Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Kathy left the house for a walk. She decided to take the road least used. She didn't want to be around a lot of people. She called in sick and didn't want to work at the dinner for that day. All she wanted to do was be alone with her thoughts and hopefully, nothing goes wrong. She walked down to the beach. This was one of the days when the beach was almost empty. One would think that she was crazy for coming to the beach fully clothed but she had no choice.

She sat on the sand and pulled off her boots. She raised her pants legs and dipped her feet into the water, sighing as the cooling sensation registered in her brain. She shut her eyes, trying to protect her sight from the sun. She enjoyed the silence and coolness until someone stood over her, blocking sunlight from her face. Her blue eyes shot open, she squinted her eyes which were blurry since she had been in the sun for a while.

”Having fun?”

It was from Gabriel. How did he get there?

”Why do I feel like you are stalking me?”

He chuckled, then sat beside her. Kathy looked over the sea. Sometimes she wondered how vast the ocean is and how deep it goes. She felt like jumping into the sea and floating off to nowhere in particular.

”Do you ever feel like disappearing?”

”Disappearing?”

”Yeah. Like drifting into space, gliding away from everything and everyone.”

He shook his head. ”No. I wouldn't know what that feels like.”

Kathy nodded. ”Of course. It's just me being weird again.”

”Probably not, ” he said.

However, Kathy knew better. She was weird and nothing could change it.

”So, I did promise to answer your questions. Here I am, hit me.”

”Where is your mark?” she blurted out without hesitation.

He smiled, as though he has been expecting the question.

”It is on my back.”

Kathy paused before asking the next question. She wondered if it would be awkward to ask.

”Can I see it?”

He teasingly wiggled his brows a few times making Kathy blush in embarrassment.

”Maybe in bed, ” he joked and Kathy blushed harder making him laugh at her embarrassment.

”Tell me what we are.”

His face turned serious at her request.

”Later, Kathy. The rest of your questions would be answered later.”

”Why not now?”

”I am bound by silence on this realm. Meet me tonight behind the Airis tower by eight pm.”

She wore a confused frown on her face. What realm?

”Why? What do you mean?”

”On the night when the moon is at its highest, the veil between the realms would be thin and the door shall open.”

He got her even more confused. Veil? Realms? What on earth's name was he talking about?

Green eyes stared at her, silently pleading for her to agree.

Kathy recalled the last words of the voice from her dreams–Green holds the key. Could she have been talking about his eyes? No, that would be weird.

Kathy nodded slowly. She had no other choice. The answers were all she needed. If she had waited for thirteen years to get them, what are a few more hours?

She went back home with mixed emotions. Her mum noticed that she was not herself. Kathy told her mum how her meeting with Gabriel went.

”Are you sure that's what you want to do?”

Kathy wondered if she made the right choice by agreeing to meet him. She was disturbed by how weird he acted. Why was he so secretive?

”Yes, mum. I want to do this.”

The rest of the day was uneventful. Kathy spent most of the time staring at the wall clock. By the time the clock struck seven, Kathy was already walking to the Airis tower. The Airis tower was the name of the government lab. People heard that weird things happen there; from unethical experiments to humans abuse.

In thirty minutes, Kathy had reached the tower. The tall dark building had an eerie look to it. She could feel goosebumps erupt all over her body just by staring at the building.

She shook her head and decided not to stare at the tower any longer. She looked up at the moon. Gabriel had said that the doors would open when the moon was at its highest. The moon looked full and so bright.

She walked around the building towards the back. Every step, a different probability ran through her mind. What if she was walking into a trap? Human Trafficking was a big deal nowadays. What if he wanted to sell her and she was walking to her auction?

Arriving at the back of the building, she could see nothing but powering machines and engines. Her heart skipped a beat when a figure popped up from the dark–Gabriel. His glowing green orbs, scary yet beautiful.

”You scared me.”

He walked closer to Kathy, who on instinct moved back.

”I'm sorry for scaring you. That wasn't my intention.”

Kathy still felt apprehensive. That jump scare had spooked her.

”Why were you in the dark?” she asked.

”I enjoy the dark, ” he replied. Kathy could relate to that. Darkness was something she had always loved.

”Okay. You said you have answers. Who or what are we? Why do we have weird eyes and marks?”

He chuckled lightly. ”One question at a time, Kathy.”

She groaned. ”Just tell me.”

”Why would I tell you?” He said.

Kathy frowned. Does this mean that she walked into a trap?

”What do you mean?”

”When I can show you, ” he added.

With a wave of his hands, a black box appeared in front of them. Kathy's eyes widened in shock. She retreated slowly, not wanting to go close to the weird box.

The black box had what looked like a constellation of stars swirling around it.

”Do you want to find the truth?”

”Yes but I am not going into that thing, ” Kathy announced while pointing at the box.

”It's a portal that can only appear on a new moon. You can't go to Lunae without going through it. It appears only once in two moons. The next door will open on the next full moon, ” he said.

Lunae? Kathy thought. What the hell is Lunae?

”I can see the questions written all over your face. I'll tell you one thing, Lunae is where our species come from.”

His explanation was only getting Kathy more confused. Species? What species?

She was about to voice her thoughts when he cut her off.

”The rest of your questions would be answered in Lunae. I can't say anything else in this realm due to my oath of silence, ” he told her.

”But…”

”To ease your fears, I will go before you, ” he said then stepped into the box and vanished before Kathy's eyes.

Kathy's eyes widened, she took one step back and was about to bolt when a thought crossed her mind–he was her only hope of finding the truth about herself.

That thought gave her the determination she needed to step into the box. With closed eyes, she stepped into the box and immediately felt a pull–invisible hands pulling her into somewhere. She could feel a warm sensation in her body. Still, with closed eyes, her body kept moving fast. In a matter of seconds, her feet landed on the sand.

Kathy opened her eyes, it was unbelievable what she saw. The lights were blinding. Natural glimmers of different colors and types. The place looked magical. Lunae or whatever that place is was very beautiful. The houses all looked alike and shaped the same way. Plants of different colors and species, most of which she had never seen or heard of before.

”Like what you see?”

Gabriel popped out of nowhere again. However, her eyes were too busy taking in the beauty before her. It wasn't a question, she did like what she saw before her. All her life, she had never seen anything so beautiful. She had seen lots of nice places but nothing compared to this place.

All of a sudden, her mark started glowing but this time, there was no hotness and no pain. It felt normal and natural. People began to come out from their homes one after the other. People with eyes like hers. Green, purple, gold, yellow, red, and many other colors of eyes, all containing floating crystals. One by one, their marks started glowing as if in response to hers. Most of their marks were located in visible places like arms, legs, and some even on their faces. They all wore their marks with pride. How could they be so comfortable looking like that? Kathy felt happy and complete.

Everyone smiled at her as they knew her. She could feel a connection to every one of them.

She watched silently, grinning widely in elation until she heard Gabriel's voice from behind her.

”Welcome to Lunae, princess.”