𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐔𝐒𝐓 || skz

CHAPTER 12: STARLESS SKY

Felix blinked as he stared at his mother. His eyes were stinging.

Her voice was so soft it hurt Felix.

Every memory of his mother flooded back to him. The times she sang him lullabies, when she walked him around the castle grounds, when she taught him all the constellation names. When she took him to meet Chan properly for the first time. The time she held his hand as he was introduced to his new guard, Jisung. When she took Felix and Chan into the forest and met Changbin. He remembered all the time he had spent with her, how she never stopped teaching him about the small things in life.

Oh, how he missed her.

Life after his mother's death had been hard on him. Not only had he lost his mother, but his father too as he had retreated into his chambers and Felix barely saw him for months. The man that had exited the chambers, the day after his mother's death anniversary was nothing like his father had been before.

He was cold to Felix, barely looked at him. It was as if looking at his own son hurt him too much.

Felix never stayed for long in his father's presence anymore. Felix wasn't worth his father's time. What mattered to his father now was the kingdom and nothing else.

And it hurt.

"My sweetest child," his mother whispered, her face soft as Felix snapped back to the present. Her hand was still extended towards him, a sad smile on her face. "I know your father hurt you, so deeply. But we can fix this. We can be happy again."

Felix's vision was blurry. Maybe he was crying. He rubbed his eyes.

"There is a gem in the mansion, and I will bring you to it. All you need to do it to take my hand, Felix," she said firmly.

"I-"

"Take it!" she repeated, hissing in a way his mother would never.

"You..." he began, attempting to move backwards. He looked around, seeing only darkness around him. Moving felt odd, like he was floating. "You're not my mother," he said as he turned back to face whatever this was.

That broke the spell.

The illusion around him faded. The light from his mother dimmed and he realized that he wasn't among trees. Or standing on firm ground.

He was submerged in water.

"NO!" the creature that had been his mother shrieked. Her hair turned dark green, like seaweed and her face twisted into something that couldn't possibly be human. She grew long claws as she reached for Felix, moving too swiftly in the water to actually belong on land.

His heart was racing in his chest and his lungs were starting to ache. He tried to move away from the creature, but it grabbed a hold of his jacket. He couldn't hold his breath much longer. His lungs were burning, yet he didn't know how where to go. What was up and what was down? His head was spinning. He fumbled, desperately trying to see if he had a knife on him.

"You're mine, little star!" the creature hissed, its face twisting and warping further. It looked even less human now. "I'll drown you!"

Despite the panic that buzzed within, Felix managed to recall what Seungmin had taught him. He grabbed onto the creatures hands and twisted.

The air in his lungs were running out but he needed to focus on getting away from the monster.

The creature let out another shriek as Felix twisted and turned, eventually releasing himself from its grip.

"You're mine!" it yelled, clawing after him. "Your dreams are mine! I'll take your breath! You-"

A sudden rumble caused the water to tremble. The creature paused for a second, turning away from Felix. Its body was elongated, more like a snake's body than a human one.