Before The Cataclysm

"Stellar! Stellar! Where are you?," a voice called, full of irritation and concern. "When I find this little girl—"

"I'm here, Mommy!," came a cheerful response. An eight-year-old darted out of her room, her laughter bubbling as she flew into the arms of her mother. "Did you miss me?"

The woman giggles, brushing the stray strands of her daughter's hair behind her ear. "I missed you so much, my little star. But not more than your daddy—he couldn't stop talking about you." 

The two giggled as they made fun of the father. 

"Luna, come on. Give me a break," the father grumbled as he walked in with a bag that jingled with the promise of surprises. "I brought presents, Princess~"

"Yay!," she squealed as she wriggled free from her mother's arms and ran to her father. 

"There you go again, Lortfors," Luna said, straightening herself and crossing her arms. "Always bribing little Stellar with your gift".

The family erupted in laughter as he handed the presents to Stellar. Together, they spent the evening immersed in laughter, playing with the little treasures Lortfors and Luna had brought back from their adventure, and enjoying the warmth of their little world.

'"These little things… these are the moments I cherish the most," Lortfors said softly, his voice full of emotion. "I hope we can stay like this forever."

"Forever and ever!," little Stellar declared, pulling her parents in for a tight hug. They closed their eyes, enjoying their embrace. Little did they know, this was the last time Lortfors and Luna would be coming back from one of their adventures.

One morning, Stellar woke up to the familiar sound of clanking metal. She sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes, her mind still foggy with sleep. Her parents had been working on something for a while now so the clanking in the morning was nothing new. Such is life when your parents aren't just adventurers, but scientists too.

"Mommy," she groaned as she came down the stairs, still rubbing her sleep heavy eyes.

"Good morning, my star," her mother greeted warmly, as she lifted up her goggles. "Sorry for waking you up. Your dad was being clumsy again." 

Lortfors chuckled sheepishly as his wife accused him. "Quilty as charged. Sorry, Princess. But don't worry, your mom ad I are almost done. Soon, no more noisy mornings."

Stellar smiled as she approached her parents, finally awake. She jumped into her father's arms. 

"What's it for, Daddy?"

"Well," he began, his voice soft with affection. "Your mom and I have been studying the moons of Arai. You know, the goddess is very smart—she made each one of them differently. Especially the third. We're trying to understand it."

Stellar tilted her head, her brows knitting in concern and putting her hands on her hips. "Then the moons are very stubborn. You and Mommy have been working on it forever." 

Lortfors laughed, ruffling her hair. "You're not wrong, Princess. The moons have kept us busy for years now. But we're almost done," he assured. They were building the machine to have it orbit the third moon. Hopefully, it'll have them understand it better and link it to the cataclysm the goddess' messengers prophesied about. 

Later in the day, as they worked, Stellar wandered outside, picking flowers. Midway through her task, an unfamiliar person arrived at their front yard. Startled, she looked up to see a man in a polished uniform. She recognised a symbol on his chest—it was the emblem of the Rex, the royal family. 

"Little girl," he called, his tome as firm as ever but not unkind. "Is this the Lortfors' residence?"

She nodded quickly, recognizing the badge. She bowed, her hands trembling. "Y-yes, sir."

The man gestured her to rise, then approached the door and knocked. Lortfors answered, his face showing mild surprise. 

"Oh," he said, studying the stranger. "How may I help you, Sir?"

"Orders from the Rex," the man said as he unfolded a letter. "He requires both Lortfors Phorvex and Luna Lortfors at the Rex's Court latest by dawn tomorrow."

That evening, the couple packed their bags, preparing for the impromptu journey.

"Do you have to go, Mommy?," Stellar's voice quivered, her eyes teary. "You just came back from an adventure."

"Sorry sweetie, but you know we can't defy the Rex," Luna replied as she crouched down to her daughter's eye level. She kissed her forehead and assured her, "Your dad and I will be back as soon as we can."

"And…," Lortfors added, scooping Stellar up into his arms, swinging her around. "We'll bring you more toys!"

Stellar laughed as her father swung her around. As he set her down, both parents kissed her cheeks in unison. "We love you, our little star," Lortfors whispered.

"I love you too, Mommy and Daddy," she murmured, pulling her parents in for a tight hug.

Days past and her parents weren't back yet. Days turned to weeks, and weeks to months. They'd never been gone for so long. Her heart grew heavy with worry, a gnawing fear taking root. Then, one evening, there was a knock on the door. She ran to the door, hoping to see her parents. 

To her dismay, no one was there. 

Instead, it was a box—a massive one. Confused yet intrigued, Stellar dragged the heavy box inside, her tiny hands struggling against its weight. She cut the tape open and took off the lid. On the second cover was a note. On it was 'Our Little Star'. 

Stellar hesitated a bit before opening the note.

'Hi Princess, it's Mommy and Daddy. We're sorry for not coming back… Be strong for us. We love you, Stellar'. 

The note slipped from Stellar's hands. Her eyes widened in fear. She was hoping what she thought wasn't what has actually happened to them. It had better not be.

She opened the second lid. The lid slipped out of her hand and fell on the ground. Her eyes began to well up. Her gaze met her father's. The only problem was that his was dull. Rather than the usual joyful and bright eyes she always look at, his eyes were lifeless. 

She continued to examine the content of the box. His torso had been detached from his body—his arms and legs laid at the bottom of the box and skin stretched so thin that she could see his bones. 

As she kept inspecting it, her gaze shifted to her mother's head: hair pulled out and skin peeled off. Her body was left in a far worst state than a father's. But still, even in death, Stellar noticed that a small but faint smile was on her mother's face. 

She staggered back, bile filling up in her throat. She barely made it to the bathroom before throwing up, her sobs wrenching and raw "Those monsters…," she choked, gripping the edge of the sink. "They killed my parents…" She went back to the box, her gaze fixed on the broken remains. The room reeked of decay, but she didn't flinch. Instead, resolve hardened in her small frame. She wouldn't let them take her next.

Under the cover of night, she fled, dragging the box behind her. It took days of relentless effort, her small body strained against exhaustion, before she made it to Sapphix Grove. Her parents had a shack there, where they'd often go when they felt like they needed to escape the city a bit. That retreat became Stellar's sanctuary. 

Beneath the canopy where Luna used to meditate, Stellar dug a grave. 

"I hope it's ok," her voice trembling as she whispered, putting the box into the earth. She covered it carefully, planting wildflowers atop the mound. Tears streaked down her face as she knelt by the grave—the weight of grief was clearly too much for her tiny frame.

"I swear," she vowed softly. "I'll find out what happened and make them pay for this."

As dawn broke over Sapphix Grove, light was casted on the flowers she had planted. The child knelt there, quiet and unbroken, a new resolve ignited in her heart.