The Star of Night | MIYAKO

act thirty { the crystal's power transcends all }

Breathe. Just breathe. 

Those are the exact words doctors told Miyako for all her life. In the dark shadows of the castle, the young woman held her hands to her chest and closed her eyes. Her heartbeat drummed against her palms and into her ears. Its raging beat made her whole body feel hollow, but also reminded her of the life she lived. 

Everything is all right. He's gone now, so there's nothing you have to worry about. The Moon is watching you. You are safe.

The tiniest smile cracked on her lips. The Moon. The same jewel in the sky she would look to and just stare at held so much power in her life, more than she could have ever imagined. This was her life now and those words, the Moon is watching you, were her biggest strength. Time had passed and Miyako was numb to it. 

Hours? Days? Weeks? Time was but a myth on this planet. 

Miyako forced out a long and low breath before she opened her eyes again. The frozen image of Neo-Queen Serenity looked down at her. Stuck in time, the image resembled her current state: trapped within confines she couldn't escape on her own. Miyako wiped her clammy hands on her dress before she stood up. 

Everything that happened here was a dream.

"Yes, everything is all a dream." Her voice was soft. Like it answered the question in her head, it was firm and reassuring. 

Soon, you will wake up in bed with Usagi just as the alarm goes off. This is all a bad dream. 

"It's all a dream..." Miyako's hands grazed the cold wall of this solitary room as she moved to the door. 

Her body begged for an escape, but her mind had to think. Her body begged for rest, but her mind told her to move. No, her mind had to remember itself--wire itself to her current surroundings and understand what she had to do first. 

None of this is real.

"None of this is real."

Once she stepped out of the room, cool air prickled her skin, but she pushed forward. Unlike her first time waking up in the castle, Miyako knew where to go. Although she was confused out of her mind, she had noted locked and open doors, hallways with light and corridors she has no business going down. Even if it offered her no power in her weakening state, Miyako clenched her Brooch tight in her hands. 

If she could not summon the stars to be with her, she hopped they would deliver a punch as powerful from the heavens.

As she stumbled through the dark halls and bobbed into different rooms, the cool walls soon changed to a metal surface. In her hazy-mind state, Miyako recognized sounds of hammering, electrical whirring, and an irritated voice. If she could, she would have smiled. Those components were always found in her school's lab, often filled with students either cursing their assignments or the heavy equipment they had to carry. 

The door to the next room was open wider than all the others. Lights hung from above, illuminating the hall. Sparks from tools flashed one after the other, all the while the voices inside complained to each other. 

"They won't ever speak, those damned Guardians!" 

"Maybe because you trapped them in the Chamber of Darkness, Rubeus." The second voice responded. When she reached the doorway, Miyako peeked her eyes inside. 

All around the room were equipment one would find in an evil lair. Coated in black, jewels, tools, weapons, and things Miyako couldn't comprehend were neatly organized on all sides. At the opposite end of the room were two men: Rubeus and a sapphire-haired man. His navy jacket and white pants were pressed to perfection. Even though she couldn't see behind his welding goggles, Miyako noted his perfectly brushed and styled hair.