The Star of Night | MIYAKO

act one { to step out of darkness is to find me }

"Why haven't you found me yet?"

In the dark of night, a voice of a woman called. A voice so soothing sleep could punish with with its heavy weight on any sleeping persons. In the dark of his room with blinds closed and silence swimming around him, sleep would come to all people. 

Except for this sleeping boy. At the tender age of sixteen, any youth his age would have trouble sleeping; video games, lengthy homework assignments were just to name a few reasons for the nightmare of sleep. But O no was that not this boy's case. In the dark of his mind his soul found no peace in the pitch nothingness but a voice calling out to him. Although his physical body rustled atop his bed sheets and sweat soaked his forehead, the cry for help was his struggle throughout the night. 

"Why haven't you? I have been standing in front of you, yet you do not see me. It hurts to see your loving gaze on somebody else and not me. It hurts too much."

"What do you mean? What do you mean by I haven't found you?"

As if compelled by the voice and taunted by no answer, the boy sat up. Sweat dripped down the small of his back and from his neck down his spine rattled a chill with the movement. At once he opened his eyes, expecting to see the woman who called for him, yearned for his attention, coveted his whole being. 

But all the boy saw was the dark of his room. The moon hidden behind clouds and blinds allowed little to no light inside. Just like the past nights of the same actions, no voice answered back to his open eyes. 

But then, frantic footfalls sounded to his ears. The boy reached out before him, hoping with all his heart to hold the whole who dreamed of him. 

"Please explain what you mean. I don't know what you're--"

"When you have found me, everything will be clear to you, Chiba Mamoru. Once you have truly opened your eyes and stepped out of darkness, you will see me. Just listen to my voice and your true life will be opened."

"W-What do you mean?"

The steps hurried to him the more he panicked and he was rushing. Before he could say more, blinding light seared the dark. Everything in its path--the bed, dresser, clothes--were baptized by its power. Mamoru shielded his closed eyes from the epicenter of brightness, unable to stand the weight of what stood before him. Yet he fought on. Knowing staring straight at the light would blind him for life, he dropped his eyes to the floor. The ends of a pooling gown just reached where he stood. A pair of white heels peeked from where the person was standing. 

That was all Mamoru could see before the voice spoke again, its tone ever gentle as it always was and less urgent than before.   

"You will understand come the hour of zenith. Hurry and find me, Mamoru. The pain is too painful to bear." 

A hand rested on his chest. Still with his hands over his eyes, Mamoru peeked again to see the glimmer of light ricochet off a ring. It seemed to be an engagement ring on the woman's left hand, but as he was teen, Mamoru couldn't tell the different in rings and with the blinding light ahead, wasn't able to see the true detail of the jewelry piece.  

The hand on his chest for one more moment longer, caressing the thin material of his sleep shirt before the woman stepped back. Taking a chance when he could hear her steps disappearing, Mamoru opened his eyes and felt everything in him burn. This power around him was strong, but he saw something. A glimpse: a searing light of blue.  

"Wait!"

Suddenly upright in bed, Mamoru's breath dragged in and out as if he ran a marathon without shoes. Heavy and sagging, his eyes darted across the room, but they stung every time he blinked. He was pained like he had stared at the sun for hours without water or break. The remedy of rapidly blinking his eyes felt like torture, but it was the only way of regaining his proper sight. And slowly did the pain subside.