AFTER STARLIGHT

SHARD 3: HAUNTED ONCE MORE

"Everyone has secrets untold, but friends sometimes risk that for the safety of one another"
-Author

As Anne makes her way downstairs, she stops when she heard a familiar and commanding voice in the living room. It was one of Alphus' personnel that managed the hotel, Seil Eralla. She has known the woman for years now, when Anne was still 11, she saw her being hired by her father. Lenient but strict when it came to hotel protocols and management, she was a notorious topic amongst the staff and sometimes the guests to this day.

When Anne arrived at the room, the aloof Seil shifted into a carefree, mother-like lady, gracefully greeting Anne with sincerity and offering her a helping hand towards the kitchen. In the hotel, Anne is, without mistakes, the most powerful person that can have any desires she wants, as long as it remains in the hotel, but she was not that kind of a person. Even Seil couldn't say no to her when she offered to have breakfast together with her.

"You should see more of the quiet and local sites of Valoran City Miss. You already went to the famous sites, who knows maybe you'll find something interesting other than school life", Seil said.

"School isn't the only place I go to these days but wasting this beautiful weather today would be a bummer. Want me to buy anything?" asked Anne, as she finishes her meal.

"We're fine Miss, just go," said the woman.

Anne hurriedly went to her room and came back fresh, wearing plane denim shorts, a rose pink-colored top, and black sneakers, with her hair in a fixed, upper ponytail.

As Anne reached the front door, a dark energy crept behind her but when she looked back, there nothing but was a smile from Seil, and farewells from other workers. When she arrived at the lobby on the ground floor, Anne could not shake the cold force of energy in her room, so she decided to use her bike. A good ride should ease the feeling. Anne rode for a few hours across new sights of the city, those left undiscovered to her when the same dark energy began to rise again and this time more powerful with each new destination. It was as if it was following her on purpose.

Remnants of darkness were visible to her eyes in the blue sky like eradicating its peacefulness to a more vicious one, but the people around her cared less about the aura, so she just ignored it too like the rest. It is a beautiful day after all. Local ice creams were her favorite after taking breaks from place to place.

Soon the sun began to fade amongst the clouds and Anne sets out back to the hotel. The skies were fast changing colors but Anne was a master of riding at fast speed while maintaining caution of course. About a few kilometers from the hotel, the ground beneath her started to shake with rumbling sounds, and cracks on structures appeared, causing her to fall off the bike as people around her panicked, and half part of a building started to crash below her. She could not move for fear already consumed her, then a flash of memory distracted her from the falling debris. It was hazy but there were colors, one pink and the other dark turquoise and its light was growing bigger.

When everything fell dark, she senses returned to the real world. A beautiful green light was protecting her and as soon as it vanished, someone grabbed her by the hand and flew away from the damaged site. Her sight was still hazy but she noticed a faint smile from her savior before disappearing into the battlefield. Anne was safe in the alleyway but not alone. Creatures were still lurking in the shadows and when she noticed them, she ran fast like a marathon, hoping to lose them in the area's twisted path but the monsters were following and gaining close to her.

She repeatedly shouts for help but there was no one there. Annoyed, she decided to deal with them her way; first outsmarting them, the creatures morphed into one massive and strong beast but it got slower movement with each turn of the alley. After losing it from her tail, she formulates a plan. She readied her attack and aimed for it at the designated spot. The last thing she needed was bravery, which wasn't so difficult now that she gets a better look at the creature, it was similar to the one that invaded her bedroom last night. Her plan worked but she was far from triumph, the monster was too strong and charged, ready to end her life. Out of nowhere, her necklace begins to glow.

"What's happening?!" she asks herself, as the light expanded and swallows her and the creature.

Tips of the monster's claws began to break and soon the entire body. It turned into starlight and a white chipmunk was what was left of it. Anne was hesitant to go near but hearing the roars of the other monsters, she took the critter and left the scene. Outside the alleyway was the laborious battlefield; dark creatures, colors, guns, explosions, and—magic?!

There were people in odd costumes fighting the dark monsters, and Anne thought them to be good at fighting. Her heart is at ease knowing the good guys arrived.

"So they're the ones Danni referred to, Star...Guardians..." Anne thought, caressing the white fur of the little critter in her arms.

Stars were falling from the sky, the scene was beautiful but dangerous and when one of the Guardians saw Anne, she quickly flew to her side and sent her somewhere safe. Anne was outside the hotel, she headed toward the balcony of her room and, even from a faraway view, the battle was still visible.

"Oh, I almost forgot you, little one", Anne said gently, talking to the chipmunk as if it could understand her.

The critter was unharmed but it sure was messy and so the two of them took a little bath. The chipmunk was a female and Anne named her Lucy because she has bright fur. Seil and Noelle were nowhere to be found, and although it was a bit strange, some things are still left a mystery to Anne.

"I guess I could keep you for a while", Anne said. She placed Lucy on a table and took out a lavender-colored collar from her bag and puts it around her, and she was undoubtedly calm about it.

"This was supposed to be for Jay, but I guess you can have it," Anne said and patted Lucy's head.

When moonlight entered the city, Anne suddenly remembers the things she left on her bike.

"Maybe it's still there?", she thought. When she gazes out the balcony, there was dead silence in the air. It has ended.

Considering what just happened to her was crazy, going back is a whole new level of craziness.

"What if they're still there, Lucy? I have to give them my thanks", Anne said, again, talking to the creature as if it will respond.

Without a doubt, she left the hotel and headed toward the battlefield. It was dark with an eerie ambiance, and residents from that area were being evacuated due to the damage caused. Luckily, she didn't have to look harder because the bike was spotted with ease, just a few distances from her entrance but that wasn't the only thing Anne came across.

Towards the exit parades the black creatures that attacked her. Anne almost successfully sneaked out but her phone rang and triggered the monsters. In fear, she ran for her life, dodging almost every possible attack they fire but she was injured by the debris and caught. She was scared but hopeful and in that hope comes a beacon of light that freed her. Along that light entered the people in odd costumes before, she notices their aura and it was as pure as their smile. The monster growled and purple lights surrounded it, causing rapid duplication of its kind.

"Now that's just playing in odds", the blonde woman said. She stands on top of a flying stage and holds out a microphone to the monsters but before she could fire, another Guardian intervened.

"Let's get her out of here first", the pink-haired woman commanded.

When she touched the trembling Anne for comfort, the girl felt sparks rushing through her body, like a sort of familiarity. She was lost in her gaze as the woman continues to ask. Finally, two people flew her away and into Valoran Park. To her astonishment, the man in green healed her with magic. It was warm and sensational, then he flew back to the site, leaving Anne with the ballerina woman.