I drifted through a memory not my own as I struggled to wake.

A memory of a young girl around my age, golden blond hair pulled in a tight bun with loose curls tickling her neck, blue eyes sparkling with mirth, dancing in a charming mahogany ball gown to the most beautiful music I had ever heard. My mothers singing dimmed in comparison to this concerto of sounds, all mixing into one, making what the other girl called an orchastra. The other girl was laughing, swaying, dipping, all to the simple yet complex sounds they produced. Pure joy alighted her face as she stared into the eyes of the hansome boy holding her as they danced.

There were colors I had never seen before fighting for dominance in the grand room, all brightly lit by the strange floating orbs attached to the ceiling. My eyes watered at the sight, but the tears were ones of happiness. This world was so beautiful, so full of colors and things i've never even dreamed of, I only wished the memory could play on forever. Not caring about where I was and why I was even there. It was pure, it was ethereal. Nothing was tainted here. All there was was happiness and peace, the feeling of belonging, yet not, drifting strongly through my being. I was there, I was the girl in the memory.

Ephoria washed over me as I let myself drift into the girl until I could no longer tell I was anyone else. I was her, she was me, and nothing else aside from this world mattered. It was hers, and it was mine, because we were the same.

The boy swung me around as I laughed heartedly, enjoying the air pull past me from the tempo of our dance. He was laughing too, enjoying the dance just as much as me. Or perhaps he was enjoying my company more than the dance. I flushed at the thought, my smile never leaving me as his eyes sparkled with something I couldn't quite understand. I felt loved in his arms. As if he would protect me from everything bad in the world without a second thought, as if I myself was his entire world. I knew him as a friend, but also a lover. We were young, and hopelessly in love. One day we would marry, and I would be the happiest girl in the entire world.

With that thought, the image suddenly flashed white as I was thrown into another memory. This one was even more beautiful than the last, and I was the girl once again.

We ran upon a hill, through a field of flowers surrounded by a forest that seemed to stretch beyond the horizon. The sun, glowing warmly in the richest blue sky I had ever seen, sparkled off the white flowers before me, making their petals glow as the wind tossed them through the air around me. Laughing in delight I continued to run as the petals caught in my hair, trying to outrun the laughing boy following close behind.

As I reached the top of the hill he caught me, I screamed in delight as we rolled down the hill a short distance, sending petals flying into the air in our wake. He chuckled as we came to a stop with him on top of me, lightly pulling one of the many pedals from my hair.

''You know, those petals really suit you. Are you sure you're not a flower?''

Giggling I slap him lightly across the shoulder. ''If im a flower then you must be a prickly old weed. All you do is tear my clothes on our meets.''

He glances down as I gestured to my slim-fitting blue dress, now slightly torn at the leg. smirking he glances back up with a mischevious look in his eye. ''Hmm, perhaps. But if im so prickly then I haven't nearly torn it enough, wouldn't you agree?''

''Wh-Wha-'' Finally realizing how close he was too my body I shoved him, blushing beat red in the process. ''You-you dirty goat! Don't say that kind of stuff to a lady!''

Laughing he falls backwards into the flowers. ''You should see your face! Its priceless!''

Huffing I sat up and crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at him in the process. ''Well I'm sorry if my face looks funny too you. If it offends you so badly then maybe next time you should refrain from making such remarks.''

Wipping the laughter tears from his eyes he sits up as well. ''Nah. I like making you blush. Its super cute.''

Somehow, my face turned even more red than before as I quickly glanced to the flowers at my side and begun picking at them. ''W-Well, I-If thats how you feel, then I suppose I'll have to indulge you. A-As your friend, of course.''

Smiling he leans in and touches our forheads together as he puts his hand on my cheek. ''For now.''

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Confused at his words I look up, just as he brings his lips down and meets mine.

Just as suddenly the memory flashs again, but this time I was sent hurling through many memories at once. The memories flashed by in a blur, only showing me brief moments of the girl in a world I wished was my own. It seemed to stretch eternity, but I knew it only lasted a few minutes at best. Skipping through the girls short teen life into full adulthood, allowing me to experience only the ones that seemed important for what was to come.

As the memory flashed white again, I knew it was finally sending me tumbling into another with meaning. One I could actually take my time through.

This time I was at a beautiful wedding. The same white flowers from the field before lined the back of the chairs filled with people, and were woven together to form a trailing rope that stretched along the chairs lining the aisle, lazily stretching towards the archway where the bride and groom stood with the priest. The arch was covered in the white flowers as well, making an awe inspiring canopy for them to stand under.

Happily I flew over and joined with the girl, wanting to feel as one once more.

I blinked, realizing I was looking at the mans face who stood across from me. Love swelled as he gave me that same smile he gave me that day in the field. It was here I was meant to be. Happy and loved in this mans gentle arms. Nothing felt more certain than that.

As the priest finished our vows and the crowd cheered, we both leaned in to finish it with a kiss. But before our lips even met the happiness I felt turned to ashes in my mouth.

The world seemed to stop as the day suddenly turned to night with a hollow boom echoing throughout the sky. All the birds stopped their singing as if in fear. Even the wind was still, as if holding its breath for something to happen. Frowning at the sudden stillness of everything around us, I looked around in cofusion as our guests did the same, no one daring to make a noise as they looked to the now star-lit sky in awe and horror.

A little girls whimpering finally broke the silience, and as if a spell was lifted, people began whispering loudly too each other, fear carrying their voices up too the arch.

''what's going on?''

''Where's the sun?''

''Mommy, Im scared!''

''It's alright honey, momma's got you.''

''What in the world is going on here?! Where's the bloody sun!''

''Quite down Ruth, you're scaring the kids!''

''I ain't doin' nothin'! Their just scared of the fudgin' dark is all!''

''Ruth! Language!''

''What?! I said fudgin' not fu-''

The man in front of me let go of my hands with a sigh.''Aunt Ruth, calm yourself. There must be an explanation for all of this. Just sit back down and relax, I'm sure it'll all be over soon.''

And oh, how I wished he was wrong. Before his aunt could even respond a deafening boom resounded through-out the world with such force it threw us, and everything we had set up, to the ground as well. The trellis barely missing heads as it went crashing through the crowd.

The still trees were just as suddenly being thrashing against each other as well with the same wind, sending creatures of all kinds running for some sort of cover as it continued to blow with such terrifying force.

Ears ringing from the thunderous clap of sound, I looked behind where the priest once stood in growing horror as the winds ripped around us, threatening to blow those who got back up over once more.

A gaint beam of blue light was shooting up from the world and seemed to pierce the very heavens. It was so far away, yet it stretched such a vast distance I could see it clearly, even from here. I ignored all the screams that echoed behind me when everyone else saw the same pillar of light as I began to weep. I knew where that light was coming from, and the truth of it tore at my soul. Only one place in the world held that ethereal blue light. The place that my father was tasked from his father before him with protecting.

The Pasaules Varti.

As my now husband struggled to pull me up my eyes never left the pillar that continued to shoot into the sky. This was it. With a growing certainty I knew. This marked the end of everything. Though at the time I didn't understand why.