Pain was a familiar thing.

As Ayla lay beneath broken stone and fractured metal, and even though her breathing shallow and uneven, she did not panic.

Pain had never been what scared her.

What frightened people was what caused it.

The pressure of umbra energy crushing down on her body reminded her of something she had long since stopped thinking about

A really really familiar place.

***

"Hey little sunshine," someone whispered in her ear, "it's time to wake up."

Slowly, her eyes peeled open and the first thing she noticed was sunlight, lots of it, streaming through a window.

"You'll be accompanying Papa and Mama for some deliveries again," the man's words, caused the little girl to fully wake up and turn to the man by his side.

The man had a head full of black hair, and green eyes, on his face was the kindest smile one would ever see.

Without warning, the girl lunged, firmly wrapping her arms around his neck and although her expression didn't change one bit, the man immediately understood that she was scared.

"That dream again?" He muttered as he slowly patted her back and she nodded.

"Don't worry," the man said with a small smile, "Papa's here, nothing will happen to you."

He let out a small sigh as she gripped his neck tighter. She had been complaining about a recurring dream ever since she turned twelve.

At first, he thought it was some type of clue into finding her real parents, after all, she wasn't theirs.

But they wouldn't let her know that.

...

Anyway, her nightmares got worse from then on, and the only thing she dreamt of was Eclipsed.

According to her, she saw them raining from the sky which split open.

They thought it'd pass, but the nightmares went on for a month, then a year, and now three.

They had tried everything they could, to get her to get a single night of proper sleep, but all had failed.

Sleeping pills worsened the situation, as she found it harder to wake up, hypnosis did nothing, SE sleep inducing treatments also failed to do anything.

And much to the couple's dread, with every nightmare, they watched the light from their daughter's grey eyes slowly fade and she became someone unwilling or rather, unable to express emotions any longer.

With a sigh, the man released himself from her grip and muttered, "go take a bath, mama has prepared your favorite for breakfast."

With that, he stood up and walked out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar so the sunlight could still pour in.

The girl sat there for a few seconds longer, staring at the sheets beneath her hands.

She swung her legs off the bed and padded toward the bathroom, the floor cool beneath her feet.

As she turned the tap, water splashed into the tub, steam slowly rising and fogging the mirror.

She stared at her reflection.

Grey eyes.

Too empty for a child her age.

She didn't remember when they had become like that, only that people started saying she was "quiet" after a certain point.

She stepped into the bath, letting the warm water wash over her skin.

For a while, the nightmare lost its hold on her as the warm water seemed to help her relax.

Breakfast was already set when she came out.

Her mother sat at the table, brown hair tied back neatly, humming softly as she adjusted a plate.

"There you are," she said, smiling when she noticed her. "Come on, eat before it gets cold."

The girl took her seat without a word.

Her favorite food really was there.

She ate slowly, mechanically, while her parents talked about mundane things. Work at the barrier. A new reinforcement being installed. A visiting Solar Knight that had drawn a crowd last week.

She listened, but her attention drifted back to the nightmare she just had.

***

After breakfast, they walked together through the city. The closer they got, the brighter everything became.

Sunlight reflected off the high buildings, SE lamps glowed softly along the streets though by this time, they were shutting off, and people moved with relaxed smiles.

This place was safe.

That's what everyone said.

The barrier stood ahead, vast and radiant, a dome of golden light stretching into the sky. Solar Knights patrolled its perimeter, their presence alone enough to make civilians feel at ease.

Her parents stopped a short distance away, as they always did.

"You can wait here," her mother said gently. "Papa and I won't be long."

The girl nodded and sat on a nearby bench, feet dangling slightly above the ground.

They returned a second later and said, "let's go."

She took her father's and and they walked towards the gate, where an SE powered jeep was waiting.

The family of three walked into it, and the gates opened as the Jeep drove through and into the wasteland.

Their family was one of the few merchants responsible for delivering solar techs from Solara Prime into other sectors.

The air had visibly changed the moment they left the outer perimeters of the outer barrier.

The air felt dreadful but the couple, sat protectively close to their daughter as the driver continued moving through the wasteland with a clam that said it wasn't his first time doing this.

But soon enough, the ground started rumbling, before something bursts out from beneath the Jeep.

It lurched violently as something massive slammed into its side, sending it spinning. The metal let out a groan as the vehicle flipped, crashing into the dirt before skidding to a halt upside down.

The girl's vision blurred.

Her head struck the side of the seat, and for a moment, all she could hear was only ringing.

Then screaming.

"Mama!"

She struggled against the seatbelt as smoke filled the cabin. Her mother was hanging sideways, blood running down her forehead. Her father groaned, trapped by the crushed front frame.

Outside, something moved towards them and she watched the shadow move closer towards them. Claws scraped against the metal as it circled the wreckage.

An Eclipsed.

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