He belongs to the bloodline that guards the heavens, thus his name, a play on the celestial lunar object that overlooks everything the dark touches.

His fate is not of his own making. Rather, Eric was unanimously chosen by the tribunal to serve his punishment in the said manner, as he has accidently killed a powerful creature which resides on the surface of the moon. For thousands of years, he guarded the evolving energy of the Rabbit, which has the capacity to calm the waters of the Earth in its sleep, and cause colossal underwater tsunamis in its rage.

Unbeknownst to many, the far side of the moon overlooks the unexplored areas of the universe. From his standpoint, Eric sees the movement of all living objects, as there is a belief that the moon partakes in the lives of mortals, dubbed in the human realm as the so-called lunar effect, the perceived real and imaginary correlations in between the moon and the living. In order to also see the extent of damage the Rabbit may cause, Eric looks down a circular pool that reflects the magnanimity of the moon, allowing him to observe quietly and peacefully all of the living and non-living.

In his rounds, one particular living creature has caught his eye, an ashen blond singer with a nightingale voice. It was an accident. He was not particularly aware, as it just so happened that he has observed in the past few years an unnamed comet making its rounds at certain points of the year, and it coincides with activities of the said person. He noticed that the little comet is a form like his own, that its energy is linked to something else, in this case, linked to a certain mortal on earth.

Comets and moons were never found on the same pages of astronomy nor astrology books, and so Eric paid no mind to the comet at first, as it did not have extraordinary proportions nor historic value like that of Halley’s or as particularly damaging like that of Shoemaker-Levy 9. However, Eric found himself delving deeper into the profile of the human, who he found out was given the birth name Jung Pilgyo, and chose a stage name which, in an amusing turn of events, means comet; Shin Hyesung.

Hyesungie. Eric chuckled under his breath, the first time he came up with the nickname, and continued to follow the singer’s activities. During the first snow fall, on the first burst of leaf in the spring, when cold gave way to warmth, when the orange leaves blanketed the forest floor, Eric witnessed it all, with his eyes never leaving Hyesung. For the first time in a thousand many others, the days, months, and even years, felt like mere seconds, and passed by like a blink of an eye.

On the opening weeks of this year’s particular chilly November, Eric noticed that the Rabbit has been active, its energy bursting, causing a few movements among living things. This time of the year is one of the most challenging, as there is also need to prepare for the mercury retrograde, which causes all existing communication, travel, and technology to go out of orbit, and will remain in a state of haywire in the course of three consecutive weeks. He has always prepared for the worst, and nothing incredibly damaging has transpired since his stay in the moon, but for this year, there feels a specific change coming in, but Eric could not exactly put a finger on it.

The Rabbit’s energy was at its peak when Shin Hyesung’s camp rolled in, and Eric was left with no choice but to pay extreme attention to him, as the comet that guides the singer’s life has been charted off course due to the immense strength of the Rabbit’s pull. The comet, with its small, delicate size, and flailing tail reminded Eric of a dying animal, and he feels the need to protect the singer’s life at all cost, should the comet perish in the chaotic tug-of-war.

For the first time, Eric himself, went down to the mortal realm and left a small token that will serve as protection and binding mark that the Rabbit should not and would not initiate drastic measures that may harm anyone. He left a particular cap in a form of a rabbit that will protect Hyesung. A harmless novelty toy in the eyes of many, but something infinitely important to the man trapped on the moon.

This gesture did not go unnoticed by the Rabbit.

Eric knows he has a lot of explaining to do, and steadied himself should the Rabbit plan a punishment harsher to what he was already subjected to. Surprisingly, the discussion was far calmer than what he expected.

Giving him something that will connect the two of you, in the shape and form of the powerful Rabbit, you created a bridge that disrupts the logic of space and time.

Eric looked down the pool where he has seen mortals born, age, and die, and saw the waters ripple ever so slightly. His eyebrows furrowed and looked at the Rabbit. The Rabbit, with its red beady eyes, blinked, and the waters solidified like crystalline glass, becoming a huge mirror to beyond.

But it is no ordinary mirror.

With eyes wide, Eric saw himself staring at a mortal form of him; wearing clothes which befit winter, holding a phone, and doing what the modern mortals do nowadays with their own mirrors.

But it is not his reflection which gave him a shock. It is Hyesung who is beyond the mirror. Hyesung who became slimmer due to his never-ending dance practice. Hyesung who is tirelessly preparing for his year-end concert, singing songs late into the night, his voice has become Eric’s lullaby. Hyesung garbed in bright red fleece sweater, and blond hair reminiscent of the wheat fields the fox in The Little Prince story so loved.

Hyesung befitting the little prince image, and Eric feeling like a fox, a sly onlooker to an unsuspecting victim.

This is your punishment. You will forever behold your love, but he will never love you. He will never get to know you, but you will always know him. The mirror as its original mechanism, allows you to look, but you will never get to know beyond its surface.   

And the universe continued to look on, on them both, as there is nothing left to be said. As mentioned prior, moons and comets never really intersect. They exist on two separate heavenly planes. Like their names, the moon will always look on, and the comet, as always, looks away after every turn.