Prologue:

As it was, and so it shall always be, my dearest one, For all things end the same way they started, Foretold to us by those who lived until the end and foresaw the beginning. And in the unlikely case that we are shrouded in doubt, let this lament breathe life into you. May your second song be more benevolent than the very first one, A life filled with an abundance of adventures and lore. As for this tale? Let it fade into a distant memory, forevermore.'

An Ode to the Sleeping Princess

Her voice, an enchanting lament, resounded in the hollow echoes of my mind.

"May your second song be more benevolent than the first,"

"As for the fading first song, let it dissolve into a distant memory, forevermore." She wrapped me in the thorny embrace of her words, a vengeful dream weaving around my heart.

Darkness surged from the periphery, converging at the center again, and my voice faded into breathless waiting.

Beneath her warm bosom, I lay fragile, fading into hazy black smoke

. Her brown hands tightened around my little neck, unseen in the encroaching darkness.

Distorted but filled with motherly love, her smile concealed cruel intentions.

Darkness advanced forcefully, her hands clamping with more force around my neck, the deranged clown's smile persisting against her smoky features, but I felt the soft pellets of warm tears fall against me.

Crowned in madness beneath her relentless hold, I soon descended into a cold, painless silence, making no sound. Before I was cast aside from this dreadful world.

I dreamt a dream of the past, of the white dawn, the black goat, and the unblemished golden ram with wings resurfacing from its scarred back.

The goddess's curses etched against my soul.

Tales of the moon's tears, Ziz's thunderous rage, Levi's demise, and the tragedy of the sleeping princess echoed in the haunting verses.

And concerning the eight watchers, the guardians of breath, they had woven an oath of blood sealed forever within the depths of time.

I remember you was troubled.

I remember the bloom of the white dawn.

I remember the black goat between the stalks of weeds.

And the unblemished sheep with wings.

The goddess opened my heart and breathed these curses into me. She told me the tales when I was younger, before I sleep.

‘Once the moons tears fell, the gates of the behemoth’s mouth opened.

And Ziz marked the skies with clashes of thunder and rage.

Levi had been slain by this point, her scales washed ashore on the pale sands, so lowly kings fashioned their strongholds from her bones and flesh.

A ridiculing tyrant was born but outmatched by his egotistical son,

A princess adorned in Pure Gold destroyed her plume garden. She fell in love with her brother, he betrayed her, and died,

And she dyed the fields with carmine,

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The rose petals smelt of iron…disaster…disaster… the sleeping princess cradled the eggs of five lizards closely…disaster…disaster...even in death she refused to let them go...disaster...disaster.

And together they all sing...

Disaster we bring...disaster we sing.

Ringo POV

“Oh-wow Ringo, that was...definitely a... mood killer. I like it though, it’s very you”

“W-wait what? D-don't say it like that.” Ringo replied, shifting her gaze away to hide her embarrassment.

“I’m being honest, hehe besides, it’s not like anyone’s going to read it besides me anyway. Say, how long until first lesson starts?” The girl who sat with her two legs between the iron bars asked. Her short hair was cropped neatly just above her shoulders. With a blue hair pin angled in place to hold bits of her straight hair in place. The was Sharn, Ringo’s longest and dearest friend. In truth, she was Ringo’s only friend these days.

“It’s not about who sees it or not ...I mean it is, but it isn’t at the same time. Sigh...and we’ve got 20 minutes left by the way.”

“That’s nowhere enough time, baa! Where does all the time go. Doesn’t it feel like most of our time spent is in school these days?” her friend Sharn voiced,

“Weekends don’t feel like weekends these days, and when we do get a little bit of spare time, there’s never anything fun to do. Feels like one big set up if you ask me. Bring on adulthood I say girly.”

Ringo chuckled in response to her friend's words, using her dainty hands to partially cover her mouth.

“My Dad told me our problems only get worse once we grow older, I do wonder about that sometimes...I do...wonder.”

Ringo felt herself traversing into an idle daydream, only to be forcefully pulled out from it by Sharn’s hoarse sounding throat clearing.

“You’re doing it again”

“What? Wh-what am I doing?” Ringo replied, feigning ignorance

“Travelling to a distant world again. You always handle things that way, especially when you’re in one of those...moods, I guess we should call it. So, let’s talk about you girly, what’s going on? You having more of those dreams I take it?”

Ringo felt her entire body tense up hearing that, she swallowed her spit harshly down her throat, not too sure how she should be approaching that question. Sharn was spot on, weirdly enough she always was these days. Just thinking about those persistent dreams made Ringo feel nauseous. Recently she had been plagued with a persistent nightmare, a disaster it was, of epic and devasting proportions. She could remember the dream almost word for word at this point. Another harrowing thing she was trying not to think about, and every night, she would see the exact same thing.

‘The stars would fall down, and the world will break.’

Since the first day of summer, she rehearsed that line over and over.

“Y-yeah...every night since summer arrived.” She softly answered after a short pause.

“Hmm, and what did your old man say about it?” Sharn queried whilst smoothing her little chin in deep thought.

“He said...” A rare warm smile creased against her pretty face.

“He told me what he always tells me. That I look beautiful when I smile.” Ringo twirled the ends of her curly afro hair. Staring dreamily into the open canvas of sky above her.

“He’s pretty cool, that Dad of yours. Loud though, but cool nonetheless. Hold on, didn’t you once tell me he went through the same thing? Ya-know with weird dreams and what not?”

Ringo’s brow lifted upon being reminded about that.

“Yeah...h-he did go through something like that didn’t he? I almost forgot about that.” To Ringo her father's childhood was somewhat of a strange thing to remember. Since he himself couldn’t quite put it into words. One thing he was assured of though, was his strange and quite vivid dreams.

“He once dreamed about being visited in the dread of the night by a strange figure clothed in shimmering gold. Then he went on a journey, a journey to a place hidden beneath a veil. There he met a little girl with scarlet eyes, who made a promise to help him find his way back home.”

She felt the cold railings warm from her moistening palms. The cold air from this high up usually soothed her worries, but this morning felt different. Even the picturesque scene of the towering metropolis layered beneath her gaze wasn’t as effective as it usually was. Something felt different. Something felt wrong. Her spirit felt troubled.

Sharns voice cut through her internalized bubble again.

“You see, just like that...ya know, it’s going to be alright.”

“Wha-what do you-”

“I mean everything! Every single worry in that exceptional noodle of yours will be ok. I think you’re special Ringo. Truly, more special than either of us understand right now.”

Ringo looked down, watching her two brown hands clutching hold of the railing. The hem of her skirt fluttered along with the passing wind.

“Y-yeah, special heh? No, Shoba is special. I can’t hold a candle to him in anything.” She smiled wryly, the face of her exceptional brother appeared in her thoughts, and her mood only soured.

“Pfft! You need to stop worrying about that weird brother of yours. Sure, he’s got his gifts, hell, can’t say I can think of anyone our age who excels in practically everything like he does.”

“You’re great at cheering people up Sharn” Ringo sang sarcastically.

“No-no hear me out. Ok he’s practically good in everythinggg. But he isn’t you. Only you know what it feels like to be you, and that counts for a whole heap of things you think he can do better than you.”

Ringo studied the side profile of her dearest friend in silence for a short while. A few seconds passed and they eventually both broke out into hysterical laughter.

“Ok-ok-ok you’re right, I am terrible at this. Buahahaha! But I do mean it Ringo, I think you are far special than you know.”

The two young girls always spent their mornings this way. It somewhat looked rather cliche, but the roof of their school building had turned into their favorite hanging spot. For Ringo, amidst the constant pressures of her young life, handling her anxieties, whilst trying to navigate around people and trying not to wallow in her insecurities. Sharn was the only person who never made her feel down about herself. And spending time beside her was one of the few things she enjoyed these days.