Gracie

She’d awoken upon a sea of light. The sky coloured a white that was purer than the clouds sailing by her feet. Before her mind could question what she saw, the sea of clouds around her froze in place, as if the lungs of time itself held its breath.

Confused, Gracie slowly stood up. Her body felt light. The pain that had wrecked her was gone, almost as if it had never happened. She felt fine, better than fine. Looking at her body, however, she once again questioned what she saw.

Her hand was barely visible. It was like looking at her gale knight’s armour shrouding her features without the body present. It took a while for Gracie to process it, but process it she did. That calm acceptance itself struck her as odd.

“I died... didn’t I?”

“Being free of the body would change the way you see things,” a voice sounded in her head. “And as for your question. Well... I’m sorry.” In surprise, Gracie took a look around. Behind her, she saw an apparition of a giant wolf looking as vaguely physical as she did. Off In the distance, the great looming shadow of Mt. Karaki peeked through the clouds, and a strange young girl dressed in white, glowing a golden hue like the sun at dawn floated beside it. Her downcast eyes held the weight of her earnest apology. “What befell you just now was an event that should have never happened,” the voice spoke once again. Although it sounded like it came from the young girl, her lips never moved.

Strange... Gracie meant to think those words, but her thoughts were sounded without her lips moving. Stunned, Gracie cleared her throat and tried to take stock of the situation.

What do you mean by… The words she thought to give sound to came out before her lips could move. So strange… the young girl simply smiled at her in understanding.

“The thing that descended before you—was a nightmare made manifest, the collected fear of death and the unknown given shape. It was something that should have never entered the world of the awake and living,”

If what happened was impossible, then who made it possible? Gracie asked. The young girl fixed her with a sorrowful gaze.

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“Natalie was the one who caused this nightmare to appear,“ the girl said. Gracie world froze up to those words. She had so meany questions but before she could ask, the young girl continued.

“She performed a miracle… but the price for wonders is steep. Casting brighter lights only creates darker shadows. By fumbling in the dark for a solution. She now must live with the horrors she guided into the world.”

The thing that killed me was the result of Natalie protecting my village? Gracie asked. Finally, looking her in the eye, the girl nodded.

“I’ve told Natalie of her part in all of this, but I highly doubt that she’ll remember. Dreams are fickle things, after all. Though her mind forgets, the memory of our encounter will linger in her heart, without ever knowing why... She will continue bearing this heavy guilt.” Although her lips did not move, her expression held every ounce of remorseful pain her words conveyed.

“This is dangerous,” another voice echoed in her mind. It had a deep growl to it, making Gracie think of the giant apparition of the wolf.

“You don’t like my solution?” the young girl’s voice said as she turned back to the great wolf. Soon, however, she turned to Gracie with a determined look. “After what you just witnessed, you still doubt the will of humans?“

“Human will is unpredictable, little fragment,” although the wolf said the title like an adult chastising a child. Gracie could not help but feel the fear behind the words.

“I wish I had better options, but it’s the only way I can see to fix this,” the girl said.

“Humans will already corrupt the dreaming, soon the cycles will-”

“-I know the risk, but Natalie wished for it, so… I have to at least try,” the young girl said.

“You are stepping into the sky guardian’s domain. If she smells you on her land, she will hunt you down. You will die,“ The wolf said. It was hard to tell, but Gracie thought that the giant apparition of a wolf was looking at her.

“And what of your pact with the humans? Is that not stepping out of your own domain, too? Face it Griffin, you may act like you're above it all. But in reality, you’re as rebellious as I am!” the girl said, an amused, confident smile on her face. It was then that recognition struck Gracie.

You’re the Alpha king! She stammered. Griffin’s growl cut through Gracie, making her flinch back. The immense sounds that came off of him could have shaken a mountain. The young girl’s amusement also vanished, leaving only a bright and earnest look on her face.

“You see them as family too, don’t you? Even after all these years you honoured your friend’s pledge because there is something there, a bond that surpasses blood or species,”

“But this new bond you speak of is cruel, unfair,” Griffin said. He looked at her again now with pitiful eyes, making Gracie want to shrink off into a corner.

What is he talking about? She tried swallowing, but without a body, it felt redundant. The young girl turned to her now, a look of sympathy on her smiling face.

“I plan on doing something crazy to help right this wrong. But I’ll need your help to make it happen.”