Damnable roads, like as the beasts, writhed on the vegetative soil. Not one of them was the guide I needed. I had taken the canyon to my right while

journeying. Expecting to come across a path that lead to an entrance of the ravine, I had skewed quite far from the river. Disregarding the snaking,

defoliated patches of land led me to this place. Somehow I had ended up on an elevated section of the grassland. I found no indicators of where I was,

except for mound of rocks that I had been dragged from. It was still way too far away for me to be able to determine exactly where I was. It must have

dragged me for kilometers before my awakening. No want of repose beckoned me, as my spectral from didn't demand sleep. I pressed onwards, under a grey sky.

Many stones and protrusions stabbed me with each step I took. "Accursed soul", I thought to myself. Without nerves to feel, how could I still be

suffering from ailments of the flesh? If my fervour and sentiments were not beholden to a physical form, then was the body nothing but a forced medium

through which spirits could commune with each other? While I was in this peculiar state, would anyone be able to see me? I left these question behind, in

the same manner that my mind had abandoned my body. A more immediately pertinent question occurred to me soon after.

Was it even possible for me to reunite both halves of my being?

It began raining. Small droplets rushed to meet their mother earth. During this time of temporary banishment, this small event was the one thing I expected

fuel my strained desire to return home. Enduring the harsh minutes I had to wait through for the water to soak into the ground was tough. There were still

stones to be stepped on for great pain. Finally, when nature's mercy had fully imbibed itself, I halted. I took a deep breath, and reminded myself of the

sweet caress of the storm. The rainfall, although persistent, wasn't strong enough to break out into unpleasant noise. It calmed me. Among the terrible

things, between the endless journeys, this was the only solace I could relish. Upon lifting my hands up, I saw that they had become outlined by the shapely

cohesion of water. I was nearly transparent, but the generous precipitation had given me some form. I chuckled. Nothing came out. Yet another puzzle to be

solved, yet another thing to ask.

With no power to create or to affect, was I less alive than that which possessed these capabilities? Could a measly existence comprised of nothing but a

sensor be called a living thing? While the smells and sounds of rain lingered on for a little while, it was infinitely more impactful than my nothings. No

trace was left in my wake. I was the lingering ash of a bygone flame. Not wanting to stand idle this stream of consciousness corroded me, I began walking

again. Through grass and across rivers I went. Everything I passed by blurred together. Without hope, even the simplest of ordeals was a chore. Previous

encounters with horrific creatures had mounted up to a demoralizing pile of depression. Both in feeling and form, I was a husk.

As a result of this circumstance, my own emergent joy caught me off guard when I finally came across a familiar trail. From about midnight, at least twelve

hours had passed since I began walking towards the canyon. This was the path decorated with the ever-burning flowers. Relix's cavern was close. It didn't

think about running, the urge to find my family again was enough by itself to get me moving as fast as I could. Some crystal-leaved trees with their newly

discarded petals lying at their feet were also present. Soon enough, I was getting past the eel-grasses. My heart ached gently as they didn't turn towards

me. Right as I was turning the corner of the last wall, a revelation came to me. If the villagers had remained in front of the cave, their chatter and

could easily be heard from inside the ravine.

After my pivoting around the rock, I saw my grandmother. Her pitiable figure was bent over my almost lifeless body, alongside a very injured

Günnuaç. A grisly claw mark had ravaged the right side of her body, including her shoulder. Over her right eye, a bloodied bandage was affixed. She had fought

the soulstealer, and survived. It was clear through her miserable expression that she was suffering immensely from her wounds. While she could barely even

sit beside Firdevie, gran was not diverting her gaze for even a second. She kept staring at my pale face with eyes wide open, even though there were bags

under them. From inside Relix's nearby cave, the inscrutable words of an ancient druid reached me. It appeared as if no one but these people had waited for

me. I didn't have the privilege to despair for the absence of Eirrír or Nacian. With all my might, I attempted to scream out for my grandmother.

"Gran!" Again, nothing. Desperate and in need of comfort, I ran towards Firdevie. While running the rainfall gave me away. Günnuaç's lone eye darted towards me,

and I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Firdevie!" the young woman let out a strained scream, "There..." My poor grandmother jumped in place. It pained me to think of what she had gone through.

Hours had gone by without rest, without repose. In each corner of this labyrinthine she had looked, but had not reached me. Now, a strange apparition had

suddenly approached her. Maybe to harm her, perhaps to terrorize her. With only a desperate expectation she looked at my hydrous silhouette, unblinking.

Only my presence could bring her deliverance. This burden of grief and guilt she had carried for long enough.

To the best of my ability, I tried to convey to her that it was me. No elaborate gestures were needed for this, she recognized me from the way I kneeled.

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"Farriz?" cried out the woman astray. "My boy," a cluster of heartache was blocking her throat as she was trying to speak. "Is that you? Come to me,

please..."

I hastily ran towards her and jumped onto her lap. Cerulean mist began evaporating from my eyes. "It's him!" Günnuaç screamed, victorious. She wasted no

time waiting, and instead sprinted towards Relix's cave as fast as possible. With pained relief, Firdevie began to shed her pain as well.

"Where were you, my kindest of hearts? Who took you away?" She tried to locate my shoulder with her trembling hand. Once she had grabbed a proper hold of

me, I was in her embrace like I had been so many times before. "Dear, dear..." she planted a gentle kiss on my forehead. I looked up to see her face. Her

smile was a rainbow that cracked the skies of grey. Günnuaç's panicked sprinting reached alerted us of her presence.

"Bring him and the body into the cave!" she yelled. "If there was enough of him left to travel all the way here, then Relix should be able to put his soul

into the body." Firdevie's brief stare at her was hollow, but it gave way to a proper response. "We're going to fix this, dear" she said. "You need to get

off my lap. We will carry your body inside" she continued. I too, wanted this desolate displacement to come to an end. I got up from her soft hold. The two

women, who had evidently worked themselves to the bone at this point, both grabbed my seemingly diseased body. Günnuaç's words formed a connection in my

mind. Through the process of draining the soul, maybe the body was affected as well.

They made their way swiftly into the cavern and I followed suit. I slipped through the side right after them. Inside the stone hollow, stood a disconcerted

Relix. As soon as my spectre had set foot inside, the blue spirit pointed towards my rain-coated silhouette. "He is alive, but quite injured. I must commend

for his resilience against the vile serpent" he said. "Place the body right in the center of the room. Be careful, do not hurt him."

"How could you think I wouldn't be careful?" Firdevie wailed quietly. With Günnuaç's help she laid my cadaver on the cold, stone floor. Relix crouched and

got closer to my body. Turning his head towards my soul he said "Farriz, you must touch your own flesh. Only then can I make you one again." Obeying his

instructions, got down on one knee. Even to myself, the macabre sight of my own practically dead body was incomprehensible. Death was a concept to be

feared for certain, but facing the pure embodiment of one's own demise was utterly bone chilling. My soulless eyes. Staring into nothing. Until the end of my

dreams, they would haunt me.

"I know how scary this is, boy. You will get through this" Relix comforted me. "I have had to perform a ritual on my own body as well. Trust me, you can do

this." I shook my head to say yes. "You must stay out of here until this is done," he told the the women. "This will release an immense amount of energy, so

unless the two of you are outside while I'm casting this spell you two will burn."

"Understood", Günnuaç replied drowsily. Firdevie said nothing, and left first. Günnuaç looked back one last time as she left. "Don't mess it up." Relix

waited for her to disappear behind the edge of the cave's mouth. "Keep holding your hand until you are back in the body." he instructed. "There will

be an intense light right on your corpse as we do this, but it is critical that you are in contact with yourself until you are returned." I nodded

approvingly. "Good. I will initiate the spell right now." I took a deep breath as the druid began chanting a strange hymn.

What is a human without soul?

Bring it to him, repay him his due.

You too are spirits, aren't you cognizant?

Of this pain, suffered without desire?

Let the ghost flood back in.

A sharp beam of light began to cross a magical barrier, right on my chest. From beyond the domain of the ethereal it came.

Travelers, from beyond the fog of time!

What are you but cruel,

If you don't heed the call of this duty?

Oh, revered ones,

Grant a wish for once, deliver him unto salvation!

Without so much as a warning, the thin strand of light atop my chest suddenly expanded into an entire cascade of brilliance like an eye. I felt its pull.

It was clearly beckoning me with its uncounterable tug. I held onto my hand with greater force.

Drag him back, into his own self!

Let the misery fade away!

Unless there can be contentment without peace,

Show him compassion,

Show him grace!

The eye's gravity strengthened itself, forcing me to go closer into it. Like the time I had conquered Fas Bü diligently, like the time I had trained

with Nacian with resolve, I gave myself to this task with imperishable determination. With my left hand, I grasped my entire arm.

Wherever he may roam, I know not.

He shall not be a sojourn of mind nonetheless!

After these final lines, he stood up. Great anticipation enveloped me.

GRANT HIM PASSAGE!

I was pulled into the vortex. Once again, I had vacated my own consciousness. Neither time, nor space remained in the emptiness created by this lack of

sensory input. I was waiting. Not my own self, he was completely nonexistent for as long as my body remained asleep, but the whole of my being. Recalling

this lack of existence would be facile later on. Then the oblivion began to fade away. Minute patches of a dream began fading in. Constituents to this

confined otherworld, the many faces of my relatives began appearing. As I went deeper into this unconscious fantasy its numerous details slowly unveiled

themselves. A table, decorated with quaint candles and a delicately crafted tablecloth was the object on which we were dining on. My father was sitting

right in front of me. He lifted his head up, revealed his neck, and slapped himself in the throat.

My limbs, leaving me great pain because of low temperature, caused me to scream as I woke up. I had wished for a resurrection more fulfilling, but I would

have to make do with this temporary torment. "It hurts, it hurts so much..." I cried while looking at Relix.

"I know, I know. Just hold on Farriz, it will pass soon..." spoke a soft voice from my right. Realizing that I was under the vigilant watch of my

grandmother relieved me, if only slightly.

"My boy..."