Lacuna

Awry

In the kingdom of Nysa, the night was pitch black, and only a few sources of light came from the nearby town. The moon's light was no longer visible and the stars were disappearing. Within the kingdom's laboratory, Dr.Reid looked out of his window clutching onto the telescope.

"Aries, Pisces... why are the-"

"What are you mumbling on about, Reid?" an elder scientist asked barging in.

"Elder Hamal!" Reid said a bit startled, " I believe that all the stars are quickly dying out."

"I'm sure its just the clouds, plus its natural for a few stars to die out," the elder replied.

A young scientist by the name of Harold McKinley quickly looked through the telescope to see each one dying out all at once. "How about billions of them dying out all at once?" Harold nervously announced. "That's absurd, McKinley!" another scientist said rushing in only to spill his  tea. "Well a few years ago, I've noticed that the brightest star of Aries disappeared, and as days passed it never appeared on that constellation ever again," Reid explained. Elder Hamal walked out unknowingly as Reid continued his research. The other scientist scoffed while cleaning up the spilled tea. "I've studied astronomy for so long; back then I thought it was just my imagination." Reid rushed towards his desk opening up his folder to write down this new discovery, "Turns out I was right all along, but this time, 12 constellations are the only one's that are missing," Reid added.

"But Dr.Reid, what about the other stars?" Harold asked.

"That-' I don't quite understand," Reid replied. They all began to go through some files to find some logical reason but they couldn't piece it together. The scientists had to stay in the building until it was morning. They had to solve this great enigma before the panic begins.

•••

The next morning, the sun looked as if it was losing its natural light and the townspeople began to worry. One of the king's knights went to the laboratory to find an explanation.

"Miss Elizabeth, what brings you here?" Harold asked.
"The king sent me to fetch a man named Lawrence Reid," she replied.
"I'm over here, Miss!" Reid said beckoning the knight to see his observations.
"Last night, billions of stars died out and oddly enough, only 12 constellations went missing."
"Are you sure that it wasn't just your imagination? I mean, the stars on those constellations could've died out as well," Elizabeth concludes.

"We are sure, and from Dr.Reid's observations, the 12 constellations disappeared first and then the rest of the constellations stayed, " Harold replied while fixing a few papers. "Then again, we are trying to figure out why the other stars followed along, but not the stars of the other constellations like Orion or the Ursa Major," Reid said. Elizabeth stood there thinking until the elder came in giving her a serious expression. " You must hurry and bring Reid to King Aaron, Elizabeth."

"Y-yes, grandfather," Elizabeth said.

"Grandfather!?" Harold interrupts.

Elizabeth slightly glared at Harold as she passed by with Reid following from behind. The loud shut from the door startled a few working scientists.

The elder looked out the window and whispered, "What will become of this world now?"

Evening came and the rain went pouring. Dr.Reid was finally home still contemplating on the strange phenomenon that happened just yesterday. He was getting ready to sleep until a sudden knock came upon his front door. Dr.Reid was a bit grouchy from all the work that he had to do at the lab, so he ignored it. Suddenly, loud cries came after and he ran down to see what it was. Nobody was there but a small baby bundled up in a pink blanket. Assuming that the baby was a girl, Reid picked her up from the basket that she laid upon. He cradled her in his arms as her cries went silent. The rain suddenly stopped and as the clouds cleared up, a shooting star had passed. The constellation Corona Borealis twinkled brightly in the sky only to slowly fade away. "Why have they left you at my front doorstep?" Dr.Reid softly says to the now sleeping baby. He looked up to see the fading northern crown as he had whispered its name