Waking up within a dark void, I suddenly feel the space around me glowing red, like the color of fresh blood, while a fine purple mist erupts from the surroundings.

Seeing this, I feel fear, I don't want to be here. As unlike before, there is nothing, not even mothers voice is here.

Though I can hear something... it is drowned out by the darkness before I can realize what it is. And feeling the pain of being assaulted by the purple mist, tears start to gather and I cry out. Meanwhile, an unbearable cold enters my body, causing my thoughts to freeze and my body to turn numb.

I don't want to be here any longer... my head and body hurts and is shivering in the cold.

It is then, that suddenly a slight blue mist enters through, but it is eliminated immediately, causing the pain to intensify.

Yet, unlike before, I recognize the blue color. It is Lumi's, mothers color. Still, as I keep searching, I can't feel her presence, no, I can't feel anything.

I am scared, the darkness keeps rolling towards me, trying to harm me. And it hurts, my whole body is in pain, while the coldness makes it's way towards my heart.

In that moment, as though awakening from a deep slumber, I can feel something rising from within, deep down in my mana-pool.

That small speckle of energy I could never access, this small piece of pure light I could never touch. In that moment, suddenly, as though being called out, it rises from the very depth of my being, awakening something within me.

And appearing like it has waited for that very moment, I can feel my left arm heating up. I want to cry in pain, yet my body appears to be unable to, causing me to scream within my own mind.

As the pain won't fade, and the darkness around me keeps getting closer like a hungry beast that trying to devour me, i slowly give in to the spreading coldness. Meanwhile, the heat coming from my left arm clashes with the coldness, causing my body to stiffen and pain to rage through it.

I don't want this! I want to go to mama! I want to be with Uncle Black, and Sumi and Anna and all the others! I don't want to be here, locked off in this darkness!

Even then, my desperate cries did nothing, with the darkness encroaching more and more of my consciousness. I collapse, I can't take this... my whole body is cold and in pain, while my thoughts feel chaotic and unrecognizable. So, trying to defend myself, I roll myself in, holding my own knees while surrounding myself with my tails.

Yet, something like a new color rises. Deep within my mind, I see the small speckle of power I could never access. Around it, a small ball of golden light flies in orbit, as though protecting it, while also appearing like it is searching for something.

Yet within my pain, I can't even register my own thoughts anymore, causing my fear and despair to increase.

I don't want to be here anymore... help! Anybody... HELP!!

Screaming within my mind, I want to return into the gentle bosom of my mother, or the lively hugs Uncle Black gives, but I can't. My fear and confusion grows, as my thoughts and memories become unrecognizable.

And then, as though hearing my call, suddenly I feel another, more controlled chaotic energy rise from my right arm, invading the darkness around me, causing it to stop attacking, even retreating step by step...

Yet even then, it reamins there. After leaving me onl the tiniest room to breathe, the darkness stops distancing itself, appearing like a restricted monster seeing it's prey.

Feeling the tongues of darkness lash out towards me, my whole body shivers, fearing the darkness and it's effects.

In that moment I could hear voices, very silently yet easily distinguishable, voices I know, but I cannot recognize...

Who are they, and why do I feel pain hearing them cry out to me like that...

What is happening to me... why am I here?!?

Why are the voices beyond the darkness where I can't reach... why are they so far away... why would the darkness not leave me alone... ?!?

Feeling my fear and confusion arise anew, I huddle myself together once more, fearing the pain and negative emotions it gives me.

Though like a helping hand reaching out to me, I can see a black mist rise from the walls made of darkness. Yet unlike the rest of it, It contains various lights, making me curious... what is it, and why do I feel warm emotions coming from it?

While feeling troubled on what to do, suddenly the darkness begins encroaching once more. It is slow, but the pain that come with it causes me to cry out again, with my tears dropping to the ground...

I fear..., I fear the darkness coming close, and seeing the small strand of color in front of me, I gain hope and reach out to grab it.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

But the moment I touch it, like it is trying to pull me out, It pulls me towards the walls of darkness. Though seeing them approach so fast, even when I am feeling warm inside, my fear erupts again, causing me to let go...

Still, hearing a tearful voice on the other side, encouraging me to grab onto the black colored mist once more, I approach slowly, closing my eyes before holding my non-existent breath and grabbing onto the thin mist of chaotic colors. As a result, I only feel a moment of motion, something pulling me through thick mud, trying to free me from whatever it was that holds me down.

And, betraying the darkness in front of me, a sudden light bursts forth, with my mind leaving this prison of eternal darkness.

On the other side, I find myself in a field of flowers, I recognize them, but I don't know why. And nearby, on a massive tree, a big snake like being sits there, watching me attentively while glowing from it's golden scales.

Meanwhile, turning my head behind me, I find a figure of a young woman, having ears and tails like me, staring into my eyes with a hopeful yet bitter look.

I feel a sudden warmth flow through my heart the moment I spot her, but I can't tell what it is. She isn't the darkness from before, making me even feel pleasant. And, like a massive wave, suddenly my mind clears up, my memories which appeared misty and uncertain suddenly became clear and permitting me to once more recognize what is around me.

So, recognizing the woman in front of me as mother, I suddenly feel my heart pounding heavily, feeling a great amount of pain welling up. It isn't pain inflicted by her, I only know that I will be safe with her, as suddenly the pressure from all my fear and despair washes over me, causing a scream to escape my lips and tears to fall from my eyes.

“Mom!” (Arin)

And so, while screaming her name, I jump into her open arms, crying out everything that accumulated in the darkness...

I felt fear, but now I feel safe. I don't know what it was, yet being in my mothers embrace, I can release all that fear and despair I felt, feeling a warmth rush over me while crying tears unceasingly.

But she didn't do anything to me, only gently combing through my hair while patiently waiting for me to calm down, whispering that it is alright now over and over again, while holding me in a strong embrace, as though protection me from everything that means me harm.

And so, feeling the pain and coldness slowly fade away, with a comfortable warmth taking it's place, I lay there. Crying and sobbing, letting my hurt heart and mind heal, finding peace.

With my tired body finally finding closure and being freed from the horrible pain, I collapse exhausted, yet glad for being freed from that horrible prison...

Meanwhile, being surrounded all the light and warmth coming from my mother, who holds me even now, I slowly close my eyes, not having to fear the darkness it brings with it...

…

…

---POV-Change: Lumi---

It has been a long time, yet all of a sudden, the power I tried to keep away burst forth, causing an all out attack against the boys consciousness.

I first tried to force my way through again, yet it was for naught. Even though my soul's space and power is already nearly on par with the former Lumi's soul, it is still too weak to break through the strong will of the remaining echoes and the chaos they create. So, trying to instead protect his consciousness more instead of attacking the chaos, I create a small hole in the chaos-energy, except it is immediately filled again. However, in that short moment, I could hear the sorrowful cry coming from little Arin, calling out for help.

Hearing this, I suddenly feel heavy, and I begin using more of my initial strength, trying to safe him at all costs.

Nevertheless, failing over and over again, I fail to keep my calm and slowly begin panicking as well, hoping that there is something that might help.

Except, it didn't work. And while still fighting to get him out of there, a sudden power awakened within his body. Sadly, due to my limitations within this space, I can't tell what it is, though it appears that the chaos fears it.

And using that opportunity, I finally manage to create a small hole within the blockade keeping his consciousness sealed.

Additionally, the moment I try to get him out of there, I feel pure chaos energy entering the body, opposite from where Luna is doing her best from preserving his body from losing all strength.

I recognize the energy as Sumi's, meaning she is trying to help.

And in that very moment, Sumi's chaos power moved towards the hole I made, invading the space I couldn't. I don't know what she is planning, however, I hope it can help him.

And so, while the bead made of the blood-rage's energy is backing off due to the pressure emitted by the weird power within the body, Luna is silently emitting balance-energy to stabilize the vitals and brain, while Sumi's pure chaos energy is invading and purifying the chaos emitted by the bead.

Yet after all that, his consciousness appears to have already taken damage, causing it to fear it's surroundings. And when he first refuses to let itself be guided outside, suddenly I hear Sumi cry with all her might, calling out to Arin so that he may awake once more.

While I hear this, I also break out in tears, as I am desperately suppressing my own feelings of dread and hopelessness to keep focus...

But in that moment, he seems to give up and only hold on to it, allowing her to create a path to guide him out, though she miscalculated something.

If he wakes up now, his consciousness may be permanently damaged, so before she could completely pull him out, I redirect him into the hole I made, pulling him into the safety of the mind-zone while isolating the weakened chaos energy created by the echoes.

So, the moment he materializes within the mind zone, I can see him look around with astonishment and surprise, acting like he was never here before... could it be that his memories... no, please no!

While watching him look around, he finally turns towards me, looking me in the eyes while seemingly contemplating something. I don't know what he is thinking about, but seeing those dull eyes looking at me, I feel dread and helplessness crawl up from my heart, gripping it tightly.

However, just as I am about to try and open my mouth, his eyes open with a shocked expressions, tears gathering in his eyes while a small whimper escapes his lips. And in the next moment, as though finally understanding something, he screams 'mom!' and runs into my arms, hugging me tightly while crying loudly, with his tears dropping onto the ground.

Seeing this, I take a moment before I finally understand that he must have regained his memories, so I, while silently crying myself, softly ruffle through his hair, telling him that is it finally over and everything is going to be alright.

I am not sure if I said those things only to him, because I believe I have also said them to myself, reassuring myself that it is over.

After all that, holding the crying boy within my arms, I also feel great relive wash over me, while I hug him tightly, unwilling to let him go again.

Meanwhile, even Sumi stopped sending her Mana into the body, as she noticed that he was out of danger. Luna also stopped activating her balance-energy, so the body itself regained a stable cycle and calmed down while the chaos energy invading his mind evaporated, and the manifestation remained still, suppressed by the weird power still lingering within the body.

I didn't pay attention at the time, except for whatever reason, the moment that the remaining pure chaos emitted by Sumi came in contact with the manifested bead, it was like a stone who hit the water surface, causing ripples to spread. But the result of this would have to wait, as the small boy within my arms kept weeping and crying, while I myself also silently teared up, glad that Arin was fine and back with me.

So, holding him within my arms, I wait, waiting for him and myself to calm down. After several minutes, he stopped crying loudly and only whimpered within my arms, letting his tears flow freely.

And after what I perceived as another hour, while still holding onto me strongly, his breathing slowly evened out and his eyes closed, with only the tear marks remaining on his face. After all, while I use my hands to carefully remove those remaining tears, he shows a radiant smile the moment he comes in contact with my hand, lighting up the mood in the whole space...

And with a smile on my face, while carefully stroking little Arin's head, I cry by myself, happy that the boy I so cherish has come back to me...

And I promise, I won't let something like this happen again!