Moonrise ✔ [Complete]

48 Beauty (Part 2)

Her dress wafted in an intangible breeze, as if it defied all logic of the storm. Reo blinked, rain skimming his eyelashes, and he remembered to cast his umbrella again. He then pushed through the sludge to his feet, the others struggling to do the same.

Lawrenz sighed, scrubbing at the mud on his rifle. When he glanced up, he found Reo frozen in place. He followed Reo's intent gaze. "What is it?"

It took a second for Reo to realize the captain's muddled countenance.

"You don't see her?"

The captain's frown deepened. "See who? The Moon Princess?"

It wasn't Maeyune. This girl had red hair.

The shower of rain obscured her identity, but now, Reo was certain he could see an emerald hue that exuded from her.

Was he imagining her?

He pointed. "There's a girl in a white dress."

The Nomenians all exchanged baffled glances. "No, there isn't," they said in unison.

Reo watched as the girl lifted a hand to him and beckoned, and he felt the tug somewhere deep inside him to follow. He took a step toward her on impulse.

"What are you doing?" Lawrenz demanded. "Where are you going?"

With his eyes never leaving the specter, Reo said, "Give me one of your radios."

Lawrenz hesitated, and Reo turned his eyes on him. "You four take this path north," Reo said, gesturing down the path on the right. "If we don't find Maeyune, we will regroup in two hours."

"You're going alone?"

"I'm the Sun Prince, remember?"

Lawrenz stared at Reo in disbelief, but he flicked his hand at one of his men. The soldier removed the thick metal band from his wrist and clipped it over Reo's.

"Keep in contact," Lawrenz said. Reo nodded absently and took his umbrella of energy with him as he moved left of the fork.

With every step Reo took, the girl in the white dress took one to match. In spite of his attempt to reach her, she maintained a consistent distance away. Not once did she acknowledge him as he followed her.

Her dress continued to drift around her knees, the rain appearing as if to fall through her entirely. Her body gave off a light of its own, but Reo had already suspected her to be some sort of hallucination.

He realized the folly in his decision to pursue her, but he could not help but ponder on the lull that swelled inside him. For a reason he could not begin to understand, his senses did not deem her a threat. The need to follow her was something instinctive.

"Who are you?" he called out to her through the rain. "Where are we going?"

The girl didn't answer, didn't so much as glance over her shoulder.

He wanted to tread faster, but it was a never ending battle between the mud and the soles of his boots.

Reo called out again. "What are you trying to show me?"

Finally as if in response, the girl stopped.

Reo stopped, too, for a second before he pushed forward again. The distance closed between them, and caution reminded him of the rifle in his hand. He pressed the weapon against his chest, his hands and arms ready to move if necessary. When he came to stand directly behind her, she turned.

And his heart stilled.

He lowered his rifle, his eyes widening.

No, it was impossible...