Chapter Text
The stage had been abandoned ever since the missile struck, leaving behind only charred remains buried beneath the desert sands.
A woman, disguised in her black cloak, stepped onto this former stage again. Or at least, what is left of it which is a mere platform that managed to survive.
She had returned to this place, year by year, without fail. Even if the aliens and humans hunted her, she’d return to commemorate a specific day.
December 22. Her birthday.
She knelt down to a makeshift tomb. A grave she personally made with a stone, carved with a knife to spell out a single name.
SUA
A small cupcake is in her hand that she stole from a bakery, and a candle that she scavenged.
Sua would have turned 30 today. Instead, she’s forever 22.
Memories flashed through her mind. It had been a dream then, to perform up here with happiness and pride with her. She could almost hear Sua’s voice, harmonizing beside her as they sang under the watchful eyes of the aliens.
“Sua,” She muttered to herself. She remembered how happy they had been, singing the song they composed together.
But then, the splatter of blood that splashed on her cheek and the thud of a body reminded her of their reality. She remembered vividly how the light slowly disappeared on violet eyes yet a lovely smile remained on her last moments.
In lonely nights such as this, Mizi continues to ponder if she could’ve done anything to prevent it. She remembered hearing the faint breath of Till when she clutched his body after the bomb landed. She begged the rebellion to save his life, and they did despite her betrayal.
If Mizi hadn’t frozen in shock — watching helplessly as the light slowly faded from Sua’s eyes — perhaps she could have saved her too.
“Sua, I’m here again.” She whispered fervently, staring at the makeshift tomb she made in an attempt to honor her death.
“Sua…I long to see you again. Should there truly be another world beyond this one, I would do whatever it took to keep you close. I would cherish you, protect you, and grant whatever your heart desires forever. In that life…we would celebrate your birthday together. We will finally marry each other.” Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears.
“I will never ever let you go again.”
At that moment, it felt like Sua was hugging her as the tears began to fall.
She didn’t notice the light that glistened down on her.
⊱✿⊰
A candle on top of a cake continued to flicker in a dimly-lit room. She sat on a chair, her head resting on the table as she watched the flame flicker. Drips of wax have fallen on the cake. The candle itself grows smaller with how much time has passed since she lit it up.
Sua glanced at the time on her phone, a few minutes left before midnight. She’s been waiting since she left work.
Her birthday would soon be over.
And her girlfriend hasn’t arrived yet.
A notification lit up her screen.
Her heart leaped with hope, expecting to see a text that she would arrive home soon. Instead, she’s greeted by a new post in Youtube about the latest holiday performance
The thumbnail featured Mizi.
Despite the turmoil in her heart, she smiled and clicked on the link.
When the stage lights brightened, the camera focused on Mizi’s face. She held her breath, the beauty of her girlfriend would never leave her in awe. Every frame in the video, she took a screenshot.
The camera zoomed out, revealing Mizi resting her back to another shirtless man. She smirked on the camera before turning to the man, leaning their lips close to each other and then…
Sua shut her phone off.
She pressed a hand to her mouth, her stomach twisting as bile threatened to climb her throat. Her vision blurred with tears.
Mizi. Her precious girlfriend. Another man had stained her with his filthy hands. Those lips, her blood went cold at the image of how close their lips were about to touch. It made her want to wrangle his lips off for daring to brush against Mizi’s softness.
She could excuse the interview, the photoshoot, the advertisement, but this performance? Sua couldn’t contain it further. She opened her phone again, personally contacting Mizi’s personal number.
It rang but it went unanswered. She tried again and again.
The sixth call is declined immediately.
This is the birthday gift that she gets?
Sua let the tears fall, a bitter laugh escaping as she clutched the phone harder.
Her mind pondered when it went wrong. Was it when she failed the audition but Mizi passed? Was it when she didn’t stop Mizi from running up that stage? Was it when she noticed how progressively suggestive Mizi’s concept was becoming, and she hadn’t been able to do anything?
Spotting the flicker of the flame in front of her, Sua clasped her hand together and made a simple birthday wish.
Mizi, I miss you. I wish that there’s a version of you that would remain by my side again. That Mizi, who is always so clumsy and protective, please come back to me. I…can’t bear to see this version of you any longer.
Please, come home to me. She blew the candle and hoped the door would open at that exact moment.
However, Mizi didn’t come through the door. Not even when the morning came.
She didn’t come home to Sua at all.
⊱✿⊰
A rat nudging its nose at her arm startled her awake, Mizi opened her eyes. The rat scattered away immediately at the movement. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and wincing at the uncomfortable pain that shot up her back.
She shivered at the cold breeze, hugging her cloak tighter.
Then she realized. She’s in the desert. Why would she be feeling cold?
Mizi looked around, finding herself in an unfamiliar alleyway. She frowned, she remembered falling asleep next to the grave. She stood up, dusting away the snow that gathered on her cloak.
She’s in a desert, or was in a desert, it seems. She is sure that snow isn’t supposed to fall in a scorching environment.
Where am I? Her blurry vision tried to make sense of the surroundings. She spotted a light on the other end and followed it.
When Mizi emerged from it, she found herself in a bustling street.
The city? She didn’t remember coming back here. The aliens and rebellion were simultaneously hunting for her. She wouldn’t return here willingly.
Unless someone caught her while she was asleep.
Mizi tugged the hood of the cloak on, cautiously looking around the streets.
What surprised her further is that there doesn’t seem to be any aliens around. Whatever direction she looked, humans surrounded her.
A billboard caught her attention. She blinked, squinting her eyes to focus on the blurry image.
The aliens have painted her to be a major threat, showcasing that picture of hers as a child with horns or a cross on her face. She has seen too much to be bothered by it.
This one, however, is different. It’s an image of her posing intimately with a man. Faces near each other, and his arms wrapped around her waist. In a revealing outfit she wouldn’t dare to wear in any circumstance.
Downright disgusting and violating.
Mizi wouldn’t let anyone touch her like that other than Sua. She didn’t expect for the aliens to reach a new low just to prove how much of a witch she is.
She gritted her teeth, walking away to another direction. She made sure to blend well into the crowd.
It confused her that only humans are around and how vintage the city appeared to be.
There weren’t any spaceships flying around or any floating vehicles. It’s almost as if she traveled back to centuries ago when technology has yet to reach a point for interstellar travel to happen.
“So Mizi!” She froze as she heard her name, she searched for the voice until she found it from a wide screen attached to a building. “That special holiday performance of yours, quite spicy. Your fans are becoming curious if there’s anything between you and Seok now.”
A girl, sharing the exact face as her, chuckled on the screen. “Oppa did a great job at leading me during the whole performance but there isn’t anything going on between us.”
“Really? Oohh, maybe the rumors of a secret lover are becoming true.”
“Of course not. I remain loyal to my fans.” She made a heart gesture and winked at the camera.
That isn’t me at all. She touched her face, feeling the burn scars that she suffered from the flames. She didn’t remember conducting an interview like that years ago.
There’s a thought this may all be a dream but a single pinch told her otherwise.
The city. The humans. The lookalike of hers. All of it suddenly clicked in her mind.
She’s in another universe, one that has yet to advance into reaching the aliens. The humanity that she had once heard about as a child in those history classes.
That must mean, the wish she made came true.
Sua must be alive.
It made the heart that she thought dead to beat once more.
Her God.
Her Universe.
She must see her again.
She’ll make her promise come true.
Her gaze returned to that lookalike of hers. From what Mizi can tell, she must have yet to learn about the existence of Sua. If she had, she doubted a version of herself would deny her love for Sua.
Unfortunately for this Mizi, she will be the one getting Sua.
She had spent years longing for her God. This time, she won’t waste this chance given to her.
Mizi will find Sua in this world. She will make sure this one won’t ever escape her grasp again.
⊱✿⊰
She knocked on the door of their shared home, taking one last puff of her cigarette before throwing it away to the side.
The door clicked but it didn’t open. She raised a brow. Sua would usually open the door for her.
Must be in one of her tantrums. Mizi rolled her eyes. She expected it already, her phone blew up right after that performance aired. She was too drained to explain herself and turned off her phone to make it stop.
“You’ve been gone for two days.”
“I was busy.” Mizi sighed. Sua didn’t bother to glance at her from the couch. “I’m here now, aren’t I?” She tried to assure, but the cold shoulder continued.
Fine, she’s too tired to care.
Mizi dragged herself to the kitchen to grab a cup of water. She froze at the sight of a half-eaten cake on the table.
Wait, what day is it?
If she remembered correctly, the performance happened on December 22.
Sua’s birthday.
Fuck.
She rushed back to the couch, enveloping the upset woman into a hug. “I’m sorry, I forgot. Please forgive me.”
Sua clutched her white shirt. “Make it up to me first.”
Mizi kissed the side of her cheek and replied, “I will. I’ll take you out to your favorite restaurant.”
…
It should’ve been a fun day. Mizi finally came back after two days of agonizing over her return. She even remembered her birthday and agreed to go out with her, even at the cost of being caught together.
They rarely go out now since her rise to fame.
The whole time, they barely spoke. That was enough for Sua, at least. She missed how Mizi would often fill the room, but her girlfriend was too busy using her phone to even eat the meal she ordered.
It’s fine, as long as Mizi is with her, Sua didn’t mind what she did. Halfway through, she noticed how upset Sua looked and even put it down.
Sua shouldn’t have done anything to ruin it after that. But seeing Mizi take a cigarette off just as they were walking home terrified her.
That isn’t the Mizi that she has known throughout their childhood.
She’s the kindest and warmest person she knew. Sua is supposed to be the only one to relieve her stress and pain. Mizi is going to hug and ask for comfort. Just like what she always does. However, seeing that awful stick taking her place had her in a panic.
She took the stick off her mouth, just to be glared at before a harsh slap hit her face.
Feeling that aching sting had her smile.
Yet, Mizi turned away with that same emotionless expression. That wiped out the smile just as quickly as it came.
“I’m sorry!” She tried to grab her arm but she was shoved away. She tried again, embracing Mizi this time. “Mizi…please, no.” She begged.
No, no! Why doesn’t she feel better?
Nothing. Mizi stood without a change in her expression.
Sua embraced her tighter, burying her face into her chest while trembling. If only, she could keep Mizi trapped in their own world — a shared universe where nothing can bother them.
Instead, she has to watch the industry taint the Mizi she tried hard to protect. It stung her deeply. Watching the light fade into those sparkling chartreuse through the years is a pain she can’t bear, it struck worse than anything she felt.
Now, she wanted nothing more than to shoulder the burden and loneliness from the industry with Mizi.
Mizi shoved her away. “Stop it! I’ve already taken you out, and now you’re preventing me from taking a quick smoke?” The cap fell on her head as she fisted her pink hair. “I’m fucking tired of everything! The cameras, the men, the sexualization, and when I finally try to do something for myself you stop me. I’m doing the best that I can to repay everything I owe you for.”
“Mizi…no, you don’t need to. I love you, okay? I’ve told you back then, knowing that you rely on me makes me happy. So please, you don’t need those awful cigarettes. I should be enough for you.”
Sua tried to grab her hand but Mizi backed away. “Can’t you see for once that I’m not that Mizi you knew before? I…I don’t even understand what’s happening anymore. And…” When she saw the tears streaming down, Mizi stopped.
She felt her own tears as she covered her mouth. Realizing what she had just done from the large red mark on Sua’s face, she turned away and ran off to another direction.
Sua chased after her, following her down the dark alley where she disappeared into.
Yet, as she was about to catch up, someone from the shadows emerged and pinned her to the wall.
Sua gasped, finding herself staring up to a hooded figure.
A hand caressed her cheek. “Found you.”
She stopped squirming at the voice.
A glint of familiar chartreuse eyes stared back at her. Filled with love and devotion.
“I miss you, Sua.”