A/N: Reposted since I changed alot of the plot~ apologies
Thank you to all those who helped proofread and edit! :3
prelude: Moonrise
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"countdown begins now"
...
Falling
From such a high place, time felt like it was slowing down... Encaging her with what looked to be scenes from memories, starting out in a forest and ending in a brilliant blue. She reached her hand out, thinking that perhaps she could catch it. The scenery streaked past, growing swifter, with every pasting second. Like a blur of colour. Yet as she fell closer to the ground, the colours dimmed.
The end...
She closed her eyes to shut out the world and the thoughts that howled.
Soon
Hitting the ground, there was complete silence. She didn't want to wake up.
Open your eyes
It was difficult, and the world seemed ever so faint and blinding. She just wished that she would be able to close her eyes forever... To stay in the dream she was longing for. To be back there, where her true home was. Nevertheless, reality was cruel and tore it to shreds, dragging her back to the present.
Are you alive?
She slowly opened her eyes, only to see a sight she would never have expected.
Red hair… It looked so familiar, but who was he? His name felt like it was on the tip of her tongue, but it remained foggy in her mind.
A memory suddenly surfaced. He was...?
Turning around, he smiled warmly at her and patted her head. His eyes were shadowed by his hair but she could see his mouth moving. The words were too soft for her to hear. Regardless, she still felt a fluttering feeling inside.
"...E-"
Oh, you're awake!
As quickly as it came, the memory vanished.
Hello, what's your name? Do you remember?
What was her name? She couldn't remember, yet it was as if...
H-hey! Don't close your eyes again, Aisha!
She was given another chance.
continuing from a fall
Rushing between classes, juggling textbooks, Aisha was what people might called a sleep deprived university student. She was at the top of the class, much to her pride, and she was striving to graduate early. However lately, ever since her 19th birthday; she had experienced dreams. Visions of fighting demons with a group of cosplaying people. They always seemed to look at her with sadness weighing down their souls. No one would speak other than herself. It was all a fantasy but it still intrigued her. Aisha felt as if she saw them somewhere before. Distracted by her thoughts, she faltered while hurrying down the stairs. Her body teetered as she lost balance and her books went soaring through the air. Lilac hair streaming loose from her twintails, Aisha gave a small cry as she tumbled down.
"It begins once more"
Darkness fell upon her consciousness. If anyone had seen her fall, they would have seen her curled up on the ground, eyes closed. Starting from her fingertips, she faded away in a shower of kaleidoscopic glass.
Aisha woke up alone. Her senses were clear but a dull pain pounded in the back of her head. Where was she? This was neither the university nor her house.
The room she woke up in was quite bare. The walls were painted a cream white while the floor was of a simple wood. There were not any furniture, except for a small table across the room. A tiny box sat in the middle of the small table. As Aisha rose up, she noticed that bright sunshine flickered in through the tall windows. Peeking through the window, the small building appeared to be located in a vast field of grass. No trees, no flora. There was… Absolutely nothing.
She tore her gaze away from the window as an invisible pull drew Aisha towards the box. Igniting her curiosity, it beckoned and whispered to her to open it. Upon further inspection, there was a word engraved into the side. Ironspire, in cursive with delicate tree branches curling around letters. Aisha gently opened the box to reveal a silver ring, adorned with a benitoite jewel. A gasp escaped her mouth as she dimly recognized it.
The other day, she had gone out with a few of her friends to plaza for a little fun. They were taking a lunch break when she decided that she wanted to wander through the streets instead. Before long, Aisha had came across a jewelry shop. She had noticed a ring in the front display that was simply lovely. Unfortunately, it was too expensive...
She knew that in an unknown room in an unknown place, it would be the best to avoid touching anything. Yet the ring had an innocent aura, slowly luring her to take it out of the box. Wear the ring... Wear it... Wide eyed, her hand moved forward, she couldn't stop it. S-Stop!
Aisha clenched her teeth, but she watched helplessly as she slipped the ring on and a sudden brightness slammed into her. The space around her seemed to be warped. A trap! I knew it... Aisha stumbled in confusion, unable to see anything but the word, Ironspire, flashing. She collapsed in a dizzy spell... Descending into another fitful sleep.
-Night Area, outskirts of the Hourglass-
welcome to the garden of Ironspire~
a land divided into two, Day and Night
and at the centre, Hourglass, a neutral area
In an empty garden, similar to that of a carnival. Where some flowers towered higher than a regular human, and wind that pushed the blooms in a lazy spin. An abandoned merry-go-round slowly rusted. What made this garden so different was that each and every plant, flower and tree was metal. Once again, Aisha woke up in a bed of twisting vines of bronze. Immediately, her eyes went down to the ring, which still remained on her finger. She had no idea why this ring led her to this strange, empty place.
Up above, the sun had already begun to set. It seemed that Aisha was out for most of the day. She stood up, looking around cautiously. Her hand, by habit, drifted out before her and tried to grasp a staff that wasn't there. Frustration etched itself across Aisha's face. How was she suppose to survive without the means of fighting against threats? Wait, since when did I even have a staff? Magic isn't real… Perhaps this is linked to my recent dreams? No, impossible!
In every direction, there was something beautiful, perhaps a little unearthly. There were interlocking golden petals with a single crystal in the middle. Earlier it had not bloomed, but Moonrise had woken it up. Aisha was attracted by the fiery, glowing towers of molten metal. Some rose up so high, she could only see a dim glow in the clouds. She entered and was startled when she bumped into her own reflection. Hidden among the towers were mirrors. The thought came to her, as if this was a labyrinth.
She went around and around, slipping through tiny corridors. It felt endless, a continuous loop and she was starting to feel the effects of exhaustion. Thirst scraped at her throat. Sighing, she dragged her feet along. Stars varying in colour were splattered in the sky. She could have sworn she saw one fall down. Then another. Before long... A splash nearby. Aisha looked down to see small puddles of what seemed to be melted stars. She started to give a small laugh, that slowly turned into an uncontrollable one. What kind of world was this, to be so mystifying... Unlike Earth. It defied all logic. What motive was there, she wondered, if the mysterious ring brought her here.
Who is behind all of this?
Stellar raindrops? What a sight
A voice echoed her, laughing along dryly
What...? Aisha instantly stopped, frantically looking around. But all she saw were her reflections, surrounding her. It was making her dizzy. Her loud footsteps rang out as she ran. Past glass doors filled with smoke, ceilings dripped with metallic flowers that open to release a dizzying aroma of sweetness. A gentle mist hid her feet from her own eyes. The ring Aisha wore had started to glow, the light somehow illuminating the path before her.
She slowly stepped through the final door, to reveal a clearing in what seemed to be a forest. Thick, giant trees surrounded her, with candles glowing inside fragile orbs. It dripped down from branches, suspended on thin, silver threads. Something was wrong though. The grass was not verdant, in fact, it was turning inklike. Dying. She watched as Death spread out, greedily claiming anything that was in its path. She took a step back. From the corner of her eye, Aisha spotted a masked, white haired man who wore a jumble of locks and chains.
What's happening...?
The man strode forward, reaching a hand out to catch a falling leaf before crushing it.
This world, it doesn't look like it's going to last.
Toxic mercury drops fell from the trees, similar to tears.
"Can you outrun all the endings?"
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