Yarin's POV:
Very cold.
That was my only thought as I opened my eyes.
Something icy had landed on my cheek. Was it snowing?
I reached out to touch it, but the substance didn't melt. It scattered away like dust.
My body was covered in a thick layer of gray, like snow. It clogged my mouth and nose, yet I didn't feel suffocated. It was as if I didn't need to breathe.
I realized this might be a dream.
The world was a white expanse everywhere, the sky heavy and dark, devoid of clouds, sun, or moon. Only endless gray stretched into the distance. I walked forward for a while, finding nothing but ruins.
Feeling tired, I sat down against a crumbling wall to rest. From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of familiar patterns etched into the broken wall.
The faded paint was far from its former brilliance, but I could vaguely recognize it as a depiction of a banquet. Maidens in colorful dresses held flowers and fruits while others played harps and flutes. Dancers with crowns of flowers and draped in veils swayed gracefully to music, all to please the noble and graceful woman on the raised platform.
The longer I looked, the more familiar it felt. Upon closer inspection, I could discern that the woman on the platform wore a crown woven from laurel and primrose.
Could it be... the Moon Goddess?
Was this mural depicting a feast in her honor?
I remembered why I felt the murals were familiar and quickly moved to inspect other walls and pillars. To my surprise, murals were everywhere.
At this moment, even if it was hard to believe, an undeniable fact was before me: this was the courtyard of the Moon Palace.
But why had the Moon Palace fallen into such disrepair? It should always have maintained its most splendid appearance if this was my mental world. Could this be another dream of mine?
Right, speaking of which, what was I doing before?
I thought carefully but found myself unable to recall.
Something was very wrong. Arriving in this inexplicable place and losing a brief memory, something must have happened to lead me to this state.
I had to keep moving forward, and after who knows how long, I finally reached a relatively intact palace.
This was the true 'Moon Palace', at the heart of the entire Moon Palace courtyard, the bedroom of the Moon Goddess in the past. After the goddess departed, out of respect for her, I had never entered this room without her permission.
But now, wherever I looked, I saw a vast wasteland. Only here the complete architectural framework remained. Clearly, something was wrong with this place, and it might be the only clue I could use to understand the current situation. Thus, I had no choice but to go in.
Apologizing inwardly, I pushed open the tightly sealed doors and entered.
Surprisingly, the interior of the Moon Palace seemed to be a different realm. It was unlike what I had imagined and struck me as incredibly familiar - the moths carved on the walls and the metal walls shimmering dimly. Wasn't this the New Moon Temple?
I didn't visit the New Moon Temple often; it was sealed in secrecy, and no one could enter without my mother's consent. But a few fleeting memories were enough to etch it deep into my mind.
Different from the style of the Moon Temple, the New Moon Temple was built to commemorate a god who was short-lived and no longer existed. Its style was more solemn
and silent, like a ghost ship drifting in the clouds of the past.
I was sure this had to be a dream or illusion; otherwise, these two unrelated temples couldn't have merged.
"Is anyone here?"
I instinctively asked, then quickly realized how silly I sounded.
As expected, there was no response.
Since I was here, I might as well proceed. The temple was empty, with nothing but candles flickering on candelabras. I walked up to a wall, and the vines entwined on it shifted, revealing a door.
The door opened on its own, revealing pitch darkness inside, with no light or shadow.
Strangely, the darkness before me didn't scare me; instead, it ignited a warm impulse deep within me.
I should enter, I had to enter. I had a premonition that what lay inside was the key to ending this bizarre dream. If I obtained it, I could remember everything I'd forgotten.
So, without hesitation, I walked in. Oddly enough, even though it appeared pitch-black from the outside, I found I could see everything clearly upon entering. It wasn't the night vision of a werewolf; instead, dim light permeated the room from an unknown source.
I saw a raised platform in the room, draped with white curtains that revealed a vague figure within.
Who was that?
Why did they feel familiar and comforting to me?
I couldn't help but walk toward them, climb onto the platform, and pull aside the soft
curtains to see...
A boy of around fifteen or sixteen lay peacefully on the soft bedding. His face was handsome and calm, bearing a striking resemblance to me.