It was a clear summer evening; the sun had gone to sleep. The sky was orange, as though the sky itself had been softly bruised by sunset. The air was still warm, though no longer as suffocating as it had been under the midday sun. While my sister rushed toward us cheerfully, my mother and I were sipping our cold lemonade on the balcony overlooking the garden. “I won the giveaway! We are going to have a wonderful holiday in a wonderful island for a week. Also, all of the accommodation and transportation are played by a travel agency.” she waved her phone in the air gladly. We stunned for a second. She started to speak quickly again as we continued staring at her in confusion. “I participated in a famous influencer’s giveaway last month. I didn’t think I would actually win it. Mom, Hazel, do you even understand what I’m trying to say?” Suddenly my mother let out a mocking laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous. It probably is not real. Why would someone give free holiday in an island. If I were them, I would go to that holiday instead of giving it to random people.” My sister rolled her eyes dramatically and showed five flight tickets, all under her name, on her phone. “See? Five tickets for the first of June to Miragium Iunonis Island. And the confirmation email is right here.” “Well… Miragium Iunonis sounds like something straight out of a Roman myth,” I mumbled. “I doubt this island even exists. If it were a place we could reach with a three-hour plane ride, we would’ve heard of its name at least once or twice.” My mother muttered, reaching for her own phone. “Let’s see if this island actually exists.” She typed quickly, her eyebrows slowly narrowing as she searched. A beat of silence passed. Finally, she sighted sharply. “Honey, your sister must be right. I can’t find any information about it. No photos, no website, no location. There isn’t even a travel guide mentioning it. It’s like the island doesn’t exist.” My sister straightened up, looking offended. “It does exist! The influencer posted about it. Let me show the video. Also, there is going to be an online meeting tonight to inform the winners of the giveaway.” My mother lowered her phone with an exhausted sigh. “You know what? Forget it,” she muttered, waving her hand dismissively. “Don’t drag me into this nonsense anymore. If you two want to chase after some mysterious island, be my guest. I’m done.” She pushed her chair back and stood up, clearly annoyed, as if the whole conversation had drained the last bit of patience she had. After my mother left the balcony, Hazel turned to me with fury. ” You always have to make things worse right!” Then she ran into her room and slammed the door of her room. I headed to my own room and lay on my bed, scrolling through my phone, trying to distract myself from the tension in the house.
After an hour of scrolling, I got up from my bed and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. I glance at the clock on the kitchen wall. It was passed midnight. I thought it would be nice if I go and talk to Hazel. Even if we had argued, we were sisters after all. I heard a woman speaking seriously before I knocked on her door. She must have been attending the meeting she had mentioned. I was filled with curiosity. “What sane person could talk this seriously about an island that didn’t even exist?” I thought. Then I decided to listen to the woman as well. I wanted to know what she was talking about. I knocked the door of my sister gently and entered the room. She turned her gaze towards me. “If you allow me, I would like to listen the information with you.” I whispered. Hazel hesitated for a second, then nodded silently and turned the volume down. On the screen, a woman with a calm but unnerving voice was speaking. “Before we continue,” the woman said, “all participants must do not forget that Miragium Iunonis is not merely a destination, but a place governed by ancient observances.” I exchanged a quick glance with Hazel. Then, the woman’s face glitched, her voice stretching into an unnatural static sound. Hazel reached for the mouse. “Did it crash?” she whispered. Suddenly screen refreshed. The woman was continuing to speak as nothing happened. “Your flights will depart at 6.40 a.m. on June first. Please make sure to arrive at the airport at least two hours early. Further details regarding accommodation will be sent with email.” The meeting end after two hours. I slowly turned to Hazel. She was staring at the screen. “What did she mean it is an island governed by ancient observances? And why did the screen glitched after she told that?” I asked. Hazel frowned slightly. “Well, I could say it was just a metaphor to describe how deep its history but the glitch and the woman’s behaviour were creepy,” she said. “Yes, absolutely.” I replied. “Whatever never mind.” she mumbled “Let’s just sleep and forget this ever happened.”
That night was covered in a quiet, unsettling haze. The house was quiet but my mind couldn’t slow down. I remember lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. I must have fallen asleep in some point. My dreams shifted into something deeper. I found myself in a place covered by lily scented mist. From within the mist, a figure slowly emerged. She was sitting on a magnificent throne adorned with peacock feathers and covered in sparkling jewels, surrounded by a bright halo. I could feel her power and wisdom. Her power wasn’t forceful, yet it was absolute, carrying an authority that did not need to be declared. The mist trembled in her presence, as though even the world itself recognized her dominion. Then she looked me into my eyes. She had gorgeous, ancient brown eyes that had seen empires rise and fall and had witnessed countless bravery of heroes. She was radiant as the sun, wrapped in a flowing dress that seemed woven from moonlight and ivory. A golden crown rested upon her dark hair, glowing softly. She wasn’t smiling but she wasn’t threatening either. She was just watching me, observing me as if she is measuring something. Then she spoke, her voice calm yet echoing in my head.
“You have chosen well Iris.”
I gasped sharply, struggling to catch my breath, as I woke with a sudden jolt. A seatbelt pressed tightly against my waist. The low hum of engines filled my ears. I quickly looked around. I was in an airplane! For a moment I could not move nor breathe. I stared at the tray table in front of me, my hands were trembling. The dream clung onto me, heavy, vivid, refusing to fade. I turned my head to the left. Hazel was beside me. She had fallen asleep. Across the aisle, my mother sat motionless, her eyes closed, her arms folded tightly across her chest. I nudged Hazel with panic and fear. “Hazel! Wake up. Why are we on an airplane?” “What airplane?” she grumbled “Stop speaking nonsense Aurie.” Just then a calm, recorded-sounding announcement echoed through the cabin. “Dear passengers, welcome aboard Flight 0106 to Miragium Iunonis. Please remain seated with your seatbelts fastened until further instructions. All questions regarding your destination will be addressed shortly. We wish you a pleasant flight.” Something about the announcement felt off. The voice was dreadfully precise, almost mechanical. I felt like I’d heard this sound somewhere before. I didn’t think that much about it. I forced myself to breathe and slowly scanned the cabin. The plane was much smaller than any flight I had ever been on. The rows were short, the lights dimmed low. But what unsettled me most wasn’t the size of the aircraft. It was the passengers. Almost everyone was asleep. Some stirred slightly as if drifting between sleep and wakefulness but no one fully opened their eyes. I swallowed hard. I tried to remember how did we came here but it was as if that part had been cut out from my memories. All of a sudden, the wheels clicked softly along the narrow aisle as if whoever was pushing a food cart had all the time in the world. My stomach had twisted. The food cart kept getting closer and closer to where I was sitting. The flight attendant stopped pushing it when she came beside me. She wore a bloodcurdling smile. “Seems like you are the first one who woke up, my dear.” She spoke with a bright, almost rainbow-like cheer that made my skin crawl. Her auburn hair was styled neatly into a bun but it was her eyes that froze me in place. They were shifting rapidly, changing colours in an unnatural way. For a moment I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Her eyes shimmered like rainbows. I sat there in stunned silence. Not a single word came out of my mouth. “Unfortunately, Aurie, you have to continue sleeping.” she said cheerfully. “My Lady wishes you to keep sleeping but no worries. We’re only an hour away from our destination.” Before I could respond, a strange heaviness settled over me. My eyelids burned, my body growing unbearably warm and weak. I had to stay awake. I had to resist this feeling. But my thoughts slipped away one by one. I surrendered myself to the warm embrace of sleep.
A gentle hand touched my shoulder. “Wake up.” The warmth of sleep slipped away. I inhaled sharply, my lungs filling with scent of salt and flowers. I blinked and tried to adjust to the light. I heard the yawn of Hazel. She had woken up. “Were, are we? When did we board a plane? Where is this place? Aurie!” she shouted with panic. Before I could answer movement rippled through the cabin. One by one, passengers stirred. Heads lifted, eyes blinked open in confusion. A few sharp gasps cut through the air, followed by hurried whispers. The quiet cabin erupted into a low, rising hum.
“Where are we?”
“What is happening?”
“How did we get here?”
As we fumbled with our seatbelts, trying to reach my mother, a commanding female voice filled the cabin. “Remain seated,” she commanded “and listen to me.” My hands froze on the seatbelt. It was the flight attendant that made me sleep! But she was wearing a gown shimmered with prismatic light, every movement scattering colours like a living rainbow right now. Even her hair reflected those hues, faint but unmistakable. A sheer paella rested upon her shoulders, trailing behind her like a living veil. In her hand, she had a golden caduceus, twin serpents entwined along its length, its winged crown glowing with prismatic light. “You have not been brought here as guests,” she said “You have been chosen.” My chest tightened. “For centuries, My Lady was served by mortals,” Iris continued. “Women chosen for their devotion and strength. They were granted immortality until Jupiter forbade it.” Her voice darkened slightly. “He decreed that no god but himself may bestow eternity upon mortals. After this decree, those who had once served Juno perished as punishment and after that day every year on this day, she has a group of 20 servants brought into this island which only appears at June 1st.” I looked around the cabin, really looked this time. Row after row, seat after seat. Faces half-awake, confused, frightened. All women. No men. Not one. Then it struck me. June first. Juno. The timing was no coincidence. And if Juno, one of the most powerful goddesses in Roman mythology, was real, then that woman could only be Iris. The goddess of the rainbow, Juno’s messenger. “June. The month of Juno. “I blurted it out. Iris turned her gaze toward me, the colours in her eyes slowing, settling into something almost approving. “You are perceptive. No wonder My Lady thinks you’re a good choice.” she said. “June is My Lady’s month. The first day of it has long been sacred to her. Juno is the guardian of women, goddess of marriage, birth, and the bonds that shape mortal lives. On this day, her presence has always been strongest. It is the only time the veil thins enough for Miragium Iunonis to reveal itself.” The plane doors opened without a sound. Warm air, heavy with salt and flowers, flooded the cabin. Beyond the steps, there was no airport. There was only mist. Iris stepped aside and inclined her head slightly.
“Welcome,” she said, “to Miragium Iunonis.”