Like the dawns described in ancient tales, clouds of amethyst, amber, and chestnut hues passed through the slate-blue mists that adorned the open sky. As they spread their radiant glow, the gently blowing winds carried with them the fragrance of the surrounding variegated flowers. In that moment, the scents borne by the breeze stirred a young girl lying by the bank of a crystal-clear stream from her deep slumber. As the girl lifted her head ever so slightly, her angelic face was reflected in the still waters.
"At the point where the shadow separates from the light. As you leave behind your soul and essence, remember only the first song you ever heard. Your heart will whisper to you the melody of your first spring." She thought to herself as she gazed at the river, which reflected her dark black hair and moonlit face. Then, the words resonated once more in her memory, no matter how hard she tried to think of something else. Finally, gathering her strength, she lifted herself slightly from where she had been lying. Holding onto the magnificent necklace around her neck, she looked around, trying to make sense of where she was.
The area where she was seemed as if it had sprung from a fairy tale, both picturesque and extraordinary. The massive mountains that surrounded both sides of the river were covered in trees and flowers of every imaginable color. The glimmers falling from the sky, reminiscent of a color palette, illuminated the entire landscape.
Despite everything, all this beauty wasn't enough to fill the emptiness the young girl felt. Because when she got up and the drowsiness lifted, she realized that she couldn't remember anything other than the moment she was in. Neither her name, nor her past, nor a single clue about what she was supposed to do appeared in her mind. It was as if she had completely lost herself. Yet, amidst all these hazy thoughts, a sound from nearby suddenly erased the stillness of the surroundings.
At that moment, the leaves of the trees just beyond where she stood began to rustle, stirred by a wind blowing at a different pace than the rest of the valley. When the young girl turned her gaze toward the winding branches to understand what was happening, she noticed a number of gleaming objects moving in the direction of the wind.
What she saw seemed like fireflies dancing over fields on a peaceful summer evening. Dozens of fiery orange and sea-blue dots, emitting vibrant glimmers, were rapidly moving in an indistinct direction. As they moved forward, the rhythm of the wind gradually shifted, and the muffled hums seemed to transform into soothing melodies.
Struck by the grandeur of the scene before her, the girl with dark black hair left behind the river she had just awoken by and moved toward the direction where the glowing objects appeared. With delicate steps, she passed through the flowers in a thousand colors and the elegant plants. Thus, she reached a vast area surrounded by trees as tall as towers. Right there, she found a smooth, unobstructed path made of white stones, stretching in a perfectly straight line. The mysterious glimmers that had led her to this point hovered just above the endless path, moving northward.
Captivated by their soothing enchantment, the girl with dark black hair couldn’t resist the impulse rising within her and walked toward the white stones. She walked for a long while, between the vividly colored trees lining the wide path and beneath the vast clouds that covered the sky. It was clear that she had strayed far from where she had started. Yet, everything around her seemed almost identical, and there was not the slightest trace of fatigue in her body. It was as if she were not wandering through an endless valley, but around the familiar boundaries of a small garden, as if it were the palm of her hand.
Although she was aware of the strangeness of the situation, she was determined to see her journey through to the end. Thus, in the fairy-tale valley where time flowed differently, she walked for what might have been hours, months, or even centuries. Eventually, she came upon a massive tree that blocked the smooth path she had been following. As soon as she saw it, she stopped moving. For, like her, the dazzling glimmers that had accompanied her on her journey had also paused their movement for a while. Then, from their scattered points, they had drifted away and flown off to an unknown place, soon vanishing completely from sight.
With their disappearance, the young girl realized that she had finally arrived at the destination she had been searching for. She pondered how she could get past the tree in front of her to see the area that would end her journey. The tree, towering like a solitary mountain, was so wide that it blocked both the path and her view. Moreover, its roots were piled up, winding around its trunk in such a way that it made it nearly impossible to go around.
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Just as her arduous journey seemed to have come to an end, a new obstacle appeared before her, inevitably breaking her resolve. Overcome by despair, she collapsed to the ground, lost in endless thoughts.
"How much longer could my body, trapped in a fairy tale, withstand this exhaustion?" she thought to herself, gazing at the beauty of the red flowers beside her. "If I were one of these plants, this could be a perfect place to live. But now, this vast forest feels no different than a prison to me. Here, I am like a captive condemned to nothingness."
After saying these words, the girl with dark black hair closed her eyes and drifted into thoughts. Although she couldn't remember anything about her past, she wondered what kind of life she might have had before finding herself in this desolate valley. Was she an ordinary young woman from a small village, or a noble living in a grand castle? Who were her loved ones and close companions? Was her life filled with people who rushed to her aid in times of trouble? Or had she, as she was now, always been alone? There were so many questions that could be asked. Yet, she remembered the answer to none of them.
As her mind, clouded by intense thoughts, was about to be pulled into a deep sleep, an unexpected sight appeared in the silent forest. A beam of light, filtering through the tangled plants that blocked the horizon, fell before the girl with dark black hair. The dimness of the surroundings suddenly dissipated, and the melody of an imaginary song swept away the silence of the fairy-tale valley.
"A deer made of light!" she whispered involuntarily, staring in astonishment at the scene that had appeared before her. Her words slipped from her lips in an instant. Because in her pure, diamond-like gray eyes, the image of an indescribably majestic being was mirrored. A deer made of crescent-shaped gleams was standing amidst floating water droplets and shards of jewels so dazzling they could blind the eyes…
Above the majestic deer's head, there were sea-blue halos. Her body was covered in bright lines, which spread out like the roots of a tree, forming intricate patterns. The beams surrounding her were so sharp that mortal gazes could never hope to touch them. And so, the girl with dark black hair was filled with the sense that she was witnessing a manifested dream. Stunned and in awe, she stood frozen.
"There is no need for long sentences, for your woe is hidden within your silence," spoke the great being to her, with the graceful and melodic voice of a goddess. "Just answer this question, my little one: would you, free from all that you have lived, wish to hear once more the first melody of your first spring?"
When the girl with dark black hair heard the question of the luminous deer, though she did not fully grasp its reason, her heart was filled with bliss. A single tear slipped from her eyes, and an innocent smile appeared upon her lips. Feeling as though she had been freed from the long-held captivity, she slowly reached out her hand to the sacred being. Even though she wished to say 'yes' within her, alas, her weary body would not allow it. Yet her desire was as clear as day. Thus, the luminous deer, convinced that she had found the answer she sought, drew closer to her.
"Then may the heavens and the seas be your guide, until the very place where fate will lead you on your chosen path," she replied soothingly. "Now close your eyes and free your mind from its sorrow."
The young girl did as the great being had instructed and closed her weary eyes. The moment her gaze, as brilliant as a diamond, fell behind her lashes, her soul and self became detached from everything around her. Though she saw nothing and heard nothing, she felt as if a malignant darkness, devouring time and space, was attempting to seize her heart. In response, she resisted it with her will, striving to protect the light within her. Yet the darkness she felt was not only limitless but also seductive. She sensed that if she surrendered to it, she would become a being capable of doing anything she desired. Still, she did not fall for the alluring power. She refused to yield her essence to the darkness. With the strength of the light in her heart, she succeeded in banishing it.
"Fate, which holds the leaf that autumn will soon tear from the branch... Yes, there is no doubt, Maerienon’s legacy has finally arrived at the land to which she belongs."
When the girl with dark black hair emerged from the gloom that had swallowed her, the first thing she heard were these words. Upon opening her eyes, she found herself beyond the ancient valley, in a place entirely unknown to her. And in that moment, before her stood not the luminous deer, but a being draped in a gown woven from flowers, with golden hair and blue wings.
"Lady of Light, allow the doubt and sorrow that have wrapped around your soul to cease," spoke the being with blue wings to the young girl. "My name is Nieda, I am the fairy of dawn and songs. And in the journey you have lost your way, I am the one who will lead you to the Timeless Gates."