Once in a blue moon

prologue

“Seize her!” the soldier bellowed, his voice slicing through the air like a blade.

Dressed in all black attire, he almost camouflaged against the dark sky above. He was a menacing figure. His eyes, cold and unfeeling, bore into her with a ruthless intensity. The burning flambeaux threw minimal light on his face, accentuating his harsh features. A jagged scar ran down his cheek, a testament to the battle fought with the Shirouma clan nine years ago.

The night air was thick with tension, the flickering flames casting eerie shadows that danced menacingly around her.

Panic surged through Azami as she turned to flee, but soldiers were upon her in a heartbeat. Strong hands gripped her arms, dragging her to the ground. She struggled, but their hold was unyielding. Her desperate cries for mercy fell on deaf ears as they hauled her to her feet and marched her out of the hall.

The journey to the execution ground was a blur. The streets were lined with villagers, their faces a mix of pity and scorn. Her legs threatened to give way beneath her, but the soldiers' iron grip kept her upright.

The execution ground loomed ahead, a bleak expanse where justice was served without mercy.

They threw her to the ground in the centre of the square. The crowd pressed closer, eager to witness the spectacle. A soldier stepped forward, his hand raised high. The slap landed with a resounding crack, sending her sprawling. Pain exploded in her cheek, but she forced herself to stand, her vision swimming.

The soldier sneered, drawing his sword. “For your crimes against the master,” he declared, “you will pay with your life.”

Azami's eyes widened in horror as the soldier raised his sword, the cold steel glinting ominously in the moonlight. She tried to move, to fight back, but her body, weakened from exhaustion and fear, refused to obey. Her limbs felt like lead, every muscle screaming in protest. The soldier's eyes, devoid of any mercy, were the last thing she saw before the blade came down.

The sword pierced her back with a sickening crunch. The initial shock of the cold metal slicing through her flesh gave way to a searing, all-consuming pain. Agony shot through her body like wildfire, igniting every nerve. She gasped, the breath forced from her lungs in a choked cry, as she crumpled to the ground.

The once beautiful blue robe she wore was now dark, tainted with blood. The fabric, which had once flowed gracefully around her, clung to her in a gruesome embrace, soaking up the crimson that poured from her wound. Each heartbeat sent fresh waves of pain through her, and with every exhale, she could feel her strength ebbing away.

The world around her began to fade. The jeers of the crowd became a distant echo, replaced by a profound silence. She struggled to open her eyes, her vision blurring with each passing moment.

In the sea of faces, she searched for one person— the one who had promised to be there, to save her.

"I will find you, no matter where you are, no matter how far or unreachable the place may be. I'll gladly walk through burning flames or throw myself into a freezing river. I will turn heaven and hell upside down for you. For my unwavering love, I wouldn't think twice. Even if the stars fall from the sky and the world crumbles around us, I will stand by your side, defying fate itself to be with you. In the face of every obstacle, my resolve will never waver, for my heart belongs to you, now and forever."

She recalled his words, the promises he made, which now felt hollow—mere whispers in the wind, dissipating into nothingness. The stars might as well have fallen, the world might as well have crumbled, for he was nowhere to be found. As her last breath escaped her lips, she realized that the love she had believed in was just an illusion, a fleeting dream that had slipped through her fingers.

The pain was unbearable but it was the betrayal that hurt the most. For her promises meant nothing but mere words thrown, laced with emotions that only ever lasted for a moment. But this time she had hoped differently. She had believed that, perhaps, promises weren’t always broken, but he had proved her wrong.

Her strength ebbed away, her life slipping through her fingers like sand. As her eyes closed for the final time, a single tear traced a path down her cheek. She had failed, and he had abandoned her. Darkness claimed her once again. It was a familiar darkness, one she had known at her birth— a darkness that signified the end of one journey and beginning of an eternal silence.

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Author's note

what a beautiful day it is today! i hope you cried i mean enjoyed reading this sweet prologue i personally prepared for this special day.

★ happy two year anniversary my dear stars, i love you to the moon and back !

your drunk poet,
sia.