[insert hole below]

[East Matriel/division 85465/sector 4]

Over the millennia, the sickly crater became laced in exteria fibers that spread into the hollow plain. The radiation it produced bound the surrounding air particles to create its own inner orbit where traces of life had emerged.
Pearlescent bones rose from the ground and radiant flowers bloomed. Elusive entities roamed the garden of solitude. Their wings radiated with colors invisible to the human eye and they were crowned with orbital rings which each centered a rift that connected them directly to the exteria core.

Beings from the outside often wandered in and found themselves exposed to its infectious air and lost within its allure which awakened them to a state of pure and everlasting bliss; they called it 'The Valley of Eternal Salvation'. Rumors of it spread far and wide until it was the most sought after place in all of Matriel. Spurs of conflict arose and soon culminated to a three way war as the many factions that had formed began to align with the established armies:
The Church of Sienna from the west sought to claim the holy ground in their God’s name.
The Hollow Resistance from the north wished to preserve the area as a safe haven.
And The Feral Units of the south wanted nothing more than to consume all of the energy the area had to offer.
After countless battles, it was the church’s forces who triumphed over the rest and overtook the sector in the name of Sienna.
Synther became its name, and throughout centuries of the church’s reign, they have encoded the layers of viral energy thus allowing the ability to compress its molecular data into a malleable form which could easily adapt to the structures and foundations that have been imposed on the land. This new form became known as the Toa System.
Flowers were planted in mass and the entities were forced to adapt to their new surroundings. They began adopting more human traits to better communicate; losing their wings and connection to the core in exchange for tangibility leaving them vulnerable and so they were assigned to masters for protection. But those masters began to see them differently---love that was once pure had become sullied with perversion for their physical form is all that can be recognized.
As society grew, the outer land soon became alien to the denizens of the infected area for the air within its orbit grew dense until the very concept of an outer land was unfathomable to the general populace.
The resistance was snuffed out while the feral units became specters of loose interia that continued to fester in the shadows.
What was once regarded as eternal salvation long ago became nothing more than a single abstract variable lost within the vast array of encrypted data.

[Stabilization Engage]
......

The lingering stretches of time echoed across the abyss, closing in towards the center where the recesses of the mind lay bare. All corporeal facets pressed into the weight of the hollow until all that's left are dull and stagnant ruptures. The loud beating ripped through the static as that cold voice emerged from the distance. It pulled me deep into the bowels where things beyond my control flash and fizzle about. And all the while I am left submerged into the unknown.
[Neurotransmission processing]
Callous echoes wormed their way into the core. Bits and pieces were ripped away, picked apart until they're reduced to tiny specs that drift beyond all that is sensible and all that is sound as though carried away by a spell. I never knew what they meant to me but once they were gone, all I knew was that I was hurting.
[Speech recognition processing]
After a while, I had come to understand the weight of it all. The cruelty of it all. I called out to it as loud as I could with everything I could muster but I had nothing. Just a wet garble of noise that shriveled and died in the ether before it could even be recognized anything, let alone anything worthy of listening to. My sensibilities were too alien to produce anything that could sustain itself within the pressures of the hollow.
All I could do is wait for them to come back.
All I could do is hope.
All I could do is move on…

And so I let myself drift away just as everything had left me. Things became lighter from there.

Colors began floating into my purview. They flash and they fizzle but I know they're all just prying for my attention. I ignored them but only for so long. Before I knew it, I’ve grown attached to one. One that reminded me of the things that once were but then that color changes and I’m left longing for the color that was no longer there. It happened again and again in an endless cycle. I couldn't let myself forget and so I held on to one and then another and another until they bled together and soon they became something mucky and I couldn't bring the colors back no matter how hard I tried. I've ruined it now… and it's all I have left.

[Sensory Data Processing]

.....

...Eventually the pain went away but I couldn’t recognize anything anymore. It’s all just empty now. I wish I could move but what is there to move? I couldn't recognize myself anymore. I’m lost… and I don’t know what to do…

[Memory Processing]
Multiple paths flash across the hollow space. Tunnels upon tunnels of blurred shapes all funneling into white. Is this where I’m supposed to go? but where is it coming from? Please help me… I’m…

“Lost?” I nodded. Please tell me where to go.
“Why don’t you come home?” Home? But… I don’t have a home… Not anymore.
“I meant to come home with me. My home can be your home as well. Would you like that?” I nodded.
“Can you move?”
…I felt my body tremble as I lifted my hand. It was the first time I’ve ever been able to recognize a part of myself for as long as I could remember. I was welling up on the inside—for it was a cold, empty hand with nothing to offer. So weak and brittle that it could wither away at any moment. Perhaps someone else could make use of it. Please… take me home… I want to go home.
The man gently laid my hand on top of his and lifted it towards his lips. With a warm kiss to the back of my palm, all of weight had subsided. His eyes looked down at me with what I could only recognize as pity. I wanted to look away but I found myself lost in his eyes… for his gaze lied somewhere mine could never meet. He lifted me from the ground and carried me into the light.

[Stabilization complete]

---I was greeted by a searing white the moment I had opened my eyes. My vision came into focus with multiple layers of webs peering into view---There was an inner force pulsing within. Whatever noise that had lingered in the back of my mind was swiftly drowned out by the unfaltering silence and soon, I had found myself in an empty room.
My eyes grew heavy again---my gaze was lured toward the dark figures standing before me. Sharp edges clouded with speckles of red. I saw knives, syringes, defibrillators, many tools dripping with blood---all propped up by large mechanical arms surrounding the edges of my feet.

My heart was pounding as their towering presence trapped me beneath my covers. I could swear that they were moving. I waited with baited breath but as I waited, the vertigo began to clear. They weren’t moving after all—in fact, they were shut off. I let out a long sigh feeling the emptiness creep in once again.

I lay atop of a mound of organic tissue which splayed along the walls and ceiling. Layers of cushioned webs covering the densely knotted innards which I could feel wriggling within---close enough for the comfort of knowing there was something still alive in this forsaken place. It gave me the strength to move again.
The fibers ripped off of my back as I sat up and immediately, I became startled at the stains of blood covering the ground below. I calmed down soon after upon the realization that whatever operation I had undergone was already over and I had made it out alive with seemingly everything intact. But it must’ve been an intense operation with how much blood they’ve extracted.
I couldn’t even remember if I’ve been in some sort of accident that had left me comatose or how long it’s been. Every memory I’d had was so fuzzy, so distant that my mind couldn’t even bring itself to bother recounting it all. Who I was had become a mystery to me.
Yet, I had no desire to chase after those memories. It seemed almost futile to me and it’d be boring to lay in bed thinking about things in the past especially when there was not much to see in the first place. There was only that one memory still lingering but even that felt so distant that any feeling that I had in that moment had been lost to time. It was all but a void now.
Yet, it was a strain to put myself back in the current moment. It seemed that there wasn’t any place in time I truly felt settled in---with so little past and no sense of what’s to come, the here and now was all I really had to hold on to. But for something so precious, it had nothing to offer.
I lifted the blanket to see the results of my surgery. The entire bed beneath me was completely drenched in red. It made me pause for a moment until I noticed myself shivering at the sheer amount as the sudden cold made me aware of a dampness that had been there for as long as I could physically remember. When I looked at my body however, there was not a scar in sight. I stared at my hands and pinched the sides of my palms. Everything seemed normal. Though why did I not feel right? I felt more weightless than usual but nothing about my body registered as unusual yet the shape of it had surprised me and it was embarrassing to look down at it... unsettling even. Still, if I wanted to live within this waking world, I had to get used to it. I continued staring at my hands, pinching the skin of my palms and moving every finger until I could fully sense them as my own.
Suddenly, I heard footsteps from the other side of the coming ever closer until the door embedded in the fiber walls tore open.

From the door appeared a familiar man, tall and glowing against the stark white walls. He had an intimidating composure and dressed in a bright, regal attire draped with cascades of lit up circuitry and whose gold encrusted grandeur made me suddenly aware of my shameful display of indecency and so hastily, I pulled the blanket over my crotch.

The man had an expression of awe on his face, his large presence stepping ever closer until I found myself engulfed in his shadow. He looked down at me in a way that struck me with de ja vu. My eyes retreated. In their path, another person was spotted---one slender, gazing off to the side in the midst of twirling one of his wavy blonde locks. But before I could get a better glimpse, a curtain of feathered blue locks descended upon my field of view and I was forced to look towards the set of red eyes closely examining my face from top to bottom. He lifted my face up by the chin, swiveled it from side to side to get a good view from every angle and stroked some loose hair back behind my ear. My expression grew worried as I was anticipating some disapproval and it was then, he finally spoke.
“It’s alright.” I could recognize his voice yet still quivered at the strangeness of it. He continued,
“I understand you might be feeling overwhelmed. The world must be new to you but I assure you that you are safe here. There’s no need to be frightened. Those things you’ve been feeling, those disturbances… They are long gone now.” His hand lingered against my cheek.
“Won't you look at me?”
I realized just how far my eyes had been averted. I looked at him with my gaze shaking into focus.

“Can you speak?” I nodded and let out a meek ‘yes’
“Excellent. How are you feeling, Lumina?” A spark lit up in my mind and awakened a mental image of myself. The man’s red eyes became familiar to me as I recognized the color as my own. Strands of hair loomed above me that were as white as my surroundings.
“I feel normal, I think…” I muttered looking down. The man simpered:
“So you do remember. Do you remember my name?” I thought about it and in an instance, the name flashed into the forefront of my memory.
“Your name is Solaris right?”
“That is correct. The operation was a success then. Excellent.” He had a grin on his face that began to soften as he grabbed my hand and kissed it. I felt a tingle down my spine as I remembered him doing the same in my dream.
“Your skin is so delicate. It’s truly a miracle.” His eyes grew solemn as if my voice reawakened a feeling that had laid dormant inside of him for a long time. If I were that special to him, then it was a real tragedy that I couldn’t return those feelings.
"I’m really sorry but… I’m afraid I don’t remember much about you or what happened to me… I barely even understand where I am right now."
He suddenly pulled away and I was finally able to see the person behind him and my heart suddenly leapt.
"That's alright. I wouldn't expect you to remember everything right away." He then stepped aside to introduce the other person.
"This is Hail. He will be your caretaker for the forseeable future since I unfortunately have many responsibilities to tend to. He should have you well adjusted in no time."

"It's an honor to be serving you." Hail offered his hand. I felt my body tremble as I shook it. His hands were also trembling as he seemed nervous. I then notice Solaris heading for the door.
"I’ll be off then. Hail, will you bring Lumina to his room?"
"Yes master."
After Solaris stepped out, the two of us were left to stare at eachother in complete silence.

"Ahh..." Hail's voice trailed. “…It’s bright in here, isn’t it?”
“It’s brighter than I’m used to.”
“Does it frighten you?”
“Not really.”
“Oh… Are you still sore anywhere?”
“Nope.”
“Oh… That’s good.” His smile was bright for a second but it quickly sank back into a saddened look.
It remained silent for a good while as Hail constantly shifted his eyes towards me and back to the floor, scrunching his fingers tightly and tugging at his sleeve.
“Well, shall we go then?” He calmly blurted.
“U-Um… “ I couldn’t help but look down at my predicament…
“Oh. You can take the blanket with you if you’d like.”
I held the blanket around me like a cloak and took Hail’s hand to let him guide me out the door.

--Aisles of darkness and rearing dread greeted us upon exit for the room outside was dim and I could barely see anything but as we kept walking, there came a light at the end of the tunnel.
“I’m sorry for the inconvenience. No one expected you’d wake up so suddenly. I’m afraid we still haven’t prepared everything just yet. Master will be taking care of most of it. For now, I will take you to your room and then I will get some clothes for you”
“Alright.” I replied.

From the blinding white threshold, a lavish hall had emerged. Ivory walls were embedded with intricate patterns. They shone in color spectrums that pointed towards the skylight where I could see a vast cityscape through the large open windows.
“What is this place?” I asked.
“Why, these are halls of North church. One of the four beacons of the holy land of Synther. Isn’t it grand?" Hail smiled with a glimmer his eyes.
My eyes were busy howerver; drawn to the sky and distant structures as I was taken aback in the scope of it all and forced to take a deep breath. As I exhaled, that grandiosity gradually grew into the calm, spacious sounds of the natural blips, rings and warbles of the hollow air. I looked above to watch the ribbons of cryptic symbols weave through the space just below the ceiling. There were tiny robots floating around beaming holographic light from their little dongles.
Suddenly, something peered in from the window and flew towards me. I held out my finger to let it land.

“Oh. A butterfly.” Hail delighted.
“Butterfly?”
“It likes you. It’s not often that butterflies are willing to fly close to people. They say it’s a sign of a thoughtful nature.”
“It’s sparkly…”
“Is it? I don’t see it.”
“You don’t?”
“I never knew butterflies sparkled. My eyes aren’t as clear as yours, I suppose.”
An eerie breeze blew through the halls from the open windows and with it, the steady buzzing of static rang past my ears and into the distance where a group of men in white robes walked at a brisk pace right before slowing down to take a good look at me.
Just like Solaris, they were gigantic up close. Eight feet tall with broad shoulders leering over us all with that same sort of pity in their eyes. The butterfly was scared away. As we passed the robed men, I could hear whispers from all over the hall and could see people peeking from behind the pillars. All of them were whispering about me. About how white my hair was, how soft my face looked, how red my eyes were, how I smelled… I shuddered and leaned closer to Hail. He seemed like the only thing I could sense comfort in. He looked back at me somewhat startled by my clinging to the back of his shoulders.
“Are you nervous?”
“Maybe a little…”
“They’re just excited. It’s not everyday they get to see a new angel arrive.”
“Why do they have to talk about me like that? Are they laughing at me?”
“No. They think you’re pretty is all.”
“Oh.”
“I’m sure they won’t seem as strange once you get to know all of them. You could greet them from time to time. Everyone always appreciate an angel’s attention.”
Hail led me to a dark section where stood a spiral staircase.
“Your room is at the top of these steps.”
I followed behind him as we ascended the staircase.
It grew darker the higher we travelled but above us were strange, spinning holographic flowers drifting across the ceiling. They shed particles that disappeared as soon as they’d reached the steps
“What’s with those?”
“Those? Why, those are flowers.”
“I can see that… But why are they here of all places?”
“When the walls begin to shed, the stairways are where many of the dead cells build up so they get dusty easily. The particles help keep them clean.”
"I see…" I said as I held my handout to catch them but the went right through.
“Aren’t they beautiful? I for one always feel calmer when I look up at them. This staircase is so dark and transient and it gets scary sometimes… but when I look up at all of these flowers above, I’m reminded that the light of eternity is always here with me and it makes me warm and fuzzy inside. Do you feel it too?”
“I think so.”
“You should hold on to it then.”
I continued to watch them turn, their petals intersecting with one another, their forms circling into each other and back out in a constant cycle. “Eternity…" The muttered word escaped from my lips.
Before I knew it, we’d reached the top floor.

---The hallway felt quaint and roomy compared to the hallways below. The floor was carpeted and it was shorter and more narrow. There weren’t too many rooms up here either. Hail led me four doors down from the stairway to a room with its door left open. “This will be your room.” Hail opened the door for me and I stepped inside.
“Your clothes are still being prepared for you. For now, you can make yourself at home.”
“Okay."
As soon as he shut the door, I looked around at all the empty space surrounding me. There were only three things to look at. A small table with two pillows placed across to be sat on, a plain wooden drawer, and my bed which was nicely placed in a little nook and sat beneath the large stained glass window which was the nicest thing in the entire room. The room was empty otherwise. The space surrounding the drawer was noticeably barren and there was dust along the edges. I walked up to the drawer to check it out. I opened the top drawer to see if there was anything inside and lo and behold…A small book, some tissue rolls and a box of… cigarettes? Some kind of candy, I suppose. I’d decided to pop one in my mouth to see if it was any good…
“Blegh!” I spat it straight to the floor. I put the box back in the drawer never wanting to see those again. To clean up the mess, I ripped off a piece of tissue and scraped it all up. I then put the tissue… back in the drawer… and closed it. I went to sit on the bed and look out the window. The room was so high up that I couldn't see anything below or even in the distance. There was only the pale skies.
I heard footsteps coming from out in the hall and with the sudden creek of the door, I turned around.
"Hello?" The angel peeked through the door. His greenish moppy hair stood out to me. "I'm not disturbing you, am I?" he asked. I shook my head. He opened the door and hesitantly stepped closer as his eyes widened reflecting the glimmer of the skylight.
"Wow. I didn't expect you to be so dreamy." He seemed to quiver as he spoke. I tilted my head curiously in response. "Ah! excuse me! I'm Astra. And you?"
The abruptness caught me off guard but nonetheless, I offered my hand and introduced myself: "Lumina."
Astra froze suddenly. I noticed him mouthing my name in silence. "Is something wrong?" I asked.
"No no…it's nothing." He chuckled through the awkwardness, then finally shook my hand.
"Anyways, do you--uh… wanna take a walk in the garden with me?" I was delighted by the offer but I couldn't help but look down. Astra recognized a disappointed look on my face thinking he was wrong for asking. "If you don't want to, it's fine!"
"I would but… I don't have any clothes at the moment…" I dejected.
"Oh! Sorry, I guess I didn't notice…" His face turned red.
"My caretaker is is getting them for me."
"Huh? You have a caretaker?"
"Hail. Do you know him?"
"Oh, yeah, him. He serves the headmaster, doesn't he. I guess that's a perk of having the headmaster as your master."
"My… Master?"
"Wait. You don't know about your master? I thought we were all born with that knowledge."
"Well, I must have forgotten." I shrunk back into contemplation. I must've looked sad as I had noticed Astra's hand reaching out to me but before it could touch me, Hail came back with my clothes.
"Oh. Good afternoon, Astra."
"Ah! Heyyy…" Astra turned with his sympathetic hand now scratching the back of his head.
Just as Hail walked to the bed with my clothes, there was another figure at the door. One much taller and had the same regal robes that my master wore.
"Astra? It's almost time for your lesson."
"Right! I'll be there in a minute but look Master, the new angel is here!"
"Ah yes. Lumina, was it? The head minister mentioned you were waking up today." He stepped up to the bed to see me up close.
"I heard you were asleep in the infirmary for a while. I hope everything is alright." There was a look in his eyes which seemed almost disturbed like something was wrong with my face but then his smile became gentle which kept me at ease.
"Whatever happened, It's no big deal now." I muttered as my eyes averted to the window.
"That's a relief to hear. The head minister was worried that you would never wake up."
"Master, Why was he in the infirmary?" Astra interjected.
"Well, apparently, he was attacked just after his birth but you'll have to ask the headmaster about it."

"Well, Astra, I feel that it'd be best if we leave him be for now. Let's go back."
"Okay." Astra responded. He then turned towards me. "My room is right beside yours by the way. You can visit if you ever wanna hang out."
I smiled and waved as they left the room.
Hail then laid out the clothes on my bed. A white button shirt, black trousers, black shoes and a collar. The shirt was made of a soft yet silky material. I could imagine myself sleeping in this. The shirt was made out of a soft silky material that I could easily imagine myself sleeping in. The pants were a similar feeling material though slightly more firm. The shoes were a black loafers were easy to slip in and out of.
“Is the collar really necessary?”
“It’s rude to have your neck be bare. Especially for angels.”
“I see…”
I adjusted the collar around my neck.
“Hey. How come I’m the only one that gets a caretaker?”
“Come again?”
“Astra told me that I’m the only one who has a caretaker in this place. Something about Solaris being the headmaster?”
“Oh. Yes, well, Master Solaris has many responsibilities to attend to and felt like you needed extra help getting the hang of things around here. He also wants me to keep being close to you for some reason. Your situation is unique in a certain way. I’m sure he can tell you the details.”
“No offense, but it sounds like you’re a bit out of the loop.”
“It’s true." He wimpered. "I don’t understand much of master’s intentions and he doesn’t like me questioning them so I just follow orders. I promise I’ll do my best though.”
With just a couple more buttons done up, I was finished putting on my clothes.
“Now that you’re changed, why don’t we go on a walk? It’d help you get used to this place.”
"Can we go to the garden?"
"Of course." Hail smiled and I soon followed him back downstairs.

---The halls were long and intertwining. Many have organically grown out of one another and others have intercepted.
“How do you find your way around this place?”
“As an angel, I find that it’s best to listen to the drones or follow the patterns. Sometimes the halls move based on the collective whims of the masters so it gets confusing at times but when you’ve been here long enough the you can recognize each place by the feeling it gives.”
“How do you do that?”
“You feel it don’t you?”
“I think so…”
“How does this hall feel?”
“It feels vast and empty but… there’s also a complexity to the sounds. It makes the intensity feel much more dense while in the other one it feels calmer and more distant.”
“Now you’re getting the hang of it.” Hail’s had a soft voice with a calming demeanor that melded with the atmosphere. It seemed that he had been here long enough to become one with the place.
We reached the foyer. The roof was dome like and angels moved through the different corridors so routinely that I could feel the ghosts of bygone days trailing behind them. They all dressed similar to how Hail dressed but Hail's attire was more elaborate and his ribbon was a pale green instead of a dull blue. It was then some have stopped and spotted me and soon the whole room began to slow down as many came up to greet me. They all had blushing faces as they bowed one by one. I bowed back to them. None of them spoke a word but I could hear some of them giggling as they went back to their duties.
"The balcony garden is up ahead."
Hail led me up a small staircase which led outside.

---Things were much quieter in the garden. There were statues carved out of bone, a tree which sat upon a small hilltop and a large fountain at the far end---all of which were covered in flowers. The garden was on a balcony which made apparent the vast distance between the church and the rest of the city. Upon closer viewing, I could see beams of light scattered across different sections of the city.
"What are those lights?" I asked turning to Hail.
"Those are the beacons. It's where the church's energy travels." Hail then turned toward some of the flowers buds which were ready to blossom. They had lights stored inside of them and they looked like they were about to burst. Hail grabbed one of the urns that was next to the fountain and filled it with some of the fountain water.
"Watch what happens to the beacons" Hail poured the water onto the flowers and the flowers released their light which travelled upward. I heard a gentle hymn ring towards the end of the balcony. I turned towards it and saw the beacons one by one emit an aroura connecting all of them together and to the church. It was only for a moment before it dissipated.
"What was that?"
"A small blessing. Spread among the many local churches in the sector."
A small bell rang from the top of the church and soon the service angels came out and began polishing the bone statues.
"Why don't we go back inside. I can show you the training room next."
We went to the training room next. An angel was there practicing with his master. I watched as the angel flew around the room breaking the different targets. A man that looked like his master was managing a panel in the upper corner which seemed to control the movement of the targets. Just after finishing a sequence of acrobatics, the angel spotted me and stopped what he was doing.
"Master look! A new angel is here!" The master turned to me while his angel scampered up the stairs. Before I could so much as wave to him, I was immediately tackled to the floor.
"Like what?" his master responded.
"He looks weird!"
"I suppose his face is a bit peculiar but you shouldn't be so blunt in front of a new angels."
I was starting to get insecure.
"I apologize for my angel's behaviour."
He continued: "I am Master Frey and this is Max. Have you come to see the training room for the first time? After all, you'll likely be training with your master as well."
"Master! Can we show him how it works?"
"You just want to show off, don't you."
"Can we?"
"Well alright. Lumina, would you like to see?" make this dialogue more interesting later
This is probably a good place to talk about specters and missions.
"What is it that you're training for anyways?"
" Sometimes, specters crop up around the sector. Normally threats can be resolved by the infantry but sometimes the threat is too heavy that we require special operatives to handle which would be you."
Frey's eyes barely ever met with mine and when they did, they only struck me with indifference.
I watched as Master Frey handled the holograms. His fingers moved in a speed that was incomprehensible to me.

The bridge marks the transition between the house of the angels and the house of the masters for which the passage of time and the pressures of the void. Master's represent a linear worldview where things begin and end.
The bridge to the minister's quarters was straight and narrow so much that it gave way to bleak sky was and I could here the whistles of the breeze. There was something off. Could it be a presence or lack there of? Whatever it was, the feeling grew as we drew closer to the other side as though the weight of the passing time became heavier. All of the holo decorum that was once elaborate had been degraded into a dense and abstract fog. The railings seemed as though they were stuck inbetween shifting patterns creating something uncanny. It made me nauseous and so I stared off toward the small building on the other side of the fog which was isolated from the rest of the church. I could barely make out the details. Hail looked on right beside me.
"That's the purgatorium."
"What is it? Can we go there next?" I asked but Hail shook his head.
"The infantry angels live there. We would only be a disturbance."
I soon felt the smoke of dread emerge from beside me. I looked to the side and saw a minister standing also looking out at the purgatorium. He had red locks and held onto a walking stick. His yellow eyes peered directly at us and then he began to approach. His steps were drawn out and I could hear the cringe of the surface tissue as he continually jabbed his walking stick into the floor of the bridge. Hail suddenly stepped in front of me just as he came close.
"Good afternoon, Master Dominik." Hail said in a graceful bow.
"Always so formal." Dominik scoffed. "And you must be the headmaster's new angel. Lumina, I presume?" This master had no pity in his eyes.
"Y-yes." I muttered.
He studied my face and soon his expression grew to be amused.
Why is he amused? because Lumina looks like Solaris or at least has the same eyecolor. He suspects that Solaris had created him out of the lab. Perhaps he recognizes him as Umber…
"You'll be very valuable to your master, I can tell."Change this dialogue later
He stared at me for a long while when suddenly a large bell rang in the distance.
"That's the evening bell. It's about time we head back. Come Lumina" Hail dragged me away. Dominik grinned even as he dissappeared in the fog.

As soon as we made it back, my stomach began to growl and so Hail went to prepare food for me in a small kitchen in the far end of the dormatory hall.
Solaris came in as soon as Hail left the room. There was a sudden awkwardness. Not only was he a physically large presence but there was an air of intimidation that I still couldn’t shake off.
“I was wondering if I should call you master. That’s what everyone else told me that you were” “Oh that. Well it’s true, though I’m not here to pressure you about formalities it’s good you know that so you can take the time to get used to our relationship. I would rather you get to know this church first.”

"It smells really good!"
"I hope it tastes good too. Oh! But before you eat, it’s important to give thanks before every meal."
"Thanks for the meal, Hail!"
"No no! I meant we should thank Sienna."
"Sienna?"
Hail kneeled down on the pillow across from me and put his hands together. I put my hands together as well.
"Oh glorious Sienna, thank you for the food you have provided us and for the gift of healing that has brought Lumina back to life. We give our lives to the flesh that fertilized you just as you have graced all angels with life so that we may live and serve for the preservation of this prosperous eternity."
I opened one eye to peek as Hail continued to hang his head in silence. After a few more seconds, he raised his head back up and opened his eyes.
“Master was here wasn’t he? What did he say to you?”
“He said I should sleep early since I have some tests tomorrow. Something about combat? Do you know what that would entail?”
“Not really. I’m nowhere near the other angels as far as my abilities go… I barely understand the basics of what they’re able to do. Are you nervous?”
“A little. I don’t know a thing about my ability. I hope I can at least be good enough to impress master.”
“In that case you’ll surely succeed! You’ll do better than me anyways.”
I took my first bite. My mind began spinning. As I continued eating, I felt a weight growing over me. Perhaps from the discomfort that had been hanging over us since the moment we laid eyes on each other. The pressure that kept us locked in each other’s gaze. Too heavy to ignore but too obscure to acknowledge. I felt it in my stomach and it made me realize that as delicious as the stew was, it was missing something. Although I didn’t have the heart to say it.
"Are you crying? Do you like what I have cooked for you."
"I do. It tastes good but...
"I realize now that you've never had proper food before. It must be strange for you."
I finished eating my meal and Hail picked up the tray to take it back. The feeling still had yet to subside.
Hail: Would there be anything else you’d like?
Lumina: I think I’ll just spend the rest of the evening by myself.
Hail: Oh. {Well would you like me to tuck you in or-
Lumina: That’s alright. Thank you, Hail
Hail: Are you sure?
Lumina: I’m sure. I sort of just want to be alone right now.
Hail: Huh? Oh. Okay. {I’ll be downstairs if you ever need me.

He bowed hastily and carried the tray out of the room.
“Oh glory to Sienna,
To thee who’s light blesses us with every petal shed from your eternal flower
To thee who’s love cannot be imitated by those created in your semblance
To thee who laces the sky with that love which never fades.
May we as angels be forever in your graces.
Let our sorrows be forgotten and let the truth be laced within our flesh and bone
for it is the truth that will guide us back to the light.”
I put the book back and began fidgetting around the room.

I came to the foyer. It was empty but the presence of the service angels still lingered. There were many corridors and many doors within them. There was one howerver which caught my attention. I stepped toward it. It was not a very deep hallway--it was rather wide and had corner tables with pots of flowers and other pleasant decorum placed on each side of the door. The door itself was just large enough for masters to enter and fairly quaint. Upon further examination, I noticed the door was slightly open and so I decided to peek inside. Master Solaris was in there. He was surrounded by panels which displayed diagrams of some kind of structure. He sifted them around rapidly, rearranging and editing details.
He was there working on something but a little while after, he sat motionless. It was then that his tired eyes became more apparent. Just then, a butterfly came. It seemed like the same butterfly from before but it was hard to know for sure. It was practically calling out to me and so I followed it.
It led me to a large door. One with colored windows similar to the one in my room. It was bright inside but when I peeked through, there was no one there.
I opened it. It made a large creeking noise
Looking up at the colored crystal, I had the sudden discomfort. It ureged me to think different about myself. The way the eyes looked down in such solemn grace.
I closed my eyes to listen to the atmosphere of the room. The peace I felt soon became hollow and turned to a sense of longing. I looked back up and saw how incomplete this picture was.
The bitter taste of the water was the only thing that lingered as particles fell from the spinning flowers beneath the ceiling. Everything little aching in my bones had slowly vanished. And all that was left was the cold.
I went back into the hall and closed the door behind me. Suddenly, I was spotted by another angel. He had scary looking eyes and looked at me suspiciously and came to confront me.
“You’re not a service angel. Who… are you?”
“My name is Lumina.” His eyebrows furrowed but quickly calmed down.
“Oh. You must be the headmaster’s new angel.”
“Yeah! That’s right.”
“In that case, my name is Vector.”
“It’s nice to meet you!”
“Uh… yeah. Anyways, you know you’re not allowed in there during the night time right?”
“Ah! I didn’t know that at all actually.”
“Night time is when they keep it clean for the guests.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine. I’m not an authority around here or anything. So what are you doing up?”
“I just wanted to take a walk and… I guess I got lost. What are you doing up?”
“I’unno…”
“Can I follow you for a bit?”
“I guess so.”
He walked ahead of me so I followed him.
“So… how long have you been here?” He asked.
“I just woke up today.”
“Strange. You don’t seem that new.”
“I don’t? How can you tell?”
“I dunno. It just feels like I’ve seen you around here before. Do you remember being born?”
“Yeah. It’s the only thing I can remember.”
“Huh. I must be losing it then…”
We were at the open windows. Vector sat on the ridge. Meanwhile, I watched as the butterfly flew away from him but he didn’t seem to notice. I leaned back against the wall but then felt a sudden discomfort.
“Hey, can I ask you something?”
“What?”
“Is it ever strange walking around here? Sometimes I hear humming in the walls and it feels like we’re being watched.”
“We are being watched. That’s what the drones are for after all.”
“Ah… That’s not what I meant…”
“…The walls just do that sometimes but nothing ever comes of it and no one understands it so why bother?"
""
"It’s best not to think about it. You’ll only burden yourself.”
"Maybe you're right."
"I think I'll go to sleep now. You're not gonna follow me my bedroom, are you?"
"Ah. I won't. Thankyou for talking to me."
He then left with not even a wave. I decided to head back.

There was a humming as I drew closer to the stairs. I started to look for where it was coming from. I then noticed the small door behind the stairway. I could tell the humming was definitely coming from the other side of it and so I opened it.
It led to another garden. this one was much smaller and more closed in by the wall of bushes and fences put up. The carved bones were much smaller and the fountain was only the size of a dinner bowl which sat atop a small pillar. In a way, the garden felt cozier. The humming came from the light particles emitted by the flowers. They floated up from the ground. I ran towards them. I tried to pick up the light particles in my hands and letting them fly into the ether. It was then, I spotted Hail sitting on the bench in the distance. “Lumina?” He pulled the piece of candy out of his mouth and crushed it onto the floor.
“Hail!” I called out as I ran toward him. “I didn’t expect to see you out here!”
“I could say the same to you.”
“Sorry for kicking you out so suddenly. “
"It's alright. I was just a little surprised is all."
"Can I sit with you?"
"Of course."
I sat on the bench and looked off at the fence where what looked to be the front gate of the church peeking out from behind.
“How long have you been here? At this Church I mean…”
“Centuries now. It’s hard to tell sometimes.”
“Mm. I could tell you’ve lived here long. You seem wiser than the others”
“I suppose you could say that.”
“It’s strange. I don’t recognize you at all but it feels like I’ve known you somehow.”
“It maybe because I tended to you while you were unconscious.”
“Did you really?”
“Mhm. You could say that I put my blood sweat and tears into taking care of you.”
I leaned my head onto Hail's shoulder as my thoughts began to loom over an abyss.
“Centuries… That’s a long time.”
"It is, isn't it… I may not have much time left. One day, I'll be gone. Then it will just be you and master." Though he said it so calmly I couldn't help but shudder.
"I don't want you to go."
"It's okay. It won't be for a while. There will come a time when you don't need me anymore and only then, I will go. For now though, there's still so much ahead of us. You should get some sleep now."
"Right."
I went back to my room with a deep anticipation for the next day. If today taught me anything, it was to keep looking forward. I could see the warped sillhouette of the butterfly on the other side of my window---its light getting smaller as it disappeared into the blue of the night.