Proulouge - Separation in the Realm of Doors
Aether and Lumine had ventured enough in that world, wishing to go into the next, but for good or bad intentions was something only fate could solve. The siblings had longed for something, each respective to their own tastes. But in each world, it slipped from their grasps, and kept on running away, farther and farther. It eventually came back to tempt them, but it kept on running. They knew it was impossible to reach, but what else were they supposed to do? They had burned, destroyed, and fought for it. They had been the downfall of species. But they had been the saviors, healing, nourishing, and blessing for it as well.
They had played many parts, each different, but similar in their own ways.
While they had seen the realm of doors so many times, it still amazed them to an extent. When leaving a world, they would use the stars to guide them to the entryway, a place that was their safe haven. Entering the place was magnificent, there was a single platform when leaving, a door at the end which would let them into the real realm of doors. The platform floated in the sky, but Aether and Lumine both didn’t mind, they both could fly, a gift from a world they had visited in the past years.
Lumine paused, stopping her ascension, looked around and smiled. It was a rare sight, the realm being in a nighttime phase, stars being almost everywhere you look. Aether, noticing her pause, glided down and pinched her lightly. Lumine looked back at her brother, and tugged on his scarf in turn, a silent plea for them to watch the stars once more.
Aether glided down to her, smiled, and looked up, honoring his sister’s request. He chuckled, summoning the stars to his hand in a formation that resembled their constellations that always seemed to follow them, as if supporting them, guiding them. Lumine grinned and summoned the stars to her hand as well, eyes in a tricksy gleam, showing that she could do it as well as he could. It was a small competition that they liked to have, nothing too big, just safe things.
Lumine loved these times, when they acted as if they were children again, in their house, having no worries except for trivial ones. There was a part of her that wished for that life back, but she still loved exploring, even if most of it was the same.
But when those times were gone, they were gone, and with that thought in mind, Lumine flew up to the platform’s edge with her brother, and glanced at the door. The siblings were also intrigued with the door as with the realm, because no matter what type of attacks were made on the door, be it monster, mortal, or god, it would stand strong and never break.
Aether stepped forwards a second earlier than Lumine, making way to the door. Then, to their shock, a cube appeared in front of them. Aether and Lumine narrowed their eyes and brought their wings out while the cube bubbled up, breaking apart to reveal a female humanoid figure, who the siblings assessed to be a god. She stepped forward onto the air, as if it was solid, her hair flowed up, as if in water, and her eyes shined gold with contempt.
“Outlanders,” she announced, her voice filled with authority, “your journey ends here.”
She lifted her hand and cubes appeared, flying at the siblings. Aether and Lumine dashed away with their wings, flying far ahead of the reddish-black cubes chasing after them.
The goddess simply remained motionless, but narrowed her eyes and the cubes moved faster in response, but the siblings outpaced them still, managing to get far enough to take a short break. They both were slightly surprised that someone had arrived, but focused on their unspoken task, eliminating the threat.
Reconvening together, Aether waited for the moment the cubes would almost hit them, and used a skill of his to disappear and teleport while Lumine dashed off with her wings, a blur in the sky, behind the goddess. Both summoned their swords and charged at the her.
But her cubes had stopped the swords in their place, and both siblings felt a streak of fear run through them. The goddess had barely moved to stop the swords, no, she had barely moved at all.
However Lumine recovered quickly, letting her sword go as the cubes overcame it and flew back, but her brother hadn’t. He was too deep in the fear, something he hadn’t felt in a long time, and blanked out. When he regained thought, the goddess’s cubes were already upon him, overcoming his figure until they broke apart, reforming into one small cube that lay in the goddess’s hand.
Lumine was too filled with rage that the goddess, no, that the monster had taken her brother. She used her speed to flickered behind the goddess, murderous intent written on her face. “Give me my brother back!” she roared, focusing her power into her right hand, using her left to charge it up faster, and struck, smoke filling her vision.
When the smoke had cleared, she saw her hand becoming consumed by the cubes. They raced over her, and her last sight in the realm was the goddess looking at her, her brother’s cube held in her right hand, and Lumine was gone.
