Selenia felt like she could sleep forever.

  It felt like her mother was embracing her as if her arms were wrapped around her in a warm and tight hug. It reminded her of herself when she was a child. When her mother had always hummed a sweet little tune.

  La la la… La la la… la la la…

  Her mother had always been like that. So kind and gentle. Yet so regal and strong. She was an inspiration and example to all. Every time Selenia met her, she always had this strange sensation that her mother was someone special. It was as if her soul was not weighed down by gravity, that she was someone who could sail the endless sea of stars that made up their universe.

  In this moment, she felt herself float weightlessly, unbound by gravity. She felt so light and comfortable, as if feelings of joy and happiness were lifting her out of the heaviness of her body.

  And then she was in a garden.

  A beautiful garden during the night in a massive cylinder that rotated ever so gently. She could see the countless warm glowing lights of the inhabited sections and the parts of it where it was instead like glass, where the stars shone in all their brilliant radiance.

  Selenia looked up and saw a faint image of her mother, so similar in appearance to her, glowing with a soft silver radiance of their lineage. She saw her faint smile as they both walked through the garden, hand in hand.

  She smiled back happily as she looked into that kind and gentle face.

  Then, a bright fire washed over everything. The face of her mother melted right before her eyes. Her mother was screaming—

  Selenia opened her eyes. She realized she was being poked and prodded while a light shone in her eyes.

  “AHHHH!” Selenia gasped.

  Selenia rose where she lay, swinging her arms around. Pain shot through her as her body seized up at the sudden motion.

  She gritted her teeth in pain as a chorus of giggles surrounded her. Even as the pain from her broken leg hit her like a flash of lightning, she realized she was lying in a bed.

  “Look, she's awake.” “Is she?” “She looks stupid.” “Stupid imitation fairy.” “Why is she not glowing?” the voices said around her.

  “I only glow during the night,” Selenia responded absently as she gripped her head in her hand. “And did one of you call me stupid? Or did two of you? Actually, how many of you are there?”

  Selenia looked around as her vision cleared up from her sudden wake and disorientation.

  She saw quintuplets. Their child-like androgynous faces stared back at her with curiosity. And from what she could see, they were children, normal children, except for the fact that some of them floated gently over the ground, looming around her. Each of them had butterfly-like glossamer wings that sprouted from their backs. They had a colorful assortment of different shades of hair and eyes, which matched the simple but elegant clothing they wore.

  “They said some moon fairy came down from the night sky, but she doesn’t look like one of us,” one of them said.

  The gaggle of fairies giggled around her.

  “And she called herself a princess?” “Is she really a princess? Loser princess.” “Moon butt.” “Melon butt.” The group said.

  “HEY!” Selenia interjected. “Who are you calling a melon butt!?”

  “Alright, scram you little brats,” a figure said as they entered the room. The fairies sighed, bemoaning the end of their playtime.

  “Big sis Titanetta is lame.” “Really lame.” “Very lame.” “Extremely lame.” “Titanically lame,” the group said as they departed.

  Titanetta rolled her eyes. She wore a white coat over a black and dark red uniform. She had the same butterfly-like glossamer wings as those of the children who had left. She carried a small case in one hand. Selenia recognized the stethoscope she wore.

  Aster entered a moment later carrying a tray of food and water, closing the door behind him as more giggles flowed in from behind him in the hallway outside.

  “They're a bit mischievous, but they mean well,” Aster smiled as he set down the tray of food and water by the table near the bed.

  Titanetta pulled a nearby chair by her bed.

  “Alright Melon princess. How are you feeling?” Titanetta said.

  Selenia turned slightly red. The memories of the night before flashed to her mind.

  “Uh… I’m feeling alright,” Selenia said.

  “Headaches? Dizziness? Shortness of breath? Anything?”

  Selenia shook her head. A light was shown in her eyes and a stethoscope was put to her chest. After several moments, it was withdrawn.

  “Well, you seem well enough. So you’ll probably be okay.” Titanetta reached into her case and withdrew a small vial. A dark blue fluid rolled around within it. She handed it to Selenia, who took it from her hand. She looked at the vial, then at Aster, who nodded with a smile back at her skeptical look.

  “What is this?” Selenia said.

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  “Healing tonic,” said Titanetta.

  “Oh…” Selenia replied blankly. “Is this safe?”

  “It is. We already know it will work,” said Titanetta tiredly as she ruffled her green hair and rolled her emerald eyes at her.

  Selenia looked at Aster for a moment, then gulped it down in one swift motion.

  Selenia felt like energy washed over her all at once. She could already feel her leg mending even as she yelped in pain as the tonic went to work. It was just like the medical analeptic drinks they had back home.

  “See. It works,” Titanetta said as she rose. “I’m done here.”

  “Is that really all big sis?” Aster asked.

  “Yes,” Titanetta said as she glanced back at Selenia.

  Selenia felt the urge to tug the blanket over herself as she felt a bit of hostility behind those eyes.

  “Now, I have plenty of other things to do, so just wait until your big brother gets here,” Titanetta said as she picked up her medical case and walked past them to the door. “If anyone asks, just say I gave her a clean bill of health,” she said as she left and shut the door behind her.

  “Uh, sorry about that. I thought my big sis was going to do a lot more than that,” Aster said.

  Selenia looked around. She was in a bed in some kind of stone-lined room. Yet, it was rather cozy and warm. A soft light radiated from the walls in addition to a small lamp on a table by her. There was a mess of books scattered around, writing instruments, and a variety of mechanical parts, especially on the several tables across the room from her.

  She blinked her eyes as she wondered where she was.

  The last thing she remembered was a monster that had exited the cave entrance. She shuddered.

  “Aster…” Selenia said as she looked at him. “Where am I?”

  “This is my room,” Aster said.

  “I can see that. But why am I in your room? And where is your room exactly?”

  “Well, this is my home. The Labyrinth of Saint’s End is what people call it. At least, that’s how the world calls it. Everyone here just calls it Lethea Labyrinth.”

  “Ah,” Selenia muttered, unsure exactly what to think of that. She wasn’t entirely sure what a labyrinth was. “...and what happened after I fainted?”

  Aster tilted his head. “I brought you into the labyrinth of course,” he said.

  “I mean, what about that huge monster I saw?” Selenia said.

  “Oh, you mean my eldest sister Serenadelys,” Aster said, smiling.

  “T-that m-monster has a name!?” Selenia said as her eyes widened.

  “Why wouldn’t she?”

  “T-that monster’s a she!?”

  “I don’t know why you’re so scared,” Aster replied.

  “I’m not scared. I’m terrified,” Selenia said as she glanced around the room and especially towards the door. Selenia thought back to the humanoid monster that she had seen. She wondered if that mixture of human and avian, with so many pairs of wings, would enter at any moment.

  Aster stopped himself for a moment. “Ah, well, I forget sometimes most people get that way when they see big sis Sera for the first time. I sometimes forget how she, uh, makes other people feel in her presence. I’ve become pretty used to it by now,” he said.

  “Are all your brothers and sisters like that?” Selenia asked.

  “No. Just some of them.”

  Selenia raised a brow. “And how many brothers and sisters do you have?”

  “Oh, a lot of them. I dunno. Dozens? Hundreds? Like those little fairies you saw. They’re my younger brothers and sisters,” Aster said.

  “I’m guessing you're adopted then,” Selenia said.

  “Mhm,” Aster replied as he handed her a sandwich and a glass of water.

  “Thanks,” Selenia said as she took both from him. Her eyes lit up as she bit into the sandwich. It was good. Really good in fact. She didn’t know a sandwich could taste so good.

  “Is everyone here your brother and sister?” Selenia joked.

  “Nah. That’d be way too many people. There are millions of people here,” Aster said.

  “Millions!?”

  “More than you can count,” Aster said as he laughed.

  “What is this place!?”

  “It’s a labyrinth.”

  “I don't know what a labyrinth is.”

  “Oh,” Aster realized. “Well, a labyrinth on Gaia is generally understood to be a place where monsters come from for one reason or another, like the one you saw in that forest. But Lethea Labyrinth is a bit different from the other ones around the world. From the dungeons too. Well, pretty much all the places on Gaia where monsters and other things come from.”

  “I see…” Selenia said as she digested the information. “So monsters like your sister Serenadelys come from here?”

  “Now you're getting it,” Aster chuckled. “But just make sure you don’t call her a monster to her face. Or she’ll show you why you shouldn’t call her a monster. She can be pretty mean sometimes.”

  “I’ll make sure I won’t,” Selenia said as she shivered. Selenia took another bite of her sandwich and set it down after drinking her glass of water. “Well, what happens now?”

  “We see if my family is okay with you staying with us,” Aster clarified.

  “I’ll be the judge of that,” a voice to her side said.

  Selenia froze.

  She hadn’t heard anyone else enter the room. Nor had she seen anyone enter.

  Yet, someone else was there. Just like before, with Aster’s sister Serenadelys, she could sense something dark and dangerous to her side. Her senses screamed at her.

  It was like she could imagine eyes. Countless pairs of eyes.

  If Aster’s sister Serenadelys had been wings, then this one to her side was eyes.

  So many pairs of eyes.

  Selenia slowly turned her head to her side, and her eyes met the one who gazed back at her with a scowl. Once again, sunken pits of darkness with burning crimson eyes stared back at her. An immense and intimidating pressure bore down on her like gravity as if it were trying to crush her.

  She felt her heart beat furiously. She felt as if at any moment, the veneer of pale skin of the one who sat there scowling at her would rip apart and a creature of countless eyes would burst forth and melt her with their collective gaze.

  Selenia saw Aster look at her worriedly in the corner of her eye as she began to hyperventilate.

  “Are you alright? You’re looking like you’re going to faint again,” Aster said.

  Selenia thought that fainting again was a good idea.