At a certain campsite in Canada. There, quiet snowfall dropped as the night took over the sky.
It was slow and delicate, not the heavy kind that drowns the world in white within minutes. The snowflakes spiraled like soft rain from the overcast sky, floating aimlessly.
I stood away from the campfire, at the edge of the frozen tree, clutching my telescope like it was the only warm thing on Earth. After all, I built it so that it can look through even cloudy skies! Plus, a comet was going to pass by. I'm not going to let clouds stop me.
Then, there was laughter behind me. It was my fellow schoolmates. They surrounded the fire pit as they held marshmallows on sticks. Some had steam rising from cocoa. They were covered in all sorts of layers as they tossed jokes at each other—especially towards our chemistry teacher, Mr. Pratt. I even heard some gossip about a girl giving oral sex to her best friend's boyfriend in the locker.
Anyway, I never cared about that stuff. I was much younger than them, but I never seemed to connect with the things they called the 'spice of youth'.
Then, I heard certain voices behind me, the type of voices that ensue when people think you're not listening.
"Why's she even here if she's just gonna ignore everyone? I don't think she talked to anyone here…"
"Maybe it's different generations? She could be scared of us…"
"Come on, she's literally in a t-shirt and shorts. She's not scared, she just wants attention."
"She already has enough of it. She's a genius and the best looking girl in the school…"
"Bro, you can't be saying that. She's way younger than you. Do you have a crush on her or something?"
"W-what? Dude, no!"
"Joshua has a crush~"
"Joshua has a crush~"
Yeah, I was unfortunately listening to their words. Even though I was trying to drown them out by looking through my telescope, it was to no avail.
But suddenly, the voices were drowned out. It was like an external source intentionally muffled them for me.
Curious, I stopped looking through my telescope and looked around me.
Everything was white. Not the type of white that came from snow. It was the type of white that looked like a blank artist's canvas.
Then, I looked behind me.
The campsite, along with my schoolmates, completely disappeared. It was all replaced with an eerie, constant state of blankness.
But in that moment, pitch black dolls had taken my schoolmate's place. They all emitted a horrifying static, as a door began to appear behind the dolls.
…
"…Huh? What just happened?" Blankly staring out of the window into the night sky, my eyebrows raised as I lifted my head up from my hand, which was resting on the window pane.
In my next hand was another novel I carried with me. I casted my gaze downwards, staring at the lined text.
"Did this novel make me daydream about my high school days…?" I asked, still staring at the book with a confused expression.
Thud!
I instantly closed the book, not caring that I didn't finish the chapter. I sighed as I turned my head back and nonchalantly threw the book on my messy bed.
Then, I looked at the night sky once more. A cold but dry wind brushed through my window, blowing my blonde hair slightly.
Covered with shades, my golden eyes stared at the night sky as the illumination from the beautiful Milky Way galaxy made my light, fair skin glow.
"It's been a long time since I last saw the Milky Way like this," I giggled excitedly as I remembered what I came here at the Atacama Desert for. "My Polaris Shift…finally, a sign from the heavens."
"…" A short silence ensued as I gazed alone—however I had no feeling of loneliness.
However, something peculiar had happened to me.
"…Something's off." Suddenly, I felt a slight discomfort. No, it was more so that I felt uneasy.
I stopped looking at the sky and proceeded to look around the dark room, almost as if I was searching for validation for my sudden feelings.
But there was nothing. Only a cold silence.
Confused, I began to ask questions.
"What is the source of this feeling…?" I curiously asked, as I nearly felt a chill run down my spine.
Was it nervousness? No, I've never felt like this when I'm nervous before.
Was it because I might hallucinate again? Possible, but I wouldn't be feeling uneasy.
Was it because I haven't cleaned up this room yet? No…a scientist shouldn't be cleaning up rooms anyway when they have more important stuff to do!
The feeling grew stronger. It grew strong enough to the point where I had a feeling that something was going to happen. And I knew this with certainty, but I didn't know what it was.
I walked over to my desk littered with scientific papers. Stretching out my hand, I grabbed my handheld mirror to see if anything was wrong with me. After all, the brain could foreshadow a bodily impediment with feelings of anxiety or impending doom.
However, what I saw in the mirror was the usual. It was me, Astra Sera.
Using the mirror, I looked at my outfit.
There, I saw my wonderful purple robe accompanied by excellent black heels. My fashion sense never disappointed me. But still…nothing was abnormal.
"Is this just another form of my hallucinations?" I chuckled nervously as I tried to dismiss the uneasy feeling. "Damn, my schizophrenia has quite a creative sense of humor…"
In that moment, a soft and frigid wind blew through my room again—but it was even colder this time.
"Right," I said with a nearly shaken voice. "I remember that there was supposed to be a snowstorm tonight. I wonder if it will delay the banquet…"
I let out a self deprecating laugh and then sighed. "That's not going to happen. They will do anything but delay that thing. Too bad I actually have to participate and not just appear for a few seconds, immediately leaving afterwards."
"Luckily, I will be the best dressed at the banquet…again." I frowned as a thought back on the previous banquets I had.
Unfortunately, thinking about those memories made any joy that was present in me completely get sucked out. I'd much rather feel uneasy than think back on those moments.
Because unlike my unease, I knew exactly why I felt terrible at the banquets.
I thought back on the constant stares, on the constant whispering about me and my appearance. I saw and heard every part of it. Some were nice, some weren't. Some couldn't believe my existence. Some wondered why I kept talking about 'the heavens' as a scientist and astronomer. Some thought I was just plain weird…
Before I thought even further back to my school days, I facepalmed and shook my head, sitting down in the process.
"Every social interaction feels like a barrier that I need to overcome." Sliding my hand down my head so that it landed on my thigh, I continued, "Xavier and Aria are the only ones that don't seem like black holes that suck joy out of me…"
I gave an exaggerated sigh, the cold air from my mouth being visible this time.
I casted my gaze upwards toward the window. The instant I did, I felt as if little spikes had entered my stomach once more.
My uneasiness worsened!
With a confused and a slightly pained expression, I stood up as I held my stomach.
"Why am I feeling like this? Why is my body reacting like this?" I asked myself.
However, this was not the first time I asked these questions. Not even close.
"Just another thing I don't understand about myself…" I immediately dismissed the feeling as I tried to distract myself by looking at the starry night.
As if the universe was responding to me attempting to distract myself, the cold wind blew again—even colder and harder this time.
And, despite it being a mostly cloudless night, snow began to fall beautifully like little lights from the sky.
"It's paired well with the blonde-violet glow of Milky Way…" Commenting on the snow, I almost forced a smile.
"Hm?" Then, suddenly, my eyebrows perked up as I saw something peculiar.
The Milky Way was bright. Extremely bright.
In fact, I have never seen the Milky Way this bright before.
Huh…
And strangely, It seemed to be getting brighter?
As it was getting brighter, strange colors began to seep out of the Milky Way…
Blue, red, green, crimson, teal, gold, violet, and many variants of those colors seemed to slowly spill out…
Soon enough, I began to see glass-like fragments falling out of the sky…?
Wait, what was this?
Why-
Suddenly, everything turned dark and an extremely sharp pain reverberated inside of my head! I began holding my head with my hands out of instinct!
"AHHHHHHHH!!!!" I screamed out in pain, closing my eyes shut in the process! My glasses fell off of my face and onto the ground!
I tried to compose myself and calm my head down, but everything seemed dark…
Wait…
Everything seemed blurry? Countless thoughts raced inside of my head, and I couldn't pinpoint or stop any one of them. It was as if my brain was completely replaced with static noise! It was as if a horrifying ringing sound had been implanted straight onto my ear drums!
What should I do? What do I do!?
I tried my best to open my eyes again and to prevent myself from screaming. It didn't work! I couldn't open my eyes at all! Why is this happening? Is it the night sky? Is it because of my findings? Is it because of the existence of the heavens?
It then occurred to me that I was daydreaming when I looked at the night sky, and now I'm going through this when I'm looking at the night sky! There has to be some connection to the night sky, but what? And why?
DO NOT LOOK AT THE NIGHT SKY
These words suddenly popped inside of my head, behind all of the static! I couldn't gamble on the meaning of these words, not at a time like this…!
I used all of my strength in my arms to navigate my head down, as my head wasn't able to move on its own. This hurt a lot more than I expected, and an excruciating cracking sensation was present for each moment I moved my head! I couldn't help but keep screaming through this pain…!
CRACK…CRACK…POP!
I used all of my strength to force my head downwards. Instantly, I felt a sudden surge of relief! The pain and the ringing sound had completely disappeared!
"Huff…puff…" While panting, I slowly opened my eyes.
It wasn't fully open, and my vision was still hazy and blurry. I felt extremely dizzy and my surroundings looked wavy like water. My arms were flowing about and my legs were wobbling, as if I was about to fall down…
THUMP!
I fell down on my back which made a decently loud sound. Despite everything, I felt a soft wind emerging from the window. It enveloped my body completely. Despite its chilly feel, it made me feel quite comfortable! It was like I was in a hot tub after a long day! I felt a sudden surge of peace throughout my body and my skin!
Huff…puff…
"Wait." I said, as I struggled to widen my eyes in an attempt to stop myself from sleeping. "What in the world was that feeling…? I need to figure out what it was…!"
"I wonder if it has a connection to the event that will come in 3 days…" While controlling my breathing so that I stopped panting, I struggled to lift my head up. I began to place my hands on the ground to balance myself. It was clear a lot of my strength was lost, if only momentarily. I was probably about as strong as a normal person…
Eventually, I was able to completely get up. I was extremely tired, and it seemed like my body was about to pass out at any minute. I slowly began to head toward my desk, being careful as not to let my peripheral vision catch the night sky. I then closed my eyes and began to walk to the window. I wasn't sure if closing my eyes would've prevented that thing from happening again, but it's better to be safe than sorry!
As if my finger was piercing through honey, my finger struggled to move through the air.
With great struggle, I eventually pressed the button that was next to the window. Once I did, the shutters closed in on themselves, turning the room completely dark.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Those were footsteps, and in a hurried pace. Judging by the uneven sounds of them, I knew it was my two coworkers. They definitely heard my screaming!
Then, they stopped.
"Dr. Sera? You there?" A muffled male voice came from outside of the door. It was Xavier.
"Yeah, we heard a scream? Are you okay?" A female voice then began to ask. It was Aria.
As expected…
"I'm…" My voice unexpectedly began to waver slightly. I was still affected by what had happened; my body was still readjusting. "You- you two can come in."
Xavier opened the door, and they both walked in hesitantly—like they were entering a dungeon owned by a mythical creature. Xavier came first, and he was followed by Aria.
Xavier happened to wear a black tailored suit which helped accentuate his well built frame.
Aria wore a long white dress, which wrapped around her lean body like a blanket. Accompanying her was a simple, small pink purse she carried over her shoulder.
"Shit…it's so cold!" Aria whispered while crossing her arms around her waist.
"That's quite a bold mouth you have on you, especially when we're in Dr. Sera's room…" Xavier said with a flat tone while looking for the light switch.
Having knowledge of the layout of the room, he found it quickly.
Click!
In that moment, cold white light lit the room. Soon enough, they both began to look at me. And…their expressions slowly contorted into that of horror.
"Astra…you…" Aria's eyes widened in shock! She began pointing at me with her right hand, placing her left hand on her mouth.
"Who are you…?" Xavier's mouth widened in shock.
"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion. "What do you mean, 'Who are you?'"
"Your skin…it's pale…! Are you really Astra?" Aria's voice rose slightly, less out of confusion and more out of worry. Taking a step back, her hand retreated to hold the door knob.
"Yeah…and your eyes are completely white. What happened to Astra?" Xavier asked as he looked at me with disgust.
What…? 'What happened to Astra?' I was struggling to comprehend what Xavier was trying to say. I'd like to think he was joking, but his shaking body rejected that thought.
"What are you talking about-" Noticing my vision was getting better, I slowly moved my eyes downwards.
My hand was pale!
It was a whitish purple color!
"What?" My eyes creased in surprise!
Was it even possible for my skin to turn this color?
Trying to confirm the true state of my body, I defied my sluggishness and looked at the rest of my body. It had the same appearance as my hand!
"Is someone possessing you?" Aria asked, her voice wavering slightly. "Even your movements feel like that of a drunk person's."
"No, the scream can't be a coincidence right?" With fluctuations in his tone, Xavier asked while looking at Aria. "Plus, Astra never leaves her window closed…"
Rightly so, Xavier battled his fear and attempted to confront me—thinking that I was someone else.
In any case, I knew exactly how to make them believe I am who I say I am.
I stared intently at Xavier, my eyes still slightly drooping. He was a mere few feet away from me at this point.
"Xavier…" I said softly as I noticed sweat falling down his face. "I am Astra Sera. I'm sorry to have worried you with the scream. Besides, don't I sound normal?" I asked, however my voice was a little hoarse.
"…" Xavier's face shook a little, though he didn't seem convinced. It seems as if he was thinking "How do you know my name? And your voice sounds different anyway!"
"You need more evidence than that to convince me that Astra somehow turned pale." He said with conviction.
"Hehe…okay. Since you still seem skeptical—remember when you sent me a surprisingly formal email 3 weeks ago about the fact that you lost your charger, and happened to blame Aria because she happened to find her lost charger at the same time?" I recalled an event that only the three of us would know.
Xavier and Aria's eyes widened slightly. They had heard undeniable evidence!
"You remembered that?" He asked while backing away from me quickly.
"Maybe you aren't possessed after all!" Aria said in a half joking manner.
"This is my bad…I'm so sorry for approaching you like that Dr. Sera…" Xavier said as he rubbed his temples in apology. He was quite embarrassed…
"It's fine, Xavier." I responded.
"But…I still feel weird." Aria spoke up. "Why did you scream like that…? Plus…your looks. Do you have a hidden disease? Were you in pain because of it?"
"I have no idea," My strength began to return to me, so I went to my bed in order to grab the mirror once more. "But I'm confident it isn't a disease."
And once I looked through the mirror…
The face that I saw…
This wasn't me.
My skin was a white-ish purple, with a lightning-like pattern scattered across my face. This lightning-like pattern permeated my body, like a storm was inside of me. Instead of my eyes being a gold color, my eyes were completely white. Even my blonde hair looked a shade of white.
Is this person me?
Did looking at the night sky make me like this?
Was this because of the heavens?
All these questions intruded my mind.
"Uh, I'm sorry for the inconvenience Dr. Sera." Xavier said as he removed his hand from his forehead. With a soft, controlled voice, he asked:
"If it's not a disease…do you know why you look like that? Does this have anything to do with…the heavens?"
"I definitely know why I turned into a ghost suddenly, I think my shock gave it away!" I responded sarcastically for a moment. "No Xavier, I don't know." I continued, softening my tone as I stopped looking in the mirror.
"Oh, okay. I mean, you seem quite calm knowing you look…so different." Aria responded for Xavier.
I knew they were going to mention that anxiety-inducing banquet, so it's best I just get it out of the way.
"I'm fine. You two can go to the banquet. It should've started already. I'll be there shortly." I decided not to tell them about the reason behind me screaming. Not until I properly understood it.
Besides, I can feel the worry in their voices; if I tell them my unconfirmed theories they might not even try to be near me again. Especially when they already think I'm strange.
"Okay. We'll leave now." Aria said softly, but it was obvious that it was an attempt to cover her emotions.
As they left, they turned off the lights and slowly closed the door.
I continued to look at myself in the mirror. The longer I looked, the more I started to look more like my usual self. It was as if my body was slowly shifting from alien to human…
And soon enough, my skin and eyes finally came back to its normal color. While I was a little relieved that my body presumably came back to normal, I still felt disturbed. Uneasy.
Even when I screamed, I still feel like this…
Is this feeling foreshadowing something else?
"Hehe…" For a strange reason, I began to giggle slightly.
Despite the terrible feeling of uneasiness filling my heart, I began to feel a fascinating sense of ecstasy. This was curiosity!
But deep down, something in me tugged—like this was more than mere curiosity.
Deep down, I could've felt that this feeling was harboring a greater connection to the heavens…
This uneasiness was proof of the fact that I have not and will never fully understand everything…especially regarding strange things.
"Is this also evidence that those strange things may be manifested in reality? Hehe…"
Who knows…