The night had draped the sea in a serene, velvety darkness. The only light came from the shimmering stars above, their reflections dancing on the rippling water. The Alcor sailed steadily, its crew quiet, save for the occasional sounds of ropes creaking and the rhythmic splash of waves against the hull. The storms of Inazuma loomed ahead, their faint flickers of lightning still distant yet growing closer with each passing hour.
Momon had chosen a secluded spot on the deck, resting on a makeshift bed of stacked wooden crates and coiled ropes. The cool night breeze whispered around him as he reclined, his skeletal frame oddly at ease. Above him, the sky was a masterpiece, a sprawling canvas of stars glimmering in patterns that seemed both familiar and alien.
Though he appreciated the beauty, something about the night sky unsettled him. He had noticed it before but had refrained from delving deeper. Tonight, curiosity won.
"Aren't those...?" Momon's voice was a low murmur, his crimson eyes narrowing. The faint glow of his eyes reflected a truth he could not ignore. His skeletal face, with its unnerving stillness, betrayed an intense focus as he whispered the incantation.
"[See Through]."
The spell sharpened his vision, cutting through the limitations of mortal sight. As the veil of distance and illusion parted, he saw them—fragments of an object adrift in space, glinting faintly like shattered pieces of an ancient artifact. They floated eerily, unbound by gravity, their jagged edges casting strange shadows against the backdrop of the stars.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Asteroids... No, these are something else," he muttered, suspicion creeping into his voice. With a flick of his wrist, he invoked an enhanced version of the spell.
"[See Through - V5]."
The spell surged, its power stretching his perception further into the cosmos. He was moments away from unveiling the truth when—
"Hey there!"
The sudden voice startled him, breaking his concentration and dispelling the spell. Momon turned his head sharply to see Beidou standing nearby, a broad grin lighting up her face. She held a lantern, its warm glow illuminating her wind-tousled hair and confident stance.
"Beidou," Momon said, his voice calm but tinged with annoyance.
Beidou laughed, the sound rich and carefree. "Didn't mean to scare you, big guy. You looked so deep in thought I figured I'd pull you back to reality."
"I was just staring at the stars to pass the time," Momon said, his voice a low rumble that broke the tranquil quiet.
Beidou, who had leaned against the railing nearby, glanced up at the sky as well. "Ah yes, they do look magnificent tonight," she said, her tone uncharacteristically soft, as if the sight had briefly stolen her usual boldness. After a moment, she turned her head to look at him. "But... you really plan to sleep on those boxes?"
