Kai blinked first.
"This isn't the moon," he whispered, staring up at the purple sky filled with spiraling golden stars.
"No kidding," Rania muttered. "Unless the moon recently got a cosmic makeover and installed crystal columns and floating jellyfish-lanterns."
They stood in the middle of an enormous hall made of glowing, semi-transparent stone. The floor reflected their images—but slightly... off. Rania's reflection had two left shoes. Kai's was wearing a tutu.
"Okay, either this is a glitch in reality," Kai said slowly, "or we accidentally entered an alien rave."
Then, from the far end of the hall, they appeared.
Tall, humanoid figures cloaked in silver and nebulae. Their faces shimmered like static, constantly shifting between expressions—one second smiling, the next, furious, then… a duck?
The one in front stepped forward. "Greetings. We are the Council of Moonlings."
Rania tilted her head. "Moonlings?"
"Yes," the being said, raising an elegant hand. "The ancient caretakers of lunar reality. Also part-time baristas."
"…Baristas?" Kai asked.
"Moonbucks," said another. "You've probably never heard of it. We serve thoughts instead of coffee."
Suddenly, a tray floated between them, carrying a single shimmering bowl.
"Please," the lead Moonling said solemnly. "Drink from the Cup of Existential Soup."
Rania blinked. "I'm sorry. The *what now*?"
The Moonling gestured again. "It contains the truth of all things. Memory. Time. The real reason socks disappear in the laundry."
Kai leaned in, intrigued. "I mean, I *have* always wondered about the socks…"
"No," Rania said, pushing the bowl away. "I am not drinking soup that glows and whispers my name."
The soup whispered: "Raaaaaniaaaaaaa…"
She yelped. "NOPE."
The Moonlings conferred silently, their forms rippling like a disturbed pond.
"She has denied the soup," said one.
"Protocol demands the Trial of Wiggling Orbs," said another.
Kai looked at Rania. "Do I even want to know?"
"Nope," she replied. "But I bet it involves slime."
The floor trembled. From beneath them rose a giant platform, and on it—giant, jiggling, semi-transparent orbs. Like alien jelly. With eyes.
"So. Many. Eyes," Rania whispered.
The lead Moonling announced: "To prove you are worthy to exit the artifact, you must bounce upon the Sacred Orbs of Memory. While answering questions about your deepest regrets."
Kai slowly turned to Rania. "I knew therapy would catch up to us eventually."
The orbs began to hum.
Lights dimmed.
Melvin's voice crackled in their comms, panicked. "What are you doing?! You're inside a Level-9 Lunar Construct! Get out before your emotions turn into laser cats!"
"Too late," Kai muttered as the first orb launched him 30 feet into the air.
He screamed all the way up.
Rania sighed. "Of course this is happening. Of course. Why not emotional jelly trampolines on a space moon dimension run by part-time baristas?"
She stepped forward and jumped.
The Trial of Wiggling Orbs had begun.