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I woke up to a sky so black I thought my eyes were still closed, all noises absent besides my own. I could hear my heart beating, pushing liquid through my veins; it even felt as though I could hear the blood flowing through my body. Yet, there were no signs of life besides myself. Eventually I noticed small, gentle waves brush against my skin, subtle but just enough to be felt. The light chill of the water encouraged me to get up, so I did. Out of instinct I began to squeeze the water out of my hair but, to my surprise, it was not wet. Even though I could have sworn I was laying in a puddle, there was no evidence to prove I was.
As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, the sky began to light up, stars patterning the sky in such a uniform fashion it seemed like each one was purposely put there. The atmosphere was calming but did nothing for the fear slowly growing in my chest. Where am I? How did I get here? I gazed into the sky as I began to back up, feeling like it was closing in on me. Not caring if I had solid footing or not, I sped up, trying to escape the sky along with the panic spreading through my body.
I was halted as I ran into something that gave no give, nearly falling from the surprise. I was extremely confused. What was that? If it was a statue, why is it here? If it was a creature of some sorts, how did I not notice it? And, why did it not budge after I ran into it? After regaining my footing I turned around wide-eyed, holding my breath, to see whatever stopped me. I don’t know what I was expecting. But it wasn’t this. Not her.
I froze. What I saw was nearly impossible, more so than the place I woke up. Her dress flowed in a nonexistent breeze, pigtails sitting right on her shoulders, just as I remember. I could feel a tingle of tears beginning to form, grabbing her arm trying to get her attention, though she stayed as still as she was before. I felt like a ghost, trying to move things in a world I didn’t belong to. Eventually she turned but with a stiffness of something inhuman.
“Lumine...?” I trembled as an ecstatic feeling began to consume me, for I haven’t seen her in ages, though it immediately vanished when I saw her face. Well, it was actually her lack of one that shocked me. All I could see was a mix of colors fading in and out, and I was just able to make out her eyes, but I couldn’t see their color. Though her eyes were barely visible, I could feel her gaze going right through me, beyond me, somewhere otherworldly.
“Do you not remember my face, brother?” Even her voice was off, strangely robotic and nearly unrecognizable.
“No--no! I swear, I remember!” I stammered. She tilted her head. “I can see your eyes, I remember them! They’re…your eyes…” No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember their color. My memories with her were too blurry to see. My eyes began to well up.
“Could I have forgotten what you look like, as well?” I shook my head rapidly, and I felt tears begin to stream down my face. I couldn’t have forgotten. Neither could she. “If you did find me, would you even be able to recognize me? Maybe you’ve already found me, but have just forgotten what I look like.”
“No! You’re wrong! Lumine, please...” I didn’t want to believe her. I couldn’t accept it. I wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug as I began to sob. Her body was ice cold, but I didn’t let go. If I held onto her for long enough, maybe I would remember. Maybe I could bring back her warmth that I had yearned for since we were separated.
“It’s only a matter of time, brother.” Why won’t she say my name? Has she forgotten that as well?
“Aether! Aether! Wake up sleepyhead! You gotta find the Loom of.. uh.. whatever! Just get up!” I woke up for the second time, but instead of darkness I was greeted by Paimon aggressively shaking me awake. Was all of that just a dream? I groaned, wiping the crust from my eyes. The sky was bright, which made me want to keep my eyes shut even more. “Come on! Wake up!”
“Paimon, stop doing that.” The deeper voice was Dainslief, and for once I was glad to have him because of the sense he put into Paimon.
“But Paimon’s hungry!” she whined. I squinted my eyes, blocking the sun with my hand, and looked up at Dain.
“And we will get food. Be patient.” He looked down at me, and to my complete surprise his usual stoic expression became a sympathetic one. “You were dreaming about your sister, weren’t you?” Was it really that obvious? I suddenly realized that I could feel the dried tears on my cheeks. He sighed. “Get some more rest. Paimon, follow me.” Paimon did as she was told but looked back at me before doing so. I turned to lay on my side, burying my face in the blanket. I tried to take my mind off of things, but the dream stuck with me.
Have I truly forgotten what my own sister looks like? She continued to plague my thoughts as I drifted off to sleep once again.