Chapter Text
Some spaces only exist in the space between what is real and what is imagined by people. By that logic, those spaces do not physically exist, but they are as real as any other place one could think of. Perhaps, when you have to think of a specific place you can go to, you think of your own house. You imagine the outer walls that protect you from the outside world, and all the materialistic value you leave inside the place. There’s many things you can touch.
It would make sense for Nagisa, the moon god, to live on the moon. However, who’d want to live on a mostly empty space rock? It would be a little boring, especially for an almighty being. On top of that, considering humans have actually made it to the moon by the time this story takes place, it wouldn’t be very convenient either. Imagine if the first people to come to the moon, during their dramatic monologue and walk, seemingly out of nowhere saw a random house built on the moon they’d before thought to be deserted. No way would a god just build a physical house on there.
Nagisa’s room was both on the moon and not at the same time.
To the human eye, it would seem there was only one door in his room, however, there were actually an infinite amount of doors. They were portrayed in just the way Nagisa wanted them, which meant they were combined into one dark wooden door. The rest of the room was the exact same way, just the way Nagisa wanted it to be. If, one morning, he’d done his job and wished for the door to be beside his standing mirror where he could see the silver iridescent glow of his eyes reflecting his magical powers, it would appear right there and present itself like it had always been there. It was both complicated and very simple at the same time. It was magic, and the most powerful kind there was.
On this particular day, Nagisa felt bored. He shouldn’t have to be, considering the full moon was once again coming up. That was always the most exciting time of the month, because he’d be in his most powerful state. Sure, on any given day, he could do pretty much anything he wanted, go anywhere he liked or see into anyone’s life, he could conjure up a type of magic stronger than any human had ever held. But, during a full moon, those powers were strengthened tenfold. There were absolutely no limits to his powers.
He supposed he had his father to thank for that.
The problem was that, after experiencing a full moon every month for ever so many centuries, it sort of lost its special element. There weren’t really many mortals he needed to punish, nor were there many godly jobs that concerned him that took more power than he’d have on the usual. If it really came down to it, he could always use his surplus of magic to enhance the full moon’s abilities for that month. There were sure to be people on earth who’d appreciate that. It may even increase Nagisa’s worshippers a little, so it wasn’t the worst option.
Or, he could leave his job for a day, let earth deal with their own problems for a while and leave his necessary jobs on autopilot. Nagisa considered the thought, letting his eyes glide over to the door he demanded to be right in front of him. His hand drifted towards the doorknob, its silvery shiny being more alluring to him than anything else in his surroundings. Sure, he was the one making it so alluring, but that was just a reflection of his wishes. If he truly wanted to, why shouldn’t he just go?
A soft sigh escaped his lips and he pulled back from the door, the white translucent fabric of the train hanging from his shoulders following his movement, quickly turning around to leave the door behind. There, on the wall now opposite of him, the door was again, presenting itself like the solution to all his problems. More like the cause of many new problems. He simply should not go, it wasn’t wise.
He ignored the door once more, sitting down carefully at his table and letting his fingers hover over the chess game he’d been studying before he’d let his mind wander off. It was the white king. The white king had made his mind race away to some other place. It had been the reason for his inner turmoil and the new placement of his door. Perhaps he should stop rooting for the white king and let the black king win. That didn’t feel right, he was playing both colours, after all. Just deciding black would win wasn’t fair. He’d be playing himself, cheating even.
There weren’t many other gods who enjoyed the game, and definitely not the same way he loved it. The only person who played like him was, well, him. When he’d first learned about the game, he’d been instantly intrigued by it. There was some wisdom to the game, some strategy, and to a certain extent it depended on experience. The planning ahead was difficult at times, even more so when battling against your own mind, but it did make for an interesting way to spend his time. Sometimes, humans really did have great ideas. Then again, gods gifted them those minds that thought of it.
Yet, gods didn’t make chess.
He let the white knight take a black pawn, one of the last ones, actually. A smile crept on his face as he soon recognized his own mistake. He let his bishop move closer to the horse, yet also out of its grasp, to which he instantly went to consider what his best next move was for white. A checkmate was approaching. There was no way to faux anything, because the mind he was battling was his own, and he could never trick himself. Nagisa let his hand close in with a white pawn, but then stopped. Something about the game was frustrating him. He didn’t like that black was winning. Then again, he was also playing black, and he didn’t want white to win either.
Frustrated by his own mind, he turned away from the chess board. It would most likely disappear in a second. He wasn’t going to check, he never did, he never had to. Instead, he got up, and returned to pacing around his room. Once again, he wasn’t sure what to do with his time. He knew several things he should (and eventually would) do, but until he eased his mind and gave into his true desires, none of that would be happening. Perhaps he should just visit his mother, she was the one person who could actually force him to do things he was supposed to be doing. She’d want him to do his job.
When he turned to the door, his mother in mind, he could sense that the door still wasn’t leading there. It should be. He wanted it to lead there. Well, he didn’t really want to, but he had to. Perhaps always getting anything you wanted wasn’t the best.
He looked back at the table, blinked, and the chessboard was back. With much consideration, he picked up both the black and the white king, holding the pieces up a little to take a better look at them. Whatever side won, whatever he chose, it wouldn’t matter much. Nothing would change in his life. He put them back in their places, Moved a black pawn to capture the white bishop, and noted the checkmate. He flicked the white king, announcing his loss.
Then, there was pain.
An excruciating feeling like his organs were being torn to shreds made him double over and let out a loud cry. No one would hear him, he was in his own space, yet he couldn’t help but make his entire surroundings aware of the immense amount of pain he was in. It was unknown, new, and horrid. The way it came out of nowhere and surprised him made it worse, somehow, and he let himself fall to his knees. His arms were hugging his own stomach, in hopes of relieving some of the agony taking him over. He was shaking, spasming, almost.
The pain wasn’t stopping, and Nagisa could feel himself grow weak.