STARDUST

...*This story was originally posted on Joylada May 14-16 2022 [UK Country]*...

...*Published on Typekita on 06/24/23 and revised on 08/07/23*...

Reina's eyes ran across the words on the paper, trying to understand their meaning. She had found the note placed inside a glass bottle that had washed up on shore.

...•••...

Earlier she had been laying in the sand, bathing in the warmth of the sun. The water from the ocean washed over her feet, the coolness being pleasant contrast to the heat of the sand beneath her.

Reina opened her eyes, which she then covered with her arm to avoid the bright rays of the sun. When she sat up she noticed the fine white sand that surrounded her. She couldn't remember how or when she got to beach. Maybe it had been a spur of the moment decision which brought her there. Reina had often done things without putting much thought into it. But she still couldn't figure out how she had gotten there.

It had been when she finally decided to leave that she saw the glass bottle lying in the sand. Reina didn't find it particularly strange. Random objects always happened to wash up on the beach. Not to mention all the people that dumped their trash all over the place.

What really caught the girl's attention through was the rolled up paper inside. She thought such a thing only happened in fairy tales.

Were there such really people out there that sent messages in bottles?

Curiosity got the better of her and she made her way over. Reins bent down and inspected the bottle. She wasn't sure if she should open it, maybe it was planted there and waiting for someone. But she decided to take a peek anyways.

Reina picked up the glass bottle and popped the cork off. She was still doubting whether she should look at the paper inside. She quickly looked around her, trying to see if anyone may have been looking for it. However, not a single person roamed the beach. It was decided, she would look at it.

It took her a while to actually get the paper out. She didn't understand why the person that sent it wouldn't have put it in a bottle with a wider neck. After getting fed up with the thing, she smashed the glass on a nearby rock.

Reina picked at the broken glass, throwing the pieces off to the side. She now sat face to face with the letter.

Should she read it?

Well, she had gotten this far, might as well take a look, right? She carefully unrolled it and her eyes scanned across the words on the page.

"I live amongst the stars at the edge of the galaxy. This is where 'll be waiting for you."

What?

Reina was standing, watching as the waves crashed against the shore. She had been pondering over the writing for several minutes.

Was that really all there was?

She didn't really understand why someone would go through all the trouble of writing a message, stuffing it in a bottle, and throwing it into the ocean; just for it to not make sense.

But then a thought crossed her mind. Maybe it was some sort of game. She read over the paper again.

Was it a riddle? What could they mean by "at the edge of the galaxy"?

While she was distracted with reading, she hadn't noticed the large wave coming her way. When it hit the sand, water splashed up onto Reina, completely drenching her. She would have been upset over the fact that he was now soaking wet if it wasn't for the fact she had been worried over the paper.

The page seemed to hold up fine and didn't show any signs of tearing. But Reina had noticed that instead of the writing she had read multiple times before, there was now a single word in smalI letters.

"Hyunjin"

Reina was still trying to get over the fact that the words from earlier had completely vanished, and was now replaced with a person's name. It had to be some sort of invisible ink that was used, right? Her eyes returned to look at the name.

Hyunjin? So was it a guy that sent the message?

She was absolutely sure the message had to be a riddle. But why would this Hyunjin person send such a confusing one. What was "galaxy" supposed to mean? And "living amongst the stars"? She wasn't exactly sure what was going on. Afterall, it had in fact been a weird day so far.

Reina didn't know who this person was, or where he might be, but she felt as if she had to find him. Even if the message wasn't for her, she had a strong urge to go looking for the boy. She closed her eyes, trying to think of anything that would lead her where to go. Any sort of clue that may help her. But she couldn't think of a single thing. And then she opened her eyes.

Reina blinked, not believing what she was seeing. She was now standing atop a large rock rising out of the ocean. The girl spun in a circle, careful not to fall as the cliff was only as wide as both of her arms spread out, and it had to be at least a hundred feet high. And around her was water that spread out for miles, with no land in sight.

The girl looked down to find a beautiful cerulean ocean that looked as if it were made of glass. The water was so clear that she could easily see all the life beneath the surface. She could see the brightly colored coral, made up of every color one could imagine. She watched as the fish danced around each other as they made their way to their destinations. The manta rays and jellyfish gracefully floated through the ocean, as well as the sea turtles who looked as if they were flying in the water.

All of the ocean's creatures seemed as if they were all gathered in that one area. Reina hadn't seen anything like it. The dolphins that jumped from the water and spoke to her before going back in. The giant blue whale whose song spread across the massive ocean. It was incredible, something she could only think to see in a dream.

Reina brought her hands up to run through her hair. It was then that she realized the paper was gone. She was sure that she had been holding it earlier on the beach. Although now she felt it pointless to keep, it no longer had anything written on it besides the name "Hyunjin"

The wind brushed through her hair and tickled her skin. Reina breathed in the salty air, feeling completely refreshed. She looked all around her once more. Nothing but the bright blue sea. So seeing as how she had nowhere else to go, Reina made up her mind to jump off the cliff.

And so she plunged into the glass like water below. Her eyes were closed and she felt the sea surround her and pull her into its depths. Everything became quiet, with the only sound being the rushing of waves. Reina continued to sink lower and lower, with no sign of ever stopping. She was afraid that if she went too far she wouldn't be able to reach the water's surface to get air.

Reina, no longer being able to hold her breath, opened her mouth and waited for her lungs to fill with water. But it never came.

Her eyes flew open and had seen she was longer in that magical cerulean water. There was darkness all around her. But the darkness was spotted with small specks of light and the colored clouds that were painted across it. It was like looking into the night sky. The clear blue sea was now replaced by the cold dark quiet of space.

Reina's mind was brought back to the words scribbled across the page. "I live amongst the stars at the edge of the galaxy. This is where I'll be waiting for you."

Was this what she had she had been looking for?

She had originally thought that it absolutely positively had to be a riddle. Some sort of game, like searching for clues to a hidden treasure. Who would ever think to literally check outer space. But she didn't have any more time to wonder about it. Although far off, she could hear a sound. A kind of tinkling sound one would imagine snow to make as it drifted down from the sky.

And so Reina swam through the twilight, heading to where her ears were taking her.

She floated by suns and moons, and dodged meteoroids as she ventured through the galaxy. The stars and the planets sang to her and she followed their voices. The sounds becoming louder the further she went.

Reina then heard her name being called. The voice was soothing and pleasant to her ears, and somehow, it was familiar. But the girl couldn't figure out who it belonged to. It was the most enchanting voice to ever exist and it was calling for her.

Perhaps it was the boy that sent the message in the bottle. He had said that he was at the edge of galaxy.

If that was his voice calling her name, had he been waiting for her? Was she meant to find that bottle?

Reina glided through the night, following the songs of the stars. The sounds were growing louder as she got closer, and yet they also seemed to get softer.

And there she could see it. The border of light and clouds that signified the end of her trip. Reina had reached the end of the galaxy.

She looked all around her but there was nothing to be seen. The stars, the planets, the clouds, all gone.

Everything had disappeared.

And then her name was spoken with that sweet melodic voice that had been calling for her. And when she turned around, where she heard the sound come from, all she found was stardust.

Reina could still hear her name, but now it whispered gently in her ear as the stardust swirled around her. The glittering mist then took on the shape of a person, and stood before the gir. Reina knew she had found the one that sent the message to her.

The boy made of stardust enveloped Reina ina warm embrace, which felt nice against her cool skin. His voice was a choir of bells gently ringing, and it was the most splendid thing to ever touch her ears. She wished she could listen to it forever. And she wished she could stay there in the darkness, wrapped in the arms of the boy made of stardust. She would give anything to hear his angelic voice for the rest of her life.

And still he called her name. There was so much love placed into his words that it made Reina's heart race with excitement. This voice was speaking to her, speaking her name, filling her with love.

But then the stardust dispersed leaving Reina cold once again. The girl started to panic, she didn't want to lose the voice that sang her name so tenderly, and with so much affection it could fuel a million suns.

The darkness was beginning to melt away, leaving Reina frightened. She was going to lose the boy made of stardust forever. She closed her eyes, hoping that when she opened them everything would be back to the way it was. She'd be back amongst the night sky and in the comfort of his arms once again.

Reina opened her eyes and was blinded by the light of the afternoon sun. The sound of waves crashing against the sand played in her ears, and she could feel a soft cotton blanket beneath her. Reina placed a hand over her eyes shielding them from the sun and sat up.

Then something rang out next to her. A tender sound coming from the lips that brushed against her ear. The voice being all too familiar.

Someone placed their fingers under Reina's chin, so delicately, as if afraid she were made of porcelain and would break if handled too roughly. And she was brought face to face with a pair of deep brown eyes that sparkled in the setting sun. Reina could see the love that poured from them as the boy watched her.

He spoke again, a melody so grand she felt unworthy of being in its presence. She watched the words fall from his soft pink lips, she listened as he said her name.

Reina blinked at the man sitting in front of her. Knowing that she had finally come back to reality, the boy laughed, which was just as sweet as when he had spoke. Reina then smiled and wrapped her arms around him, now feeling the same warmth she had felt in the cool darkness just moments before.

A kiss was placed on her forehead, then on her nose, and finally on her lips. Reina looked at Hyunjin with all the love and care in the world, and he did the same. She cuddled up next to him and they both watched as the sun dove into the ocean and was taken over by the night sky.

Reina remembered the boy that waited for her at the edge of the galaxy. The boy that would always be there, waiting, calling for her. The boy that would always be there when she needed his warmth.

Her stardust.

...- THE END - ...

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