Tap Tap Tap

Tap… Tap… Tap…

“Hello? Is anyone there? Can anyone hear me?”

…

…

“Please, if someone is there, don’t leave me alone.”

My head shot up quickly, and my eyes scanned the clearing almost immediately. There was nothing but darkness around me in this tiny room, with a few of the candle lights flickering on and off. There was no one in the room besides myself. Yushin was absent. Where was he? And where was this voice coming from? It sounded like another child.

Oh, please don’t be another spirit or demon or whatever.

Trying to calm myself, I realized I was sweating, but a cold breeze came through the cracked door leading outside to the Fae-Realm. Was I still even here? This room looked different, but perhaps I was just that tired.

I approached the door, feeling the cold breeze seep into the room. As I opened it, the atmosphere outside was drastically different—shrouded in fog. Stepping into the chilling air, I frowned at seeing ice covering the ground again. “Am I back in Hell?” I questioned aloud. “Where are all the fae?”

The realm was eerily quiet, and the landscape before me was barren, filled only with jagged rocks and deep gorges. This starkly contrasted with the tree and mushroom-filled area with little blue lights I had been in before.

“Hello?” I called out, my voice echoing through the desolate terrain. Behind me, the snowy terrain stretched endlessly, with ice-covered rocks scattered about. There were no trees, no animals—nothing but rock and snow. The breeze here was frigid, seeping into my bones and making me shiver as though I were freezing.

The landscape felt like an empty dream, a surreal and cold wasteland. Why could I feel the cold so acutely if it was a dream? The icy wind whipped through my legs and hair, sending me chills. I glanced down and noticed I was wearing a bright red dress, which I didn’t remember changing into before coming outside. If this was a dream, who knew what was happening?

The gorges around me were deep and treacherous, their edges sharp and unforgiving. They stretched endlessly into the fog, creating an ominous and foreboding landscape. The rocks were slick with ice, making the terrain even more perilous. The area was a stark, frozen wasteland devoid of life or warmth.

As I navigated the icy ground, the cold continued to bite at my skin, and the eerie silence only added to the unsettling atmosphere. Each step I took echoed in the stillness, a reminder of the isolation and desolation of this strange realm.

The fae had mentioned this realm was treacherous; perhaps it was playing games on me? I know very little about the fae-kind, but from previous readings, I have learned that fae can be tricky. This had to be a trick, right?

“Ok, haha,” I called out to them. You got me. Now, I’d like to return to the real world,” I yelled into the empty vastness stretched before me.

No answer.

When I looked behind me as if it had grown legs, the cottage was gone, and I walked away. Behind me was nothing but another road to who knows where. However, I didn’t feel uneasy—I felt calm, actually.

I sensed a presence nearby—something was there. It didn’t feel malevolent or threatening. Instead, it felt warm, a comforting sensation that mingled with the cold breeze. It was almost magical. As I turned, the magical feeling grew slightly more robust, prompting me to trudge through the thick snow toward its source. This sensation was out of place in the desolate landscape, and I was determined to uncover it. Perhaps I could find where this feeling was coming from and why it seemed to be reaching out to me, almost dancing around me.

I made my way toward the warmth that seemed to beckon, forcing myself to push through the snow barefoot. The chill enveloped me, but I could no longer feel the ground beneath my toes. I scanned the area, hoping to spot someone else, but it was empty. There was nothing to see or hear except the breeze whipping past me.

“Hellooooooo?” I called out once more.

But once again, I am still waiting for an answer.

I thought I saw something flicker out of the corner of my eye, so I stopped and turned to face the shadowy dream world. Despite my efforts, I couldn’t see anything beyond the shadows. I returned to the dense path before me and noticed a golden shimmer. The warm feeling was coming from the direction of the golden beam. I began to pick up speed, trudging through the snow barefoot, unable to feel anything beneath my toes. All I heard was the crunch, crunch, crunch of the snow. The rest of my body was enveloped in a warm sensation, and I no longer felt the cold.

The golden glow seemed forever away, and despite feeling like I was getting closer, it didn’t appear to be. The warmth inside me grew more potent, and the atmosphere shifted as I neared the presence. It felt almost magical. The terrain became rougher and more slippery. I grabbed onto nearby rocks and branches to keep from falling and injuring myself. Why couldn’t I fly to the light if this was a dream? I imagined wings sprouting from my back to take flight, but nothing happened. Ugh. You’d think I could control my own dream, but apparently not.

Then, I saw another flicker, and I was sure of it this time. I completely stopped in my tracks, gripping the snow beneath my toes. Still, I felt no cold or heat. It was strange. Looking off to the side into the shadowy distance, I saw a blue glow—it looked similar to the little blue light that belonged to Yushin when I first met him. Was that... perhaps Yuna’s light in this dream world? It had to be. Ignoring the golden presence calling to me, I focused on the blue glow hidden in the shadows and called out, “Yuna? Yuna is that you?!”

As I called out, the light faded away, wandering further into the hazy distance.

“Yuna, stop!” I called out to the little blue speck, “Only if you are actually Yuna. If you’re not, carry on!” I had hope, a little bit. My mindset wanted to go after that light. I stepped toward the blue light, only to feel the cold whip around me again. Curious, I stopped and stepped back, and the warmth pulled me back in. “You don’t… Want me to follow you…” I whispered, feeling a bit disappointed. “But I have to, I have to for the entire realm of the Underworld!” I called out to her angrily.

Immediately, I began to go after the blue light again that flickered. “This is my dream; I can control it!” I called out to it. I had to push through and reach that blue light. Who knows if I’d ever see it again? Taking a deep breath, I attempted to adjust my breathing techniques—something I had read about but never practiced. It was similar to the training one did before ascending high-altitude mountains, which this felt like. Although I was from the high mountains and my breathing was somewhat adapted to such terrains, this atmosphere felt cold and just... off.

I could tell I was finally nearing the blue spark, but something suddenly blocked my path. It was like a giant wall. Stepping back, I stared at the barely visible barrier that stretched as far as I could see to the left and right. It was massive, clearly unclimbable. I placed my hand on the wall, watching the little blue light dance around on the other side. As I did, a tinge of red surrounded my hand, and I frowned. I pushed against the wall with all my weight, trying my hardest to break through. Any body part that touched the wall caused it to outline in red. Why wouldn’t it let me pass?

“Yuna, let me pass! I can help you, and you can help the Underworld!” I called. It looked just like Yushin’s dancing blue light that I saw the first day I met him.

“Hello?”

I stopped pushing on the wall, my eyes darting around to find the source of the voice. It was young, sweet, and innocent—eerily familiar to the one I had heard earlier. "Yuna?" I called out, straining to locate the voice.

"Who is Yuna? I’m not a Yuna. Are you here to help me?" The voice, sounding like it belonged to a young girl, replied.

Unable to pinpoint where the voice was coming from, I stepped away from the wall and continued to scan the area. My gaze returned to the blue light. "Are you... not Yuna?" I asked, watching it flutter as if observing me.

"My name is Sora... Can you help me, please?" The voice immediately sounded from behind me.

The sudden voice caused me to jump and turn around. What my eyes fell upon scared the living daylight out of me. A little girl, no older than seven, stood there holding a few white flowers. Her light blue hair glowed in the dark haze, and she wore a black and white winter coat with black boots. Her crystal-blue eyes looked very sad, and her cheeks were slightly puffy as if she had been crying.

I was so stunned to encounter this little girl in my dream. Why was she here? Why was she in the middle of this darkness? Glancing over my shoulder at the invisible wall, I saw the light blue spark, now a small blue circle with wings flapping gently. It had stopped dancing around and was just floating there.

“I remember you!” she gasped. “You saved me from that thing that chased me!”

“What?” I whispered, staring at her in awe. There was no way this could be the same little spirit I had helped on the first day.

“It’s so dark and cold here,” she cried, her eyes forming tears. “I just want to go home to my mom.”

Seeing this little girl broke my heart. What could have possibly happened to her? Somehow, she was genuinely asking me for help. Her light, gently rippling off her, was bright yellow. “Um, you said your name was Sora?” I questioned. I had never really been around little kids, so I wasn’t sure how to react, but something within me made me want to help her.

“I’m six! I was with my mommy, and then something happened to her, and she just disappeared. Then I saw these flowers, and I had to get them for her!” she said, holding out the flowers to me. “Aren’t they pretty?”

I examined her and the flowers. Sora didn’t seem hurt, looking nearly in perfect condition. It looked like she was able to get away from the demon after all, but how long had she been roaming by herself? “Do you remember where you got these from?” I asked her. Did you get them when we first met?”

“No,” she murmured. It was weird; things just went poof into the air, and I was in a new place with flowers! But something else happened, and I had been in the dark since I found these.”

I scooted closer to the little girl as she questioned me and continued talking.

“Are you a monster? Your dress is really pretty; I don’t think you’re a monster,” she said to me, wiping her nose with the sleeve of her black jacket and rubbing her eyes. “I feel sleepy, but I can’t go to sleep. He’ll get me.”

He. There was no way that damned demon was going to get this little girl - not again. I had to keep her close. She needed to be protected. “I’m not a monster, Sora. We met once. Do you remember my name?”

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“I couldn’t forget your name—it was Snow,” she smiled up at me. “Like the stuff that falls from the sky in the cold season!”

“That’s right - and your name is Sora - like the sky, isn’t it?”

The little girl giggled, “That’s right. Snow comes from the Sky! The kids at school always made fun of my hair because it was a strange color.”

“The kids at my school would make fun of my hair color, too,” I said, grabbing a strand of my white hair and twirling it. “But you know what I told them?”

“What did you tell them?!” She gasped.

“I told them my hair was beautiful and there to brighten the world.”

“Like a Star! A star brightens the world!”

“That’s right,” I said, offering a hand to her. “Like a star. Would you like to come with me? We can find your mother together or at least bring you to someone who can.”

She reached out to my hand, and as soon as she connected with mine, my entire body tensed up, and I felt something shoot through me—like strong energy. I grasped her hand in mine and stood up as best I could without tipping over. I was beyond tense.

The touch was so warm, and I swear the fog began to lift as she connected with me. My gaze scanned the clearing, watching as it slowly faded away. “Do you remember who it was…?” I asked her.

“It was a big fluffy bird… An owl! I love owls!”

“An owl…?” I questioned, frowning.

“Mhm! It called itself the… Um, I think its name was… Um, I’m trying to remember!”

An owl was with this little girl? What happened to the owl? Did it get hurt, or perhaps it decided to abandon her? Who was this little girl?

“Mati! It called itself Mati!” she squealed happily, excited that she remembered the name.

“Mati, okay. Well, maybe we can find Mati and get you back where you need to go.”

“The owl said it was bringing me to my new home, and that’s when something weird happened. Everything got all shadowy like this, and then poof, it was gone!”

“Did you see Mati before or after meeting me?” I questioned her.

“Way after!”

Listening to her story, I couldn’t help but frown. What did she mean by "new home"? I had no idea where her home was, and why was she even in my dream? A deep breath escaped from me as I tried to collect my thoughts. Since I could not break through this wall, maybe I could help her get to wherever she needed to go in my dream. My body was still tense from my connection with this little girl, but I straightened up and gazed over my shoulder again. The blue light was gone, but the wall remained. Fortunately, the fog was beginning to lift. With the mist fading, my surroundings became more apparent, though still hazy, as if things were mashed together and twisted.

I wasn’t sure what to do with this little girl, but I had to help her somehow. Hopefully, this wasn’t some trick being played on me by the Fae. They wouldn’t do this, would they? Maybe Queen Seraphina. I felt she didn’t care for me since I was a ‘mortal.’ Then I remembered the strong pull I felt earlier, the one leading me toward the golden light that had disappeared after I turned to what I thought was Yuna’s light. Disappointment hit me when I was stuck on the other side of that magical wall. Indeed, a strange dream…

I felt a faint sensation of that magical pull again and decided to approach it. It was my only hope of finding either the owl, 'Mati,' or somewhere familiar to this little girl. However, in the middle of wherever I was, who knew what lay ahead? My legs began to climb what felt like an uphill path. The ground cleared enough for me to see where I was going. It looked like Sora and I were walking up a narrow pathway, but it was wide enough for the both of us.

“You know something,” Sora said, breaking the surrounding silence, “You remind me of a Princess.”

“Why’s that?” I asked her, engaging in her conversation.

“Your dress and your hair are beautiful. Nothing like the scary monsters!”

“Have you seen any scary monsters?” I asked her.

She squeezed my hand and avoided my gaze as she replied, “There was something following my mommy and me, but when I was separated, Mati came into view. Wherever he flew, a light would shine. He lightened up the dark fogginess.”

“That sounds scary,” I murmured to her gently, gazing around the clearing to see if anything was following us.

“It wasn’t that scary! Mati said he would return my mommy when I got to where he wanted us to go! So I trusted him.” She smiled.

“Have you seen the scary monster since meeting Mati?”

“No, not since I found Mati nothing like when I first saw it.”

“When you meet with me, right? Interesting. Did you see its face back then?” I questioned her; maybe she could describe who this demon was following us. But why a little girl?

The girl had to stop momentarily, thinking as she put her hand to her mouth. "Hm… I’m not sure. I might have seen its face, but I couldn’t tell. It was like floating in the trees. It looked like another person, but I saw something red… maybe orange? I don’t know, I’m sorry!"

I smiled gently at the little girl and reassured her calmly, "It’s okay. If it was dark, I could totally understand! Do you see the golden-colored light ahead of us?" I asked, pointing in the direction we were approaching.

She nodded.

"Great, we’re going to go there! As soon as we get to the top of this hill!"

"Okay!"

We continued up to the top of the hill, pausing every few steps so Sora could take a break. This hill was a challenge even for me. When I heard a rustling noise off in the distance beside me, I froze and peered into the light haze, trying to find what made the noise. Perhaps it was just the wind rustling up some of the dark leaves.

Sora had made her way ahead of me, pausing at the top of the hill. The little girl gasped, "Wow!"

I stared into the distance but couldn’t make anything out through the shadowy haze. I slowly diverted my gaze back to the blue-haired girl at the top of the hill. Hearing her excitement, I was now inquisitive to know what was up there and what was giving off that golden glow. Making my way up quicker, I stepped beside her and was shocked.

What lay in front of me was a huge stone arch in the shape of a full circle, shining a bright gold. Behind the stone arch lay another circle, but a magical one. It was rotating clockwise with different lines and shapes—almost like a maze in the second circle. The large stone arch had various patterns, from lines to leaf-shaped patterns to circles and squares. I could see a path lit up with little flickering golden lights leading to the magical arch—almost like fireflies flying around it.

What surprised me even more was the view from behind the arch. Behind this arch, behind the top of this hill, was a sky full of actual clouds painted against a golden-orange sunset. Grass lined the area, and bushes sat on the side of the arch, which even grew up on its sides, standing out vividly. When my gaze scanned the arch, I noticed even stars in the Sky. This was amazing and beautiful! I was so stunned, unable to talk or walk to the arch.

"This is what Mati must have been talking about!" the little girl squealed. "He said the golden lights were my new home!"

"W-what?" I murmured.

The little girl began to run towards the golden arch, ignoring the entire area.

That’s when I heard rustling from behind me again and saw a faint pair of almond-shaped eyes staring at us. Its eyes were red like blood, shimmering faintly in the dark. I returned my attention to the little girl before me, fearing for her and my life. Whatever was watching us was not friendly; every instinct in my body told me to run, but I couldn’t scare the little girl. I had to get her to whatever this thing was. The magic that came from this arch called out to me, and that warm feeling emanated from the magical arch. Was it... a portal? It had to be. No doubt in my mind remained; it was a portal.

I saw something next to the portal—a blue figure. It wasn’t Yuna—no, it was an owl—that must be Mati.

"Mati!!! You found me!" the girl squealed, running towards the owl.

The owl tilted its head and hooted towards the little girl.

"I’m okay! This girl helped me!"

The owl's gaze locked with mine, its bright yellow eyes staring at me. Was he the golden warmth? If it was, why couldn’t he find Sora himself?

But as soon as Sora began to run, the rustling behind me became louder, and I heard a low growl. It was moving—whatever it was behind us was moving. The red eyes had shifted from one spot to who knows where, and now I was deeply concerned. When I saw something flicker out of the corner of my eye, I scrambled to my feet and took off towards Sora. I tried so hard to get up and not lose my balance as I chased after her, scrambling up to her. "Sora, look out!" I screeched at the top of my lungs.

I did everything I could to pick up my pace, and when I figured I was close enough, I leaped at the little girl. My body crashed into hers just before the monster pounced on her. I held Sora close to my body, protecting her head from hitting the ground. We hit the ground hard, and I heard her grunt with pain as we landed on the soft green grass, side by side. I looked over my shoulder at the monster that had leaped out of the bushes. It had crashed into the cement stairs just a few feet from the significant stone edge. It was staggered, and I couldn’t determine what this monster was, but I knew it was large, furry, and dark.

The portal, go quickly. A voice in my head.

My gaze shifted to the owl on the stone edge before the portal.

I nodded to it and made my way up the tiny incline leading to the golden arch. It felt like I wasn’t carrying anything—she was that light. Why? My gaze flickered to the little girl who wasn’t even solid in my arms anymore. She was almost transparent. What was happening?!

Was she fading away?!

No way, that’s not possible, was it?!

I shook my head, ignoring the fact that she was becoming transparent. I held the little girl close to my body, feeling her warmth turn cold. The owl flew to the golden arch beside me, and I glanced over my shoulder to see that the demon-beast had recovered. It was now up on all four feet, staring at me with angry, blood-red eyes. I could see dark energy emanating from this demon. Turning my attention back to the little girl, I could see her transparent body, slightly outlined in a golden-yellow color, shimmering. A few feet before me, I came into contact with the owl, which was still just sitting there, completely useless. I glared at it, hoping it understood my anger towards its uselessness!

When I reached the golden arch, every space between the stones began to glow - lighting up exceptionally brightly. Something grabbed my foot, forcing me to lose my balance and fall face first, dropping Sora.

“Snow!” the little girl screamed to me, “Snow, get up! Come on, we’re almost there! Come on, Princess!” She called to me as she faded in and out of the area.

I tried my best to reply, but I could feel the monster tugging at my ankle, pulling me backward as I tried to crawl forward. Anger and worry for the little girl filled my body, and I tried my best to kick at the monster, trying to kick it in its face. When my foot made contact the third time striking, the monster winced and loosened its grip on my ankle. I could crawl a few more feet forward, but the demon grabbed my other ankle tighter.

I attempted to kick at it again, but my body began to feel numb as the demon pulled me back. I did my best to pull myself forward, looking around for anything I could use to attack the demon. Not having my dagger with me hurt my chances. I flipped onto my back, trying to kick at the demon again. I think I made contact because it winced again and let go of me. Doing my best, I wanted to pull myself closer to the portal, lighting up like lightning striking the Sky. It was bright, warm, and calling for us. The portal was ready to take us away—both of us. However, my body continued to numb. This was the same feeling I had when I was attacked the first time by the first demon who marked me.

Please get her home. I looked to the owl, pleading with him to take Sora away.

The owl's eyes narrowed, its golden gaze staring into my lavender gaze.

Thank you, Kirasa. The Celestials will remember.

Kirasa? There was that name again, one that meant nothing to me.

“My name is Snow!” I growled.

The owl stretched out its enormous wings, looking more significant than it initially did. Its wings glowed the same color as the portal, switching from golden to blue and back to golden. The owl flew into the golden, cloudy Sky and landed in front of Sora, blocking her with its wings, ensuring the only way she could go was back. It was doing its best to get her into the portal since I couldn’t make her. And whatever was about to happen, I couldn’t expose myself to a little girl. Who knew who this demon was and what it wanted?

My attention turned back to the demon, which was about to jump on me, capturing me. My body was numb—my legs weren’t working. What was I going to use to defend myself? I could only attempt to fight it off with my upper-body strength once the little girl was out of sight. I wasn’t going to get away.

I turned to Sora and smiled. “Sora, go with Mati. He will take you to your new home. I promise you, wherever it is, it will be beautiful,” I told her in the softest voice possible, giving her all the reassurance she needed. I could feel the demon pulling me back, even though I tried my best to kick it off me.

“No! You have to come with me! You said you would help me!”

“I brought you to the one who needed to help you. Please go with Mati. I’ll be okay; princesses always win!” I cheered for her, smiling brightly with tears beginning to form. I was angry with myself for falling for this demon attack but grateful I could get this little girl to safety. I watched as Mati, the owl, continued to guide her into the portal. The last thing I saw was her tear-streaked face and her hand reaching out to me as she called out my name one more time. Within seconds, she was brought into the golden portal and disappeared.

I could feel the demon’s anger seeping through me, the same poison that numbed me like crazy and made me feel nearly drunk. I could only turn towards the demon, locking gazes with its red eyes and throwing a punch or two in its direction.

However, I got dizzy. The pain felt real, and I couldn’t move my lower body—as if it were paralyzed. It was like a snake had poisoned me—that’s what the pain felt like. But this wasn’t a snake. No, it was a beast of some kind. Soon, my arms began to tire from trying to fight it off. When I could finally barely focus on the demon, I made out its body. It was angry and furious, and anyone could see that. The only thing I could focus on were those blood-red eyes. The beast had a body resembling that of a lion, bat wings protruding from its shoulders, and an eerily human-like face complete with razor-sharp teeth. Its tail was covered in spines that looked deadly to the touch. Whatever beast this was, I wasn’t happy that I let Sora escape.

But I was.

And that’s what mattered.