Story Reader / Affection / Luna: / Story
The storm Luna spoke of never comes, which is a lucky turn of events. After about three hours of travel, you come across what can only be described as an abandoned village.
This place is less a village than it is a makeshift camp, with just a few sheds propped against the rocky surface surrounding an empty lot.
Had there still been inhabitants, one might have marveled at humanity's resilience. Instead, the collapsed buildings, the scent of rust and mold hanging in the air, and the sparse weeds sprouting through the clearing all tell the same story—this place has been forgotten for years.
At your current pace, you're never going to make it out of the storm's radius before it hits.
I brought you here because I remember there was a vehicle.
True to Luna's words, there is indeed a vehicle in this camp.
From the thick layer of dust coating its body and its bold modifications, it's hard to tell whether this vehicle is a milestone of human technological achievement or just another piece of industrial waste destined for the scrapyard.
Hmm...
Luna closes her eyes, taking a moment to contemplate.
How about I find a rope, tie you up, and fly you to our destination instead?
Then you'd better pray this car still works. There aren't any others nearby.
After spending some time examining this old clunker, you find out that this vehicle is actually a Babylonia-made standard off-road vehicle under disguise.
While this differs from the model you're familiar with, this is unmistakably made by Babylonia.
Doesn't really matter. Can it still run?
The wiring's a bit damaged, but that's nothing a quick fix won't solve. The real issue is that it's out of juice. You can take care of that with the solar panel in the storage compartment, but if you want the vehicle to be maximally charged...
Guess that means we'll have to wait until sunset before we can leave?
Then we'll depart at nightfall.
Half-buried under the hood, you are fiddling with the car's wiring, while the agent sits on a nearby rock, staring absently into the distance.
Luna has been carrying this box ever since your first encounter with her.
Curious, aren't you?
Yes.
Luna gives a faint smile.
You never struck me as the imaginative type.
No, I don't need a weapon like that now.
Besides, there's no point trying to distract me. No one will come, no matter how many distress signals you send.
Luna lets out a sigh before speaking.
Heh.
You can drop the act. I've been watching you this whole time.
The car's been fixed for a while now, hasn't it?
You've been using the car's communication system to send distress signals this whole time.
I'm not going to hurt you. You have my word.
Luna responds with a faint smile without saying anything.
With your self-rescue actions discovered, there's no need to keep up the charade. Now, all that's left to do is wait for nightfall to depart.
Just as you're about to close the hood and look away from the vehicle...
A chill crawls up your spine to the back of your head. Your eyes fix on an alphanumeric sequence—a manufacturing code Babylonia stamps on their products, indicating the production date and batch number.
...
Darkness begins its descent as the wind picks up and the horizon devours the setting sun.
Just as you settle into the driver's seat ready to depart, you find yourself joined by an unexpected person in the passenger seat.
I'll get tired if I keep flying.
Besides, in this wilderness far from human civilization, the night grows darker than you can imagine... You might lose sight of me from inside the vehicle.
The serial number from the vehicle parts lingers in your mind.
...
Luna turns her gaze to the window, making it clear she has no intention of answering.
While you still feel a little uncertain, the strange feeling of unease that's been sitting in the back of your mind starts to make sense now.
The off-road vehicle rumbles to life, slowly pulling away from the abandoned camp and setting off into the wilderness.
Darkness swallows the world whole. Nothing exists here but the rumble of the engine and the whimpering wind.
After what feels like an eternity, you seem to recall something.
Warm yellow light fills the cramped interior of the vehicle.
You didn't need to turn on the light.
The girl no longer fears darkness.
I no longer...
Luna lets out a soft chuckle.
Getting quite philosophical here, aren't we?
I'll pass on that, but... thank you.
Courtesy begets courtesy. And stop copying what I say.
Luna curls up in the passenger seat, turning her face toward you.
I am an agent, after all. Are you certain you want to be this close to me?
And you believe that?
You really are...
Before Luna can finish her sentence, she suddenly sits bolt upright.
The storm is coming in soon. Let's go. At full speed.
In an instant, the world dissolves into nothing but windswept sand, as stones and gravel orchestrate a wild rhapsody against the vehicle's frame.
The vehicle becomes nearly impossible to control. Worse still, you feel your mind clouded by the same lightheadedness—exactly what happened to you before you passed out at the camp...
Finally, something snaps—the vehicle lurches sideways and begins to roll. This old, poorly maintained car has finally reached its end. As consciousness slips away, the world around you begins to blur...
The last thing you see before passing out cold is Luna reaching her hand out to you.
Look out!
