Version of Khiva before she was transported to Sechanova. She doesn't exist in Musica & Khiva's world.

A grad student who had a very dreary outlook on life and always felt like she didn't belong in the world. Her time was cut short after experiencing hardships one after another; overwhelmed, stressed, and heartbroken, she was greeted by an entirely new universe after waking up from what seemed like a very long dream.

Musica feels very familiar to her. In fact, the whole world feels familiar, despite her having no memory of it. Even the name 'Khiva' sounds like it was hers.

What she doesn't realize, and won't realize until she and Musica take that fateful trip to seek answers, is that this is her original world. And she knew Musica a long time ago as well, but perhaps not in the same form.

--

Long, long ago, a celestial was born. She was gifted with the power of time. She lived, and lived, for what seemed like a long time. One day, she noticed the humans. She looked longingly at humankind, seemingly content with their short lives and filling their days with joy and wonder, almost like a firework, short and dazzling.

One day, a beautiful person caught her eye: dark ebony hair, rosy cheeks, and a voice that sounded like a sweet melody to her ears. The person approached the celestial, shyly peeking out from behind a tree. She took the person's hand, and experienced the many joys of human life: wonder, smiles, and life itself. All the colorful moments that humans chase for their entire lives.

But it didn't last long for her. Many years later, a plague appeared. Soon, one by one, people started isolating themselves. The humans were gone. The world wasn't colorful anymore. Families and peers were gone. And it affected her dear friend. Despite being a celestial, despite seeming more powerful than anything in the world, she couldn't do anything.

A kind doctor came. He claimed to be able to cure the disease, and he was collecting patients to bring to his laboratory. One by one, the kids went to this facility. It was the only way they could hope to survive. She urged her friend to go, not wanting her friend to suffer any longer. Surely, the doctor was to be trusted.

It was all a lie. The celestial realized that humans weren't all the same. Some of them were kind, and some were bad, evil, despicable beings. They wanted to test on them, to create a super-being with the blood of a celestial, a demon, and beast-kin mixed together. Horrified, she took her friend's hand and ran. She ran far, far away from there. But her friend wasn't going to hold on much longer, begging that they would find a way to stay together.

And so, she broke the law of nature. She tried to reverse time. She tried making her friend live as long as her. She took her own soul to give.

But alas, it was never a celestial's duty to interfere with humans. What's done is done. And so, she was punished, sent to a place far away with their memories locked tight, as if all of it had never happened.

An empty shell was left, a porcelain doll's body left in its place. She was no longer a celestial.

--

Time went on. Lifetimes passed. At one point, she was a farmer boy with a knack for gardening. Another time, a struggling businessman with dreams of making it big. Then, a teacher at a scenic, rural village. She went through many lives without ever recalling anything from her past.

Yet, something felt unfulfilled each time.

Kianna was the last punishment she had to face. Her time was up. It was time to come home.

--

A familiar wind is whistling. The doll joints of the body have been taken over by moss. Critters scatter from me as I move my hand. I am back, yet without a soul.

"H-huh?", I heard a woman's voice.

I looked up, looking at the ebony-haired girl in front of me.

"Um, I'm not sure what happened! Do you want to come with me?", she said.

I rose and took her hand, once more.