"Sebastian! Wake up already you lazy boy. Come eat!!"

The very next moment, I found myself wide awake and oozing in the gentle warmth provided by my humble bed. I was now breathing... perfectly normally. "Ahh..." I put my hand to my mouth and examined my once horribly beaten up face. I looked at my arm, at the clear skin that was once completely burnt away... No signs of 'that day' had remained.

I really have returned.

The day I had 'that dream', I returned to that very moment where I woke up from it. In the first life I had experienced, I had a dream where my mother and I were going to die. I thought it was just a nightmare so I naturally just kept things to myself... But this dream turned out to be true, as the events following 'that day' then played out exactly as the dream...

Then I died.

However, I had power. I had realised this power of mine ironically at the end of my 'first life'. It was when I felt the menacing fire on my skin and the searing pain all over my body, that's when memories of the dream had hit me. But it wasn't a dream, it was more like memories of the future- a prophecy. I would die, then I would wake up.

But... what if everything I'm experiencing right now was just part of a dream? Like an endless cycle of living, dying, and waking up again...

It gives me shivers thinking about it and my head even aches at the thought of this. I may be confusing myself, but even so, I can't deny the fact that right now I have returned. No one can...

I was at home with my mother- I was back again, to the time when everything was... fine. As I looked down to my quivering hands, I remembered the feeling clearly... The frustrating weakness, the crippling pain, and the unshakeable despair. Was this fear? Although I consciously denied it before my death, my mind still remembers and my body is reacting accordingly.

But why do I get the feeling that there's something 'off' about all this. Wrong. Something feels 'not right'- Contradictory even. Something is odd about me but I don't know what...

Nevertheless, these small hands have only one purpose which is to protect Mother. Even if those inhumane people think otherwise, the death of my mother was undoubtedly a mistake. That's what I firmly believe in. And so, no matter what path I may end taking-

I'll do anything if it means I can save her.

"Sebastian, don't you dose off again. I know you're awake!!"

But for now, there's no point thinking about what has happened. I should get myself together at least and start the day. Thirteen days- I'm not sure why exactly I remember this but I'm pretty sure that there were thirteen days left until mother's death when I first had that 'prophetic dream'.

We won't be able to leave the village straight away. If we're leaving the village forever then that means we'd need a lot of money, and finding a good place to live would be difficult. We'd need it to be far away and hidden from this village.

Furthermore, we'd need to keep earning money somehow. If there was a place to work nearby where we would settle, then that would be ideal. And, before anything else... I would have to convince Mother.

With that said, after getting myself ready for the day and sitting at the small table, I find myself drifting off in contemplation.

"Why do you always sleep in so much? Is it because you had that dream again?" My mother huffs and asks while I motionlessly drift off.

"Yeah..."

"I wonder how good that dream is for you to always go back to sleep so that you'd see it again. You've been doing that for the past... twelve days now!"

"..."

"Well... since you don't seem like you want to tell me, I won't ask. Anyway, here's your food my cute little baby~" My mother motions and dangles a spoon full of soup in front of my mouth- then smiles as bright as usual.

"Ugh mom... can you stop. I'm not a baby anymore, I can feed myself..."

I was able to act normal in front of my mother despite what happened earlier. Was it my mental state that had somewhat also returned to a clean slate? Or was this just me simply acting according to what has already been predetermined? Am I moving through the motions that has already been decided for me?

I didn't understand why but for a while now I have known that I was not an ordinary child. A precocious child perhaps? At least, that's what Father said...

I have even considered the idea that my abnormalities were a part of my 'other self'. Taking away the fact that I had used power which defies the very laws of this world, it had become apparent to me that children my age were slightly less mature than me. I was still only eight years old, but maybe it was simply my curiosity for books that had led me to think this way.

Sometimes I think that 'I' am not 'me'. The real me might be somewhere else while I am here right now in their place. Furthermore the very thought or concept of this idea does not fall in place with what other children my age can think like.

The most plausible conclusion I can make now is that there exists 'another me'. It's certainly not impossible, after all I did just die and technically come back to life... What if the knowledge possessed by this 'other me' was directed towards me bit by bit. It would then make sense why I think the way I do and use words other people my age wouldn't understand.

This must mean that this 'other me' has been aware of my existence and tried to communicate with me this entire time so that I'd notice him. After all, how and why else would I be thinking of such a possibility in the first place? And for what reason is this 'other me' trying to communicate with me too? I'm not too sure yet... but there must be a certain goal that he is aiming for. Especially if he is providing me with all this information that I shouldn't be able to understand without his help.

Perhaps my belief in that 'other me' is crazy. Maybe I'm insane. Still... I can't help but think about anything but that. 'Another me'. I'm not sure why and how this belief would've been instilled in me, but it's something I strongly believe in now- more than ever before.

What I know about this 'other me' is that he has knowledge of various words, and the ability to understand difficult concepts. He is most likely able to understand human emotions in a better way than a child my age should and is able to act accordingly, and so on and so forth. He must be older than me- an adult, but for what exact age he is right now is something I cannot possibly tell.

Now that our existences have collided after my death, and I have become aware of him... The question arises. Who is he? And I- Just who am I? It's almost as if he's trying to make me realise something...

"Sebastian... are you okay?" Mother lowers the spoon and asks while looking into my eyes with concern. I chew down the food in my mouth and swallow it slowly.

"It's nothing mother."

"Ahh~" I open my mouth again to let her feed me and let myself be spoiled by her... Mother smiles brightly at me again and continues to feed me. With my mother sitting next to me I start to wonder... Should I tell her?

No... She wouldn't believe me.

No one would believe the ramblings of a child my age. I am nearly nine years old now. Although I was different from other children, I was constantly reminded by my mother that I was still her cute, sweet, and innocent little baby boy. Anyone would merely pass my experience off as a dream or nightmare and I think she would too.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, I just had a bad dream is all."

That's what it felt like to me anyway, it wouldn't be strange if this was all just a dream but I already knew that was not the case. I just... hoped it was.

...

"Aww~ come here." My mother put down her spoon into the bowl and locked my head in a tight embrace.

This is a separate topic but I've been constantly reminded by the women of this village that it's a bit rude to speak about a woman's body in a way that they would be conscious about it... And it may be rude to even repeatedly bring my mind to, but- Mother has thinned down a lot.

Compared to the past where she was more plump around the stomach and had a body type that was not obese nor severely overweight but also not too muscular or skinny- right now she's definitely more thin and looks as fragile as glass. She hasn't been eating properly and hasn't paid much attention to taking care of her health... This must be because Father hadn't returned yet...

He's probably dead.

"It's gonna be alright Sebastian, Mother's always here to keep you safe." Mother pats my head for a while, and in her embrace- a tear or two emerges from my eyes.

No, it would be a lie to say that there were only a few tears... I was practically crying like a baby now. Straight away, Mother notices instantly and tries her best to comfort me. She speaks with gentle words, pats my back, and hugs me tightly... but the tears don't stop.

[They were uncontrollable tears, ones that could not be stopped.]

For me, my mother is like the very air itself- without her I don't think I can even breathe. She has always supported me and never ceased to guide and protect me. She has always given me an endless supply of unconditional and selfless love.

I only wish that I will be able to do the same and protect her this time.

------------------------------------------------------

A few minutes later, my mother once again continued to feed me and soon the bowl was empty. I didn't feel full at all and there was still a lingering feeling of hunger like usual... but I had to make do with what I had.

*knock knock*

"Umm, uhh... Excuse me! It's me, Scarlet!! I've come to deliver some meat that my father got from hunting. Father told me to giv- I mean to share it with y'all." A nervous yet fresh voice reaches our ears.

"Ahh yes sweetie, come on in." Mother responds kindly and a small girl near my age appears right outside the door.

She had caramel coloured eyes and brunette hair arranged in pigtails. The dress that she was wearing was not colourful nor the prettiest but it was neat and fine. A stark contrast from all that I had that was mine.

"Here ya go." Scarlet says nonchalantly.

"Thank you very much darling, why not... join us and eat? You can play with little o'l Sebastian here while you wait." My mother grins while she ruffles my hair as I stand still beside her with a deadpan expression on my face.

"Umm..." Scarlet's face changes instantly to that of suprise. She glances at me for a bit somewhat expectantly but right as I catch her gaze, she looks downwards.

"Ahh... well..."

Mother lightly taps my back twice, most likely to encourage me to say something... She also gave me 'that stare' and a smile as if saying, "She did kindly bring over your most favourite~ type of 'food'. It's been a while since you've had 'meat', right? It would only be the 'right' thing for you to do if you 'return the kindness' appropriately."

Although that was just my exaggerated speculation, I have recognised in my day-to-day life that older women in particular do this a lot... I'd sometimes casually stroll and observe the ongoing events in the village between women, their partner or even their children- and the amount of times this happens is most definitely unsettling.

Haaah...

"Yeah, I don't mind playing with-"

My mother instantly gives me a 'slightly' intense glare...

"I mean, we would be glad to have you and it would be nice to hang out since we haven't done so in a while."

I don't particularly want to play around right now, as I have more important things to do but it can't be helped I guess. Furthermore, It would be best if I don't follow the same events in the same way that I had done in my past life. Otherwise, nothing would change and mother would meet the same cruel ending. That's why it's best to do something different like this and many other small things.

In my 'previous life', I persistently declined to go out and play with Scarlet for a long while. And, today I cried in front of Mother- something that hardly happened after I turned to the age of seven.

Now that things have already changed slightly, it's possible that the same future could be avoided. But this isn't enough. It could be that Mother and I will meet the same end but just later in the future. That's why I need to be meticulous, plan our escape, and find a safe place to settle down.

There is no future for us in this village. We will leave everything and everyone here, and we'll start a new life somewhere else.

Scarlet has been looking up at me for a while, her golden eyes were dim but now they were shining brightly. Her expression had changed from nervousness to a mix of happiness and excitement.

"Hmm? What do you say, Scarlet? Aren't you going to go out and have fun with my little boy?" Mother says with a mischievous grin.

"Ahh... then let's hurry up 'n' go to play out in the fields today Sebastian! I-It's a nice sunny day 'n' all." With a grin on her face, Scarlet grabs my hand and takes me away.

Stolen novel; please report.

I sigh slightly and go with the flow. I've now already taken my first steps outside this house. Dazzling rays beat down upon us, fluffy white clouds were dotted above us, the perfume of roses hung pleasantly in the air and the clicking of grasshoppers as they frolick from one blade of grass to another- was all too familiar. It was without a doubt, a perfect day.

"C'mon Sebastian... Hurry up already, we need to make the most of the time we have!!"

That's right, I need to make the most out of the time I have... I've forgotten since it's been a while but sometimes when me and Scarlet don't see each other for a while, she becomes a bit awkward when I'm around. This... probably means she wants to talk or hang out with me- but it's best if I tell her my intentions first so that she doesn't have to be so indecisive.

Scarlet and I spent most of our time together outside in the sun. We strolled down the village and played a few games that children our age usually would. One of them was a popular game called 'Hide and Find' where someone hides and someone finds. Pretty simple, huh.

Scarlet used to play this game with me a month ago or two and at the start I wasn't very good at 'hiding' or 'finding'. I quickly became better at it and soon even became better than Scarlet at the game- which she didn't like at all. When she realised I was better than her, she tried thinking like me and would hide in spots that I would choose. In the end, I would still find her but I soon realised that I should probably fake that I didn't know where she was hiding to make the game more long and fun for her. Of course, for me it was more boring but it didn't matter too much because sometimes... I like playing pretend.

When I got hungry, we decided to pass by a fruit stall and I sneakily stole some fruits. Those very appealing apples and odorous oranges aren't meant to just sit there, right? I took one of each so that it would be hard for the shopkeepers to notice.

I wouldn't usually do this but things were different this time, I guess I decided to be a bit bad today. I could do worse things- much worse things of course... And I could justify my actions but no one would believe me, not if they'd had seen what these eyes have...

Anyway, funnily enough when I swiftly stole the fruits one by one, Scarlet would dart her eyes left and right as she followed behind me in case anyone had spotted us. She would even whisper to me to take the fruits back as we would run away but of course, I didn't listen. Hah- I'm simply just built differently~

I found it amusing seeing Scarlet's varied reactions, especially when her stomach grumbled loudly while we were running and I had to give her an apple which she reluctantly accepted. I then decided to let out an unusually loud and haughty laugh as we escaped from the scene.

"Hey, race you to the big tree up on the hill!!"

Scarlet is still capable of being quite the outgoing and energetic person despite her timid moments, I don't know where she finds all that energy though...

"Hah, try to keep up 'skinny legs'. See ya at the trees, Scarlet~" I smirk and then sprint past Scarlet, running off hastily to the big tree on the hill. It seems like Scarlet's personality has rubbed off on me in some way now too, as I'm still bursting with energy.

It's quite the distance to get to the top of the hill for a regular boy my age and I don't have the best stamina but I'm quite fast when it comes to running, maybe even the fastest in the village against people my age. I suppose my family are known for being naturally fast sprinters for a reason.

"Ahh-ahh, wait. *Huff* Wait for me Sebastian!! Don't leave me behind again like last time... No, practically like every other time!"

"HAHAHAHAHA!!" Only my loud laughs could be heard as they filled the sky and drowned out Scarlet's despairing voice. It was quite the funny moment indeed.

------------------------------------------------------

Now after running through the fields of long weeds and yellow coloured flowers that look like corn, I arrive and sit down at the tree and wait for Scarlet. I take a deep breath and sigh. The wind blows gently and the leaves start to dance in the air.

This really is a good place to calm myself and rest.

Yggdrasil... that's the name of this tree. That's the name me and Scarlet gave it. It's not big or mighty like the one shown in the legends within books but it does indeed have a smaller yet similar presence in that it's quite an abnormally large tree.

Furthermore, no matter the day, weather, or time... It brings one at peace when sitting beside it and the scenery that surrounds it- When looking out to the rest of the land from up here, it has something so unique that no other tree around here has. It really does feel like this tree is truly something special... Something magical.

*Huff * Huff* "Seriously..." I slowly open my eyes to see Scarlet sitting right in front of me and staring right at me with her eyes that shine like gold.

"What should I do with you..." Her voice tickles my ear slightly for some reason, maybe I'm just not used to listening to people up close like this.

"You always run off and leave me behind, didn't I already tell you that I don't like being alone?"

"Well, what that means is that I don't have to be there for you in the first place, someone else can stay with you. There's plenty of girls in the village that you're friends with anyway so why not hang out with them?" I reply somewhat coldly.

"But, I don't... I don't really like playing with them all the time. They used to be more fun to be with before but now... they always like sitting down, and playing with toys and... and... haah~ They're all just selfish and rude at times, and they're always talking about stuff that just bores me..."

"Wow, are you sure they're your 'friends'?"

"Uh huh- but now that I think about it, maybe not... I'm just telling the truth though. Nothing bad about that."

Haaaah... Oh~ my dear little Scarlet. Let me tell you this.

"It's not always good to tell the truth. Sometimes it can do more bad than good, you know?"

"I know- but..."

"Anyway, why don't you hang out with the other boys in the village if you don't like being around the girls much."

"That's... Well umm, I don't like being with them either..."

"Huh- that's funny, then what's so special about me that makes you want to be with me more than others?" I say a bit curiously.

Scarlet fidgets a bit and her face seems to redden for some reason. When she notices me looking at her face, she immediately turns around and looks away.

"Scarlet?..." She seems to be thinking hard about giving the right kind of answer.

"Ah well, I-I like being with you because I feel comfortable around you." She turns her head around slightly so that she can see my reaction but I look at her with a puzzled look. Seemingly surprised by my confusion, she continues praising me even more for some reason.

"And!... and you're not that annoying like the other boys and you're not that selfish or rude like the girls..."

And as if desperately trying to get the words out before I reply, she looks at me and then turns away, fidgets a bit, and then holds her two braids, tugs them. Then she finally turns to me and looks at me in the eye somewhat bashfully and continues once more.

"I- I actually really like... No, I think I l-love you..."

Love? What's love?

Is it the same as when Mother says every single day that she loves me? Or is it something different...

Even my other self doesn't quite know the answer to that question, or it may be that he's not telling me. It could be another thing I'm supposed to figure out on my own.

"Hmm..."

"Ah! Uhm... don't worry. You don't need to reply now and uhm... if you don't like me then..."

Right at that momemt, I was sure I saw it. Scarlet's eyes seemed to start watering a bit. Those were definitely tears. They were a bit different from mine though.

I see... the love Scarlet has for me is different. It's like the ones in those boring books she shows me now and again. Where there are two people who like each other and want to be together forever type of stuff. I didn't really enjoy reading them... but I didn't dislike reading them either.

It was a bit different from how Mother and Father were, they told me that their marriage was arranged or something like that. So it was sort of similar because... although they said that they didn't know much about each other from the start, they did begin to love each other afterwards with time.

"Hoh, I see... so you like- no you love me?"

"Ahh I... y-yes. I love you. Gosh, why is this so embarrassing to say!!"

Unlike the first time she declared her feelings, this time she was much louder and somewhat desperate. She said it with much more conviction.

"Even though there's 2 years between us?"

That's right, we weren't the same age. That was the reason why I didn't understand her because in the books the people who loved each other were almost always the same age.

"Ah... it doesn't matter does it!? Father is older than Mother by 8 years. So it should be fine if I'm older than you by just about 2 years, right?"

"Ahh, that's true..."

But is it fine the other way round? When the girl is older than the boy? In the village, it's always been the man being older than the woman when they were married. I suppose it's fine, since Scarlet seems so sure of it. I mean... it's not like she's one of the dumbest girls in this village, right?

"It's okay if you don't understand right now since you're younger than me and even if you are smarter than me... it doesn't mean that you'll understand what I'm trying to say. Just remember to give a reply to me in the future..."

"Maybe I should ask the other children in the village for help, like maybe the girls or even the boys... they might know something I don't."

"No! No. No. No. NO!" Scarlet seems to really deny that sort of action, huh.

"Uhm, well then... maybe the adults in the village? They'll definitely know something to help me if I tell them you love me." I say teasingly, looking for Scarlet's reaction.

I knew that announcing your love for someone to other people was something to be embarrassed about from what Scarlet has told me in the past and given how Scarlet doesn't like much attention...

"Hey~ you're teasing me again aren't you?" She punches me, not with the usual full force she hits me with when she's angry but with a more... playful one?

I chuckle a little. Scarlet seems cute when she's like this, when I see her embarrassed. She's usually really outgoing and like a boy with lots of energy or very violent like the younger girls when they get angry...

But now she seems like the usual older girl in the village or no... maybe even like the women in the village? I'm a secret admirer of watching their cute moments. Not that I understood their reactions all the time and although they tried to hide it, I liked how they were generally happy.

[I liked seeing 'people' happy.]

That's right, Sebastian once liked seeing other people happy, but now... he was struggling to feel the same way. He felt fine when it was those close to him but not 'them'...

Scarlet seems lady-like, the way she gets embarrassed, similar to the books she gave me to read and also like the ladies in the village when I compliment their youthfulness and beauty. The way she sometimes acts differently than what she's usually like makes me interested. I want to see more of her different sides. I want to know if there is more to the person known as Scarlet.

Is this normal? Is this something someone my age would think like? It doesn't seem like it, and usually in the books people who think like this are much older... I feel somewhat worried by the fact that 'I' may not be the real 'me', the one that's meant to be here at this moment...

"Sebastian?"

"What?"

"Umm, I know I said I can wait for an answer but I would really like it if you were to tell me now..."

"Why do you seem so... desperate?" I say curiously.

"Ahh- that's... that's because sometimes I feel like you'll leave me alone again... but it'll become a time where you'll leave me alone forever. You won't come back. And then I'll be- Anyway, that's what I feel like will happen."

I didn't say anything not because I didn't know what to say but because I knew exactly what to say. And that's why I can't tell her anything. If I carelessly let my intentions slip then things may take the wrong turn. One thing is for sure, I cannot tell anyone about my plan to escape from this viallge- not even Scarlet.

"I know, I know~ I'm just worrying for no reason again. Hahah... seriously." Scarlet looked somewhat sad and she looked as if she was going to cry again as there were tears forming near her eyes... so I hugged her.

"Waah?! Se-Sebastian?" Scarlet seemed surprised as I was hugging her tightly like Mother had done to me.

In fact, I had surprised myself as well as I was feeling a bit embarrassed because I wouldn't usually be doing this with someone other than Mother and Father. Scarlet seemed somewhat embarrassed too because her ears were going red again, just like mine which felt a bit warm.

"Umm... I'm okay. Uhm, I was really just being worried again for no reason."

...

A few seconds passed and then Scarlet returned the hug with an even more tight embrace which surprised me a little. She the tickled me near my sides which made me let out a small chuckle and then I tickled back her all over her in retaliation.

"Hehehe... Hey! Sebas- AHAHAHA!! Serious- HAHAHAHA! Sto- Stop it~" Scarlet giggled and wiggled around but she couldn't help herself and let out a few loud laughs. We had to cool down a bit as we continued to battle each other to see who would laugh the most. I won in the end, of course. And I showed her no mercy...

When we settled down a bit, I then touched Scarlet's hair and played with it a little. I would do this with my mother's long hair too sometimes. Scarlet didn't seem to mind but she decided to turn around and have her back face me again. Maybe she wanted me to play with it?

Anyway, I continued until I was satisfied but by that time Scarlet felt somewhat sleepy and so did I.

"Here, put your hands on mine."

It seemed as though we were acting out the things that happened between the lovers in those romance books... but this was real. It was an unusual feeling yet I wanted to understand it. I felt a bit awkward but I did as Scarlet asked and placed my hands on hers. Then she locked her small hands with mine and grasped tightly.

"Hehe..." She giggled charmingly. I found her to be cute once again because this time I wanted to break free of her grasp and cuddle her even more. But soon we were drifting off into sleep and then she loosened her hands.

She was asleep now. I broke free from her grasp and moved back a bit, I layed against the tree with Scarlet still in my embrace. Her head came up to my chest and despite the way we were sitting, her legs were still shorter than mine. She was older than me but nonetheless, she was a cute and delicate girl.

Maybe she was someone I would fall in love with or maybe I was already in love with her. I didn't understand love but whatever it was, it didn't matter right now. All I could do was enjoy the time we had now because I wouldn't be able to later... But with that said, I too, had soon started to fall asleep.

"Damn... I'm getting all sleepy. What happened to the meat stew Mother was preparing..."

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I love many things. First of all, there is the love I have for my parents. I love eating the food my mother makes and the funny jokes my dad tells me. I also love reading books. Right now, I still don't understand this feeling completely but what I can say without a doubt is that...

"I love Sebastian."

As I wake up from my sleep, this is the thing that comes to my mind everyday.

Even now, when I'm being embraced by him as he sleeps... this feeling of happiness is something I want to cherish and keep for myself. I know this is a different kind of love but all I want is to be with him... That's all.

Ever since that day when he first reached his hand out to me, nothing has ever been the same. My parents had probably been the ones to ask him to get along with me... since no one else would do so before.

I liked being alone, usually I would just stay inside and read books. I was fine with that... but I felt frustrated that I couldn't be like the other children. I couldn't have fun like they did because I was alone. And most of all-

I felt so lonely.

It took some time for me to get along with Sebastian. At the start, I wouldn't listen to him at all... But slowly, I opened up to him. I thought he must've been dumber than me since he was younger but looking back on it... even during the times where I was angry or frustrated, he would just sit outside on the bench and read a book in wait for me. He would give me space and respect my wishes. I recognised that he was unusually mature for his age and that made me feel somewhat embarrassed since a boy younger than me was able to be like that.

I was thankful for him in many ways and yet... That made me want to change even more.

After the first day where I stepped outside for once, I started looking forward to each day where I would open the door and see him. But not just that, I would look forward to seeing more of the village and the land surrounding it. What I looked forward to the most was venturing out, admiring the scenery, and playing with Sebastian. I liked seeing him have fun, I liked seeing him happy. That's what made me happy and that's what filled the hole inside me.

Sebastian taught me many things, the things that are normal for children are age and the things that are not. Like the words he used... I think that I learnt quite a lot of them from him. Although I couldn't understand a lot of the complicated things that he would go into and tell me... he wouldn't mind.

He was smarter than me and I was clearly the dumber one, quite the opposite to what I had thought at first... But we didn't bother with things like that which other children would. We knew we were somewhat different from them. We just enjoyed each other's company and listened to one another.

As Sebastian continued to drag me out of my comfort zone, he also slowly introduced me to other children my age which he got along well with. The boy's who were fine at first but became more annoying as time went on and the girls... who were fun to talk with until I got tired of them. I was enjoying life to the fullest with not just myself but other people... And before I even realised it-

I had changed. I was no longer the immature, hopeless and lonely little girl. I was no longer alone or lonely.

The time I spent with Sebastian was a little over 2 years now, not much. I am nearly 11 years old and he's nearly 9. What I've learnt so far is that he's a good person. He keeps to himself a lot but I know he can be outgoing and kind. He also has a cool and brave side to him when he's able to take action and lead the way for me when we're venturing a bit outside the village.

He is always honest and hardly tells lies. Most of all, he's the smartest person I know now and with all the knowledge he has, he is able to do many things. How do I know this? Well, it's a bit embarrassing to say this to other people, especially to the girls... but the truth is I have been watching him closely, this whole entire time.

That's why... I hope that we can stay like this for a long time- because right now, I'm really scared. I don't want my time with him to ever end and I don't want 'them' to ever find out. There are secrets that everyone must keep, that's what my real mother told me. I can't tell anyone, not my current parents, the villagers, my friends, and most of all- I can't tell Sebastian this... the fact that I'm...

'I'm a witch'

- Scarlet Amaryllis,

the hopeful girl.