"On the day my mom died, a terrible beast wrecked havoc upon every corner of our nation. We were finally on the path of progress and the people were filled with a cheer that transcended our differences, but then it appeared, as if to unleash despair on us when we were at our most joyous. It destroyed everything, took so many lives, and though I was told to run, I was overcome with this feeling of rage. I had to see what was ruining our dreams with my own eyes. I had to curse its visage with my own mouth. And so I disobeyed the orders and ran towards where the conflict was brewing. I know it was stupid, I know it could have led to my death, but children are ever so foolish, aren't they? Foolish indeed, for it was not a monster that I saw upon arriving at the carnage, but the sight of my mom, face pale and lips parched from the exhaustion of battle, with her chest impaled by the hand of Xeros."

Luxanne, Commander of Nox Caelum

———

Luxanne

"Hm? Why are you just standing there, dear? Is something wrong?"

A dream. How fickle the Stars are to plague Luxanne with a dream of her childhood when the nation is on the brink of extinction. Even so, she can't help but let her soul be soothed at the sight of her mom, dressed in oily trousers and face caked in grease. With hair of darkened charcoal and eyes of rustic brown, Luxmi hums a little tune while she tinkers away with her newest invention, voice gruff with a hoarseness belonging to a woman twice her age, but it's a beautiful one nonetheless.

Everything about her is beautiful, from her muscles tightened into a subtle, but tense strength, to her towering figure that looks down upon all with compassion. Her appearance is one that can only be seen now in the realm of dreams, and so she treasures every second they have together, for it will all eventually turn into dust and vague recollections in the end. Dreams are forever cursed to be fleeting whispers of the mind.

Luxanne looks around with her tiny body of the past and takes in the sights and smells of their old forge. The space is sweltering hot with streams of bubbling magma and roaring flame crackling in a fiery melody, while large rods of metal are lain about everywhere in a chaotic, yet somehow organized, matter. A giant furnace lies in the middle surrounded by walls and floors of brick, and in front of it, a giant workspace filled with little tools and appliances that Luxanne doesn't quite recognize.

Though her blood may be of smithing background, Luxanne isn't an engineer, nor has she ever attempted to follow in her mother's footsteps. Her only concern is with Xeros. With growing stronger. With amassing the strength to usurp him once and for all, and so her studies inevitably lie only with the blade.

Luxanne wonders if the two even share anything in common, now. Does she even deserve to face her?

"...I just wanted to see you," she eventually murmurs. Luxmi lets out a wide grin and stops her metalworking, walking over to Luxanne with boots stomping in boisterous strides and hoisting the wriggling little girl onto her shoulders. Luxanne's cheeks flush with red and she attempts to escape from her mother's hold, but Luxmi only lets out a brisque laugh and waltzes all around the forge.

"Oh, my little Luxanne~" she sings as they merry about. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone so often, but this is no place for a girl your age. Don't you feel uncomfortable under all this heat?"

"No!" Luxanne blurts out, her childish response betrayed by the sweat plaguing her face. "It doesn't bother me."

Luxmi ruffles Luxanne's hair with a wry smile. "My, you're quite the brave girl aren't you? But it's also important to know your limits, Luxanne. I'll teach you all about the forge when you're older, but now's the time for you to be a child, and children should be having fun."

"I don't want to be a child." Children are helpless. When faced with adversity, all they can do is rely on another. But when there's no one around? They are powerless, unable to change even a single thing, and Luxanne knows that feeling all too well. Her worst memories are of being a child, for all she can remember is being vulnerable to the shifting gears of the nation's transformation: scary, foreign, and without a single soul she can rely on.

When you're a child, all you can think about is how weak you are.

"...Let's sit down for just a bit." Luxmi sets Luxanne down away from the furnace and plops herself right in front of her. "You're a courageous girl Luxanne, filled with passion and the drive to learn more, but it's because you're so strong that you choose to endure hardship all by your lonesome."

"What do you mean?"

"Humans cannot be alone, Luxanne. Cosmos created us because she herself was plagued by solitude, and when we try to smother these feelings of doubt and worry within, our hearts shall only wither away until it eventually shatters, leaving only a hollow remnant of what once was. We naturally seek for companionship so that our soul shall always be free of doubt, but it's inevitable for some darkness to trickle in, and so it's important to let it all out at times when the burden becomes too great."

"But who?" Luxanne has never had such a person she can rely upon.

No. She does, but even when they bared their everything before her, she only tightened the chains around herself.

Because she's scared. She's scared of what will come out if she does so.

"I think you already know of someone," Luxmi chuckles. "They're waiting for you at this very moment."

"Yes," Luxanne whispers with a nod of her head. "I can't stay here any longer."

"Then it's time for you to wake up. My dear, darling little girl: I'll always be with you, waiting for the day I can finally see you smile with all your heart."

Luxanne gently opens her eyes.

It's cold. The entirety of her body is plagued with innumerous aches and blisters, bruises turned purple while every muscle is hounded by a prickling gnaw, and an unfamiliar, grey ceiling is met before her eyes. The walls are lined with a dull sheen, and the smell of iron fills her senses with its metallic stench.

"You're up?" a familiar voice asks by her side. Ceraphina's eyes pierce her with a worried look, face gaunt with the shadow of fatigue as dark circles sag the bottom of her earthy brown eyes.

Maybe that's why Luxanne became fond of her in the first place: her eyes are just her mother's. Kind, yet rugged. Tender, but robust.

"Yeah," Luxanne mumbles. Ceraphina's lips spread into a grin, illuminated by the flickering light of a waxen candle on a nearby table stand. The room is small, barely containing enough room for the two of them, but she doesn't mind the distance. On the other hand, it's nice.

Ceraphina takes a cloth soaked in hot water and begins to gingerly wipe at Luxanne's sores. The two stay quiet for a moment, only letting the waning flame to occupy the space while they take in each other's presence.

"...That Lorelai sure is a brutal one, huh?" Ceraphina mutters. "Heh, I asked her to take it easy on you, yet here you are looking like some kind of bruised grape."

"She tried, but I've always been a stubborn one," Luxanne chuckles. "I couldn't let myself give up there. I had to keep standing back up no matter how many times she beat me into the ground."

She turns her head, blankly staring at the wall. "But I failed. With her strength, I wouldn't be surprised if the capital's already fallen."

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Ceraphina pauses for a bit before collapsing back in her seat. "Unfortunately, that's not the case. Xeros is an even greater monster than I initially thought."

"What do you mean?" Luxanne asks.

"Do you want to see? No, forget I asked. You're in no shape to be moving around right now."

But despite her pleas, Luxanne manages to muster the strength to stand up. "Cera, show me."

"Stubborn, indeed. What am I going to do with you," she sighs. "But fine. I think you need to see this."

The two stagger out of the room, Ceraphina supporting Luxanne with her shoulder, and make their way throughout the dim, musty halls. A faint trace of dirt lingers in the passage, and the interior is blanketed with rust and debilitated metal. This place is old, maybe even from before Xeros's time.

"Are we underground right now?" Luxanne questions, wincing as they slowly walk forward.

"One of the old workshops below The Slums," she replies. "One of my men found it while searching for scrap, and we've been using it as a base ever since. It's a bit worn down, but you get used to it. Can't really complain when all the good stuff is locked up in the upper layers."

"I see."

"..."

"..."

"Stars, Luxanne, just ask me already!" Ceraphina blurts out. "I know you want to say something. You always become so broody when you're hesitant."

"Wha- I do not!" Luxanne says with indignation. "I just...ok, fine."

She takes a deep breath and glares at Ceraphina straight in the eye. "Why? Why did you leave? Why are you here? Where have you been all this time?"

"Ok, that's a lot of questions," she chuckles. "First, I left because I found something I shouldn't have: something Xeros no doubt would have executed me for if he found out. So I ran away to The Slums before he could even have the chance. It was so stupid of me, but I guess it's in my nature as an engineer to be curious.

"I stumbled upon a hidden entrance near where we housed the core power system for the main defenses. It was just a tiny little shaft, barely big enough to crawl through and hidden away out of sight, but I had never seen such an entryway in the schematics despite being the Chief Engineer. It felt even more suspicious when I discovered all sorts of locks and defenses blocking the way forward, and in hindsight I should have realized that I was making my way towards something far, far more important than I initially thought, but this damnable curiosity of mine won me over. I just had to see what was on the other side. I just had to."

She stops in place, legs trembling with a weakness Luxanne has never seen in her before. Her eyes are glazed with haunted shadow, and her voice suddenly becomes coated in revulsion.

"When I finally arrived, I found his dirty little secret. I found something that changed my views of him forever, changed my entire worldview of our nation and its history, and so I ran away. I gathered my forces in secret, waiting until the day I reduce this damnable place to ash and rubble once and for all. That's what it deserves, for the foundation of this place has been defiled since the very beginning."

"Cera, just what did you find?"

Her face coils with nausea, lips opening and closing as if debating on whether or not she should reveal the source of her extreme views, but eventually she sighs and stares face to face with Luxanne, as if she's looking deep within her soul.

"Your mom, Lux," she finally spits out. "I found your mom, or rather, her corpse."

"What...?" Luxanne drawls, fist shaking with disbelief as her entire vision becomes transfixed by a haze of blur and quiver. "What did you just say? WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY, CERA!?"

"I'm sorry Lux, but it's true," Ceraphina hesitates. "I found her body submerged in some kind of silver liquid. Long, pulsing tubes were attached to every part of her, constantly siphoning some kind of substance from her pale corpse. I don't know what he was doing, but I didn't stick around to find out. All that stuck in my mind was this feeling of dread, like I just witnessed something no human should have ever seen."

Luxanne let's go of her grasp on Ceraphina and crumples onto the floor. "He said he burned her corpse. He held a funeral for everyone to see. But are you telling me that, all this time, he was defiling my mom's body with some kind of sick experiment?"

She slams the ground with her fist and lets out an ear-piercing cry. "And why did you never tell me this!? Even if you did have to leave, why didn't you tell me when you know how much I care about her!?"

"Because I knew you would act like this!" Ceraphina yells back. "I knew you would probably launch some suicide attack against Xeros if you ever find out, and the only reason I'm telling you now is because you can't do anything in this state."

Ceraphina drops to the floor and embraces Luxanne from behind. She wants to move, to stand up and demand answers from Xeros right now, wherever he may be, but she eventually settles down as the warm presence next to her gently continues to comfort her.

"I know you're upset," she says while stroking her back. "I was boiling with rage when I found out, but we have to control ourselves. Wait for when the time is ripe. You know this, Lux. I know you do."

She does. It's no different from what Luxanne usually does, biding her time and smothering the anger she usually feels. She's managed it for over twenty years, she just has to-

"It's important to let it all out when the burden becomes too great," the words of her mother remind her. Yes, she's done holding it all inside, letting it eat away at her heart. It's time to rid this curse once and for all.

"...Cera, is there anyone else that can hear us?" she asks.

"No. We're alone here."

"Good."

And so she screams. She lets it all out: the anger, the sorrow, the fury, the longing...everything is all let out in one, long scream. She wails about the years lost to vengeance, she mourns the memories of her mom and the future that shall never be, and she cries. She cries to let the darkness out, so hope can finally settle within. To finally make space for her own happiness, and for the woman so tenderly loving her by her side.

As the last of her despairing throes turn into but quiet mumblings, she looks inwards to herself and finds a little girl. Helpless, weak, but happy.

She feels happy.

"I-I'm ok now," she mumbles, face blushed with embarrassment. "Sorry."

"It's ok," Ceraphina whispers. "Everything will be ok."

The two hug, gazes of affection lingering amongst each other, and lift themselves up once more.

"Well, let's go see that thing you were talking about."

"Of course, though I don't think it's all too pleasing to look at."

The two spend a spell in the halls before finally arriving at a small, rusted ladder, moonlight faintly trickling from above. It's too high for Luxanne to reach, and her body has neither the strength to climb out, so Ceraphina sets her on the ground and arches her back towards her.

"Hop on," she says.

"No." Luxanne may have wept like a babe earlier, but she still has her pride.

"Beloved, stop complaining."

"Agh, fine."

She swallows her pride and lets Ceraphina carry her out like a child. They open the lid, and step out into the cool chill of the evening air.

And towering high into the sky is a wall of bizarre, outlandish material. Amalgamated bits of animals and flesh blend together with suspended liquid, flame, starlight, and flickering crystals, all combined together into a hideous, impossible combination.

"What in the Stars is that..." Luxanne says, recoiling back. The wall is sending a constant, revolting feeling of discomfort, attempting to wriggle within the crevices of her mind.

"Xeros's intervention, no doubt." Ceraphina shivers. "How? No clue, but this isn't something that can be done with Creation or technology. Who knows what else he's capable of, but Polus isn't entering anytime soon, that's for sure. Our rebellion is a failure, so I've ordered everyone to hide around the city lest Xeros finds us all in one spot. I haven't been able to contact them since."

The two succumb to their exhaustion and fall onto the muddled floor of the slums, taking what pleasure they can in the twinkling sparkles of light far beyond the reaches of their realm. It's a beautiful sight, if only not for the aberration before them.

"So, what now?" Ceraphina asks. "To be honest, I really don't want to let you go, but I have a feeling you're going to return to Xeros's side."

"I have to, Cera," Luxanne says, an apology written across her face. "I have to find out the truth. I have to figure out what he's doing to my mother, and what the depths of his power truly are. Only then will I be able to kill him, and only then will our nation have the chance to rebuild."

Ceraphina sighs and leans against Luxanne's shoulder. "Ok. I still believe we should just tear everything down and start anew, but unfortunately for me, there exists no person on this plane more hard-headed than the woman I've fallen in love with. So, I'll respect your wishes, but I'll still work towards mine, and whoever succeeds in the end will just have to accept it. Got it?"

"Heh, got it."

They smile and wrap themselves around each other's arms once more. Luxanne loathes that they must separate once more, but this time, they shall be forever connected through an oath. They shall part knowing the other shall always be waiting for them.

"Before you go, won't you spend the night with me?" Ceraphina whispers delicately into her ear. "Who knows when I'll see you next, so I'm going to make sure you never forget about our promise. Ever.

"U-Um," Luxanne stutters.

"Say yes, darling."

"Yes."

"That's all I needed to hear."

And with that, they share a kiss under the moon's serene presence.