CHAPTER 1 - Polyformation

I couldn't remember exactly what happened, but my mother hadn't smiled since then.

It must have been on my 11th birthday that she started ignoring me, but she never

told me what I had done. We lived happily together, like other families. I never had to

worry about anything, even if we were a little poorer than the kids at school. In fact,

my mother was the happiest person I knew. No one around us could beat her grin. It

might be because it came from her heart. For as long as I can remember, it was just

the two of us living together. My mother told me that my dad was on a "very top secret

mission," but she never told me why she looked so desperate during it.

Her facial expressions, the way she spoke, and her tone spoke louder than a warrior's

horn. She could have avoided a subject, but the core would have been obvious. That's

exactly how it went after my 11th birthday. She started ignoring me. To no purpose...

Everything that came into my head. Whether I ran around the house or fell asleep on

the couch, she didn't care. When she sat on the couch and burst into tears, there was

no way to help her. I couldn't bear that sight because I had to see it every day. I tried

to cheer her up by hugging some animals or painting my face, but she skillfully

ignored me. Why don't you talk to me, Mom... Is it because I didn't listen to you on my

birthday? I thought. But I didn't give up...

"Mom, why are you crying... Please smile..." I told her. Every tear that ran down her

cheek and dripped onto the wooden floor caused a stabbing pain in my chest. I didn't

want to see my mother so desperate. And so the days went by. It was probably two

weeks before something finally happened.

She was wearing clothes she had never worn before. Every piece of clothing was

black... She had always worn something colorful before. She started crying as soon as

she got dressed. I had a vague idea what had happened, which is why I was wearing

black. She told me a story from her childhood. I could remember every single word. It

went something like this:

"A story? Mmh... Okay, then listen carefully. Once upon a time there was a little Girl named Luna. Luna loved her grandmother very much, which is why they always

went for walks. But one day, the grandmother wanted to show Luna something. A

garden full of fruit, flowers and animals. Everything you can imagine could be found

there, but there was one condition. You had to dress in black. The grandmother and

Luna walked along a narrow path until they reached the garden. "Luna, time runs

slower here than outside. It is also night all the time, so don't worry, we can stay here

as long as you want," said the grandmother happily. They played and enjoyed the day

in the garden, but then the grandmother said something: "We should go slowly."

When Luna, without contradicting her, walked out of the garden, a brightly shining

star went out. It was the brightest star in the entire night sky. Then they walked away -

Hey, you're already asleep. OK, then I'll tell you the rest later..." my mother told me. 

Maybe the time had come. I was really looking forward to the garden. She has probably

only been playing tricks on me until today... Actually, she wants to surprise me I

thought. She opened the front door and ran out, while I followed her every step of the

way. I held her hand and shared my joy with her. It was almost like the old days... when

we went shopping or to the summer festival. We walked melancholically along the

streets for a while when Mom suddenly stopped. The tears started flowing from her

eyes again. I wondered what was going on and looked around. When I looked to the

right I saw an extremely large party, but no one was there. It was just my mother and

me. She planned all this for me... I'm looking forward to it hehe... I thought. There was

even a sign with my name on it in front of the entrance. My mother had outdone

herself with this celebration, but I didn't understand why she was still crying. It's

probably because she herself can't believe how good it turned out... I thought. She

entered the building and walked down a long hallway. When we stopped at more

doors, I felt like I was on an adventure. As if we were facing the final boss. Mom's hand

started to shake, but I calmed her down.

"Don't worry mom, I'm with you and we'll beat him!" I told her proudly and confidently.

She opened the door and we ran in. But it wasn't the final boss...