Luenstella’s eyes fluttered open, her consciousness gradually emerging from a deep, unsettling slumber. The air around her was cold and still, pricking at her senses. She blinked slowly, struggling to clear the fog from her mind. Her body felt heavy, her limbs stiff and unresponsive, as though they had been unused for far too long. She was lying on a cold, hard surface—glass, perhaps—its chill seeping through the delicate fabric of her dress.

Where am I? The question echoed through her thoughts, but no answers surfaced. The last thing she recalled was a sunlit afternoon, the warmth of home, and the anticipation of a reunion. But beyond that, there was only a void, as if her memories had been wiped clean.

As her vision sharpened, Lune took in her surroundings. The room was shrouded in darkness, the faintest glow emanating from strange instruments and glass containers lining the shelves. Just beyond the confines of the glass capsule she found herself in, a table cluttered with documents came into view. Yet, the chamber was devoid of life—no voices, no footsteps, no movement.

Pushing herself upright, Lune winced as her muscles protested. It felt as though she had been still for an eternity. Her head throbbed with the effort of trying to piece together what had happened, but the only response was the oppressive silence that filled the room.

“Hello?” she called, her voice hoarse, barely above a whisper. The word seemed to hang in the air, unanswered, before it was swallowed by the darkness.

Lune glanced around, her eyes catching the faint outline of a door at the far end of the room. With effort, she swung her legs over the edge of the capsule and set her bare feet on the cold tile floor. She stood cautiously, testing her balance. Her legs trembled, but they held. The silence in the room was unsettling, almost as if time itself had ceased to move.

She crossed the room with tentative steps, her gaze falling on the documents scattered across the table. Lune picked one up, her heart sinking as she realized the writing was in a cipher she could not decipher. A shiver ran down her spine. What is this place? She had no recollection of how she had come to be here, and the uncertainty gnawed at her.

Her eyes landed on another door at the far end of the room, slightly ajar. An overwhelming urge to leave, to escape this place, surged within her, but a flicker of fear rooted her to the spot. What if there is something—or someone—waiting on the other side? She hesitated, her hand hovering over the door, but the need to escape outweighed her trepidation. With a steadying breath, Lune pushed the door open.

The door creaked loudly in the silence, revealing a long, dimly lit corridor. The walls were a stark white, the floor cold tile, much like the room she had just left. A faint, ethereal light emanated from patches of luminescent moss overhead, casting shadows that danced and twisted with each step she took.

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The corridor seemed to stretch endlessly, lined with doors on either side. Each was marked with a number and a symbol she did not recognize. She stopped by the first door, pressing her ear against it, but heard nothing. With a trembling hand, she turned the knob and cautiously peered inside. Another empty room greeted her, identical to the one she had just left, save for the absence of documents and any trace of life.

Lune moved on, checking the next door, and then the next. Each room was the same—sterile, lifeless, abandoned. A deep sense of unease settled in her chest, the silence pressing down on her like a weight. Where is everyone? Why am I alone?

As she walked, Lune’s thoughts raced, trying to make sense of her situation. What kind of place is this? An abandoned research facility? But if it is deserted, why was I left behind? The documents on the table had seemed recent, untouched by time. It was as if whoever had been here might return at any moment.

Finally, she reached the end of the corridor. Before her stood a set of double doors, marked with a large red sign that read "Exit" in Hue, the language of the human race. On the right side of the doors, a strange symbol glowed faintly, its light pulsing rhythmically like a heartbeat.

Lune’s breath caught in her throat. Could this be the way out? She pressed her hands against the doors and pushed, but they did not budge. Panic began to creep into her thoughts. Why won’t they open?

She pushed again, harder this time, but the doors remained unmoving, as if rooted in place. Frustration and fear mingled within her as she took a step back, staring at the doors in helplessness. Her breath quickened, the cold air biting through her thin dress. The glowing symbol flickered, drawing her attention. For a brief moment, it seemed to shift, like liquid metal, but when she blinked, it was still once more.

Tentatively, Lune reached out and touched the symbol. As her fingers made contact, warmth spread through her hand, flowing up her arm and into her chest. The symbol brightened, its light seeping into the grooves of the door. With a soft hiss, the doors slid open on their own.

Beyond the doors was a vast chamber bathed in a soft, otherworldly glow. The walls were smooth and curved, adorned with intricate carvings that seemed to pulse with life. At the center of the chamber was a large, circular platform made of gleaming crystal. Strange, swirling patterns adorned the floor, converging into a spiral at the platform’s base—a teleportation circle.

Lune hesitated, her bare feet echoing softly against the stone floor as she stepped into the chamber. The air here was different—warmer, yet charged with a peculiar energy that made her skin tingle. She approached the teleportation circle with caution, drawn to it by an inexplicable force. There was no telling where it might take her, but remaining here was not an option.

Taking a deep breath, Lune activated the circle. The light from the crystal enveloped her, filling her vision with a blinding brilliance. When it finally subsided, she found herself standing in an entirely new place, the mysteries of her predicament deepening with each passing moment.