Corra Reist

apparently she slept for a month

The first thing Corra noticed was the ceiling that was too high than usual—a vast expanse of black, intricately patterned with faintly shimmering gold. It loomed overhead, too ornate, too..strange. Who the hell changed my ceiling? Her mind was sluggish, still swimming in the fog of sleep.

The bed felt different; the sheets whispered against her skin, their texture unfamiliar, yet not foreign. She shifted slightly, her cheek brushing against a pillow. Soft. Too soft. Goose feathers? Her fingers brushed the exposed stuffing she had apparently torn open in her sleep. Corra paused and frowned. Aren't geese extinct? They're in the extinct species records from Ancient Earth, weren't they?

Her thoughts drifted back to Ancient Earth, the long-gone birthplace of Azgarbians' ancestors, which had already exploded centuries ago. All records regarding their origin planet are publicly open for everyone, and she can recognize these since she'd spent hours combing through holobooks for that perfect feather texture, trying to get Ali to replicate it for her bedding. When Ali's attempts failed, I sulked for days. She remembered, rolling her eyes at her previous drama.

Wait. Her eyes narrowed. Maybe Ali finally found a way? She perked up slightly, then immediately dismissed the thought. But it's not my birthday. Drowsiness threatened to drag her back under. I wanna sleep more.

"Elzun?"

The word came softly, pulling her from the haze. Corra reluctantly opened one eye, her vision slightly blurry. Her gaze met that of a teenage boy, standing hesitantly by her bedside. He looked about thirteen, his posture rigid with concern.

Daelip. Wait, do I know him? She frowned. "Hmmmm?" she murmured, half-asleep and confused. Also, what in the world is "Elzun"?

"How do you feel, elzun?" the boy asked, waiting respectfully at her bedside.

He was dressed oddly—flowing garments in black and gold, his neck and wrists adorned with delicate chains that have rubies, jingling softly as he moves.

Not Azgarbian, she realized. Am I in another planetary system? Yet she understood him perfectly. She stared at him harder, her suspicion sharpening. Lalina.

Corra sat up slightly, scrutinizing the boy's face. His expression was earnest, his dark eyes brimming with something close to relief. Good actor, she thought grudgingly. Wow, Lalina set up a grand prank this time if she also dared to touch my naoirse.

"Maybe I should call for Bo-zen, elzun?" the boy prompted, getting awkward as he was not getting any responses from his master, and she was just blankly staring at him for the past minute.

Corra opted for her favorite and most abused line of all time. "Hmmmm," Drowsy and confused, this was all she could give.

"Alright, elzun. I'll be back shortly," the boy bowed—and did some kind of salute she's only seen on old Chinese dramas salvaged by the Azgarbian Alliance from Ancient Earth—his jewelry clanging as he did so. She raised her eyebrows at that. What the hell is Lalina on to this time?

Corra watched as he stepped back and began to pull the enormous door gently as if to minimize the noise—however, the heavy creaking did him dirty. His eyes met hers with an apologetic look. Corra raised her brows in question, confused at the caring treatment from a stranger. When the door finally clicked shut behind the boy, she let her gaze drift.

The room was too big for her liking, with high ceilings that reminded her of Ali's mansion. Everything was black and gold coded, with hints of reds here and there. The bed she's currently lying on is bigger than what she had back home, which was queen-sized—the bed frame and headboard is gold, while all the sheets, pillows cover, and duvet are black. Feels like dyed fine linen, she thought. And the perfect place to let blood splatter.