't shine so bright, not like yesterday. Leaves continued to fall as I glared at the school fountain at the front. I handed Theo some pins and as my eyes continued to roam the front, the same figure made appearance beside the statue.

I backed out from the window a bit, for a second I thought it began to haunt me. For me, it's becoming unusual. Is it following me?

A subtle poke on my back brought me back to reality.

"A-are you okay, Polaris? What's with the glove?" Daschara asked, but to startle me is not okay.

"It's, medicated. My hands somehow hurt and I-I, uh, the doctor recommends it to me. By the way, where's Ganymede? Is he able to continue the presentation?"

Lora tarried a bit in front of her laptop and laughed. She grasped her glasses and some pens and seemed to put them in her sling bag near the water dispenser. Her hand supporting her body at the table, Lora gave a promising look.

"We always know Ganymede is the full inventory, so don't worry about him. Trust us." Then they smiled at me to show they are fine. It turns out it's not a mess, for now.

"O-okay. I guess."

The pain went back, I knew I needed to go to the girl's locker room to check on it as it started to induce discomfort.

"A-ah." The aching continued into the hallway on the campus's 2nd floor. The tarpaulins of me stayed on the walls. It feels, somehow new being known at the academy.

But once I approached the door to the locker room, I felt a presence on the very end of the hallway. A silhouette of a long-haired guy, pale, and left quickly.

It resembled Leo, that depressed guy who literally floods the sink almost everyday as he cries. I wanted to go near him but I think he's not in the mood.

I went straight away inside the locker room. The mirrors took over the wall far opposite of the doorway. Sinks are left uncleaned, all looked normal for me.

Some girls stayed on the corner, but once they notice me, gossips became the mouth of the squad. They pretend that they don't know anything about me and just walk away like nothing happened.

That's harsh. Okay.

I looked at the mirror and checked over my hand. It's never been more swollen and dark than before, how do I even remove this?

I thought of using my concealer to hide the blackness since it's weird to wear gloves during the presentation, but it didn't remove the pain.

At least I brought some painkillers on the way. I took a pill and drank some water. As the pill is flushed into my throat, I suddenly felt a bit light-headed.

I lost control on balance as I went back to the room we came from. Hopefully, Theo stopped my fall.

"Are you sure you are okay? You looked already stressed, it's not even 9 yet." Theo kneeled.

I assured him I'm alright, but he insisted me to take some medicine to reduce this weird feeling I had. That guy might be the cause.

The light-headedness didn't come back until it's our turn to defend our research. I blinked a bit to get a clear view of the board.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Can you tell us your name please?" One of the board queried in front of us.

"Ganymede Rookie Greene. Leader, sir."

"Polaris Moira Daschernaut. Secretary, sir."

"Lora Gwen Montefalco." Research Manager, sir."

"Good, so can you tell us a bit about your research?" The other member spoke.

Reality became a blur once an eerie voice whispered inside my head. Sudden warnings repeatedly attacked my head like a nerve cell split.

"Follow my voice."

"Find the depressed lad."

"Come and join me, in my dream world."

"It's your turn to save the universe."

"Avoid the demon with a mischievous chuckle."

Thousands of words scrambled in my head. Once it conquered my whole consciousness, my vision blackened.

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"W-where am I?"

I laid on a cold flat, my reflection stood under me. My curiosity enraged again as I look at the empty realm, pink skies and an old woman standing far from me looking away.

She seems to walk slowly like how would my grandmother walk. She is the same hunchback like my grandma and wears the same scarf like her.

I tried to peek at her front but she looked behind before I get to see her.

"Polaris, my Cinderella. Give your fairy godmother a hug." Grandma spoke and laughed at the end. I gave her a confused hug as she came out of nowhere.

Her poor wrinkles stayed exactly like the grandma I knew, she smiled. Nostalgic, isn't it?

"Grandma? Why are you here?" I responded.

"I should ask you that. Why are YOU here?" She encircled me.

I stayed silent as I didn't know what I should answer, she is so good at questioning, it makes me feel like I'm cornered. She knows everything about me.

"It looks like you have the Twilight Orb I gave you as a souvenir." I unexpectedly felt something round on my left hand. Then lots of unanswered questions bursted again from my mind.

"I-Is this the, Twilight Orb?"

Grandma returned from my back and finally answered my question. She gave a short look at the Orb I am looking.

"Yes. Now you are wondering why you are holding it. It is because you are destined to be the next Twilight Goddess. I always believed in you."

Confusion remained dominant.

"What do you mean?" I asked once again.

"Concentrate, Polaris." She persuaded me to concentrate at the Twilight Orb.

"Once you harness its powers, you'll be able to save the universe."

Suddenly, a new hand came into sight seamlessly when she reached the orb. A young, smooth, unwrinkled hand under a long sleeve and bracelets paralyzed me.

We looked at each other despite my grandma's different yet familiar appearance.

"Are you, Lunox? Grandma?"

She smiled like she never repented to show her true self.

"Yes."

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To be continued...