Shin awoke to the gentle, rhythmic sound of his own breathing. He was lying on something incredibly soft, a plush chaise lounge draped in silken sheets. For a moment, he thought it had all been a dream—the rain, the goddess, the terrifying Rite, the throne. But the memory of the obsidian throne's cold touch was too real.
He sat up, the silks pooling around his waist. He was alone. Luna was gone. A faint trace of her scent, night-blooming jasmine and ozone, still lingered in the air, a comforting ghost of her presence.
Swinging his legs onto the floor, he stood and stretched, feeling a profound sense of well-being. The exhaustion that had plagued him was gone, replaced by a vibrant energy. The divine energy Luna had spoken of was already at work, mending his weary body.
He walked to the panoramic window, his bare feet silent on the cool marble floor. The view stole his breath away.
The golden sun was gone. In its place, hanging in the velvet sky, were the two moons—one of shimmering silver, the other of soft, milky pearl. And below, the city of Astera was alive.
It was no longer a silent tomb. Lights glowed in every window, and the streets were filled with people. He could hear the distant, cheerful sounds of a marketplace, the clang of a blacksmith's hammer, the laughter of children. The city was thriving under the moonlight.
"So it's true," Shin mumbled to himself, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Night is the day here."
He was lost in the wonder of it all, watching the moonlit city breathe with life, when a voice, high-pitched and filled with frantic energy, echoed down the corridor.
"LUNA!! LUNA-ONE-CHAN!!!"
Before Shin could even process the strange, affectionate honorific, the door to his chamber was slammed open, bouncing off the wall with a deafening crash.
Standing in the doorway, framed by the light of the corridor, was a girl. She looked to be around the same age as Luna appeared, but that's where the similarity ended. Where Luna was silver and serene, this girl was pure, unadulterated fire. Her hair was a cascade of wild, golden curls, and her eyes, the color of a summer sky, blazed with an intensity that could melt steel. She wore a practical, yet stylish, leather tunic and trousers, and a shortsword was strapped to her hip.
Her fiery eyes scanned the room, bypassing the opulent decor and locking onto Shin. She stormed into the room, her boots thudding on the marble floor.
"So you're... so you're the one one-chan chose!" she declared, her voice a mix of accusation and disbelief. She stopped a few feet from him, her hands on her hips, her gaze piercing.
She looked around the empty room, her expression growing more frantic. "Where is she?!" she yelled, her voice echoing with impatience.
Shin, completely caught off guard by the whirlwind of a girl, could only hold his hands up in a gesture of peace. He shook his head, his mind still trying to catch up.
"I... I don't know," he said honestly. "She was here when I fell asleep."
n a flash of gold and leather, the girl crossed the remaining distance between them. Shin, who had never been in a fight in his life, froze as her small, surprisingly strong hand grabbed the front of his silk shirt, yanking him down to her eye level. Her sky-blue eyes blazed with a furious, protective fire.
"Don't tell me... don't tell me you've forced yourself on onee-chan!" she accused, her voice trembling with rage. The accusation was so wild, so baseless, that Shin could only stare, dumbfounded.
"I swear, if you've hurt her, I'll throw you out of this world myself!" she yelled, her grip tightening. "I'll make sure you're banished back to the miserable little hole you crawled out of!"
Shin opened his mouth to protest, to say he had no idea where Luna was, that he would never hurt her, but it was too late.
CLANG!
A silver blur shot from the doorway, moving so fast it was almost invisible. It connected with the back of the girl's head with a loud, resonant thwack that echoed in the vast chamber.
"Ouch!" the girl yelped, releasing Shin's shirt and clutching her head. She spun around, her face a mask of indignant pain.
Standing in the doorway, holding a large, ornate silver frying pan like a seasoned warrior, was Luna. She was no longer in the ethereal gown from before, but dressed in practical, dark trousers and a simple white blouse. Her expression was not the serene, loving gaze of a wife, but the thunderous glare of an infinitely annoyed older sister.
"Must you always cause such a scene first thing in the morning?" Luna said, her voice dangerously calm. She lowered the pan, but her eyes remained fixed on the golden-haired girl.
The girl pouted, rubbing the back of her head. "He was here, and you were gone! What was I supposed to think?"
"You were supposed to trust my judgment," Luna snapped, her voice sharp. She took a step forward, the pan still in her hand. Her gaze shifted from her sister to Shin, and her expression softened almost imperceptibly. She saw the look of shock and confusion on his face, and a flicker of guilt crossed her features.
She took a deep breath, composing herself. Then, she turned her full, regal attention back to her sister.
"You will apologize to his Majesty," Luna commanded, her voice now filled with the authority of a queen. "And then you will introduce yourself. Properly."
The golden-haired girl's eyes widened. She looked from Luna's stern face to Shin's bewildered one. The fire in her eyes was replaced by a sullen reluctance, but she knew better than to argue. She dropped her gaze, mumbled an apology that was barely audible, and then straightened up, puffing out her chest in a display of false bravado.
"Fine," she huffed. She looked Shin directly in the eye, her expression a mixture of defiance and curiosity. "My name is Solara. I'm Luna's little sister. And I'm the one who's going to be watching you."