After the fruit tarts were eaten and every last dish was cleared and cleaned, Elder Merakia and Elysha walked back out into the garden. They stood in front of the stage where her guardian stretched her arms and legs.

“Well then, it’s almost time for the special performance,” she announced. “Has everyone arrived on time as planned?”

Elder Merakia turned to see that only Elysha was present. The two of them were surrounded by the sounds of nature and the golden light of the evening filtering through the garden.

She arched her eyebrows and crossed her arms with an expression of dissatisfaction. “Hmph, what a pity. Where are they and why are they all so late?”

“The last time I saw Micah, he was flying off with some fruit tarts and his friends,” Elysha replied.

Her guardian sighed softly, her eyes scanning the garden for any sign of their whereabouts. “How unfortunate that they are not here. I guess it seems I have no choice but to cancel the show.”

“Huh? Really? Are you sure?” Elysha asked, only to be met with a hushing sound.

“Give them a minute,” she whispered, along with a wink.

A little over a minute after Elder Merakia spoke those words, a faint sound of movement suddenly reached their ears, growing louder by the second.

“Oh? About time they finally arrive.”

A swarm of colorful creatures emerges from the distance, led by Micah. On his snout is what appears to be the last half-eaten fruit tart, along with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. He and his friends scurry about excitedly, their fur and feathers golden in the evening sunlight. And it wasn’t just themselves, there were more trailing behind them, as if they had multiplied exponentially.

Micah ate the rest of the fruit tart, cleared his throat, and screamed:

“WE ARE HERE!!! SORRY FOR THE DELAY!!! WE WENT AROUND AND INVITED AS MANY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS THROUGH THE FOREST FOR THE SHOW!!!”

Along with Micah’s announcement, the woods erupted in a lively cacophony as the gathered Zhivopians chimed in to express their excitement.

“LAAAHHAAAEEEEE!!!”

“WEEEJJJJJJUUUUU!!!”

“GRUUUYYYYYIIIIIIII!!!”

“Woah…” Elysha’s eyes widened in astonishment as her ears caught the sounds. “There are a lot of people coming this way.”

“Yes, indeed. It seems we have quite a crowd tonight. Micah certainly knows how to bring a surprise.”

She turned to Elder Merakia and asked, “How does he do it?”

“He is an extrovert who knows how to spread an image of himself around the forest,” she noted. “He is a charmer and likes to host his own events or take others to places where they can have fun.”

By the time they arrived, about half of the backyard was filled with guests. Elder Merakia came face to face with Micah, whose body trembled at the sight of her. She placed her hand on her hip and fixed on him with a stern stare, despite the faint grin.

“Micah, you always find ways to surprise me. Would you like to explain why you brought half the forest into my garden?”

He swallowed his nervous throat and straightened up to speak, “Micah thought a small audience wouldn’t be enough, so my friends and I took the liberty of inviting more people!”

Elder Merakia’s gaze drifted over the sea of visitors that now filled, “I see.” Her grin widened and she turned away. “Well then, tonight we have a special performance to present.”

Elysha observed the view around her: there were visitors sitting on nearby branches, others on floors or chairs near the stage. She noticed a few people who had taken their places on the main platform.

“They’re getting ready for the show,” Micah said, causing her to jump and turn to him.

“Micah, you scared me!”

“My bad, but some of those people you see over there are my friends, and they are taking part in your guardian’s performance this time around.”

“Taking part?”

“You heard me right. You are going to see them perform a spectacle that will leave your mouth open in awe.”

Elysha’s eyes flickered with curiosity as she watched the creatures preparing on the stage. Some were ruffling their feathers, while others were practicing spins and leaps. “What kind of performance is it going to be?” she asked, turning back to Micah.

“Uhh, Micah does not know how to describe it, but it’s like a blend of dance, music, and storytelling. Beyond that, you will have to see it for yourself!”

Then his ears twitched and he saw a group calling to him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, Micah has to go meet my other friends.”

He went off to chat with his friends, leaving Elysha alone in the crowd. Her heart grew more excited in anticipation of the show. She found an empty chair to sit on and looked around once more, only to see attendees—both animal and human—sitting on the chairs, chatting with each other as they waited to watch the upcoming spectacle.

‘Could they be Elbijans? Or maybe they’re Zhivopians?’ Elysha wondered, her head tilting in confusion. ‘They looked the same to me.’

She sat quietly in her seat, her legs swaying back and forth, barely touching the grass as she scanned the view around her, then back to the stage. It was then that she realized something magical was about to happen.

‘I wonder when the show will start. It feels like I’ve been waiting forever,’ Elysha thought to herself.

She looked over the crowd and saw the different types of people who were waiting just like her. They were chatting to each other, playing around, and even eating some snacks. Her eyes lowered calmly, wondering what kind of backgrounds or histories they had lived.

‘Maybe they have seen the world beyond the forest… or maybe they have many stories to tell about their own adventures…’ she clutched her dress and gave a soft sigh. ‘I wish… I wish I could get to know them so that… I could…’

Lost in her thoughts, Elysha was brought back to reality when a girl walked into her sight.

“—!”

Her eyes turned to see her sitting in the empty chair in front of her. From her features, she has long aubergine hair and is similar in height. She doesn’t have any signs of animal-like characteristics, and she also seems to simply be waiting for the show to begin.

Elysha looked around again and saw others talking to their friends or people. Swallowing her throat, she gathered her courage and spoke up, “Um, hello?”

The girl flinched, turned, and their eyes met. Her gray eyes flickered as a smile spread across her face. “Hello! Who are you?”

“Um, I’m Elysha,” she replied back, leaning forward, feeling comforted to have someone to talk to in this sea of unfamiliar faces. “Are you here to see the show too?”

The girl tilted her head, her hair cascading over one shoulder. “I came with everyone to see the show!”

She continued. “I didn’t know about it until I saw lots of people moved by and heard rumors about Elder Merakia’s next performance. So I decided to follow them along and see it for myself!”

Then she blinked her eyes again and said, “Oh! I almost forgot to introduce myself! My name is Anjel, I think we are about the same age, right?”

“I… think?” Elysha nodded her head next. “Maybe yes.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Elysha. You have a cute name, hehe! Looks like we will be watching the performance together.”

At the sound of those words, a new question came to mind. “Have you ever seen Elder Mera’s show before?” she asked. “Do you know what it is like?”

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Anjel giggled, “I don’t know, it’s my first time seeing it too!”

Elysha watched her before turning her eyes to the side of the stage where the participants were gathered. Then a white cat appeared in her field of vision.

“I also brought my favorite stuffed animal with me!” Anjel said. “Say hello to Cesfja!”

She held out her plush toy, and Elysha lifted her hand to stroke its head. She smiled shyly, ran her fingers over the soft fur and spoke, “Hi, Cesfja. You’re so fluffy and cute… like my Kitty.”

Her eyes lit up. “You have a stuffed cat too?”

“Not stuffed,” Elysha replied, shaking her head. “Kitty is a real Kitty. He’s somewhere, but I don’t know where. He has black fur and silver eyes, though sometimes he can grow into a giant Kitty.”

“That’s a—wow…”

“And it happened this morning, too.” She blinked her eyes, feeling as if that incident occurred long ago.

“Wait, you are talking about the giant phenomenal black cat in Zhivopia, right?”

“Hm, yes, why?”

“I heard that everyone in Zhivopia was in a panic because of an incident caused by a very rare appearance of a phenomenon,” Anjel said. “I wasn’t there when it happened, but my neighbors had told me about it. The news has spread all over the forest it seems.”

Elysha’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Really-really!” she nodded. “My neighbors also told me that the incident is the reason why no one can go visit Zhivopia right now until the investigation is over. Hm, I wondered how bad it was over there?”

She sighed wistfully. “I haven’t seen any phenomena myself yet. Aw, if only I had woken up sooner…”

As Anjel hugged her stuffed cat to comfort herself, Elysha’s ears caught the whispering and murmuring of excitement that was growing around her.

“It’s okay, if the portal to Zhivopia opens again, I can go visit and find out more about what happened,” she concluded.

Soon after, the noise suddenly grew louder with cheers as Elysha’s and Anjel’s attention turned to the stage, where Elder Merakia stepped onto the platform. Her presence drew everyone’s attention as she raised her arms to calm the crowd.

“Friends, neighbors, and curious souls,” she began, her voice resonant and warm. “Tonight it is time for a special performance of story, song, and spirit. Prepare yourselves to witness a tale that bridges realms and unites hearts.”

The crowd continued to cheer as Elder Merakia turned to the assembled participants and asked, “Is everyone ready?”

They either nodded or voiced their excitement in anticipation, including the Friòjans, who flapped their wings and whirled around. The audience reflected the same mood.

Elysha noticed when Anjel got out of her seat and walked her way over to the chair next to hers.

“Hehe, I just want to sit next to you,” she said, holding her stuffed cat in her arms. “I think it would be more fun to watch with you like this.”

Then she asked, “Oh, and what’s your name again?”

“Elysha. My name is Elysha.”

“Elysha, I will remember your name,” Anjel smiled. “Let’s be friends together, okay?”

“Friends?”

“Mm-hm, watching the show together and having a memorable experience is what friends do, right?”

Elder Merakia's gaze swept over the crowd, then she clapped her hands once, the sound echoing like a bell, bringing silence to the garden.

A small smile tugged at her lips as she spoke over the assembled crowd, “Well, it seems that everyone is ready. Let’s get started, shall we?”

~ ❈❇❈ ~

With a simple twist of her index finger, the fountains in the garden began to shoot up and sprinkle the surrounding area. The Friòjans took flight and soared through the air, their colorful wings shimmering, almost bathed in light.

As the fountains sprayed, creating a fine mist over the garden, the audience gasped in delight. Elysha and Anjel watched in awe as Elder Merakia’s voice rang out:

“Once upon a time there was a wistful dream felt by a curious girl,” she began. “A dream in which she was a bird whose heart spoke to the vast, open world…”

Elder Merakia waved her staff in the air and used her theonum to create a water silhouette of a small girl standing on the stage. The small girl whirled and danced before turning into a bird that flew off into her own imaginary world. The stage transformed to follow the narrator’s story.

“To see with her own eyes upon the different places: from a meadow of flowers, to the mystical green forests, and to the rest of the wondrous lands in the afar….

Colorful patterns of light were present as the environment changed from one scene to another. Each participant played their part in the water bird’s adventures, whether it be in the form of dance or playful immersion. Their voices sang, their song resonating with all who listened in the audience. Elysha and Anjel leaned closer, their breath held in their mouths, their eyes reflecting the sight.

“Wow, it’s so amazingly pretty,” Anjel murmured, hugging her stuffed cat close. “Elysha, what do you think of this?”

She turned to see her transfixed, her eyes never leaving the stage. It was as if she hadn’t even heard her.

For her, it was more than that. It was as if the performance was the most incredible thing she had ever seen. As the Friòja Zhivopians flew through the air, Elysha could hardly believe it was real. The display of magic before her seemed like something out of a dream, yet it was happening right in front of her.

“And yet they were all elusive to her; a dream that was only just a longing dream....”

“Elysha, are you crying?” Anjel asked worriedly.

She flinched and pressed her fingers where the tears were as Elder Merakia’s voice rang out, “When one night, as she lay in her bed like a nest and slept under the starry sky, a bright star fell down in its basked gleam....”

The platform of the stage became empty, leaving only the water bird alone in the center. She moved her hands, and the water bird—now the small girl again—began to hold a glowing orb of light. She spoke through the misty atmosphere:

“And when she opened her eyes, it appeared in front of her in place of her hand-drawn book. The little girl cradled the bright essence in her arms like a large egg. She closed her eyes once more and whispered to the star, ‘I want to fly.’”

Trails of sparkling iridescence fell from above, and the star replied, “‘To fly is to dream, little one. And to dream is to soar beyond what your eyes can see.’”

“But how can I dream when I’m awake?” she asked the star.

“Close your eyes not with sleep, but with trust,” said the star. “Trust the wind to lift you, trust the sky to embrace you, and trust your heart to guide you.”

The small girl paused, her hands holding the star close to her chest. Then her watery form began to glow softly in gold.

“Her eyes reflected gold when she imagined flight,” Elder Merakia narrated. “Just as the child was about to drift off to sleep again, the star bathed the girl in its light. Wings sprouted from her back, delicate and shimmering like the petals of a morning bloom. She jumped out of bed, her laughter ringing like bells, happily surprised as she danced around and around with her wings.”

The small girl spun in circles in the mist with the newfound wings on her back. Then, as the mist shifted, it revealed a window opening onto a sea of stars.

“She took a deep breath, climbed out of the window, flew and danced through the skies....”

The stage transformed into a vision of the little water girl soaring through the starry sky. Her wings left trails of light, and all the participants joined in the display, their forms weaving around her. The audience was enraptured, their hearts lifted by the performance unfolding before them.

Elder Merakia’s voice rang through the garden. “Let dreams and wishes come alive, and imagination takes flight. Let the passion of your soul identity take you to new heights.”

Elysha felt a rush of inspiration and emotions coursing through her veins. She watched as each Elbijan and Zhivopian participating in the show became shooting stars, streaking across the sky in a final, breathtaking display.

As the final cascade of light descended upon the garden, the crowd erupted in applause, cheers filling the air as they rose to their feet and clapped their hands, their faces beaming with admiration and satisfaction—as did Anjel’s.

“That was the most amazing show I’ve ever seen!” she exclaimed, clutching her stuffed cat to her chest. “The way the lights moved, and the water bird and the story—oh! And all the dancing and magic, it was all so mesmerizing! I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

She turned her eyes and asked, “What about you, Elysha?”

Her enthusiasm dimmed as she noticed Elysha sitting completely still, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks, catching the remaining lights in the air above the stage.

‘Is this what theonum is all about?’ she wondered as she watched the last of the conjured lights sparkle in the air. ‘Is this what it is like to use theonum magic and connect with your core and soul identity?’

She slowly raised her hand to reach out and touch them when Anjel’s voice trembled softly, “E-Elysha?”

Elysha blinked rapidly, startled by the question. She quickly wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand and managed a small, sensitive smile. “I-I… I don’t know. It was just… I can feel it. It was very… very pretty.”

As the participants took their final bows, Elder Merakia stepped forward. She extended her arms towards the audience, a prideful smile gracing her lips.

“Thank you, dear friends, for joining us tonight,” her voice rang out, warm and grateful. “May your hearts carry the magic of dreams wherever you go. Until we meet again, let the stars guide your way.”

~ ❈❇❈ ~

As the crowd began to disperse, Elysha was concentrating on making her way back to the house when Anjel gently tugged at her hand.

“Huh? Anjel?”

“Sorry Elysha, but I need to follow my other friends and head back to my home.”

“Home?”

“Yes, I need to go back up north to Illumija.”

Her eyes widened, a flicker of recognition crossing her face, “You mean the Illumija Village?”

Anjel nodded, “Yes! That’s where my home is at. It’s a bit far to walk from here, especially after dark, but I feel safe when I go there with my other friends.”

“Oh, I see, then you should go now.”

“Thanks! Oh, and you’re always welcome to visit our village anytime you like!” she smiled.

Elysha felt a surge of warmth. The thought of visiting the Village of Illumija filled her with anticipation. “Okay,” she nodded back, and then remembered something important. “Um, I heard from Elder Mera that there is a festival coming up, is that right?”

“You are right, a festival is coming soon! Everyone in this forest is very excited for the special time of the year to begin, which means I can see you again on that very day!”

She hugged her stuffed cat and turned to leave before saying her last goodbye. “Cesfja and I will be waiting for you then at the village. Bye-bye Elysha!”