Shooting star

Notes;

Playlist

Mary - Alex G

Iris - The Goo Goo Dolls

Christmas kids - Roar

Bad romance - Halestorm

Die with a smile - lady gaga, bruno mars 

(ooh,ooh)

From afar, two little children could be seen lying together upon the cold grass, admiring the falling stars that lit the night sky at that time. The boy with raven hair stretched out his hand, as if he was trying to reach the falling star, even though he knew such a thing was impossible.

“They say, if there is a shooting star and you make a wish, it will come true.” The boy broke the silence, making the girl beside him turn her gaze away from the sky. “I never heard something like that before. Don’t tell me you heard it from those aliens again.”

Silence returned to surround them. “But… if it is true, what would you wish for?”

A blinding light pierced Aein’s eyes as the stage beneath her began to rise. The cheers of the creatures she hated so much grew louder as she finally reached the surface. Even though she always looked calm on stage, Aein always had panic attacks before performing.

Before, it was only because she was afraid to lose. But now she was not afraid of losing anymore. She was more afraid her opponent—her close friend—would lose in this match.

“I woke up from a dream, where you and I had to say goodbye.”

If not for Orion already starting to sing, Aein might not realize she had been staring at him for so long.

“And I don’t know what it all means, but since I survived, I realized.”

Aein, who had been busy reading her book, was once again distracted by Orion beside her, who always asked about what she read in every paragraph. “Seriouslu Orion, stop asking and just stay quiet.”

Orion casually folded his hands behind his head and lay down on the grass. “But seeing your annoyed expression is fun, y’know. Besides, you can just ignore me and continue reading.”

What Orion said was true, so why did Aein always answer him anyway?

“Whenever you go, that’s where I’ll follow.”

Aein peeked from behind a tree as the children of Anakt Garden crowded around a new child. She could clearly see the boy—who, in her opinion, looked cute—laughing at a joke someone told.

She kept watching, until the boy suddenly glanced at her in the middle of his laughter and waved. Startled, Aein quickly hid behind the tree again.

“If the world was ending, I’d wanna be next to you.”

Aein stepped forward with trembling hands, gripping her microphone. Orion noticed it, clenching his fists, trying to ignore it and hoping she would be okay.

“Lost, lost in the words that we scream.”

A frustrated scream escaped Orion’s mouth as he lost in a game they called “monster bite.” Mizi didn’t even try to hide her laughter—she laughed until she fell. Till did the same and pointed at Orion.

Sua only smiled awkwardly, while Aein tried to hide her own laughter. But her laugh slipped out when Orion chased Till and Mizi—until Till fell in the middle of running, giving Orion the chance to kick him playfully.

Aein wished moments like this would last forever.

“If the party was over and our time on Earth was through.”

Aein looked at Orion with frustration, though she tried to keep her face calm. It felt strange to see Orio, who was always cheerful and playful, become serious on stage.

“I’d wanna hold you just for a while and die with a smile.”

Aein was pacing back and forth, as if searching for something. The children of Anakt Garden found it strange, because she usually took a nap at that time.

What they didn’t know is Aein could never sleep peacefully. Nightmares always came whenever she tried to nap, and she needed Orion—who she once thought was sweet but actually annoying—to calm her.

As if by some strange luck, just when she was thinking of him, she saw Orion sitting with his back turned to her.

She wanted to ask him to stay with her, but stopped herself when she realized he was softly singing, holding a book on his lap. He looked so calm, so peaceful, that Aein felt guilty to disturb him.

In the end, she had no choice but to fall asleep alone that afternoon.

“If the party was over and our time on Earth was through.”

Aein already knew—this would be her end. Only one of them would survive this.

“I’d wanna hold you just for a while and die with a smile.”

Little Aein waited impatiently for Orion’s answer. Silence filled the air after she asked what he would wish for. It felt like forever, until Orion finally spoke, without looking at her.

“I don’t think wishes ever come true,” he said quietly. “But… if they do, then I wish for something impossible.”

He paused, his voice softer now almost like it would disappear with the wind.

“I wish that even if we can’t escape this place… even if one day we forget each other, or one of us is gone…”

He turned his head to look at Aein, his eyes meeting hers for a brief moment.

“...there will still be a part of us somewhere that stays together. Somewhere no one can touch. Somewhere we don’t have to be afraid. Somewhere, just you and me and nobody else.”

Aein said nothing. She only stared at Orion’s unreadable face. She admired his eyes—always reflecting like a mirror—now catching the light of the passing shooting star.

(Ooh, ohh… I’d wanna be next to you…)

And now… those same eyes, slowly losing their light, reflected Aein’s shocked expression as Orion tried desperately to smile at her before collapsing, covered in blood.

A silence. A silence so loud it hurt her ears.

Aein pulled her hair in frustration, falling to her knees, screaming in disbelief at what she saw. She choked out, strands of her hair trapped between her fingers.

A figure approached without care and forced a collar into her mouth to silence her screams.

Aein kept staring blankly at Orion’s lifeless body as she was dragged back to her chamber. She would never understand how those aliens could cheer happily, without caring about what she felt.

Orion’s image flickered, then faded into black. Meanwhile, Aein’s image rose to the next stage.