I physically jumped at the sound of a man’s voice. It was one I had never heard before. But even more startling—Ifeltmy body flinch. Slowly, I peeked open my eyes and found a night skygreeting me from above. The stars were vast and infinite, lit so brightly that it hurt to stare for too long. And beneath me, it felt like I was floating on water.
I sat up quickly, pulling my brows together as I looked around and saw that Iwasfloating. Well… not floating… When I moved my hand, it didn’t sink further into the water. It was like the water had solidified beneath the first layer, even though I could see every ripple that formed from my movement.
“What…” Against the black sea I sat on, I could see the reflection of every star above, as well as the ones beside me and behind. No land could be seen, and I was… alone.
“Not alone,”the male voice called again.
I jerked my head around, searching for it, until I found eight shadows approaching slowly. They stopped before I could see them, hiding in the darkness far away, but that voice carried as if they were whispering in my ear.
“Morrigan,”one of them said, this one female.
“Who are you?” I asked, lifting myself slowly to stand. The black dress that I had worn at the ritual clung to my legs, slick from the water. “Where am I?”
“Nowhere,”the male said.
“Everywhere,”called the female.
I crossed my arms over my chest, hugging myself as a sense of unease made its way through my body, putting me on high alert. “I died… Shouldn’t I be in Eden now?”
Another female scoffed, and it bounced off of the stars, repeating itself as it slowly faded into the darkness.“A girl born with nothing but pain… Whose scars outnumber the very years she has lived.”
“Tell me,”a new male voice whispered.“Why do you hide yourscars?”
I suddenly felt extremely exposed, wishing Tristan hadn’t selected a backless gown for me to wear. “I-I don’t know. I guess I’ve always been more ashamed ofhowI got them and didn’t want anyone to know how broken Iwas.” I was mildly surprised by my honesty and how easily it slipped past my lips.
“None ofthemseemed bothered by it.”
“I’m sorry… w-who are you?”
Movement from above caught my eye, and I saw the stars shifting. They slowly clumped together, until one, great light beamed as it lowered itself. I tentatively took a step forward, and a sound began to stream out—a baby crying.
I paused, looking beside me at the eight shadows that stood too still for my own comfort.
“We won’t hurt you,”the first female said.
“Right…” I mumbled to myself. “Just what someone would saybeforethey hurt you.”
A younger girl began to laugh.“I like her.”
Just a few more steps, and I stood directly in front of the large, white ball. As I peered inside of it, the colors danced until they took form. I could see a baby, lying in a small, makeshift crib. A woman lay sleeping nearby, with a candle in front of her that illuminated the child’s face.
Upon closer inspection, I was able to make out the small, seven-pointed star marked on the baby’s shoulder. And I realized it was…me.
Before I could askwhyI was being shown this, the flame on the candle began to rise. It grew, cracking against the lit wick, and released a small ember that floated into the air. Slowly, the wind carried the ember between the wooden bars of the crib.
“We saw you, Morrigan,”the first female whispered.“The child born with the purest soul…”
The ember landed at the center of the seven pointed star, and the moment it did, the baby cried out. It kicked and screeched as the light of the ember glowed and slowly sank into her skin.
Beside the crib, the woman quickly woke and scrambled to grab the child, whispering sweet words as she hummed a very familiar melody.
“Why are you showing me this?” I asked curiously. “That prophecy… It wasn’treal.”
“It was to us.”
The ball of light shot back into the sky, bursting apart and scattering into thousands of stars once more.
“Count not the stars that shiver and fall, for one lights the path, and one ends it all.”
