Day and night

_Chapter One_ _The Split Sky_ Fantasy, fantasy, fantasy. It’s always the ones who live in the dark who are evil. But have you ever heard of a daylight evil princess? In ancient times, there was a great forest where the beings of Day and Night lived together. The sky itself was split in two — half eternal sunlight, half endless stars. The two holders of the sky were actually twins, born from one but different. One carried the Day soul, the other carried the Night soul. And they loved each other. Until the day Day’s lover chose Night. Day was already pregnant. So was Night. The lover’s betrayal turned Day against her own sister. Her rage was so fierce it took both their lives. But the children survived, saved by the magic of purity. Yet the rage, and the cruel memories of Day, were inherited by her daughter — little Day. The little Day and little Night were named Runa and Nita by the magical spirits. --- _Chapter Two_ _Runa and Nita_ Runa had a sweet voice and sangsweet songs. Her voice floated through the golden trees, light and warm, like sunrise. But halfway through, flashes of her mother came to her mind. Anger. Betrayal. Fire. Her song cracked. Her knees buckled. And she passed out. Her nanny rushed to her, lifting her gently and carrying her home. Their village didn’t have a castle. Everyone lived in tree houses, woven high in the branches. But Runa’s home was different. It was elegant, and the biggest of them all. After all, it was the home of the Day Keeper. On the other side of the split sky was Nita. A kind and peaceful soul. She was playing in the sky with her little bat friends, lending her voice to the moon, singing a sweet song. It was the kind of song that always made the villagers happy. Her village didn’t have tree houses. It had nests — soft, woven homes for the bat people. Vampires slept upside down, hanging from the trees like fruit in the night. And in the very center of the village stood Nita’s home. It was full of stars. --- _Chapter Three_ _Sixteen_ Runa woke up weak. Her head hurt, and her chest felt heavy. "Nanny," she whispered. "I saw flashes. I heard sounds. It wasn’t my song." Her nanny’s face went still. She knew. After all, she had been Runa’s mother’s nanny too. She knew everything about the past. "Nanny?" Runa asked again, sitting up slowly. "What’s happening to me?" The old woman sighed. "Child... all the rage your mother carried, it didn’t die with her. It found you." Runa was sixteen now. Old enough to be called a princess. Old enough for the Day Keeper’s power to wake inside her. And apparently, old enough to inherit her mother’s fury too. Meanwhile, Nita was also sixteen. She wasn’t a little girl singing to the moon anymore. She was a young woman, with a crown of stars and the Night Keeper’s calm in her veins. While Runa struggled with fire, Nita carried peace. And neither of them knew yet that the other existed. --- _Chapter Four_ _The Well_ The nanny made a decision. "Come, Runa," she said quietly. "There’s only one place you’ll know everything. The magical well." Runa didn’t question it. She was sixteen, and the weight in her chest was too much. The nanny led her through the golden trees to a stone well, glowing faintly in the sunlight. Without warning, she pushed Runa in. Water closed over her head. Runa drowned. And in the dark, she saw her mother. Her mother came toward her, pale and furious, and took Runa’s hand. Her grip was ice and fire at once. "I’ll tell you everything," her mother whispered. "Everything that will add more fuel to the fire." And she did. She poured every betrayal, every ounce of rage she’d carried into Runa. She awakened it. "Destroy Night," her mother hissed. "Finish what I could not." When Runa broke the surface, her eyes were glowing gold. And in the distance, the split sky cracked. Just a little. --- _Chapter Five_ _Nita and the Star_ Suddenly, the message star’s glow started to faint. It flickered, like a candle in the wind. Nita saw it immediately. She ran toward it, bare feet on the night grass, her heart pounding. The star pulled her inside. And there, in the light, she saw her mother. Her mother smiled softly, tired but calm. "My child," she whispered. "Never let anyone destroy our world. Save Night. Save Night." It wasn’t the first time. Nita had grown up with her mother’s voice echoing in her — gentle reminders, lullabies, warnings. But this time was different. This time her mother sounded afraid. When Nita stepped out of the light, her crown of stars dimmed. And far away, she felt it — heat. Anger. Golden fire. The sky between them split wider. --- _Chapter Six_ _The Trap_ Runa came out of the well changed. She took a brush and painted her hair dark, until the sunlight couldn’t touch it. She dressed in dark clothes, all sharp edges and shadows. A new cover. A new self. The Day Princess was gone. Only the rage remained. Meanwhile, Nita went to her favorite place. The night waterfall. The water glowed silver under the stars, and it was where she always went to think. She sat on a rock and tried to understand what her mother meant. "Save Night. Save Night." Save it from what? Then Runa heard it. Her mother’s voice, curling through her head like smoke. _"Go to the night waterfall now. She’s there. She’s there."_ So Runa went. But not as herself. She lay by the edge of the water, pretending to be a hurt, helpless woman. Torn dress. Shaking hands. Waiting. Waiting for Nita to see her. --- _Chapter Seven_ _The First Meeting_ "Help! Help!" The scream tore through the night. Agony. Desperation. Nita shot up from the rock. Her heart jumped into her throat. Without thinking, she ran, following the sound through the silver mist of the waterfall. And there she was. A woman, lying by the water’s edge. Dark clothes. Dark hair. Shaking. She looked hurt. Helpless. Nita skidded to a stop, breathless. "Are you okay?" she whispered. "What happened to you?" The woman didn’t answer. She just lifted her head slowly. And smiled. Golden eyes burned through the darkness. "Hello, little Night Keeper," Runa said softly. "I’ve been waiting for you." The water around them started to steam. --- _Chapter Eight_ _The Trap Closes_ The woman on the ground groaned and reached for Nita with shaking hands. "Please," she whispered, voice breaking. "The trees... they fell. I was alone. It’s so cold." Nita’s chest hurt. She knelt in the silver water without thinking, reaching out. "You’re safe now. I’ve got you." The woman — Runa — let out a shaky breath. Tears slid down her painted-dark hair. "Thank you," she whispered. "You’re so kind. Like... like starlight." She squeezed Nita’s hand. Her grip was too tight for someone hurt. Nita smiled softly, brushing wet hair from the woman’s face. "My name’s Nita. What’s yours?" Runa looked up through her lashes. Her eyes were gold, but there was something burning behind them. "Runa," she lied, soft as silk. "I thought I was going to die here. But then I heard you singing earlier. From far away. It saved me." Nita blinked. "Me? I don’t—" "You do," Runa cut in, voice trembling. "You keep this forest alive, don’t you? With your songs?" She leaned in, pretending to faint against Nita’s shoulder. "Promise me something. Promise you’ll never let the dark take it. Promise you’ll protect it. All of it." Nita froze. Something in the words felt wrong. Too heavy. But Runa looked so fragile. So lost. "I... I promise," Nita whispered. Runa smiled against her shoulder. _Got you._ --- _Chapter Nine_ _Playing the Game_ Runa didn’t attack. Not yet. That would be too easy. Too loud. No — she would play along. Smile. Cry. Hold Nita’s hand. All while looking for the c***k in her armor. Because the goal wasn’t just Nita. The goal was the Soul of Night. If she could reach it, Nita would break. And with Nita weak, the whole Night World would be easy to destroy. Runa let her head rest against Nita’s shoulder and whispered, "You’re so warm. I’ve never felt safe like this." Nita hummed softly, rubbing circles on Runa’s back. "You can stay with me. In my home. Until you’re better." _Perfect_, Runa thought, eyes still closed. _Get close. Earn trust. Find the Soul of Night._ "Thank you," Runa breathed. "You’re the first kind person I’ve met. Is it true what they say? That the Night Keeper keeps a piece of the sky inside her?" Nita stiffened for half a second. Then relaxed. "I... I don’t know what you mean." Runa smiled into the dark. _She does. She just doesn’t know it yet._ --- _Chapter Ten_ _The Soul of Night_ Inside Runa’s head, the voices wouldn’t stop. _"Destroy. Destroy. Destroy."_ Runa clenched her jaw and whispered back, "Calm down, Mother. If I do what you say, I’ll fail just like you. I know what I’m doing." --- Days passed. Nita thought Runa was getting better. So she showed her everything. She took her around the village. Introduced her to her friends — the bat people, the night weavers, the kids who slept in nests. Runa smiled at all of them. Nodded. Laughed at the right times. And earned every bit of their trust. Then, one night, Nita brought her to her favorite place. Behind the waterfall. The water parted like a curtain, and there it was. The Soul of Night. A floating, beautiful galactic stone. Stars swirled inside it. Galaxies spun in its heart. It pulsed softly, like a breathing thing. Nita’s voice was quiet with awe. "This is what keeps our sky whole. My mother said I’d know when it was time to protect it." Runa stared at it. Her heart didn’t beat. _Got you_, she thought. _Now I just have to break it._