For an uncountable amount of time, only the sound of beeping machinery pierced the silence. Then, in the distance, a thought echoed across the abyss.

"I once had a dream-"

Beep

"-of a wave in a place beyond time."

Beep.

"We were there, you know?"

...

The first sensation the girl registered was the cold burrowing into her skin. She moved, or at least, she thought she did. What she tried to move, she did not know. Maybe it was a limb or maybe, it was just a thought.

What she did know was that when she moved the second time, she blinked. She repeated that movement again and again, slowly understanding what she saw. At first, her comprehension resulted in a mere tickle in the back of her mind. Then, a word floated from the depths of memory - colour. Then, another word followed - shape. And all of a sudden, the girl could understand the enormity of her surroundings. There was something vast above her; a sky covered in thick, grey clouds. In front of her, far far away, was a round, luminescent object - the moon.

Equally vast, were swathes of water in strange, upright positions with one gargantuan wave seemingly curled around the moon. The waves were lifeless, frozen in time.

The girl frowned as a thought occurred to her. How did she know all of this? How could she label what she saw? How were her thoughts so coherent?

"I once had a dream-"

"Lunor, are you there? Why did you stop? You were doing so well."

The girl, Lunor, turned around. Beside her was a small child covered in a baggy brown hoodie. They looked young, barely at the age of walking, and yet there was something about them that seemed-

Her thoughts tumbled away as the cold sensation came to the forefront of her mind. Her fingers were chilled to the bone, to the point that they burned.

Lunor pulled her hand back from the sea, watching as droplets suspended themselves in midair. Pangs of pain dotted all over her hand. With slow, mechanical movements, the girl curled her fingers into a fist, hoping for the cold to slowly lessen with time.

"-you alright?"

Lunor jumped and turned back to the child. There was a second of silence as she grasped at words swirling in her head.

"Wh-what?"

The girl blinked as she felt something release in her mind. Phrases now trickled to her mouth, flowing like rivulets of condensation racing down shower glass.

Lunor stopped. There it was again, thoughts that were simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar.

"What's going on, and who are you?"

The questions echoed out into the silent landscape.

Lunor frowned, turning around to see an endless beach stretching as far as the eye could see. Moonlight glinted off obsidian pieces littered about the sand.

"Where am I?"

For a second, Lunor expected the child to ignore that question like all other ones before. She stared at the waves, turning to the side as she heard a small sigh.

The child sat on the sand, fiddling with the obsidian splinters.

Lunor didn't bother to question how she knew what obsidian was. It was the same as every other bit of weirdly familiar knowledge. This place though, was very foreign. Nothing about the frozen landscape resonated with her mind. Yet, something pulled at her heart. It was like that bittersweet feeling of nostalgia after coming back to one's home planet.

A blue-red sphere grew larger and larger, slowly swallowing up the expanse of space. Murmurs filled the air, and the ship began to rotate, positioning itself for re-entry.

"Please fasten yourself to your seats-"

"-and that's all that matters."

Lunor blinked. "What?"

The child continued fiddling with obsidian before replying, "I said it doesn't matter where you are. You are here now, and that's all that matters."

Lunor nodded slowly, frowning at the uncomfortable feeling at the back of her mind. She had questions, many of them which all twisted together like tangled strings. Slowly, the girl teased one out of the mess.

"Then...how long have I been here?"

There was another moment of awkward silence, and the child shrugged. Lunor opened her mouth before closing it. She then turned back, facing the silent waves.

Neon green waves crashed onto the purple sand, and laughter echoed behind her. Lunor glanced at the woman holding her hand.

"Where are we, Mum?"

"The beach. We are at the beach."

Lunor stared at the waves once more, watching as they collapsed into glowing blue foam. "It's so pretty."

"Yes, Dear, it is."

There was a moment of silence as circular winged insects hovered over the sea.

"I miss the seagulls."

Lunor turned around. "What are seagulls?"

Her mother smiled wryly. "You see those Scale-Wings there?"

Lunor turned back to the sea, watching the scaled insect spit out a mass of yellow strands into the water. A second later, it flew upwards, with a long, blue worm in tow.

She nodded, and her mother continued.

"The beaches on Earth didn't have Scale-Wings. Instead, we had birds. The ones who lived on the beach were called seagulls." Her mother sighed. "Of the things I miss the most, it was the sound of their screeching. Funny how they used to annoy me."

Lunor stopped and listened to the wind. There were times when her mum would speak of another planet. Though the tragedy of Earth was something she knew from the history lessons, she still felt a sense of disorientation. Despite knowing the facts, she couldn't quite connect with her parents. She couldn't quite grasp their sense of nostalgia and yearning. She understood the idea of moving house, but fleeing from a deeply polluted planet? That scale just made no sense.

She turned back to the sea and watched the waves crash against the sand.

Lunor stared at the frozen waves in front of her.

"This place does not make sense," she commented.

"No, it does not."

Lunor turned back towards the child who now stood up to stare at the dull, cloudy sky. It was then, did the girl realise that there was something achingly familiar about this child. It wasn't the clothing or the appearance, but something else.

Her father stood in front of the window, looking at the skyscrapers crowding the sky. The air outside was a bright, apocalyptic orange, thick with smoke.

"Hey, sweetheart, I think we have to leave again. We have to go before this place becomes another Earth."

Lunor gripped the sleeves of her father. "Where are we going?"

Her father shook her head. "I-I don't know."

Dad turned back to the sounds of the door opening and closing. Mum grasped at her sides, panting.

"Honey, we have to leave now. The people up top, they-they've gone mad."

"You mean-"

Her mother nodded. "They've decided to test the temporal weapon here, in the middle of the city."

Her father turned back to the window, staring at the sky. "By the Stars, it's already started."

The mannerisms were the same as-

The girl shook her head, dismissing the seed of a notion forming in her mind. Her father and this child were two different people.

"Do you remember?"

Lunor blinked and snapped back into the present. She paused for a second before tilting her head.

"What am I supposed to remember?"

There was a long pause, and the child placed her hands in her pockets. She then nodded to her left.

"What do you see?"

Lunor turned and stared. "Just the beach."

The child nodded. "I was wandering this place for a long, long time. The farther I walked, the more...certain I became." They paused.

Lunor folded her legs and plopped onto the brown sand, waiting for the child to speak.

"Do you hear it?"

Lunor tilted her head. "Hear what?"

"Close your eyes and relax. Then, listen."

The girl closed her eyes. There was only silence.

There was only silence as her parents crowded around her bed. Her father closed his eyes, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm so sorry. We tried everything we could."

Lunor opened her eyes, gasping. More thoughts and feelings tumbled into her head. Then, an idea formed.

"I'm-"

"Not dead yet."

The girl blinked. "What?"

The child sat back down and faced her. "You're not dead yet."

Lunor nodded slowly. She stared at the child and stopped. "I can't see your face."

The child smiled.

Lunor looked down at her feet, grasping for words. "I-I mean, I can see your features, but I can't-"

The child nodded. "Recognise it. I know."

"That's not normal, is it?"

The child shrugged. "Define normal."

Lunor mirrored the action, and the child smiled.

"You asked me where you were, didn't you?"

Lunor nodded.

The child kicked at the midair seaspray, forming a dent in the water. "This place is not quite Limbo. It's a bit beyond that."

The girl tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Your era of technology can bring a person back from the very brink of death. So then, what happens when you die?"

A long, metallic cylinder sat in her hands.

"Those are your grandma's ashes. We're going to spread them in space."

Lunor blinked as a sense of cold, different to the one from the sea, settled into her frame. Suddenly, her chest felt empty.

"You're gone. That's it."

The child shrugged again. "Not quite. When you get infinitely close to death, you come here. And here is where you reside, for eternity."

Lunor frowned. "That makes no sense."

The child laughed. "No, it doesn't. But that's how it works." They stopped. "Do you know how dreams work?"

Lunor shook her head.

The child smiled. "Then think of this place like a dream."

"I once had a dream."

Lunor looked up. "Was I here before?"

The child smiled. "Yes. You were once, a long, long time ago. You were here, and you are here. It's the same for everyone else."

"What?"

"Time doesn't move in this space." The child stopped and looked to the side. "Even when you cease to function, your consciousness stays here forever because time doesn't move."

Lunor blinked. "Right..."

"That's okay. I don't understand either. I was just told to say that by the person beside me."

Lunor froze, and scanned her eyes over the empty beach. "But there's...no one beside you."

The child nodded. "You know how time doesn't move here?"

"Yes?"

The child paused. "That means that the past, present and future exist all in the same place - here, but you can only understand your past and you can only partially recognise people of the near future. You cannot see the people of the far future."

The child stopped, and there was another moment of silence. Lunor stared at them for a second before bending down and picking up a rounded piece of obsidian. Her reflection stretched and compressed on the wavy surface of the volcanic glass.

Lunor looked back at the child, frowning.

"Hey, what's your name?"

The child froze. "I don't have one...yet."

"Yet?"

The child shrugged. "This is how this place works. The future is probability, and the past is set in stone. You can only understand the specifics of the past, so even if I said my name, would you be able to recognise it?"

Lunor rubbed her temples. "So, you're from the future."

The child nodded. "From the near future you know."

"What?"

The child sighed. "This place has everything counted in probabilities. Technically, even the past is varied because you could have done something different, but you can't comprehend that because that didn't happen to this version of you."

Lunor nodded, "So it's like-" a phrase floated to her mind - "the multiverse theory."

"Correct."

Lunor blinked. "So then what happens once the future becomes the past?"

The child smiled. "Then, a probable future gradually becomes comprehensible to this version of you as it transforms from the future to the present to the past. The probability surrounding the near future changes and- Oh."

Lunor blinked. "What?"

There was a moment of silence as the child stared at the space beside them.

"They left."

"Why?"

The child shrugged. "I don't know. They said they had to talk to someone urgently. I can't see who they're talking about, just like how you can't see anyone else here but me at this point in time."

Lunor dropped the piece of obsidian, watching it spin midair before stopping. "And why is that?"

The child sighed. "I found that the place is very individualised. You won't meet anyone here unless they're deeply involved with your life, no matter if they're from the past or the present. It's weird isn't it?"

"So that means you're going to be connected to me."

The child shrugged. "I guess."

Lunor dropped the piece of obsidian and watched as it circled downwards in the air before stopping, hovering mere centimetres from the sand.

Clothes rustled as the child stood back up and pointed to the water's edge. "Do you want to go back to playing in the water?"

Lunor looked back up. "Was that what I was doing?"

"Yes"

The child hopped back onto the sand. "Come on, what are you waiting for?"

Lunor followed and stopped. "Isn't it cold?"

The child paused. "Is it? Why don't you try touching it again?"

Lunor reached out and hesitantly dipped her finger in the water, fully expecting the burning sensation, but there was nothing. Then, thoughts crashed into her mind, and images tumbled after.

"Sweetheart, you understand that we might be asleep for a long, long time. Hopefully, long enough for them to fix you."

Lunor nodded, watching as her mother's face distorted in pain.

"There's nothing else that would save me now, is there?"

"No, there isn't. Temporal distortion sickness is incurable at this point, but maybe there will be a breakthrough in a few decades or so." Her dad paused. "If it wasn't for that damn war-"

Lunor cut in. "But what about you? Aren't you going to get old and die?"

Another voice called out.

"The time dilation capsules are ready."

Lunor stared at her parents. "I-You're joining me?"

Another memory cut in, strange and unfamiliar.

Thunderous clapping roared across the subterranean hall. Lights flashed, and an announcement boomed from the speakers.

"Congratulations, to the year of 2251, on your graduation. Today we shall-"

Lunor pulled her finger out, blinking as the voices faded. "Graduation? But that-"

"Hasn't happened yet."

Lunor turned around and nodded.

"I told you time is funny here, especially in the sea. The sea is time, and the waves are turning-point events. Sometimes, you get memories when you play in the water, sometimes you lose them, and sometimes, you see a probable future."

"So then, how come you can play in the water without any effect?"

The child shrugged. "Because I don't exist yet."

Lunor paused and frowned. "So, if the sea is time, then what is the sand?"

The child closed her eyes. "Something your mind made up, so you won't drown in the sea of time."

Lunor blinked. "I see."

"Hey, sweetheart."

Lunor froze. She turned around, scanning the beach.

"Here."

She turned back at the sea, skimming her eyes over the waves. On a crest were two figures, two recognisable figures

"Mum? Dad?"

"Go on."

Lunor turned back to the child. "What do you mean?"

The child smiled once more. They pointed at the distance, where that large wave went over the moon. "See that?"

Lunor nodded.

The child continued. "That was when faster-than-light travel was invented, but the safeguards were not."

Lunor paused. "That was just before the war..."

"Lunor!"

The child nodded to the waves. "You should go, you know? They're waiting. Touch that wave, and you'll be back to where you're supposed to be. Don't worry about drowning. It won't happen."

Lunor nodded slowly. "What about you?"

The child, the girl, smiled. "Remember? Time is funny here. I will be fine because I never existed, I have, and I will not at the same time."

Lunor scoffed and shook her head. She took a few steps, listening to the quiet calls of her parents.

Step. Water covered her feet, cold and wet.

"I had a dream-"

Step. Water rose to her calves, dragging her down.

"A formless, silent dream-"

Step. Water rose to her waist.

Crying. Tears came not from the child but from her mother.

"Lunor, your sister. The ship, it crashed-"

Lunor gasped, The child-

She stood up and turned back around. "You're-"

The child smiled and nodded towards the sea.

At that, a loud, high-pitched beep filled the previously silent air, and the beach faded away. Lunor looked up at the large shadow looming over her and saw a large wave poised to crash over her head.

...

Deep underwater, the girl saw a blurry figure standing on the seafloor. The figure looked up and smiled.

The sky was burning. White ash rained from burning skies, and the surroundings warped and wobbled like reflections in the water. Lunor ran, following her parents as they reached closer and closer, towards the silver-white space shuttle at the end of the parking lot.

There was a yelp, and Lunor looked behind, watching in disbelief as Meroa, her younger brother, froze and began to warp. The girl blinked as a strong hand yanked her wrist.

"Lunor, sweetheart, we gotta go."

"But what about Meroa?"

"Your brother can't be saved, and we have to run before the time distortion field catches up."

Lunor could only stare as her brother's warped figure grew smaller and smaller. She looked down, and that's when she noticed that her legs were wobbling too. The door closed, and the spacecraft hummed as it slowly lifted itself from the planet's surface.

Then, her vision turned white with pain.

Lunor blinked and reached out. The figure turned away. Her muffled call generated only bubbles. Despite her desperate swim towards her brother, the current of time slowly carried her away. Regrets trailed from her cries as her outstretched arm lost strength.

I'm sorry I didn't hold your hand.

I'm sorry I didn't keep an eye on you.

Despair clouded her mind as her vision dimmed. With every thought, her brother grew smaller.

Meroa!

Perhaps it was her imagination, but her brother seemed to turn his head for another second. Then, darkness claimed her sight, and another distant thought spiralled from her fading consciousness.

It all made sense now.

Eternity connected family together-

–from the past to the present-

– in a sea of time.

...

Lunor opened her eyes to a white ceiling and beeping machines. She turned her head, taking in the sight of two people, her parents, staring at her in worry.

"Mum? Dad?"

Her mother cupped her hands over her mouth, tears running down her face. Her father broke into hollow laughter. He then stopped and smiled.

"Hey, sweetheart. Welcome back."

Lunor pushed herself up, stopping as the world tilted.

"Hey, easy there. We've been suspended for five years, and you've only just recovered."

"So-so it worked?"

Her mother nodded. "Barely. We thought we were going to lose-"

Lunor nodded and stared at the ceiling once more.

There was a period of silence, and the girl frowned, reaching towards the void in her memories. Five years were gone, just like that.

Her mother cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "Hey, Lunor, what do you think of being a big sister?"

Lunor froze.

There was a wave-

"Dear, are you alright?"

The girl stared at the ceiling. An unknown sadness gripped her chest. It was as if she lost someone precious all over again. She turned her head.

A place beyond time-

"I think- I think I had a dream..."