In Another Life - Moonsun

Chapter Eight: I Miss You

That man got away. Unfortunately. She went back inside the store to get her honey and oats granola bars and checked them out herself. People stared at her as if she was insane (which she kind of thought was funny) for running trying to catch Mr. Ambiguous. Byulyi walked home, spacing out into the abyss. After walking aimlessly and finally making it back to her apartment, she plopped herself down on the couch and turned on the tv.

"For this afternoon's daily news channel, the kidnapping that happened a few days ago still hasn't been solved by the NIS. The director and chief of surrounding police stations are looking deeper into the matter. That was today's afternoon news, I'm Seokjin Kim now signing off." Byulyi sighed, grabbing the remote and turning the TV off.

That next morning, Byulyi woke up dead tired. Unfortunately, Moonstar hasn't said anything in her dreams about where Yongsun was but she continued to have recurring dreams where she would see her tied up in a chair. She was worried sick and she only had a week left before the next eclipse. She texted Wheein and Hyejin and told them to fill in a week off to get Yongsun back.

They met at the same bagel place that she went to in another dimension. They all sat down and started to discuss plans. "Ok, so we found Yongsun's necklace in that alleyway. That leaves room for us to look at the surrounding area. That place, in general, is shady and should be taken a look at." Hyejin said, taking a bite out of her bagel.

"That's one thing, if Monster is another powerful version of Moonstar, the place wouldn't be some random basement or sketchy abandoned building." Wheein spun her pen in her hand, tapping it a few times then taking a sip of her orange juice. The silence grew in between them as they pondered on where Yongsun was taken. A few terrible ideas popped inside Byulyi's head that she refused to say aloud or else she would start bawling her eyes out, but she would do anything and go anywhere to get her back.

"Maybe that's it. Somewhere that is not suspicious or is just not suspected to be a place that you would keep someone." Byulyi looked around the shop and saw a familiar figure. There he was, Mr. Ambiguous. In his navy blue apron, black mask, and hoodie. Byulyi's eyes widened as she whispered to each of their ears. All of them dropped their bagels on their plates and they all stood up.

"I'm going to use the restroom, does anyone want to come with me?" Wheein started a fake conversation as the others started to catch her drift. They both agreed as they walked towards the back of the cafe.

In one swift motion, they turned running towards the man. He jumped over the counter, spilling hot coffee all over the place. They kept running trying to catch him as he busted out the door. Hyejin grabbed a mop from the closet and she ran with the others. He kept making twists and turns as the three of them followed. Soon he should be out of breath. Byulyi thought to herself.

They kept running as the man finally found himself in a dead-end. He started to panic looking back and forth between the three women in front of him and the brick wall behind him. "Take off your mask and get down on your knees," Wheein demanded and he obeyed. Hyejin still had the mop in her hands tightening her grip. Byulyi crouched down on the ground at his level, she smirks.

"What do you know about Monster?" The man didn't say anything. He kept his cool and had a poker face. Hyejin almost swung the mop hitting his head but Wheein stopped her. The man shuttered in fear. "Tell me everything you know or else we will arrest you on multiple charges." Byulyi threatened, her hand gripping the collar of the man's shirt.

"I-in the back," the man said. "The back of the cafe, there's a map. You can't go there if you're normal. You need guidance from someone of power." He stuttered. Hyejin pointed the mop to his face, bristle side in front of him. It reeked of a strong smell of who knows what touched that mop.

"Is that it? A little map? Nothing else?" Wheein's voice seemed to scare him a little more than the others. He shivered again. "That's it. I don't know anything else but the map and you need someone to help. Please let me go, Monster is all over us and she is threatening that girl she took hostage." Byulyi's eyes widened. Her hand relaxed on his shirt, letting him go.

"Tell me more about her. I need to know everything."

"You're pathetic." Monster kicked Yongsun with her foot making the other have a nosebleed. Yongsun was pale, weak, and barely holding on by a thread. Bruises and cut marks all over her body as she groaned in pain again. Her only thoughts consisted of "Where are you moon?" and "Please get me out of here. I can't take it anymore." Monster snuck behind her and whispered in her ear.

"Your star has seven days. If she doesn't come, you're stuck here," Monster paused and smiled psychotically. "Forever and she will perish under the dark forces. If she gets here quick enough, the process will speed up within minutes" Yongsun's emotions started to boil. Her ambition to leave and go back home with Byulyi became strong. Every single second of being in this other dimension, she hated it. She just wanted to go home, take a proper warm shower, cuddle and sleep with the others.

"You're lucky that she is the most determined little hamster I've ever met. She will come here, kick your ass and save me." Yongsun struggled under the restraints on her hands and legs. Trying to wiggle free, her arms kept getting tired. Monster laughed at the nickname. Her black leather boots clicked on the cold concrete floor as she headed towards the exit door. She opened it and left the room, leaving Sun alone in the dark and cold.

They were finally one step closer to finding Yongsun. The three of them let the man go as he ran off somewhere in the distance. Opening the door to the cafe again, they scrammed to the back and found the office area. Opening all of the possible drawers, they finally found an old raggedy map. Its ink was slightly faded and smudged on its pale yellow color.

"Follow the sign of the moon, the light must guide you in this reality. The dark side of the moon awaits." The text read. The three of them looked at each other. The light must guide you in your reality, could that be Moonstar?

"Moonstar will be helping us. She is the light, she is the guide." Wheein examined the map closer. Byulyi and Hyejin both had their eyes on her and agreed. If Moonstar is the light, then the dark side of the moon is Monster. Monster is expecting us, this could be a trap but there is no other way.

"We know for sure that Monster will be there but what about this sign of the moon? Is it just a glowing sign that is a moon–" Byulyi paused, a loud glowing shape appeared before them in front of a wall. It was luminescent in the shape of a white crescent.

"Speak of the devil, it's an actual moon," Hyejin said deadpanned. They stared at the sign on the wall.

"Why is it on the wall?" Wheein pondered.

"What if something is behind it?" Byulyi touched the tile wall behind the sign and felt a tile move. "The wall, it moves. Kick it down." The three of them kicked the wall with force repeatedly getting the tile to move. Rubble and debris started to fall from the cracks, with one final kick (and a whack with a frying pan from Hyejin) a hole formed from the wall. The others started to peel the wall back, revealing bricks as they slid them out of their place.

On the other side of the tile wall, there was a long corridor extending to what seemed to be several feet into the dark. The three of them made a hole big enough for them to walk through, they turned on their phone flashlights for some light. The moon sign disappeared behind them and appeared at the end of the hallway.

"Looks like you three are here early. Let's speed things up, shall we? Seven days you had, now turns into one hour. Save your sun and you get out and be back to normal." A voice boomed inside. A voice is dangerously similar to Byulyi's voice.

"What the hell was that? Byulyi was that you?" Wheein turned her phone, facing the flashlight in the girl's face.

"No, of course, it wasn't, could it be?" The three of them moved cautiously closer to the sign, at the end was a black curtain. They opened it revealing a large room that looked oddly familiar. The rods of lights, the arrangement of them, the blinding light that emitted from it. How white and pale the walls were, it all looked recognizable.

"Moon Byulyi, you're here. You must recognize this place, your dreams. Where I explained everything to you." Moonstar emerged from the ray of lights.

"Byulyi, I miss you." Yongsun's voice rang in Byulyi's head.

"I miss you too sunshine."