《My World To Live》


 1 Prologue

    [ This is a highly symbolic prologue that''ll probably make little sense until near the end of the first arc. SKIP unless you like guessing mysteries or theorizing. ]


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    I love rainy days.


    Even though it was late at night, and I was walking to the train station from campus, the sudden spring rain didn''t bother me under my black and white umbrella.


    Despite the glares of the vehicles and downtown lights bouncing off the rain and slick streets, and the whizzing and honking of passing and distant traffic, whenever it rained, it felt like the world became still. I could only hear the sound of the rain pattering, echoing as it spilled onto surfaces. All other sounds were thrums in a far off distance, and the sounds I made seem to be amplified.


    I had just missed the bus after class to catch the earliest train home. So in choosing to walk, I had to take a slight detour halfway through my usual route because of a new building being constructed. I only needed to cross over the four lanes to the other side and then return over again to reach the station.


    I arrived at the block of the building being constructed. A few meters before the crosswalk, metal side bars with lumber planks as roofing provided a somewhat sheltered walkway. Instead of walking through it, I walked on top of the sidewalk curb around it to the crosswalk.


    It was a red light, and I waited for it to turn green or for a good break in the passing cars. I was a bit worried that I''d get splashed by standing too close to the road, so I took a step back and stuck my head out to watch the traffic.


    The walking light was still red, but the next wave of cars were stopped at an earlier traffic light. The opposite side was clear too, so I scurried across the lanes before more cars arrived. I knew I would make it, but I still breathed an inward sigh of relief when I reached the other side.


    Although I had seen the other side of the street every day, the unfamiliar walk was a little thrilling, like I was exploring a new part of the city. I reveled in the fresh perspective and soon reached the end of the block. The walking light was red, and the cars kept coming this time.


    Perhaps due to the rain, it felt like I paused by some natural force of the world instead of the light or traffic. My thoughts wandered. It was a moment of reflection, a contemplation of the world around me. I only heard myself, as if I entered another world that was somehow more serene, and clear¡­


    The light was green. I walked straight across, but once I reached the end, I wondered why I hadn''t crossed back to the other side of the road instead of waiting for a green light to continue on the same road.


    It didn''t really matter in terms of distance or time to catch the train, so I shrugged it off. I actually rather liked this new side of the road, this blunder wasn''t so bad. I enjoyed the continued fresh perspective and soon approached the last crosswalk to the train station.


    Before I reached it, I scanned the traffic on both sides. It was clear. The crosswalk light on the other side was flashing red and counting down from eight. That meant the previous wave of traffic had already passed before the traffic light turned red and the walking light turned green.


    Even though I only had a few paces to the actual crosswalk lines, it seemed pointless to waste a few seconds to properly cross the street. So I walked over diagonally to the opposite side.


    Six seconds.


    I wouldn''t beat the clock to the other side, but it didn''t matter since I would arrive before the ensuing traffic.


    Two seconds.


    I almost felt competitive as I picked up my pace to finish before zero. I knew I still wouldn''t make it; I don''t know why I made this silly game on the spur of the moment.


    Zero.


    Suddenly, the downpour departed as swiftly as it came, and I was back to reality with only the sudden vividness of the world to remind me of the fleeting rain.


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    Can you escape from this mundane cycle?


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    wish| wiSH |


    noun


    a desire or hope for something to happen


    - an expression of a desire or hope for something to happen, typically in the form of a request or instruction


    - an invocation or recitation of a hope or desire


    - an expression of a desire for someone''s success or good fortune


    - a thing or event that is or has been desired; an object of desire


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    dream| dr¨¥m |


    noun


    a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person''s mind during sleep


    - a state of mind in which someone is or seems to be unaware of their immediate surroundings


    - a cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal


    - an unrealistic or self-deluding fantasy


    - a person or thing perceived as wonderful or perfect


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    Dreams of the imagination are quite rare. Even if the dream becomes reality, the reality never quite matches the imagination.


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    Between wishes and dreams coming true, which would you choose? Wishes of fame, fortune, love¡­


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    Dreams often encompass wishes. Together, wishes create the dream of a better reality, better future.


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    However, my dream does not hold any wishes, for this world could never grant them. Thus, I dream of another world.


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    Falling apart.


    Coming together.


    A violent ordeal.


    A natural process.


    From one world to another, you cease to exist, then begin to exist.


    Is this rebirth? A restart?


    No.


    It''s simply the beginning of my living.


    ... I guess I should say that line about dreams coming true from some princess movie, but I won''t. ...Because I never wished for this, I only wanted to live.

 2 Chapter One || Descendance

    The feeling of warmth and light fluttering across the face, that was what she felt first. Then, as the rest of her senses yawned open, she perceived the mild breeze, the crisp of mountain air, the scent of woodland, and the warbles of something not quite like a bird.


    Her eyes flickered open at the unfamiliarity of her surroundings. A grand forest with skyscraper trees towered before her. Looking downwards, she saw she was partially sprawled out in the tall grass as well as resting against a large buttress root.


    Curious, she peered upwards and was astounded at the enormous height and girth of the prodigious tree she was sitting under. Resembling that of an oak, it was more immense than any other tree in sight. Its branches blocked out most of the sunlight. How the grass below could even grow to the length of her calves was beyond her.


    With a faint smile, she closed her eyes, relishing the clear scent of the forest, the clement wafts that caressed her face, and the coziness of the thick, velvety grass.


    ''Is this a dream?'' She wondered as her senses lulled into repose. ''Then it''s a beautiful dream I don''t ever want to wake up from.''


    Nearby movement roused her from relaxation, and she opened her eyes. From the edge of the tree''s radius where the undergrowth began, glinting eyes and barely perceptible forms emerged out of the shadows.


    As they drew closer, the creatures'' shapes were reminiscent of antelope. However, they were unearthly with their silver eyes, light taupe hides, and white streaks across the length of their sides.


    ''Beautiful'', she thought, ''like the spirit deers in fantasy stories.''


    Soon after the appearance of the deer, more strange and beguiling creatures emerged from behind the foliage. They were not like the animals she knew on Earth. These fantastical creatures before her flaunted vivid and unnatural colors. All of their auras seemed almost spectral, luminescent even in the day.


    ''Just where am I,'' she wondered, awestruck.


    Then it dawned on her, she was not on Earth, no longer breathing the same air as the people she knew, the animals or even plants she was familiar with. Glancing down at the grass, her hands snatched a clump of blades, her brain shockingly registered the familiar feel of grass, the crunch and juice that dribbled out and left a stain on her palms. It was so shockingly real.


    In a dazed, mounting understanding of the world around her, she stood up. Right foot forward. Left foot forward. Right. Left. Walking. Running. Blindly she raced into the depths of the forest beyond the encirclement of grass. This couldn''t be real, and yet, she could feel the air whisking about her face and the dappled light that sent flashes of warmth across her body.


    The scent of the forest was intoxicating. It was purer than pure, fresher than fresh, lovelier than any air she had ever breathed. It was wilderness. An orchard. A field of flowers.


    And the best part? There were no pesky, teeny bugs slapping her face.


    Now don''t get her wrong, she didn''t hate insects or anything, only the annoying ones that bite people. Now butterflies, those she liked. Ladybugs and fireflies, dragonflies, they were cute in her eyes.


    If there were truly no gnats or mosquitoes or ticks or god forbid, centipedes, in this place, then by golly this world was perfect.


    But as she had no idea where she was going, her pace slowed, and she came to a leisurely plod.


    She walked over to an especially large rock blanketed in moss and intermixed with baby flowers and silvery grasses. The way the sunlight hit this flora-veiled boulder was distinctly striking. It was as if the light danced above it.


    Awed, she waved her hand airily in the frolicking light, watching it coruscate. Letting her hand fall, she touched the soft blossoms and ran her fingers through the satiny grass.


    Instantly, the rock quivered, causing the girl to recoil backwards on her behind in surprise. The rock slowly emerged out of the soil and walked away, scattering downy white plant tufts in its wake.


    The girl blinked. There in front of her, was a wolf. It was several times the size of ordinary wolves and had plants growing all over its silvery white fur.


    The wolf gazed indolently from the corners of its emerald edged, golden eyes as it ambled its way into the forest depths out of sight.


    Still in shock, she sat there at the exposed mat of flattened grass where the wolf had rested. While regaining her composure, a creature flitted near her right cheek. She whipped her head in the direction of the disturbance and came face to face with a dragonfly.


    A real dragonfly.


    This was no insect, but rather, it was a small, elongated dragon with iridescent scales of jade and shamrock green. Its triangular tail blades were flashing shades of blue outlined in rich periwinkle that matched the color of its wings. The belly and head were celadon, and the creature examined the girl with curious, ocean blue eyes.


    "Aww," she squealed, stretching out her hand to the adorable creature.


    The little dragon stared at her hand for a second before seeming to smile and plop itself merrily on her palm, evoking further soft squeals of adoration from the girl.


    They gazed into each others eyes, the dragonfly tilting its head inquisitively at her. Their transient connection lasted a few moments before the creature fluttered away into the brush.


    She missed the cute little dragon''s presence as soon as it left. Brushing herself off as she got up, she turned around in one place and peered at her surroundings again. Every plant, flower, bush and tree were uniquely different yet reminiscent of plants on Earth, but they were definitely of another species. The species of this other world.


    This had to be a dream, but the wolf''s emergence should''ve at least startled her awake a little.


    She frowned and tentatively pinched herself on the cheek. It sorta hurt. A flare of hope rose up in her center. She forcefully pinched herself again on the arm. A wince spasmed over her face. Too hard, that really did hurt.


    ''Shoot, this is real,'' she registered. ''Daaamn,'' she smiled, biting her bottom lip.


    The rising anticipation and elation soon overwhelmed her as she spun on her heel and sprinted back toward the colossal, oak-like tree from earlier.


    Arriving at the boundary of the encircled grass, she gazed admiringly at the splendor of the ancient tree at the center, the enormity of which made her feel both small and alive.


    She breathed deeply, but not from exhaustion. Rather, she literally hadn''t broken a sweat. She had never been able to run this far and fast in years.


    Her body on Earth, albeit healthy, was still weaker than it should''ve been for a just turned twenty year old. She couldn''t handle strenuous exertion since the strange illness that plagued her in the early teens and had since left her feeble like an old grandma.


    While her body appeared to be the same, she felt inexhaustible as if she could run a week long marathon. She was exhilarated having discovered this newfound energy and stamina and tried to calm herself.


    While walking toward the foot of the ancient tree, she detected rapid movement from behind. But when she turned her head, nothing stirred in the forest.


    Then suddenly, from behind a rustle of foliage, a small fox-like creature manifested itself, sprinting past her towards the ancient tree.


    ''Aww, how cute,'' she thought, looking at the mysterious and adorable animal with large eyes and ears, a small body, short legs, and fluffy twin tails. The animal''s fur was the color of biscuit with a caramel streak running from its forehead and white-tipped tails and paws.


    However, before she could question the peculiar look on its face, a gargantuan beast sprang out in pursuit from behind the brush, stopping all thought. It appeared to be a shadowy bear with shaggy fur that tapered into wisps, and large pointed ears. As it moved, the tips of its fur dispersed into the air, leaving a trail of smoky tendrils in its wake.


    It tore after the fox-like creature, passing in front of the girl and paralyzing her in place as she gawked vacantly at the black tendrils left inches from her face.


    The forest around was hushed, and she watched in horror as the beast chased after the fox.


    Although the smaller animal moved relatively fast for its size, the larger monster outpaced the fox, nearly reaching it before they arrived near the base of the tree.


    As soon as they reached the buttress roots, however, the smaller creature deftly evaded the bulkier monster by dipping in-between and under the roots.


    Frustrated, the monster jumped backwards out of the roots, and the fox, seeing an escape, leapt out.


    It scurried around the trunk, but the beast was ready, poised to rush at the exposed animal. Rearing up on its hind-legs, the monster lurched towards the fox with long, shadowy claws.


    "NO!"


    Startled by her own voice resounding in the quiet, she gasped, eyes widening as she saw the monster flinch and narrowly miss clipping the small animal.


    The fox scampered away as the beast plummeted flat on its chin and belly. The monster laid still on the roots as the girl''s thoughts went blank, and she held her breath in apprehension.


    As if cut from a horror scene, the monster''s head unnaturally whipped 180 degrees in her direction, and she felt her soul depart as the beast''s glaring, red eyes bore into her.


    Then it vaulted from the roots at its new target: her.

 3 Chapter One - 2 || Magic Within

    Every inch of her body pricked like a thousands needles, the cells themselves seeming to jumpstart in fright and flight.


    Her body twisted instinctively in the direction of the forest behind her. The first rule of escaping giant bears: climb a tree.


    However, the trees had bark too smooth to climb and were so enormously tall with no low lying branches.


    In distress, she glanced behind her, and seeing the monster a few bounds away from her, she felt as if her soul had left her once more.


    The demonic bear had crossed the distance between them in mere seconds, and she was stuck on the ground like a lame duck.


    Sensing capture, the beast hurtled at her at a frightening acceleration. There was no means of escape. The girl''s heart dropped.


    ''I thought this was a beautiful dream, but it became a nightmare instead?!'' Her thoughts shrieked. ''I''m not even here ten minutes and I''m going to die?! What the heck?! I don''t want to die young~!!!''


    The demonic bear loomed over her, crashing down upon¡ª


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    ''Asdfjkl;?!?!!!''


    ''I''m alive?!!''


    The girl inhaled sharply. A translucent lavender barrier glimmered between her forearm and the bear''s forepaw.


    ''Did I just create that?''


    Just as that thought passed her mind in astonishment, the demon-bear was unexpectedly flung backward, upheaving grass shoots and dirt in its wake.


    The wall had not only protected her, it shoved her attacker back by an intense invisible force.


    As the bear staggered up from the ground, the girl noticed glinting lavender flecks surrounding it. She wondered if those particles of light were connected to the transparent shield that appeared a second before.


    Still astounded by the turn of events, she stared dazedly at her right arm where the pale purple shield had been centered around.


    Slowly, her mind pieced the events together,and she gripped her fist, willing the shield to appear again. This spurred a faint warmth that began flooding her entire arm.


    However, before she could process this reaction, the monster bellowed its ire with glowing red eyes more hostile than ever.


    Trepidation arose in her gut, but as if it was the most natural action to do in the world, she intuitively directed her hand at the monster, releasing a flurry of lavender light streaking towards its chest.


    A glimmer of panic flared in the beast''s eyes before the light struck it dead on, singeing its chest fur and causing it to crumple inwards. The monster made a strangled, sputtering sound, as if knocked out of air. It glowered at the gaping girl and took a step back.


    The black tendrils arising from its body grew larger and more numerous. They circled the body in agitation. The monster''s eyes radiated a garish scarlet, the color leaking out in tendrils just like its shaggy fur. It was as if the beast was creating a black tornado with trailing threads of blood.


    Despite seeing the coming storm, the girl felt strangely calm. Everything clicked. She was no longer in the earthly world. She was in an ancient woodland with soaring trees, spirits and demons. She had magical power. A monster stood before her. A furious monster.


    She smirked.


    ''Ha.''


    The beast charged forward, and the girl swiped her hand in the air across its incoming, barreling body. An inscrutable expression suffused her face as vivid, lavender light like a knife sprang centimeters from her palm straight toward the demon.


    It slashed the monstrous bear, leaving a horizontal slit that glowed blood red. Its body was cut, and yet despite the cut''s red color, it didn''t bleed. Even so, the attack was obviously felt as the demon roared in pain and rage.


    Pondering upon this, the girl deduced that the biology of this world was different. The injury was simple and neat, nothing messy like spilled blood or ripped flesh.


    ''Just like a video game¡­?'' She wondered. ''Would it be the same for me?''


    She lightly shook her head. Now was not the time to think about this. She had a monster to beat.


    Usually, she hated hurting any kind of creature¡ªexcept some certain, previously named bugs¡ªbut this beast was the exception. It was no animal; more than a monster, it was a demon. This, she was sure.


    Flexing her wrist, she forcefully waved her hand several times, creating waves of arcs directed at the demon. It tried to dodge them, but even with its incredible speed, the large beast wasn''t agile enough to escape every one.


    In every direction it dodged, the girl sent another curve of magic careening towards the demon. But despite the obstruction and pain, the demon kept racing towards her.


    Determining that this method of attack wasn''t going to beat the beast in the few seconds she had left before it reached her, the girl stopped her onslaught.


    Focusing her mind, she gathered power in her hand. She could just shove some massive amount of magical energy at the demon while covering herself with a barrier, but she wondered if she could shape the magic into another form.


    With her eyes focused on the demon, she readied her body and felt the magic take form in her palm. Just before the demon reached a few meters away, the magic form finalized.


    She leapt forward, a sword of lavender light firmly grasped in her right hand, the point extended at the demon''s heart.


    The force of the sword splitting into the demon almost unbalanced her. Instead of cutting hard flesh as expected, the blade sunk easily into the body, causing black mass to come hurtling at her face.


    She dug her boots into the ground, dragging the sword leftward and up across the body before leaping backwards to avoid collision. She wasn''t ready to know firsthand just what made up a demon body.


    But as soon as the sword left the demon''s upper chest, the beast froze in position, its teeth still bared, a wide diagonal red gash across its underbelly.


    Confused, the girl watched its body disperse into drifting black billows. As the smoky clouds began dissipating into the air, a low voice rumbled from the receding demon.


    "Sal myo."


    The girl wrinkled her face in perplexity. This was a different language, even from Earth. Perhaps it was one of the demons. She hoped it wasn''t the language of this world for that would be rather vexing while exploring it. Even so, she wondered what the demon had said.


    As the black masses finally disappeared, something which was also black caught her eye in the grass. It was a large claw, possibly leftover from the beast demon.


    She picked it up and rotated it with her fingers; it was nearly the size of her palm. She was puzzled why it hadn''t dissipated like the rest of the body.


    Regardless, she decided to keep it and put it in her back pocket. The event had happened so suddenly and finished so quickly that she felt she had imagined it. But this claw was physical proof that it had indeed occurred.


    But surely even then, everything here must still be her imagination.


    She took a sharp breath and gripped her hand in resolution, staring at her fist. No. This wasn''t her imagination.


    She opened her fist, releasing a ball of magic whirring in the air above her palm. She tossed it lightly in the air, passed it between her hands, encircled and rubbed it in her palms like a fortune teller''s magic ball. It was as light as air and shouldn''t have been slung around so casually and easily as a ball with weight.


    Some form of gravity existed here, that was apparent by her as well as the fauna and flora remaining firmly on the ground.


    But, the magic ball deceived all laws of physics. Surely, this world was governed by some natural law or order. Or was magic simply an exception? Or perhaps it was the law¡­


    As she mused upon this, she was suddenly struck by a crazy scheme. If the magic ball she created could defy physics, couldn''t she?


    Grinning giddily to herself, she ceased the magic flow from her hands. The ball disappeared, and locating the closest tree, she sprinted towards it.


    When she reached a few paces from the tree''s base, she shifted as much power into her legs as possible and leapt into the air.


    Half in disbelief and wonderment, she was vaulted into the air at an inhuman height. The bark of the tree came within arms distance, and extending a foot out out, she sprung off the trunk, flying¡­ backwards?!

 4 Chapter One End || Determination

    Panicking, the girl whipped her head backwards to see the ground. Hair strands momentarily obscured her vision as she steadied her body. She was no cat, yet somehow, twisting her body in the air was effortless.


    She landed soundly, knees bent with one hand lightly on the ground, no sprained limbs or broken bones. The adrenaline soared in her head. She wasn''t sure if it was the blood rushing down from her head when she fell backwards and landed upright, or if it was the realization that shoot, she was superhuman.


    This world was superhuman.


    ''¡­Just like a video game.'' The thought greatly amused her. She remembered all the video games she had played so often as a kid and on occasion would indulge in as an adult.


    As a child, they were merely games of the generation. As an adult, they were an escape from responsibility. Or rather, a return to her childhood, to a place where her decisions were of her own accord, where time was timeless, where she was free to create her own destiny. Hope was real, and the future seemed full of endless possibilities.


    It was every kid''s dream to be an astronaut, a singer, a firefighter, an artist, an engineer, a detective, a teacher, a movie star, a doctor, an athlete, a scientist, a police officer, a veterinarian, a writer. The hero.


    The heroine.


    But time wears on, and reality roots in. Soon enough, children find themselves adults, carrying on with life repeating continuously with few interludes.


    The day that used to be full of adventure and exploration has become ordinary and monotonous. The wonder of the world is gone; expectations lower; it becomes a cycle.


    No matter what changes may occur, faithfully, the cycle restores itself in a new, but insipid, familiar form.


    This is not that world.


    The girl peered up at the colossal tree. Steadily she strode towards it. Her heart beat fast; her mind stirred turbulently.


    Reaching a stride from the base of the tree, she exerted force onto the ground while stepping on her right foot. This simple action¡ªmixed with a touch of magic¡ªboosted her body several stories into the air, and she reached about a third up the tree''s trunk.


    As soon her front sole landed on the bark, she jumped to a higher point on the trunk, repeating until she landed on the lowest bough. From there on she jumped from bough to bough to branch to branch towards the top.


    Meanwhile, images of her former life whirred throughout her head¡ªthe smiling faces of her family and friends coaxing her to return, the cutest little mutt grinning up from chocolate blue eyes, the last tasks that needed finishing lying forlornly on her desk, the fluffy bed and king-sized pillows in the room and house she had known since birth.


    [ "Mom, I''m home!" I shouted, slinging my backpack off onto a chair.


    "Welcome back, how was school today?" my mom asked warmly, giving me a hug.


    "Just the usual," I replied.


    "What''s the usual?" she chuckled as we walked though the living room.


    "Nothing really happened today except oh, I got my finance test back and I got a 98," I smiled softly.


    "Oh that''s great, good job!" she exclaimed.


    I laughed. "It''s not too bad. How was your day?" ]


    Blue skies started peeking through the branches as the girl reached the top of the tree, and the sunlight poured in through the last treetop layer.


    [ "Are you okay?" my mom asked with concerned eyes.


    "I''m fine, just a little tired. It''s hard to motivate myself these days; the classes are tedious," I imparted, flopping down on the living room couch.


    "Is school boring for you?"


    "Yeah, a little, but it''s okay. I''m almost done with the semester." I assured. ]


    The girl lightly padded her way to the fringe of the uppermost branch, parting the branches aside and lifting her head above the leaves.


    [ "Mom, I wish I was done with college already," I sighed.


    "Do you want to drop out?" she queried softly.


    "No, I''m going to get my degree and a good job. ¡­It''ll be all over soon." ]


    She squinted in the bright light as the world came into focus. Her lavender eyes widened as she took in rolling grasslands, country roads, quaint towns, rustic farms, scattered woods, and misty mountains.


    A brusque breeze billowed through her ebony locks as she discerned distant villages dotting the background along raggedy roads marked by large cities like some crude game of connect the dots.


    A glowing metropolis spanned the horizon on the right while a gleaming ice fog enveloped the horizon on the left. The whole landscape seemed to come straight out of a fairytale, to a time when green expanses were plentiful and life was still charming.


    Turning on her heel, she peered backwards and was met with sweeping woodland.


    Despite her tall perch, which was unquestionably the tallest point in the extensive forest, the sheer height of all the trees covered almost her entire vision.


    The only other detail she could make out was a circular formation near the left horizon. It looked to be some kind of megacity, but the dense mist shrouding it prevented further examination.


    Whatever world this was, it was real and right before her. A sense of exploration welled up inside her, and she drew in a deep breath of the invigorating air.


    Could she give up her past life in return for this new world? All her attachments to everyone and everything she had ever known¡ªit couldn''t be easy abandoning your entire life.


    It was like dying and being reborn with all your memories. Could one survive such a wistful experience peacefully, happily? The scenery before her only existed in daydreams.


    But here she was, standing in that fantasy, alive and breathing, conscious and feeling. Right now, she had to make the choice whether to live in it, or to look for a way home.


    She exhaled slowly, relinquishing the lingering thoughts of her former reality. Her mind was clear. The answer was clear.


    Essairyn determined to live a new existence.

 5 Chapter Two || Illumination

    Back on the ground, Essairyn contemplated her circumstances. She was currently in an enormous forest with strange animals that could possibly attack her and strange plants that may or may not be edible or poisonous.


    Somehow she would have to learn which plants or animals were innocuous and find or make shelter for when it got dark.


    Although, she could just sleep in the ancient tree, it might be cold at night, and she could possibly roll off and fall to her hapless death.


    As that thought about night crossed her mind, Essairyn suddenly realized that she hadn''t seen any sun when she was in the treetops. Light definitely existed here, but where exactly did the outside light come from if not a sun?


    Looking up at the forest ceiling, there were barely any openings for sunlight to come through.


    However, the forest was illuminated like a room lit by electricity, but there were no sources of external light under the treetops. It was like the air itself was illuminating the space it presided. And yet, it was clearly brighter above the canopy than below.


    Pondering this newfound discovery, Essairyn decided to visit the treetops once more.


    As she looked up at the ancient tree, a crazy idea crossed her mind. If she could defy gravity even partially while jumping, she speculated she could defy it completely.


    Essairyn focused her mind on the act of flying, feeling quite silly while doing so but determined to at least give it a shot. After all, this was no ordinary world. And she wasn''t about to experiment by jumping off some tree limb either; even though, she was sure she would land soundly like before.


    After few seconds, her body felt light, but she still felt the ground under her feet.


    Stumped, she muttered, "Fly."


    But the verbal command didn''t work, and feeling foolish, she supposed that it wasn''t as simple as video games after all.


    Disappointed, but still determined, Essairyn gave a little jump, hoping with all desperation that it was possible to naturally fly without wings in this world.


    To her delight, her feet never touched the ground.


    Her knees were still slightly bent, and her feet floated several inches off the ground, swishing at the tips of the grass.


    She tried hopping again while afloat, but she fell back to the ground after a couple seconds in the higher position.


    Dismayed but not thwarted, Essairyn experimented moving through in the air.


    After several attempts, she was able to reach almost three stories in the air but couldn''t linger at any height for more than twenty seconds. Still, she was pleased. Just like first learning how to walk, flying seemed to be a movement that had to be practiced before it became natural.


    Putting her hands on her hips, she stared up the height of the ancient tree, wondering if there was an easier way to go up it. Jumping wasn''t hard or necessarily tiring, but the tree was darn high, and there were rather a lot of branches. Essairyn didn''t like more exertion than was necessary for even the smallest of things.


    Remembering how she was able to make a ball and sword out of magical energy, she conjectured that she could make other usable objects. And just like how she had sent boomerang-like waves of energy to strike the demon, maybe she could make the objects move on their own without having to physically hold it.


    Positivity flowed into her, and Essairyn slowly waved her hand in a large circle, creating a hovering, lilac colored disk. This flying disk was common in the fantasy and sci-fi stories she had read, so the idea came easily.


    She flicked her finger down, and the disk followed, moving to a stair-step height before her. She placed a foot expectantly on the disk, and to her satisfaction, she felt a solid surface.


    Essairyn regarded the disk with cheerfulness as she stepped up on it, but as soon as both of her feet landed on the surface, it emanated a bright light that reached up to her knees and caused her to squint.


    The light gradually faded away, and in the place of a solid colored disk, a transparent disk with two lavender outlined circles and triangles floated in its place.


    The four shapes were centered on the disk, and the triangles formed a star inside the two circles. Strange letters revolved in between the two circles.


    ''A magic circle?!''


    The ludicrous thought echoed in Essairyn''s mind and enchanted her.


    Humongous trees, spirit deers, grassy wolves, miniature dragons, bear demons, and now magic circles? This surely was a fantasy world.


    Now, only elves or dwarves or fairies or sorcerers were left. Although, well, Essairyn supposed she was sort of the sorcerer here even if she didn''t know how to cast spells like a wizard.


    However, looking at the foreign lettering on the circle, she wondered if she had somehow unknowingly casted a spell; even though, she hadn''t thought of any particular command at the moment she stepped.


    She tried deciphering the revolving letters but forgone after a minute. The only partially recognizable letters were A, E, and N; everything else was obscure.


    She sighed; if this was the native language, it would be a challenge adapting to this new world.


    Setting aside that concern, Essairyn continued her plan before the luminescent display occurred.


    Focusing her mind, she willed the magic circle to move upwards. The circle glowed briefly before rising swiftly but steadily into the treetops.


    A smile played across Essairyn''s face as she adeptly maneuvered the disk through the branches.


    She might''ve not been able fly on her own easily, but with the help of the magic circle, she was able to soar through the air effortlessly. In a matter of seconds, she spanned several tens of stories high.


    At the top, she surveyed the skies for a light source. To her surprise, although she did suspect it, there was no sun. Nevertheless, the world was indeed covered in light. The azure itself seemed to be illuminating the landscape.


    Essairyn wondered if this was another dimension as the physics and biology of her world were clearly not the natural laws of this one. This was a world outside her solar system, her universe.


    The thought both captivated and daunted her. It was possible she would never be able to return home.

 6 Chapter Two - 2 || Encounter

    She shook her musings aside and descended back to earth. For now, Essairyn needed to create a lodging for herself.


    Some of the encircling trees had branches as thick as normal trunks. Perhaps with these she would be able to construct a treehouse in the ancient tree. Essairyn figured it would be the safest spot since it was the highest off the ground.


    Taking a hard look at some prospective trees, she traced the branches of each one to find the nonessential branches she could lop off.


    After selecting several branches from the surrounding trees, she flew up to a chosen branch. Essairyn wasn''t sure if she could dual-cast, but she was about to find out now.


    She swiped her hand down the width of the branch by its base. Following her hand, a lilac strip of light appeared on the bark. Not even a second after the completion of the motion, the branch plummeted to the ground.


    Fleetly flustered by its sudden descent, Essairyn hurriedly softened the impact by casting what she thought was going to be a net but turned out to be a magic circle.


    The plants below were saved from being squashed, and the branch was now hovering on a circle that had different inscriptions from the one she was using to fly.


    Essairyn glided down to inspect it, amazed by how the supposed net automatically transformed into another magic circle. She gestured for it move to the grass under the ancient tree''s canopy.


    The inscriptions illuminated momentarily before changing into letters that almost corresponded to her flying disk. Only one segment, possibly the word for branch or object, was different.


    She followed the circle as it transported the branch to the gestured location. Essairyn noticed the letters changed again when she ordered it to place the branch gently on the ground. Now she knew for sure that the letters were the language of magic and spells. She''d have to meet another person in order to find if it was also the spoken language.


    Returning to her task, Essairyn lopped off each of the selected branches and placed them in a pile by the ancient tree. She soon had enough to begin construction and devised a mental blueprint of how the treehouse would be assembled.


    In less than an hour, she created a spacious treehouse with two rooms and a deck that would be the envy of any treehouse owner.


    One room was a dual living room and office space with a guest table, work desk, and two chairs; the other was a bedroom with a bed and nightstand. That room had one window by the bed while the other room had two windows: one by the doorway, and another in-between the guest and work spaces.


    As for bedding and curtains, she saw some cotton-like plants earlier that might suffice. But, she didn''t know whether they were poisonous or allergy prone.


    Additionally, Essairyn felt a need to make paper and ink for the desk. She had already crafted a small box which held the black claw, a cup for the desk, and a vase for the guest table.


    She wasn''t sure how long she''d stay in the forest, but at the very least, she couldn''t leave and be satisfied without making the treehouse suitably livable. That included basic furniture, textiles, and utensils. The paper would be easy enough to make, but for the ink, she would need some berries. Hopefully, the juice would stain well enough to serve as ink.


    Essairyn left the little tree fort and flew in search of fruits. Once discovered, she ceased the magic spell and landed straight down on the ground in front of the berry bushes. She picked the darkest berries and placed them in a grass bag she wove on the spot.


    Just as she was about to return, a faint clamor arose from nearby. Curious, Essairyn picked her way through the brush toward the noise.


    As she got closer, she discerned a human figure through the foliage. Two voices, one distinctly male and one distinctly female were engaged in some kind of altercation.


    To her relief, Essairyn understood their language, but wary of the feuding strangers, she listened behind a cover of leaves in order to grasp the situation.


    "How does it feel to be weak and powerless for once, knowing that you''ll die just a day after being reincarnated?" the male voice mocked contemptuously.


    "Ha! As if that''d ever happen you weak, low-class demon!" the female voice spitted, visibly aggravating the man who wrinkled his face in burning rage and what also seemed like shame.


    Surprisingly, the female voice came from an animal in front of the man, and to Essairyn''s further astonishment, it was the small fox from earlier that day.


    The fox bristled in hostility as it faced off the humanoid demon. However, it looked to have taken a harsh beating; its fur was in a disarray, all matted and dried with blood.


    Apparently, bleeding was possible in this world, making Essairyn confused about why the demon from before didn''t. If the fox wasn''t a demon, perhaps it was only demons that didn''t bleed?


    "Today, you''ll finally get what you deserve. And after you die, we''ll hunt you down again and again, mercilessly ending your life each time until you no longer have the ability to even reincarnate!" the demon retorted in triumph and pure hatred.


    The notion of reincarnation was a revelation. If reincarnation was possible in this world, Essairyn wondered if it had something to do with why she appeared here. And seeing that the demon and fox knew one another, it seemed that past memories were also retained.


    However, it was also possible to lose the ability to reincarnate too. These discoveries elicited ambivalent emotions inside Essairyn.


    Humans had always feared death and the unknown after death. Yet the prospect of reincarnation wasn''t completely palatable to Essairyn.


    The idea of having no definite end to existence made current lives and time seem less valuable. It was no longer about living a full life without regrets.


    But the man''s barbaric words triggered something inside Essairyn.


    Somehow, ending a living existence through the inability to reincarnate seemed more cruel than simply dying once.


    Humans lived knowing they would die one day. Those with the ability to reincarnate died knowing that their goals could be achieved in the next life.


    But if that safety net was suddenly stripped from them while they still had these aspirations, then it was an existence with regrets. That kind of desperation and despair¡­ How sorrowful was that kind of end?


    Spurred on by tragedy, pity, and indignation, Essairyn hardly realized she had stepped away from her hiding spot until she was in the open, a streak of magic flying from her hand toward the man.


    It hit him squarely in his stomach and sent him stumbling backwards. Briefly in shock from the sudden attack, he could only gape at Essairyn before straightening his hunched back and giving her a wary glare.


    "Who are you? A friend of this murderous rat?" he spitted with narrowed eyes, quickly taking in her appearance, "But you''re just a human!"


    Essairyn only blinked, hastily searching for an answer as he studied her a little closer.


    "And with such strange fashion for being in the Spirit and Demon Forest, too," he added, raising a brow at her black combat boots, lavender chiffon blouse, and stonewash light blue jeans. "But a pretty one," he leered, making Essairyn''s skin crawl.


    The fox flashed a look at the both of them and decided now was as good of a time to escape as ever. But as soon as she began to dart out of the scene, the man immediately blocked her path with an arc of smoldering ash-black magic.


    "Trying to escape again, eh?" the demon jeered, "Leaving your friends to save your hide again, no less¡ªthat is, if she is your ''friend''."


    "What do you know, you brute!" the fox shot back, revealing her small canines as he drew near.


    "Aww, how cute," the man mocked, making a fake, adoring face. "Yeah right, you worthless pup," he switched, eyes sinister as he raised a leg to give her a sharp kick in her side.


    But before he made impact, a lilac streak knocked his foot away, unbalancing him and causing him to swivel a step aside. He swiftly swung his head at Essairyn who had her hand outstretched.


    "So you''re on her side," he snarled with glowering ash-black eyes, "I was going to maybe let you go, but it seems like I''ll have to hurt you before I have some fun."

 7 Chapter Two - 3 || Companion

    He leapt at Essairyn with a sphere of dark magic, and she swiftly cancelled it out with a sphere of her own. Sparks of magic and light emanated from the collision of the two spheres. The demon sprung out from behind the collision, using the momentary mist from the clashing magic to surprise Essairyn.


    She barely had time to form a barrier blocking his strike, an arch of flaming black magic that almost sliced through her shield. While she didn''t get injured, the force knocked her backwards, making her stagger as she strove to stay on her feet.


    However, she kept her eyes fixed on the demon, anticipating his second strike. When he lunged at her with another wave, she was ready.


    Pushing the dark magic back with a barrier on one hand, she used the other hand to materialize a sword. The demon''s eyes widened in disbelief when he saw the sword forming in her palm.


    "A sword?! But how can you-?!" he sputtered, reflexively taking a step back. He angled his head downwards, "Then I better finish you now," he growled, his eyes turning a lurid red.


    But Essairyn was already done. While creating the sword in her right hand, she had suffused her left with magic to block any further blows. She wouldn''t be caught off guard again.


    The demon bombarded Essairyn with a flurry of strikes from a distance, but they were ineffectual against the barrier she kept reinforcing.


    She noticed, however, that his blows were stronger than before. He had undergone a transformation similar to the demon bear from earlier.


    But she didn''t have time to ponder this, so she gathered some force into her feet and leapt over the magic barrage toward him. His eyes again flashed with surprise, but he dodged before Essairyn could reach him.


    However, Essairyn knew his quickness by now and anticipated the dodge. She spun airborne on her step; the demon had no time to adjust, and her blade sunk heavily into his shoulder as Essairyn landed.


    The demon howled out in agony, and he reached up to grab the blade. But upon contact, his hands burned. He retracted his charred hands instantly, staring at them incredulously.


    "You¡­" he began slowly, "elemental magic¡­? From a human? How can¡ª" He paused, looking up at Essairyn with sullen, sunken eyes, "Who are you?"


    At the sight of his lightless, carmine eyes up close, Essairyn briefly started back in horror before regaining her composure. Tightening her grip on the sword handle, she teared it out from the demon''s shoulder, cutting a large gash out to his arm and eliciting another scream from the man.


    "You¡ª" he started.


    Essairyn swung the blade back into the gash, slashing the demon nearly in half. He gave another garish scream, the sound turning liquid as he struggled to finish his words.


    "Monster."


    The demon laid still in a pool of blood; pitch black orbs peered out into nothingness. Essairyn stared back vacantly; blood dripped from her blade.


    After a second of silence, the man''s body burst into a shower of black dust glinting with red. The dust dissipated as it rose, and the body and blood soon disappeared as if nothing had ever happened.


    Essairyn just stared at the empty space. Her sword dropped from her hand, vanishing in a puff of lavender. Her knees felt shaky. She drew in a sharp breath and released it tremulously.


    "So," a voice jolted Essairyn back. It was the fox.


    "You know magic. I suppose that was how you defeated that beast demon," the small animal conjectured, revealing herself from behind a bush.


    Essairyn looked at the fox, deadpan. "Yeah. And I suppose you left me again to your pursuers."


    The fox smiled tersely, "Well you were stronger than them anyway."


    A corner of Essairyn''s mouth twitched up fleetingly on her impassive face. "I don''t suppose you also left me for dead too; although, I suppose you came back this time."


    "Ouch, touch¨¦," the fox winced, "It''s not like I know you or anything¡­"


    "Huh, but if you knew me, would you still leave me like one of your ''friends''?" Essairyn snapped sarcastically.


    The fox''s eyes widened momentarily before she turned her head away. "I don''t have friends¡­ anymore." The last word came as a whisper as the fox''s face turned dark. There was a hint of sadness in her voice and on her face. At this response, Essairyn wondered just what was the story behind the man''s words from earlier.


    "Besides, what are you even doing in this forest?" the fox queried, evading Essairyn''s questioning look.


    The girl gazed at the fox cautiously. "You haven''t told me why both of those demons were after you. And how do I know you''re not a demon too? Seeing as I saved you twice, I think I ought to know."


    The little creature sighed, her white-tipped ears bending downwards in exasperation. "Look, I''m not a demon; I''m a spirit. I know that demon''s words didn''t give you the best impression of me¡­or that I had left my problems with you twice..but I assure you, I''m not going to hurt you or leave you again."


    "Right¡­" Essairyn breathed dismissively with a sidelong glance. "So.. the Spirit and Demon Forest."


    The small fox perked her ears up and got up on all fours. She scampered over to Essairyn and started circling and sniffing her.


    "Wha¡­" Essairyn started questioningly, picking up her foot to move away from the fox''s nose.


    The fox lifted her snout towards the girl. Her hazel eyes were bright as she exclaimed, "You''re not from around here, are you? Are you a traveler, perhaps?"


    "A traveler..?" Essairyn repeated.


    "Yeah! Travelers are people who come from another world! That would explain why you''re wearing such unsuitable clothes for a forest," the fox resolved, sitting down on it haunches with pricked ears.


    Essairyn had to admit, the fox was rather cute. And the way it looked triumphantly up at her was adorable.


    But still, she couldn''t be sure how safe this little animal was until she learned more about spirits.


    She was glad, however, to learn about travelers. If the fox wasn''t dangerous after all, perhaps she could help Essairyn learn more about this world since it seemed her sudden arrival wasn''t unordinary.


    The girl turned her eyes toward the expectant fox. "Look, despite our doubtful start, I need to learn more about this world. I''m probably one of those travelers you described. So, if you can teach me about how this world works and the sort of creatures or whatever that exists here, I can possibly help you with your pursuers," Essairyn bargained.


    The fox''s eyes lit up. "Well," she began thoughtfully, "I suppose until I regain most of my former power back, I could use some protection¡­" The fox huffed in annoyance at her predicament before continuing, "But what are you planning to do now? Stay in the forest or..?"


    "Travel," Essairyn immediately answered. "I want to explore this world," she grinned brightly.


    "So you''re an adventurer too, huh?" The fox''s eyes twinkled.


    "Yes, would you like to travel with me?" the girl asked.


    "Of course! I love adventures," the fox beamed. "By the way, my name is Akari, the greatest spirit god in Sol''h''meyr!" she touted proudly, puffing her chest.


    Essairyn raised a doubtful brow at Akari''s declaration. "The greatest spirit god..? But you can barely defend yourself; not to mention, you''re covered in injuries right now," she pointed out.


    Akari huffed, "Even the strongest gods are weak right after reincarnation. And I''ll heal up after some rest."


    "Ah I see," Essairyn mused, "And this world..is called Soul..heh-mir?"


    "Yes, Sol''h''meyr. The literal translation is the soul-heart mirror," Akari explained, receiving a "huh" look from Essairyn before she continued, "It means the soul-heart world."


    "Soul-heart world..?" Essairyn reiterated blankly.


    Akari hummed in quick contemplation. "I guess you haven''t been here for that long if you don''t even know what the name of the world means," she stated.


    "No, I just arrived today," Essairyn confirmed and then added, "But I did make a treehouse after that beast demon."


    "A treehouse? In that short span of time?" Akari replied, impressed, "You move quickly, settling into this world. I guess you''re going back there now? "


    Essairyn nodded, remarking, "The magic in this world is so exciting and efficient. I''m amazed by what you can do here."


    She gestured for the fox to follow her to the treehouse. On the way back, the girl shared a little about herself on Earth. She was an only child, a college junior, and a part-time intern. Her life was mostly ordinary except for an illness she developed several years ago that had left her physically weak.


    The fox shared that she was reincarnating after three thousand years. Once she regained her former powers, she planned to punish those who killed her. But, she didn''t elaborate on the details of her death or current pursuers. Essairyn figured she''d eventually find out considering how quickly Akari ran into trouble.

 8 Chapter Two End || The Mirror World

    Moving onto the topic of Sol''h''meyr, Akari explained the basics.


    "A world is like a mirror, hence the meaning of ''meyr.'' A world only exists the way we perceive it, and in a sense, it is superficial. There are many other worlds out there as you can now attest, so a world is a transient reflection of space and time.


    "Soul-heart refers to the way in which this specific world works or is built upon¡ªmagic. Magic exists in every creature; every creature is made of magic; it''s their life-force. When something is devoid of magic, it is dead.


    "While everything is made of magic, not everything has magical ability. In other words, the ability to use magic. The strength of one''s innate magical ability lies in their soul.


    "Magical ability can be further strengthened through physical training, in other words, physically practicing their magic, or physical exercise and training of their body to increase magic capacity and strength.


    "We call it strengthening one''s soul-heart, the heart which refers to the physical body, and the soul which refers to the magical or spiritual. Even if one doesn''t have magical ability, their soul-heart can still be strengthened.


    "Then, you get the name of spirits and demons. Spirits were born from the positive or righteous feelings, thoughts, values, and beliefs of humans. Demons are the opposite, but that doesn''t necessarily mean spirits are good and demons are bad. They are like light and dark. While the light is seen more positively, the dark doesn''t mean it''s bad. They''re just opposites that balance out the world."


    Akari wrinkled her nose in concentration. "I think in some culture of yours, spirits and demons would be akin to yen and yeng..? Or something like that," she added just before they arrived at the ancient tree.


    Essairyn nodded, understanding Akari meant the principles of yin and yang.


    She pointed up at the tree boughs, saying, "That is where I made my treehouse. I figured sleeping in the trees would be safer than on the ground. I guessed that there would be more things moving on the ground than in the air seeing as gravity still exists here¡­"


    "Oh yeah," Akari registered, "apparently your, uh, Earth? has stronger gravity. But how ''gravity'' works here is a little different. When you walk, it''s not like you bounce or anything. It''s only when you jump that you feel the difference, I suppose."


    "Hmm, that''s interesting," Essairyn commented, "Anyway, let''s go up."


    Creating a magic circle and stepping up on it, Essairyn gesturing for Akari to follow. After the fox joined, the two glided upwards and landed on the treehouse porch. Essairyn gave a little tour of the treehouse, and Akari surveyed its contents, noting the neat craftsmanship of the structure and furnishings.


    "This is a nice little place you have here," Akari remarked, "Are you sure today''s your first day in this world? This place looks like it was built by an expert carpenter, and yet you built it all with magic? Just like that piece of cloth over there?"


    The fox gestured towards the large fabric Essairyn had woven on the way and placed on the bed as a blanket. The girl had learned from the fox that the cotton-like plants she saw earlier weren''t harmful; in fact, they were often used to make clothing.


    "Yes," Essairyn replied enthusiastically, "if I just imagine the procedures, cutting, compressing, etcetera.. I can recreate the actions without the need for machines or tools. I''ve always loved arts and crafts, but magic is really amazing, isn''t it? You can do so much so easily with it!"


    She held up her bag of berries and compressed the juice into the wood cup as demonstration. "Ink," she stated with a smile.


    Akari frowned at the thrilled girl, "Are you kidding me? You''re an anomaly! You already were though when you used elemental magic as a human¡­ And gimme that bag!"


    The fox snatched the bag from Essairyn and began eating the crushed berries inside.


    "You mean this isn''t normal?" Essairyn curiously asked while the fox ate the berries.


    The fox gave a little exasperated sigh before replying, "If that were normal we wouldn''t have wars over magic."


    The girl pondered over this as she leaned against the side of the window frame.


    "I suppose magic is a resource like anything else," she deduced as she watched the fox jump up to the window ledge next to her after finishing the berries.


    "Yes, the most valuable considering it can get you basically anything: money, fame, respect and recognition, a home, a living, even life," Akari elaborated, settling down on her belly.


    "Life?" Essairyn softly exclaimed.


    "Yes, magic can heal after all. So, it''s basically like saving someone," Akari clarified and then added with a portentous tone, "And there are more ways to save a life. Hiding their soul, splitting it.."


    Essairyn smiled uneasily, making the fox chuckle at her expression.


    "Ah, it''s only the gods and elementals that can do that anyway, so don''t worry. Even then it''s extremely hard for them to do unless they''re the elemental creator gods," Akari reassured.


    Essairyn''s expression perked up at the mention of creator gods. Noticing this, Akari continued, "Water, light, earth, fire, and ice. They''re the gods who created this world. And for a long time too, they lived in this world. But after the Great Elemental War, they disappeared and became part of the world themselves. No one''s ever seen or heard them since. Now, people have forgotten how the world used to be¡­" Akari trailed off.


    "How long ago was the war?"


    Akari looked at her for a moment before responding, "Thousands of years ago."


    The fox fell silent and looked at the floor. Essairyn tipped her head in concern.


    "Are you okay?"


    The fox jerked her head up, eyes wide.


    "Y-yeah. For some reason..I always feel a little sad when I''m on the subject.. It''s nothing, really."


    Akari glanced out the window, and Essairyn followed her gaze. The forest had gotten even darker since they arrived and talked.


    "You have night here?" Essairyn inquired.


    "Yes," Akari answered, "It''s a little different from your earthly night, but it''s essentially the same. The world gets lighter and darker at periodic times thus creating the days. But our days are the result of magic in the air transitioning from high energy to low energy. When you cast magic, you see it like light. During the day, magic has more energy, so it''s brighter outside. But the amount of magic is still the same, it just flows throughout the world. Creatures with more magical aptitude have a closer connection to the flow of magic and can harness more of its power. It''s as simple as that."


    Essairyn was genuinely amazed. Just like how Earth was the biological world based on elements, Sol''h''meyr was the magical world based on magic.


    However, Akari hadn''t yet explained the difference between regular magic and elemental magic. Apparently, humans were incapable of elemental magic.


    "But is the world created based on elemental magic? If so, then how come humans can''t use it?"


    "It''s true that this world was created based on elemental magic. The elemental gods'' essences put together essentially formed this world. But humans like you never originated from our world. But since this is a magical world, your existences have to adhere to our natural laws. So some of you can wield magic, but it''s never the elemental kind."


    Akari paused in her explanation and stared firmly at Essairyn. "Heh. Although, I suppose you broke that law. Are you sure you''re not an elemental?" Akari questioned through squinted eyes and jumped up to sniff Essairyn. "But you really do smell like a human," the fox ascertained after a whiff.


    Essairyn gave a little laugh. "I didn''t know you can, uh, smell human. But yes, I''m very sure. I don''t even know what an elemental is."


    The fox bent her front body in a downwards stretch. "Well," she began, peering out the window again, "I''ll believe my senses that indicate you''re a human. So, I''d love to tell you more, but do you have more food here or something? I''m still hungry."


    "Pfft," Essairyn laughed and walked to the door, "Let''s go find something."

 9 Chapter Three || Forest Guardians

    The unlikely duo meandered their way through the forest in search of food. It was a plentiful forest untouched by humans or elementals. And with Akari''s guidance, Essairyn distinguished the edible from the inedible. Berries and other greens soon filled the cloth bag, enough for several servings.


    "Hey," piped Akari, "Do you know how to store items in the magic cache?" She pointed a paw at the bag Essairyn held.


    "No, what''s that?" Essairyn replied curiously.


    "Heh, of course not. Should''ve guessed when you made a box for that beast demon claw," Akari lightly scoffed, making the girl roll her eyes in mild amusement.


    "It''s how you can store items without having to physically carry them. It''s like an invisible inventory. Look," Akari directed, pointing at the air in front of Essairyn, "Try imagining a wall of compartments and reach out."


    Though skeptical, Essairyn did as she was told, and to her amazement, wooden-like boxes with missing front sides appeared less than two feet away.


    "Wha-" Essairyn uttered in surprise, "It''s really like a game inventory!"


    The fox now rolled her eyes, remarking, "I''ve got a game fanatic on my paws."


    "How does it work?" Essairyn asked excitedly, "Do I just put whatever in there and make it close with my hand or something?"


    The fox gave the girl an unamused, amused look.


    "Yeah basically, I guess that''s the gist of it really."


    With eyes sparkling, Essairyn eagerly placed the bag into a square compartment. Then, she waved her hand in front of the compartment shelves, willing it to disappear. And sure enough, they did.


    "Amazing!" Essairyn exclaimed.


    "It''s just how adventurers get by. Do you think we''d hike around with luggage and expect to fight properly in a battle? Or have ourselves get robbed in our sleep?"


    "Still, I''m glad. This is really useful!" the girl beamed.


    The fox chuckled, "You really are a traveler."


    "Speaking of which," Essairyn thoughtfully began, "I''d like to explore the forest for a bit. Come on!"


    Akari grinned and the two set off. As they delved deeper into the depths of the Spirit and Demon Forest, the sounds of the day gently subsided into the stirrings of the night, and fairylike wraiths materialized in the cascading twilight. They dusted the forest floor with fallings wisps while flitting around like fireflies. Their speckled glow faintly illuminated the understory.


    Intrigued, Essairyn outstretched a hand toward the ethereal creatures, and they daintily danced upon her hand in mirth. Their giggles whispered throughout the air, and their smiles radiated in the coming night.


    "Ts'' rien," they murmured, causing Essairyn to knit her eyebrows in confusion at the foreign language.


    "What''re they saying?" she asked Akari who was attentively looking at the creatures.


    The fox turned her gaze away and seemed to shrug before beginning to walk again. "Who knows," she replied disinterestedly.


    As dusk finally descended, more creatures of the night arose from their slumber. Soon, the forest was a hushed frenzy of activity, and Essairyn was astounded once again by the beauty of these otherworldly spirits and demons.


    While gazing at the mysterious splendor of the night, Essairyn noticed some light-footed animals streaking through the brush. They were traveling so swiftly that they could only be discerned by a soft phantom glow that smudged the air behind them. She wondered how and why they were moving so fast. She squinted her eyes in concentration, trying to pick out their features as they passed.


    To her surprise, her vision sharpened automatically, and she could distinguish their forms and colors. With their slender bodies and spindly limbs, they looked similar to greyhounds; except, their coats were a mystical silvern that luminesced the air around; their backs were dappled and streaked in platinum, and their paws were dipped in sateen sable.


    Their ears, as well, were peculiar and looked more akin to rabbits. And their tails too were remarkably long and splayed out at the end like a feathered fin.


    But the strangest features had to be the two elongated appendages that arose next to the backs of each ear and billowed behind them as they ran.


    Just as her thoughts wrapped itself around that last feature, the animals suddenly stopped their frenzied dash and turned their eyes toward Essairyn.


    A flash of anxiety surfaced in her middle as she returned their glassy gazes. They slowly patrolled around her a few meters away, and she looked to Akari for explanation. The fox merely watched them with indifference as she stood at an angle two feet away from the girl.


    After several bewildering seconds, one of the larger animals stepped forward in front of Essairyn, and Akari''s ears twitched in mild interest.


    No longer running, the animal''s two strange appendages looped around its ears and floated airily at the sides of the face. It appeared that this one was the leader of the pack. And as it studied the girl, its inquisitive eyes seemed to whisper arcane words of reassurance and salutation.


    Somehow, Essairyn knew that these animals weren''t a threat. This moment of inexplicable understanding between the girl and the pack leader was then abruptly ended by the crashing of scattered thicket in the direction that the animals had been running toward.


    In the near distance, a gigantic, ghastly beast had manifested itself from the gloom.


    Essairyn watched with amazed horror as the grim, humanoid giant languidly slogged through the canopy. Its arms and legs were gangly; its blackened bones were visible underneath its stretched sooty skin, and its head hung under the apparent weight of its two horns.


    Rising loftily above its skeletal figure, the horns curved toward one another in an ellipse, creating what Essairyn envisioned to be an almost full moon. As it moved, strands of earthen masses swung from its center.


    "A nightstalker," Akari murmured with diligent eyes as the the phantom greyhounds began running again.


    Essairyn repeated the creature''s name under her breath. This monster was like one straight out of a nightmare, and yet the greyhounds were racing straight toward it. For what reason were they running so desperately?


    She looked over at Akari who, sensing her gaze, immediately jumped up on the magic circle Essairyn had generated. She climbed up the girl''s outstretched arm, and together they rushed through the forest along with the phantom pack.


    With the greyhounds running below, Essairyn nodded in their direction and asked Akari, "What are they?"


    Akari''s eyes glimmered as she glanced at the animals before returning to the nightstalker. "Solh''vunds. Spirit hounds. One of the guardian animals of the forest," she answered.


    "Spirit.. animals?" Essairyn.


    "Yes," confirmed Akari, "They''re just like any other animals; except, they''re of the spirit species and belong under the spirit gods. Kind of like how the elementals have their gods.


    "Demons on the other hand are called beast demons. But, the two are essentially equivalent. The main difference is that beast demons can transform into pure demon while spirit animals can''t transform into ''pure spirit''.


    "They live and die like any other animal, although, with longer lifespans. Guardian animals, however, are actually stronger than normal spirit animals or beast demons."


    "So are nightstalkers beast demons?"


    Akari narrowed her eyes slightly before answering, "Technically.. But they seemed to have evolved differently. I''ve never actually seen them rampage like typical beast demons do when morphing into their demon form. Apparently their collection of souls prevents them from transforming."


    "Collection of souls?" Essairyn exclaimed.


    "Yeah they eat souls," Akari responded a matter-of-factly.

 10 Chapter Three - 2 || Soul Eater

    "What?!" Essairyn nearly yelped as they had quickly arrived at their destination, and the nightstalker was only a few meters away.


    Upon their arrival, the nightstalker turned slightly towards the duo, and Essairyn came face-to-face with the beast as it gazed at her with dark, starlit eyes.


    Suddenly, she was hit with an overwhelming sense of urgency to retreat that clashed with the mystic wonder she felt staring into those eyes. The feeling lasted but a moment as the beast turned downwards at the earthen mound where the solh''vunds had gathered around.


    It was a solh''vund den. In the curve of the den''s mouth, a mother and her pups laid. Sprawled out on her side, she looked frail with her eyes closed and her pups milling weakly about her belly.


    The solh''vund that had approached Essairyn earlier stepped out from the pack onto the mound and was accompanied by another. The two sat stoically next to the mother''s head, and she parted her weary, emerald eyes. She lifted them towards the sitting leader and the other solh''vund, and they exchanged silent farewells before her eyes listlessly closed again.


    As if on cue, the nightstalker bent its head down to the mother and blinked with eyes that mirrored the night sky. Stardust filled their depths, and its mouth gaped open to reveal a maelstrom of starlit darkness. As if magnetic, specks of light arose from the mother''s body and spiraled inside the gaping mouth. The warm, silvern starlight, the fragments of her body, eddied into the depths of the demon and disappeared among the twinkling stars.


    Closing its mouth, the nightstalker squinted its eyes at the pups and then inhaled and blew a stream of soft myrtle light upon them. As the light hit the pups, they squirmed and began mewling. After the nightstalker closed its mouth and the last rays reached them, they wriggled their faces in an attempt to open their eyes.


    Transfixed by the entire scene, Essairyn hardly realized it was over until the solh''vund beside the pack leader broke its vigil and padded over to the pups.


    Their eyes were now open, and they took in the curious sight of their pack surrounding them as well as a monstrous demon, a human, and a spirit fox. Uneasy at the sight of their onlookers, the pups nuzzled into the lowered face of the larger solh''vund for protection. After a few seconds of consoling, the pups relaxed.


    The leader then got up, looked at the nightstalker, and gave a nod. Upon that gesture, the beast demon rose to its full height, giving Essairyn a sidelong glance before it melted into the woods.


    Right after, the crowd of solh''vunds departed, and a few remained to comfort the pups. Leaving the mound, the pack leader approached Essairyn and Akari who were still on the floating circle.


    Directing the words at Essairyn, the leader stated more than asked, "What brings you to the Spirit and Demon Forest? You are not familiar with our customs."


    Startled by the sudden words that she understood, Essairyn faltered, "I-I understand you?" before resigning herself to the notion that most of the animals here could probably speak with humans.


    "I actually just arrived here. I''m a traveller from Earth. My name''s Essairyn. And this is Akari, a spirit I met and am traveling with," she replied, gesturing at the fox who was perched on her shoulder.


    The leader held a steadfast gaze as he introduced himself, "Errol. Leader of the solh''vunds of the Spirit-Demon Forest." He tipped his head at the den before adding, "She was one of the best hunters. Her mate and her sisters are with her litter that the night guardian has healed."


    "Night guardian? You mean the nightstalker?" Essairyn queried.


    "Yes, we call them night guardians. They can be fearsome creatures, but they protect the Spirit-Demon Forest as we do. They are unlike other nightstalkers.." he paused before continuing.


    "They take souls, but only to keep the balance and health of the forest. Strengthening weak bodies is a special ability of theirs. In this case, the strength of her soul was used to fortify her litter''s weak bodies. She had insisted on carrying them even though she knew she''d be at risk since her first miscarriage¡­"


    Errol''s face was still stoic, but Essairyn noticed a small gloom lingering in his eyes. As she pondered this for a moment, he spoke up again.


    "I welcome you to this forest and world. However, heed your companion. In her past life she has destroyed many homes, spirits and demons alike. Even to this day her deeds ring throughout our history."


    Akari''s eyes glinted at his remark, and Essairyn looked at her from the corner of her eyes.


    "I would leave it your kind to remember such events from long ago.." Akari voiced with a trace of disdain.


    "Of course, the solh''vunds were one of the first spirits to have existed," Errol coolly replied.


    "Then do you plan to inform the spirits and demons of my return?" Akari raised her eyebrow tuft.


    "It''s not in my interest to partake in gossip. Besides, you''re hardly a threat in that state."


    Akari looked as if she was going to shoot back at Errol, but she couldn''t find the right words to disprove him and instead just turned away and gave a grudging humph. Essairyn smirked at the cute reaction and addressed Errol.


    "Thanks for the advice, but I think I''ll take my chances on her."


    Akari jerked her head at Essairyn and met the girl''s mirthful eyes before turning away with a slightly embarrassed scowl. The unordinary duo''s exchange prompted a shade of a smile on the solh''vund''s face.


    "I must join my brethren in the hunt," Errol imparted as he turned to leave, "Make sure to find a safe place to spend the night. Demons lurk in the dark.."


    And with those words, he disappeared into the gloom.


    "Tch," Akari clicked her tongue, "What an uptight guy."


    Essairyn laughed at the fox before saying, "Let''s go back to the treehouse. It probably is best that we don''t linger out here too long."


    Akari sighed her agreement, and they flew below the canopy back to the ancient tree.


    But before they travelled very far, a murky figure manifested itself from behind the trees. Essairyn knew exactly what it was, and slight trepidation rose in her throat. She watched the figure become clearer as they moved closer.


    It was the nightstalker.

 11 End of Chapter Three || Nightmarish Chauffeur

    When they reached several meters away, the beast demon turned its upper body towards them. As it focused its gaze on the two, its sunken eyes blinked with small stars that seemed to shine far away. Its mouth gaped open a little, and upon the sight of Essairyn, it tipped its head slightly to the side.


    While unquestionably horrifying, the nightstalker had a somewhat dumb way about it that made it oddly endearing to the girl. With that impression, Essairyn halted three meters in front of the beast.


    Realizing Essairyn was about to try conversing with the beast demon, Akari squawked under her breath, "Are you nuts?!"


    "We''re about to see," the girl murmured in response, garnering a look of utter disbelief on the fox''s face.


    "So.." Essairyn shakily began, "you''re a nightstalker." The nightstalker just stared at her vacuously, and she scratched her head.


    "Umm, I heard about what you did back there. Thanks for doing that; although, I''m not really in a position to thank you since I''m not really close with the solh''vunds or anything but.. Uh.. yeah, thank you. That was kind of you," Essairyn finished with a small smile.


    Internally, Essairyn was smacking herself for acting so awkwardly and saying thanks to the beast as if she were looking for a conversation starter with a human person instead. Even though the civility was uncalled for in this untamed world, perhaps she was just too used to being polite.


    The nightstalker tipped its head to the other side, still staring. Then it suddenly smiled; its face wrinkled in a decrepit way, and its eyes were still the same unblinking state.


    ''Okay,'' Essairyn thought, ''that''s kinda creepy.''


    The nightstalker reached out a slow hand to the girl, and she looked at it perplexedly. The hand looked as if it was made of thick roots encased in hardened soil and covered in a thin veneer of transparent ash. She glanced up at the nightstalker who was still smiling.


    "Uhh¡­ You want me to step on your hand?"


    The nightstalker nodded, but the weight of its moon-shaped horns made its head bobble more than nod.


    While Essairyn was hesitant to trust the beast demon so easily, she recalled how it had wordlessly healed the solh''vunds pups. She also remembered the pack leader''s words on how it helped balance and maintain the forest. So with a leap of faith, she stepped onto the nightstalker''s palm and released her magic circle. Meanwhile, Akari clung to her with a wary face.


    As soon as both of her feet landed, the nightstalker slowly bent its elbow and began plodding through the forest with her positioned in the front. She blinked, wondering where the nightstalker was taking her and why.


    After a few paces, the nightstalker picked up some speed. With its tremendous height and long strides, the forest flew by in spurts.


    As she rode, she noticed red pupils flickering in the undergrowth below. The sight of them made her quiver, and she looked up at the nightstalker. It was facing forward with a dutiful expression that made Essairyn feel somehow relieved.


    A minute later, they arrived at the outskirts of the ancient tree.


    "You knew where I was going?" Essairyn exclaimed.


    The nightstalker gave a knowing look and proceeded to trudge towards the base of the colossal tree. Once they reached the roots, the nightstalker lifted its hand and placed Essairyn and Akari onto the highest point it could reach.


    Baffled by the turn of events, Essairyn blinked at the nightstalker who had an benevolent expression on its face, or as benevolent as a five-story skeletal monster could make.


    It had carried them safely to the tree in such a short time despite the distance. She gave it a small grateful nod and stepped off the large hand onto a bough. Seeing on her land there, the nightstalker backed up and waved before plodding off again into the night.


    Essairyn blinked again.


    "Did it just escort me here?" she asked, dumbfounded.


    Remembering Errol''s warning about demons in the night, and the ominous red eyes following her in the undergrowth, she felt a touch of amity toward the night stalker. After her previous two demon confrontations, nighttime would make even the bravest of souls skittish.


    Of course, the so-called night guardian''s actions were still suspicious and its motive, unclear, but nevertheless, she appreciated the escort. The ride was rather thrilling in spite of the gutsy gamble. She also wondered how she was able to stay on its palm so easily while moving so fast.


    "Beats me. I''m tired," declared Akari belatedly after a yawn, slouching on the girl''s shoulder, "And hungry."


    "Hah, you''re always hungry," Essairyn commented.


    "I''m still growing," Akari retorted lazily.


    Essairyn grinned at the cute fox and then leapt powerfully up onto the next branch.


    "Whoa whoa whoa! Why''re you jumping when you could fly?" the fox shrieked tensely as the girl leapt upwards.


    She laughed merrily as the grumbling fox clung onto her shoulder.


    "Exercise before bed is apparently good."


    In truth, Essairyn needed to expel her excess energy and anxiousness. This was the first night. If tomorrow she should wake up still in the treehouse, only then would her remaining angst disappear, and the new reality, begin.

 12 Chapter Four || This Crazy Lady

    The following morning, the girl and the fox made their way to the forest edge. Essairyn had moved the black claw into her magic cache and decided to travel to the town below the cliff where the forest was situated.


    Other than delving deeper into the forest, or trying to get to the other side where that megacity was shrouded in mist, the optimal option was to travel the sweeping expanse below.


    From her vantage point above the ancient tree, Essairyn had plotted out a potential adventuring path. After visiting the first town, she would make her way northeast through the other towns to the metropolis that spanned the right horizon.


    "Are you ready?" asked Essairyn once they exited the forest.


    "Of course! I''m glad to be out of those woods," answered Akari, stretching her legs.


    "¡­But you''re a fox."


    "What does that have to do with anything?" bristled Akari, "Can''t a spirit travel like any other creature? Besides, I''m a god; I can go wherever I want, hmph."


    Essairyn sighed amusedly, "I suppose so. This is a different world after all." Perhaps animals weren''t confined to the wilderness.


    The girl offered her forearm to the alleged spirit god. The god in question grudging accepted, hopped on, and trotted up to her shoulder. Essairyn smiled and then strolled to the edge of the precipice.


    Closing her eyes, she breathed in the invigorating cliff air and scrunched her face in contentment. She stretched out her arms to her side before raising them above her head. She then put them on her hips and gazed out at the landscape below, satisfied.


    "HELLOOO WORLD!" Essairyn hollered, waving her arms enthusiastically, "ARE YOU READYY?!"


    Akari''s skin jumped in fright at Essairyn''s random shouting.


    "What the heck!" Akari shouted in vexation.


    Essairyn burst out laughing.


    The fox gave a little disgruntled huff.


    "You''re so weird!"


    If foxes could cross their arms, Akari surely would have in this moment. But paying the vexed fox no mind, Essairyn scooped a secure hand around Akari''s back.


    "Come on! Let''s go!" she shouted, taking a crouched step towards the precipice.


    "Huh? What''re you-" Akari began before her voice died in strangled screams as they fell through open air. Essairyn had leapt from the cliff in an arc, and the two were now accelerating towards the bottom.


    Catching her breath, Akari screeched, "You''re insaneee!!" to a jauntily falling Essairyn.


    The girl was getting a kick out of the panicking fox, and she felt a strange sense of adrenaline torrenting throughout her. If she didn''t know she could fly, she''d never willingly jump off a point hundreds of feet high.


    She also wasn''t sure whether she still believed this world was real even after a night''s sleep and she subconsciously wanted to wake up, or whether she was pushing the boundaries to confirm this wasn''t a dream in a dream and she could do anything.


    Suddenly, Essairyn was brought out of her musings and realized that her hand had slipped from Akari''s back. She began to fall faster than the fox, and Akari goggled down at Essairyn in alarm. They were already more than halfway down the cliff.


    Before Akari gained substantial distance between them, Essairyn reached a hand towards the fox and released a bolt of magic. It sparked around Akari and slowed her descent. The bewildered fox looked at the girl who had drifted further away in the process.


    But Essairyn nonchalantly casted the magic around her, and she too began falling slower. She then casted another spell, and a magic circle appeared underneath her. She landed on the circle with a soft thump and thereby stopped her descent.


    She looked up at the steadily descending Akari. As soon as the fox also landed, the magic circle started moving toward the ground at an incline. Once they neared the bottom, Akari jumped off into the grass, muttering obscure profanities.


    "Whew!" Essairyn breathed as she stepped down, "That was exciting!"


    Akari only glared in response. She was stuck with this crazy lady. But, the fox couldn''t deny the rush received in her adventurous soul from the jump.


    "Looks like this leads to the nearby town," Essairyn said, pointing at the wide, dirt road a few feet away. She had purposefully flown near the roadside and walked from the grass onto the bare earth.


    Akari followed, commenting, "Aren''t you going to fly to the town? That''d be much quicker."


    Essairyn pursed her lips, reasoning, "I could, but you can probably only use so much magic in a day, right? Even though I''m not tired, I might as well conserve it for now."


    "Hm, I guess that''s right," Akari murmured, "Revealing what magic you have to strangers is probably not a good idea anyway, especially since you''re human."


    Essairyn nodded, and the two strolled briskly on their way.


    Before long, a medium sized wagon appeared from behind the bend of the cliffs. It looked to be made of cherrywood and was drawn by four stout horses. It had an arched roof, a shuttered window on the left side, and a windowed door on the right. Green curtains draped across a window in the front, and metal accented doors closed the back.


    It soon caught up with the two adventurers as the morning melted into the afternoon.


    "Hello there, young miss," greeted the middle-aged driver, slowing down his wagon to match their pace.


    "Oh? A fox spirit?" he remarked, noticing that the creature walking beside her was not a small dog as he had thought.


    "Why''re you traveling the roads on foot with a fox spirit, miss?"


    Clamor arose from inside the wagon as he spoke, and a little head popped out from in-between the green seat curtains. It was a young boy.


    "Huh? A girl? And a fox spirit?" observed the older boy, "What''re you doing with a fox spirit?"


    "Now now, don''t be rude, Gerran," a gentle voice corrected from inside.


    The little boy scrunched up his face in dissatisfaction.


    "It''s Jerry, not Gerran, mother!"


    The mother laughed and parted the green curtains.


    "Oh my, what''s a pretty young lady doing out here in the middle of the roads by herself?" she exclaimed softly, "And what''s this? A fox spirit indeed!"


    Essairyn smiled politely at the family, and Akari rolled her eyes.


    "I have a name you know," retorted Akari, startling the woman.


    "Oh, I''m sorry. You two are..?" she asked.


    Essairyn glanced from the father to the son and back to the mother again. They seemed like perfectly ordinary and safe people. Besides, maybe she could get a ride to the neighboring town if she was friendly.


    "Essairyn," she replied, "And this is Akari."


    "Akari?" the man echoed thoughtfully, "That name sounds awfully familiar for some reason."


    The woman shooed away her husband''s remark, saying, "Essairyn, if you''re going to the next town, why don''t you and Akari travel with us in the wagon? It''d be much quicker and safer than walking. And I wouldn''t feel right leaving a girl like you to fend for yourself."


    Essairyn smiled gratefully, replying, "That''s kind of you to offer. Thank you."

 13 Chapter Four - 2 || The Andelrins

    The woman smiled genially and went to open the side door. The two traveling companions stepped up on the door ledge and entered. The mother and son sat on green cushioned benches that lined the driver''s side of the wagon in a L-shape. The other side was a wall with a door that partitioned the sitting room from the storage room in the back.


    They were the Andelrin family. The mother and father were Chona and Banran. Their son, Gerran, was eight. They were traveling spice and perfume merchants and had just left the farm town of Cerinalle that was known for its ability to grow a host of crops.


    Cerinalle was situated at the eastern tip of the cliff range where the Spirit and Demon Forest gave way to rugged terrain before sloping down to shallow, flat, and fertile land. It then sloped back up into rugged terrain and forest again.


    The aromatic flowers that grew in this valley town were Sol''h''meyr''s finest. They were transporting Cerinalle''s highly demanded spices and perfumes to the town of Reisparte, the nearby town that Essairyn had seen from above the ancient tree. The market area that skirted Reisparte made up half of the town and was a popular hub for traveling merchants because it laid in the middle along the borders of the two kingdoms As''pyze and As''rien.


    Currently, Essairyn was in As''pyze, the land of humans. She had awakened in the Spirit and Demon Forest that served as a physical border between As''pyze and As''rien, the land of rain. The three other main kingdoms: As''iyse, the land of coldness; As''fyre, the land of warmth; As''eryt, the land of earth; laid westward where the Spirit-Demon Forest ended and the Eeuriyosmountain range began. She deduced all this from the Andelrin''s explanations on their map of Sol''h''meyr they showed her.


    "And now we''re less than a third of a day''s journey from Reisparte! Right Dad?" shouted the little boy to his father.


    The father chuckled, "Yes Jerry, and now that evening is falling, we''ll settle down for the night and continue our ride early in the morning in order to arrive by noon."


    Banran slowed the wagon and parked it by the side of the road.


    "Oh man! I wish we could just be in Reisparte now! I want to eat some of Leia''s candies! Stupid demons!" the boy pouted with his arms crossed, map in hand.


    Essairyn gave an inquiring look at the boy and he clarified, "There''s this lady who has a candy shop in Reisparte. She makes the best candies!!"


    Gerran''s eyes shined as he imagined the taste of the sweets, and Essairyn giggled softly at his excitement.


    "Well, it can''t be helped, Jerry. You''ll have to wait until tomorrow since we can''t travel at night. So, make sure to go to sleep quickly, and it''ll be tomorrow before you know it," Chona said with a wink.


    "Yeah, I know," the boy mumbled glumly.


    Chona patted her son''s head as they all headed out of the wagon. Banran retrieved a rolled up tent from an enclosed compartment underneath the seat, and with Chona, they set it up in a matter of minutes.


    He then struck protective poles into the ground around the encampment while his son watched in fascination. The poles were imbued with a magical spell that warded off demons and phantoms of the night. The wagon already had the same spell imbued within its frame.


    Jerry then helped his father arrange the inside of the tent while Chona cooked dinner in a pot overhanging a fire.


    "Is there anything I can do?" offered Essairyn as she watched Chona heat up broth for a stew.


    "Oh don''t worry, honey. You''re a guest, so just relax while I make dinner," replied Chona.


    "Okay," smiled Essairyn as she plopped herself on a wood log.


    "Oh, I know! Why don''t you try these perfumes I made while traveling; I haven''t yet gotten a chance to get a young lady''s opinion on them. As you see, I don''t have daughter yet," Chona exclaimed with a clap and a regretful sigh as she rushed off to fetch them.


    "You make your own perfumes too?" Essairyn asked after she returned with an uncovered box of perfume bottles.


    "Yes, I have a line called Choerin, after Chona and Cerinalle. Here," Chona explained, uncapping a deep rose colored bottle, "Smell this."


    Essairyn tentatively inched her face forward to get a whiff of the perfume. A warmly dulcet and lightly tropical scent suffused throughout the air. She twitched her nose, trying to pick out the familiar fragrances.


    She smelled what seemed to be rose, honeysuckle, lavender, wisteria and plumeria, balanced with sandalwood and cotton flower for an underlying comforting and fresh feel. Altogether, it was an enchanting yet relaxing aroma, like being on an exotic beach in a high-class resort.


    "Wow, this is amazing," Essairyn gasped, thoroughly impressed, "You really made this?"


    Chona beamed in pride, replying, "Yes, I enjoy experimenting with different scents. Cerinalle has the most magnificent assortment of fragrant flowers and plants!"


    Chona capped the bottle and placed it back in the box before handing the entire container to Essairyn. While she enjoyed smelling the handmade perfumes, Chona continued cooking the stew. Ten minutes later, the meal was ready, and they all began eating.


    The Andelrin''s made light conversation with Essairyn and described Reisparte in greater depth. She in turn listened and imparted her thoughts on Chona''s perfumes.


    The family''s happy chatter and the fire''s cozy warmth made Essairyn pleasantly wistful. Her thoughts wandered, and she looked up at the night sky. It was a starless sky, devoid of a galaxy, outside of her universe.


    Yet, it was softly lit with glowing drifts of languid light that bobbed airily above the world. Somehow, the similarity of the sight to Earth''s stars made her feel at ease. Perhaps, even now, she was searching for familiarity, for some solid ground in this strange world.


    After dinner and cleaning up, everyone prepared to go to bed; Chona and Jerry headed inside the tent to sleep, and Banran went inside the wagon to sleep while watching out for thieves.


    Essairyn lingered outside the tent door and gazed up one last time at the magic lights. Each illuminated the dark like a nightlight.


    "Akari," she whispered almost soundlessly, "I''m glad.."


    The fox perked up her ears and peered inquisitively at the girl in the dim light. Essairyn smiled wistfully at Akari.


    "..that you''re here with me."


    The fox turned away bashfully, mumbling, "H-huh, what are you even saying? Come on, let''s sleep."


    The girl gave an inaudible chuckle, and the fox gave a sheepish huff as they entered the lamp-lit tent. Chona was readying Essairyn''s covers, and Jerry was already half-asleep beside his mother.


    She patted the pillow and gestured for Essairyn to sleep. The girl settled into the covers, and Akari nestled on top by her side.


    "Good night," Chona murmured, extinguishing the lamp.


    "Night," Essairyn murmured back, "¡­Good night, Akari."


    "¡­Night."


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Banran''s eyes flickered somnolently open. The wagon was wobbling, and he could hear the nervous neighs of the horses. Something had spooked them, and something heavy was scuffling by the back door.


    "Thieves?" he hissed softly.


    He stood up sluggishly in the darkness and searched under the seat for his magic rifle. He grabbed ahold of it, lifted it in position, and stalked carefully to the door.


    As he neared the door, the scuffling stopped. Banran inhaled sharply. The sound was moving to the right. Whoever or whatever it was, it was heading toward the tent.

 14 Chapter Four - 3 || Ambush

    He whipped the door open and jumped out, ready to fire. In the dimness of the early morning, he spied a large black creature grappling with the protective spells that had activated around the tent. The magic stakes emitted a blue light when triggered, and Banran squinted as his eyes adjusted to their brightness, and he made out the creature''s details.


    It was a reptilian jaguar with amber irises and blood red pupils, and forearms that extended into leathery wings. The sight of it nearly made Banran shriek in alarm. The enraged beast demon was assaulting the magic barrier with astounding force. At the pace it was going, he deduced he had only a minute to stop it before the spell shattered.


    Banran took a shaky breath and swallowed hard as he centered his rifle on the beast. He turned the weapon''s knob to the fifth gear, the highest magic setting.


    Usually, only the lowest gear would be needed to quell a regular animal or human, regardless of whether it was a spirit, demon, elemental, or non-elemental. The second could kill, the third would, the fourth would for a much larger animal, and the fifth could hurt third tier demons and spirits.


    It was a typical magic rifle for non-magical travelers to protect themselves. Fully loaded, it could hold three fifth gear shots. One fifth gear shot was equivalent to five fourth gear shots.


    While the chance of meeting a third tier demon on the road was rare, Banran didn''t want to take any chances with the reptilian jaguar. It was clearly stronger than a normal beast demon, and he had a hunch that the fourth setting wouldn''t be enough.


    If he didn''t kill it in one powerful shot while it was oblivious to his presence, then he could be risking his own life trying to fire several less powerful shots once it did notice him.


    Steadying his resolve, he braced himself for the recoil and let the fifth gear magic bullet fly. It hurtled toward the demon in a beam of copper light and hit it squarely in the side. The monster yowled in pain and dropped away from the tent.


    Essairyn woke up with a start. She looked bewilderedly around in the dim light before realizing that Chona and Akari had also jolted awake. Jerry tossed fitfully in his sleep but slept on.


    "What was that?" Essairyn whispered edgily.


    "I-I don''t know," Chona stammered anxiously as she fumbled above the pillows for the lamp.


    Akari stood up apprehensively and flattened her ears against her head. "There''s something outside."


    Essairyn carefully got up from the covers and walked toward the front of the tent. She heard the thrashing and growling of some large creature nearby.


    Outside, the jaguar beast was writhing tormentedly on the ground. It turned toward Banran with a crazed look in its amber eyes that were slowly turning more red. Even as it struggled to get up, the demon''s eyes were furiously fixed on him, making his skin prickle in dread.


    With trembling arms, Banran lifted the rifle to shoot again, but the barrel clicked emptily. It had been a long time since he last reloaded as he uncommonly used it.


    Terror rose in his gut and his eyes shot back to the beast which was now on its feet. Smoky black tendrils gushed out of its wound and covered its body, seeming to make it larger. Dead silence filled the space as the beast stared wildly at the petrified man.


    The sudden silence made Essairyn pause by the exit. Wary, she closed her hand in a loose fist, letting magic flow into her palm. A sharp snarl followed by a terrified cry snapped her out of her cautiousness, and she whipped the tent flap open.


    The lamp clinked behind her as Chona lit the wick. With the light illuminating behind her, Essairyn''s eyes swiftly sharpened, and she took in the scene before her.


    A reptilian jaguar demon was careening toward Banran while he rushed toward the open wagon door. Black smoke trailed in the beast demon''s wake. Just as his right leg crossed the threshold of the entrance, the jaguar flared out the wings on its forearms and clouted the man with the claws on its right foreleg.


    "Banran!!" Chona shrieked in terror as she saw her husband slump to the ground.


    At his mother''s scream, Jerry jolted awake and looked with shocked eyes at his mother''s devastated face. His head whipped from his mother to Essairyn as she dashed from the tent. At the sight of the jaguar beast perched on the side of the wagon, he skidded backwards in horror and entangled himself in the covers.


    The jaguar''s red eyes snapped toward the incoming girl. It had picked up a particular scent on her, and it snarled viciously as she drew near. The beast scrunched its muscles and lurched at Essairyn from the wagon. The wood splintered into gaping holes where its claws had punctured the wall.


    In the background, Essairyn could hear Chona''s shrill cries calling for her to come back, but she stared defiantly at the airborne demon.


    Gritting her teeth in anger, she hoisted her hand into the air and released the spinning magic ball that she had been building up on the way in one vigorous swoop. The deep lavender light knotted into the beast''s underbelly, and the impact sent the demon spiraling away from her.


    Essairyn huffed in stimulation as magic suffused her body. She took a deep breath and walked calmly over to the fallen demon while forming a magic weapon in her hand. The stunned beast laid motionlessly on the ground.


    As soon as she came close, it jerked up in alarm and scrambled to its feet. The jaguar growled menacingly and flicked its eyes from her to the wagon to the tent. Just as Essairyn was about to reach the beast, the jaguar noticed a small fox in the corner of the tent entrance. Its red eyes lit up in recognition, and it darted toward Akari.


    Essairyn''s eyes widened as she realized it was heading toward the tent. Chona and Jerry screeched in fright and clambered away from the entrance. Akari tensed, ready to bolt.

 15 Chapter Four - 4 || Healer

    Essairyn raced after the beast demon. In her right hand, the magic weapon swiftly took on the shape of a spear. With her left hand, she quickly casted a barrier in front of the beast. It crashed into the barrier, and the barrier shattered into shards of light. But it was enough to slow down the demon for the one second Essairyn needed to pinpoint it.


    She hurled the spear into its upper back, impaling the demon into the ground. It howled in agony. Its skin sizzled around the spear wound. Essairyn tromped over, a magic sword in hand. This was just the third time she had formed the sword, and but now she hardly needed to think before it came into shape.


    Without any hesitation, she hacked the beast across its back, just below the spear. The thick flesh put up some resistance, but the sword severed the beast cleanly into two. The edges of the halves began dissipating along the split, and a low growl echoed menacingly in the air as the demon dematerialized.


    As soon as it vanished, Essairyn spun on her heel and raced back to Banran by the wagon. Seeing that the danger was over, Chona scrambled to her feet and rushed over to them. Jerry remained seated in the tent, sobbing with small fists covering his eyes. Akari looked on mournfully and placed a consoling paw on the boy''s knee.


    "Banran!" Chona hysterically screamed as she tumbled to her husband''s side.


    The man weakly opened his eyes and grunted in pain as he tried to sit up. His grunts turned into gurgles of blood. The jaguar''s claws had lacerated him across his chest and down to his stomach.


    "Stop," Essairyn commanded, "Don''t move."


    Banran flicked his eyes hazily toward the girl on his other side. "T-The b-beast demon," he fumbled, "I-I couldn''t¡ª"


    Essairyn stopped him short by putting a hand on his wound, making him flinch. "Just keep lying down. I''m going to try to heal you."


    Chona looked at the girl with riveted eyes. She couldn''t believe what she had just witnessed.


    Not only were they attacked by a third class demon in the middle of the night while camping out on the roadside, but the stray girl they had picked up wielded magic and single-handedly defeated the aforementioned beast demon, and now she was offering to heal her husband.


    Chona was both terrified and transfixed.


    She glanced over at Akari who was with her boy, wondering how the fox spirit and girl were related. Spirits and demons often clashed with one another, so it was possible that the demon was lured by Akari''s presence.


    This meant that the whole ordeal could''ve been caused by her. Chona returned her gaze to Essairyn. Even if that was the case, Chona''s intuition indicated that she could trust the girl, regardless of her relationship with the fox spirit.


    "I''ll go get some healing potions. They aren''t potent enough to heal this kind of injury but¡­they might still be helpful," offered Chona, and she went to fetch them inside the wagon.


    Essairyn nodded and took a deep breath as she turned back toward the injured man. She wondered if she could just imagine the procedure like when she constructed the treehouse, or if it was similar to shaping magic forms, or if it was entirely different.


    She shook away the concerns with her head and looked at the wounds resolutely. Easing her mind, Essairyn let her magic flow gently into the gashes and imagined the tissue closing up and the bones fortifying.


    The magic glowed in response, and Banran let out a gasp as particles of lavender light sunk into his flesh. They began reforming and reattaching tissue and bone, and Essairyn smiled in success.


    But as more magic flowed into him, a faint ache began throbbing in her center. She furrowed her eyebrows in agitation but continued healing him.


    However, the magic seemed to be pouring out of her as if his body was siphoning all of her magical energy. She was being depleted fast. Essairyn wasn''t sure if she could maintain it for much longer. Her arms were growing weak, and her body, heavy. But the wounds were rapidly healing, and she was determined to finish.


    Just as Essairyn''s vision was becoming hazy, Chona returned with the healing potions. Seeing the girl''s strained state, Chona rushed over, knocked her away from Banran, and caught her in her lap.


    "Essairyn! Essairyn!" she called frantically as she held the blankly blinking girl. "You overdid yourself! Are you okay?" she gently scolded with a worried face.


    Essairyn squeezed her eyes shut and held her pounding head. "Thanks," she murmured, "I guess I overestimated myself." She grinned apologetically at Chona.


    "Here," Chona ordered, holding a bottle of green potion up, "Take this." She flashed her eyes toward Banran who was slowly getting up. "It looks like you''re the only one who needs this now."


    Essairyn gave a short, light chuckle. "Looks that way. Thanks."


    She took the bottle lightly in her fingers and slowly drank the potion. A warming and cooling sensation spread throughout her body, and she instantly felt the tension subside.


    "Wow," Essairyn exclaimed, looking at the empty glass bottle, "That was kind of cool."


    Chona chortled. "I''ve never seen a healer almost faint while healing, or a someone look at a potion as if it were her first time unless¡ª." She gasped and raised her eyebrow at Essairyn. "Wait, you''re not a traveler, perhaps?"


    Essairyn looked up at Chona. "You''re familiar with travelers?"


    Chona nodded and replied thoughtfully, "Well, we''ve always had people appearing from Earth throughout all of history, but it''s become sort of a common occurrence these last few decades¡­ Apparently there''s a link between Sol''h''meyr and Earth that was created thousands of years ago which causes the appearance of travelers. I''ve never heard of it occurring the other way around, though."


    Her last sentence pricked Essairyn''s ambiguous conscience. She immediately felt a sense of relief upon hearing there was no way to return to Earth. It was soon followed by guilt as she admonished that relief. And proceeding, she felt emptiness.

 16 End of Chapter Four || The New Earth

    "Ahh," Essairyn breathed in understanding. "So it''s not unusual then."


    "No, but¡ª" Chona started and then stopped when she saw her husband sitting up and fully conscious. She patted his thigh, asking, "Banran, how''re you feeling?"


    Banran nodded his head in assurance. "Very well actually. I feel like new right here." He thumped his chest and smiled at the two of them.


    Then he bowed gratefully at Essairyn and addressed her directly. "Thank you so much, Essairyn. I couldn''t have made it without you."


    "Actually, it was my first time healing someone, so I''m glad it worked out," she replied sheepishly with a smile.


    The couple was taken aback by her words.


    "Your first time?" Banran exclaimed, and Essairyn nodded.


    "I initially thought you were from Neu''arth because of your clothes, but have you not been in Sol''h''meyr long?" Chona asked.


    "I haven''t even heard of¡ª" Essairyn paused and then continued questioningly, "New-eh-arthe?"


    "Neu''arth. It''s the name of a region in As''pyze where humans predominately live. It got its name after Earth, the world you came from," Chona explained and then added with a light chuckle, "It was supposed to be called ''New Earth'', but not all of the humans agreed upon an English name, and the natives wanted something in their language. In the end, they came to a compromise with Neu''arth."


    "English?" Essairyn echoed. She suddenly realized that she had been conversing with people without thinking about which language she was speaking. She hadn''t perceived it until now, but she had spoken some words in English, her first language, while the rest, she had naturally spoken in the native language.


    Essairyn gasped and covered her mouth, and then dropped her hands and exclaimed, "Oh my goshhh!! I''ve been speaking the native language this entire time without even realizing it! How did that even happen? Is there some sort of magic that automatically translates speech here?"


    The couple laughed heartily at Essairyn''s excited outburst.


    "Yes and no," Banran clarified, "Travelers can naturally speak and understand the native language when they arrive, so it makes sense you didn''t realize it until now. Since I''m not a traveler; I don''t know what it''s like, but I suppose it must be like an automatic translator. Those who are born here, however, learn the languages in the typical way."


    "Wow, that''s amazing," remarked Essairyn.


    "It definitely makes it easier for both sides to communicate," agreed Banran.


    Chona nodded and added, "If you focus carefully, you can speak completely in either language. We actually both spoke the words ''English'' and ''Earth'' in your English language."


    Essairyn opened her mouth in a silent gasp. This world didn''t cease to both amaze and daunt her. Despite all the danger she had faced since her arrival, she loved all the new discoveries and experiences.


    As that notion passed her mind, she heard the scurries of small feet in the grass. She turned around and saw Jerry and Akari running up to them.


    "Mom!! Dad!! I was so scared!" Jerry cried as he flung himself into the arms of his parents.


    Chona rubbed the boy''s back comfortingly, and Banran patted his head. Akari seated herself by Essairyn and looked up at her.


    "You did a crazy thing trying to heal someone else for the first time. You could''ve died you know," Akari admonished.


    Essairyn chuckled. "Is healing another person dangerous?"


    "Not unless you''re a healer which you clearly aren''t."


    "But I healed him!" Essairyn protested.


    "In the most unconventional way!" Akari countered. "You mended his tissue and bone by creating new tissue and bone! You''re supposed to amplify his magic with your own magic so he heals himself!"


    "I thought you said humans can''t use magic! How can they heal themselves?!"


    "It''s the natural healing process, you idiot! You strengthen their little magic cells and send them on their merry way to the wound site!"


    "What kind of explanation is that?!"


    The Andelrins burst into laughter at the girl and fox''s squabbling, and the two looked curiously at the family.


    "You guys are so funny!" Jerry giggled.


    "You sure have a strange way of showing concern, Akari," Chona remarked playfully.


    "There''s a first time to everything," Banran chimed in, "And not everyone can say they defeated a third tier demon as well as healed a life-threatening wound."


    "Hmph. I wasn''t worried about the demon," Akari scoffed as Banran got up to inspect the damaged wagon. The jaguar''s claws and tail had struck four large holes and a dent into the wood.


    Banran frowned at the exposed interior. "Even though it was strong enough to tear through hy''lkron?"


    Hy''lkron was one of the most durable woods found in all of Sol''h''meyr. Comparing it to iron from Earth, it was three times stronger.


    Akari shrugged. "Pretty sure Essairyn here could easily destroy the whole wagon if she wanted."


    Everyone blinked at her statement. Akari coughed.


    "Anyway, I''ll try fixing the holes tomorrow morning," Essairyn offered. "Do you have something to cover it up in the meantime?"


    Banran nodded. "You really think you can fix this though?"


    Essairyn grinned. "I''m pretty positive I can pull it off."


    He chuckled and went to fetch tarpaulin to shield the wagon. Then he suggested for everyone to go back to bed. He went back into the wagon, and the rest headed over to the tent.


    "Now that I think about it, how''d you even know how I healed him?" Essairyn queried as they walked, "You were in the tent with Jerry."


    Akari shrugged. "Easy. You''re not a greenie because you''re human, and you''re not a white mage because you have lavender colored magic. Those are the only two types of people that can naturally heal others. Otherwise, you have to study and practice healing for years."


    Essairyn tipped her head questioningly. "What''s a greenie?"


    "Elementals from As''glyfe, a subkingdom of As''eryt, also known as green elementals, otherwise called greenies, by me," answered Akari.


    "Greenies, haha. That''s a cute name for them," commented Chona as she entered the tent. The others followed suit and settled under the covers again.


    "Ah! I don''t know where you two are going in Reisparte, but if you want to quickly learn about Sol''h''meyr, Essairyn, I suggest visiting the Knight Mage Academy''s regional school in town," advised Chona. "They offer a free crash course on Sol''h''meyr to anyone interested. Also, the main campus is located next to Neu''arth if you wanted to visit there too."


    Chona paused thoughtfully before continuing, "Usually only the top fighters and scholars in the land can study there; however, with your abilities I think you''ll have a great shot if you''re interested!"


    "Huh, that does sound interesting," Essairyn thought out loud.


    Chona yawned. "Mmhm. Anyway, let''s sleep for now and continue this talk in the morning. We still have about thirty miles to go."


    Essairyn murmured in agreement, and Chona put out the lamp.

 17 Update Schedule

    Author here! I decided instead of updating in random bursts, I''d have have a set weekly release schedule. This better works around my studies and work schedules, and it gives a more consistent, chapter update expectation for readers.


    The chapters will be released every week on Mondays at 10:00 PM/22:00 Webnovel time which is UTC+8:00 time zone.


    For this first upcoming week of the 25th, I''ll have an extra bonus chapter on the Sunday before.


    Thank you, and happy reading! :)

 18 Chapter Five || Reisparte Marke

    They set off again at seven o''clock, four hours after the repetition jaguar''s assault. Obscured by the darkness and unnoticed due to the scare, two burnished, midnight black scales, and a finger length, ecru tooth laid in the ankle length grass.


    Essairyn picked up these demon beast''s remnants and stored them with the bear''s claw. It was instances like these that briefly took her out of reality, falsely giving her an impression of a secure game world.


    Before riding, she had easily affixed the splintered wood back together, and they arrived in Reisparte before noon.


    The town outskirts were indeed dominated by a sea of shop tents, stalls, and wagons. The multicolored array was a welcome sight to the motley group, and they stationed the wagon a little ways inside. The buildings further in rose modestly above the marketplace.


    "Essairyn. You must take this! We wouldn''t feel right if we didn''t properly express our gratitude after everything you''ve done," insisted Chona.


    Banran nodded in agreement. "It''s the least we can do. You''ll need some money since you just arrived in this world, so please, just accept this and go."


    Essairyn sighed and reluctantly yielded to their kind gesture. She had been saying her goodbyes to the Andelrin family, and they had forcefully shoved the bag into her hands.


    Inside the bag were small jars of spices, a couple healing potions, a money pouch, and a perfume bottle which held the charmingly clement fragrance that Chona had first showed Essairyn.


    "We wish the best to you on your adventure." Banran smiled.


    "It was a pleasure meeting you sweetie. Stay safe and have fun!" Chona hugged the girl warmly. "We''ll be in Reisparte for several days, so you can visit us here anytime."


    "You''re leaving already?" Jerry whined. "I wanted to show you Leia''s candies!" He crossed his arms and gave a little pout.


    Essairyn giggled and bent down to the boy. "You can show me tomorrow, okay?"


    "Okay! It''s a promise!" Jerry joyfully jumped into Essairyn''s outstretched arms. After they parted, she waved to the family and disappeared among the droves.


    She took in the marketplace sights, amazed by the amount of shoppers, sellers, and goods being sold. Akari had left before the group''s farewells to peruse the vendors, so Essairyn threaded through the throng, wondering where the little fox had gone.


    She suddenly stopped at a booth selling gemstones. A small, bright green jewel in a glass case had caught her eye. The color resembled an emerald''s, and it was the most brilliant hue she had ever seen.


    "Something catch your eye, miss?" inquired the shopkeeper, noticing her intense stare.


    Essairyn nodded and pointed at the green jewel.


    "Ahh, that one''s certainly a beauty," the man breathed in understanding.


    Essairyn bobbed her head enthusiastically. Deep lime green was one of her favorite colors. It had a beautiful richness and mysteriousness to it that reminded her so vividly of life.


    "And it''s useful, too," the shopkeeper continued, "It''s a very rare and special jewel imbued with great magic! Worth fifty eleuars, but it''s not for sale. However, you can buy one of these jewels instead."


    He pointed to the shallow basket of dark virescent jewels below the glass case. "They''re the same stone. All these need are a little shining with some magic, and it''ll look just like this one. And once it''s shined up, you can use the great magic locked inside! Just wear it, and the magic off your body will unlock it in no time!"


    Essairyn raised her eyebrow. She felt no magic coming from the green jewel or the darker ones below. If they held any magic, then with this large amount of jewels she should''ve felt at least a trace. But despite her suspicions, she still wanted one for herself.


    "I''ll take this one." She picked up a teardrop shape from the basket.


    "Good choice," cheered the shopkeeper. "Just two eleuars, miss."


    Essairyn retrieved the money pouch from her gift bag and peered inside. There were eighteen coins of six different engravings and sizes. Three were white, four were golden, nine were silvern, and two were coppery.


    With all these types of coins, Essairyn almost wished she had asked the Andelrins how much each coin was worth. But since she had felt it would be impolite, she was stuck learning the money values herself.


    Even so, she couldn''t let the shopkeeper know that she couldn''t count money. She also didn''t want to be ripped off in case the man suspected she wasn''t from around here.


    So, she cooly held up the largest silver coin and presented it in front of the shopkeeper. He gave a disgruntled look at the sight of the coin and crossed his arms.


    "I said two eleuars, miss. But fine, I''ll give it to you for a hathe eleuar, okay?" he stated gruffly with a sigh and waited for the girl to produce the coins.


    Essairyn blinked, wondering if this shopkeeper had been trying to cheat her after all. Nevertheless, she still didn''t know what an eleuar or hathe eleuar was or if she even had one. The only thing she did know was that the coin she was holding wasn''t either.


    But as she hastilydevised a plan to both haggle and learn, a hooded man appeared on her left. She nearly flinched at the man''s sudden approach; Essairyn hadn''t perceived his presence at all when he came near. His steps and aura were silent and natural like air impalpably drifting.


    "Imbued with great magic?" the hooded man addressed the shopkeeper, "Certainly when these stones are purified, they can hold great magic, but they hardly hold any of their own. And to even purify one to that state would require an enormous amount of magic. Two eleuars?" He scoffed. "It''s not even worth a pynce."


    Indeed, the displayed jewel had taken the shopkeeper several years to purify, and that was after he received it partially purified from a trade with an adventurer. He originally thought he was scammed. But after purification, he acquired many more not yet purified, and it soon became his scam.


    The hooded man gestured to the coin Essairyn was holding and turned in her direction.


    "Do you have an eythe pynce, princess?" he inquired gently, extending his hand gracefully.


    Essairyn scrutinized him with baffled eyes. ''Who the heck are you?!'' She exclaimed internally. ''Princess? Ehhhh?!?'' She subtly tried looking at his face underneath the hood, but strangely enough, the hood concealed everything in darkness except for his softly smiling mouth and angular chin.


    She knew that there was no sun, so shadows weren''t casted unless there were other light sources, but it bothered her that he was basically faceless except for under his nose. However, he had spontaneously helped her, so she was grateful and didn''t pry into who he was.

 19 Chapter Five - 2 || Darren

    She placed the silvern pynce back into her bag and saw that she had five of them. She also saw four smaller silver coins, and two even smaller copper ones. Since the pynce was silver colored, she figured it might be an eythe pynce. So, she took it out and placed it on the man''s open palm. The man gave a suppressed snort when he saw the coin.


    "This is hathe pynce, princess."


    Essairyn''s eyes widened in embarrassment, and she snatched the coin back from his palm. She returned it to the bag and retrieved the copper coin.


    "There you go, princess."


    She snapped her head toward the man and glared at him as she handed the coin over to the shopkeeper. She then turned to the stunned shopkeeper, curtly thanked him, spun on her heel and left the stall.


    It was a good thing that the money system here followed the value of metals from Earth; otherwise, she would''ve felt very foolish if the copper coin was yet another missed guess.


    The hooded man easily jogged after her.


    "As a newcomer, you should be careful with these vendors, princess. They''ll spin all sorts of stories to sell something," he friendly advised.


    Essairyn flicked her eyes up at the man for a second and continued speed walking.


    "Thanks, I will," she replied curtly.


    "You''re welcome, princess."


    "I''m not¡ª" Essairyn began to retort but then cut short when she saw that the man had disappeared from her side. He had left just as suddenly and mysteriously as he had came.


    She felt an odd ambivalence rising up from her chest. On one hand, she wanted to swiftly flee the embarrassing scene, but on the other, she wanted to properly thank the man and make his acquaintance.


    Even though their meeting was fleeting, he felt uncannily familiar. The more she tried to grasp the impression, the more enticingly it danced away. She stood still for a moment in the middle of the street and then slowly turned and left the market.


    The stalls and vendors gave way to quaint stone houses and buildings, and the dirt streets became lined with cobblestone sidewalks. Essairyn treaded attentively along the cobblestone on the left and searched for the Knight Mage Academy regional school.


    After a couple minutes, she reached an intersection. She peered down each street, and on the left, she noticed lettering above a door on the right side of the street. It was a few buildings down, and it read, "The Academy, Reisparte Regional School."


    Just as she began turning the corner, she heard a loud commotion from behind her on the right.


    "A man just fell from the sky!" a passerby proclaimed to the surrounding people as he stomped past Essairyn.


    She swiveled in the direction he was going and saw the people amass in the middle of the street.


    "Is it another traveler? They sure have been appearing frequently," a woman commented to her friend as they hustled over.


    At the mention of traveler, Essairyn rushed over to the growing crowd and nudged her way inside.


    "He landed in the middle of town no less!"


    "It''s a wonder he didn''t injure his back falling. Perhaps because he''s a traveller?"


    "Aww, the poor boy looks so confused. He''s rather cute, don''t you think?"


    At the center, a young man, who looked to be around her age, was sitting on his behind on the dirt street. He was rubbing his lower back and holding his head in shock. He wore a powder blue button-down, dark navy jeans, and yellow ocher boots.


    Essairyn strode over to him past the gaggle of onlookers and stretched her hand out in a greeting. He had sandy brown hair that messily yet handsomely framed his angular face, vivid chestnut eyes that shone up at her in surprise, and a light honey complexion that complemented his ruggedly boyish looks.


    He blankly stared at her hand for a moment before extending his own. She grasped his hand as soon as it was within reach and quickly tugged him up.


    "Come on!" she exclaimed as he stumbled onto his feet.


    "H-Huh?" he stammered bewilderedly as she held his hand and dragged him away from the crowd.


    "I''m a traveler too! The name''s Essairyn." She grinned back at the boy as they raced away. "What''s yours?"


    "Darren," he shouted as they ran around the corner. "Um, where are we going? And why''re we running so fast?"


    Essairyn slowed down as they neared the school.


    "To get away of course. And we''re here!" she announced.


    She dropped his hand and looked up at the school. It was a old-fashioned stone building barely three stories high with an indigo roof that served as an attic floor. The wooden door matched the roof, and the inscriptions etched above it were painted in gold. A window laid on either side of the door.


    "The Academy, Reisparte Regional School?" Darren read.


    "Yes, I arrived in this world two days ago and learned that this was the best place to learn about it," she cheerfully explained.


    "This world?" Darren uttered perplexedly, "What do you mean¡ª?" He stopped as he took in the sights around him. "Where the hell is this?" he blurted with wide eyes.


    "Sol''h''meyr," responded Essairyn calmly.


    "Soul-hey what?" he replied loudly.


    Darren gripped his head in confusion and closed his eyes to deliberate this bizarre turn of events. He couldn''t believe what was happening. He had just been walking downtown with his friends after university classes when suddenly he found himself plummeting through nothingness.


    When he landed, his surroundings were completely different. He was in a rustic town with strange people all around him, and a random girl who casually dragged him off to a school. Apparently he was a ''traveler,'' and so was she.


    "It''s a lot to take in, I know," she expressed gently with concerned eyes.


    "It''s just¡ª" Darren began. "I was just with my buddies in the city. We had just left the campus dorms, and we passed by this store that had this beautiful painting in the window, so I stopped to look at it, but they had gone ahead, so I went to catch up to them but then suddenly I was¡ª"


    He shook his head in disbelief and stared blankly into space. "It''s like that painting teleported me to another world¡­" His eyes suddenly lit up. "You don''t think¡ª?!" Essairyn shook her head, knowing what he was going to suggest.


    "I arrived in a forest actually. It''s located on top of this huge cliff several miles away from this town. I wasn''t near any painting before I found myself here. I''m not yet sure how or why we traveled to this world, but apparently it''s not uncommon for people from Earth to appear here."


    Darren wrinkled his brows. "Then.." he trailed off and looked into space again.


    "Hey." Essairyn patted his arm. "It took me some time to believe that this wasn''t a dream. And there''s probably some part of me that still doubts this world is real." She looked directly into his eyes and smiled softly. "But it really is real. This isn''t some dream."

 20 Chapter Five - 3 || Entrance

    Darren looked unconvincingly at her. She pursed her lips and thought for a second.


    "Then pinch yourself," she suggested.


    He looked startled. "You mean¡ª"


    Essairyn sighed and raised her palms to his face. Before he could back away, she slapped them squarely on his cheeks. He jolted at the sting of the slap and stared down at her dumbstruck. As the soreness quickly faded away, he felt only the pleasant warmth of her hands on his face.


    "Do you believe me now?" she asked teasingly.


    His mouth gaped open a little in shock, and she dropped her hands and observed him. He closed his mouth as he got his bearings again and glanced away in embarrassment.


    "Yeah, it hurt," he admitted.


    Essairyn smiled and reassured him. "It''s not so bad here. This world is quite beautiful, and it has the most amazing creatures in it. And ah!" She clapped her hands in remembrance. "That reminds me, where did Akari go?"


    "Hm? Who''s Akari?" Darren questioned. "Another traveler?"


    Essairyn shook her head and debated for a moment whether to divulge that Akari was a fox, and a talking one too. "Well, you''ll meet her soon, enough. But first, let me show you something really cool. Don''t be too surprised, ok?"


    She lifted her hands in front of Darren and slowly formed a ball of magic. He started back at the initial spark but watched in awe as the magic ball ballooned.


    She extended the sphere toward him, and he gingerly took it in his hands. The lavender light inside coruscated as if it were dancing, and his eyes sparkled in a similar fashion as he fixed his gaze upon the sphere.


    "Is this..magic..?" he laughed incredulously.


    "Yes," Essairyn murmured. "Everything is made of magic in Sol''h''meyr." She looked up at him tentatively. "It''s almost like some fantasy video game."


    "A video game, huh," Darren entertained. "Like one of those stories where you get stuck in one?"


    "Yes, and yet at the same time, it isn''t just some video game. There''s a whole ecosystem, economy, physics, and history. It really is like we stepped into a whole other universe."


    She gazed up at the sky. "It''s both scary and exciting to think about that." She looked directly in his eyes. "There''s even a chance we might not be able to return to Earth."


    Darren stared deep into her eyes. Even though she said it was scary, she looked completely unfazed by the idea of being in an entirely different world. Her gaze almost seemed to be a challenge, as if testing whether he was strong enough to accept the situation.


    He sighed and ruffled the top of his head, unsure how to respond. It definitely was a bombshell to be abruptly thrown into an unknown world. He hadn''t seen as much of it as Essairyn had seen, so he couldn''t clearly see the positives. And everyone and everything he had ever known had been tossed out the door.


    But in spite of all this, he oddly felt calm in front of her. Perhaps he was comforted by the fact that he wasn''t in this alone and that at least she was confident about the circumstances.


    As he settled his jumbled thoughts into order, the school door flung open. The two jumped in surprise and looked at the middle-aged man standing in the doorway. He was a little taller than Darren and had graying brown hair, sharp hazel eyes, and pale skin.


    He wore a slate blue vest over a charcoal shirt, a long cobalt coat with a gold double striped trim, and stone chinos with an umber leather belt and matching leather loafers. His appearance was a curious blend of some preppy, wizard businessman.


    "I heard some voices outside and saw you both in front of the doorway," the man stated. He peered down at the lavender ball in Darren''s hands. "Is that your magic, young man?"


    Darren shook his head and handed the magic ball back to Essairyn. At the touch of her fingertips, the sphere shrunk, and she curled her hand as the magic circulated back in her body.


    "So it is yours." The man studied the girl, mystified by the strange aura emanating from her. It didn''t feel quite human or elemental. And the color of her magic was intriguing. Even though the color of one''s magic often reflected the person, he had never seen lavender magic before.


    He turned toward Darren and didn''t sense any palpable magic coming from him. However, it was possible that the girl''s aura was overwhelming his magical ability if he did indeed have some.


    Looking at the two of them together, it was very apparent they weren''t from around here. Thus, it was possible they had come to the school for the free lectures on Sol''h''meyr or some other information.


    He inclined his head in greeting and gestured for them to come inside. "I''m Lachlan. I assume you''ve come to the Academy for a reason. Please have a seat."


    The two entered the school and were led to a table by the window. It was a modest space and rather tiny for an academy, regional campus or not. The majority of the wooden walls were lined with bookshelves, writing boards, and paper diagrams. A few tables laid scattered about the single room. A mahogany door led to another in the back.


    "Now tell me your purpose for coming here," Lachlan directed once they sat down and introduced themselves.


    Darren looked at Essairyn as she spoke. "We''re recent travelers from Earth; I arrived two days ago, and he arrived just today. I was told that the Knight Mage Academy taught people about Sol''h''meyr free of charge. We were hoping you could enlighten us about this world."


    Lachlan nodded in understanding, fetched two slim booklets from a box, and placed them in front of the travelers. He instructed them to read this while he wrote other information on loose paper. The pamphlets were both entitled, "A brief history of Sol''h''meyr."

 21 Chapter Five - 4 || Eight Millenniums

    [ Tymlune, the timeless one, forged Earth and brought forth five elemental beings: Water, Light, Earth, Warmth, and Cold, into the universe to admire Time''s newest creation. In awe of Earth, and bestowed with Time''s imagination, the elemental gods shaped a world of their own and named it Sol''h''meyr.


    They ruled separate eponymous kingdoms: As''wyde, As''lyte, As''eryt, As''fyre, and As''iyse, and fashioned the inhabitants after themselves called the elementals. They were similar in likeness to Earth''s humans but were not blessed with ingenuity. Only Time, known as Tyml, could give creatures the gift of imagination.


    The subkingdoms As''glyfe, nature; As''ayre, wind; As''spyke, lightning; and As''nyte, darkness; emerged shortly after Sol''h''meyr''s genesis and fell respectively under the main kingdoms of As''eryt, As''iyse, As''fyre, and As''lyte. Each main kingdom and subkingdom had a line of especially powerful elementals descended from the gods themselves and were known as the royals.


    Because the elemental gods personally oversaw the world, Sol''h''meyr prospered with millenniums of peace.


    But one day, it was discovered that Water and Light, had fallen in love and conceived a new god. The other elementals gods decreed that the two forfeit the child god because it would imbalance the world.


    However, Water and Light refused, and a war which would last centuries began. Several years after the start of the fighting, the new god was born. Right before its inception, water which streamed like light engulfed the world, and this element became known as rain.


    Unlike the original five, this new god acted more human than divine. She was curious and needy and could feel loneliness and anger. Her name was C''rienne, also spelled Cyrienne, meaning ''born from rain.''


    Even though she was inherently superior to the original five, until her powers matured, she was young and vulnerable. Thus, she was stowed away by Water and Light in a small castle surrounded by potent illusional magic.


    It was a losing battle, and after seeing the great destruction wrought upon their kingdoms, Water and Light resolved to split from Sol''h''meyr. By withdrawing, the war would cease, and they could protect Cyrienne from death because only she could fill the elemental void generated by their egress.


    So, with a great sword, they fractured the land and took the fragments with them into another dimension. And above where the forsaken sword had pierced the ground, a spacial tear traversed to Earth, creating a portal which dragged countless humans into Sol''h''meyr.


    The human influx soon begot new creatures known as demons and spirits, the embodiments of the dark and light recesses of their souls. This war would later become known as the Great Elemental War.


    The departure of Water and Light enabled the remaining elemental gods to easily discover Cyrienne''s castle. Upon breaking the castle''s protective spell, rain magic surged across the surrounding lands.


    To stem the cascade, the gods sealed Cyrienne''s power with Water and Light''s abandoned sword. The sword then became known as the Sword of Cyrienne.


    Afterwards, they relocated Cyrienne to a remote human village in a barren land. Finally, the weary gods decided to merge themselves with Sol''h''meyr as it was the only way to restore the broken world.


    Over the centuries, Cyrienne''s rain power revitalized the lands around the poor village, and it flourished into an economic hub. From there she established the center of her new kingdom, As''rien.


    She blessed the original human villagers with elemental rain power, and the family she stayed with became the royals. She also founded As''pyze, the safe haven for humans, and the Knight Mage Academy, the premier school of magic and combat, with her closest aides, the original Knight-Mages.


    One day, Cyrienne peered into the portal to Earth and spied a young man. She fell in love and crossed over to Earth to pursue him. The Sword of Cyrienne remained in Sol''h''meyr in order to sustain the lands.


    Today''s world now persists without the presence of the elemental gods and follows the royal rule of the five main kingdoms: As''eryt, As''fyre, As''iyse, As''rien, and As''pyze. Sol''h''meyr has existed for eight thousand years. ]


    Essairyn ruminated Sol''h''meyr''s history. For a world eight millennia old, even for a brief history lesson, this seemed too short. Surely, even with peace, more major events must''ve occurred. And the major events that were even mentioned seemed too perfectly concise.


    Also, the essential extinction of Sol''h''meyr''s creator gods seemed rather anticlimactic, especially Cyrienne''s. For an extremely strong elemental god who had all the important events centering around her, Cyrienne just up and left on a romantic whim.


    Even for a human-like god, it didn''t seem sensible to leave her people and world behind merely for a stranger. Not only that, but she was able to travel to Earth from Sol''h''meyr. That meant it was actually possible to return to Earth.


    She shook these musings aside and looked over at Darren who had also finished. He was staring thoughtfully into space.


    Noticing that the two were done reading, Lachlan added the last few pens strokes on the paper and spun it on the table in front of them. It contained information on Sol''h''meyr''s currency, demon and spirit tiers, and mage and knight classes. He deftly taught them all these topics.


    .


    Currency


    1 eleuar = 16 synde = 16 pynce


    Eleuars ¡ª ra''lerium


    Syndes ¡ª gold


    whole, hathe, quarthe = 1, 1/2, 1/4


    Pynces


    whole, hathe, quarthe = 1, 1/1, 1/4 ¡ª silver


    eythe, seythe = 1/8, 1/6 ¡ª copper


    .


    Coin Sizes


    Eleuar > Hathe Eleuar > Quarthe Eleuar = Synde


    Synde > Hathe Synde > Quarthe Synde = Pynce


    Pynce > Hathe pynce > Quarthe pynce = Eythe pynce


    Eythe Pynce > Seythe pynce


    .


    Firstly, sixteen pynce was equal to one synde; sixteen synde was equal to one eleuar. Pynces came in hathe, quarthe, eythe, seythe forms. They were respectively one half, one quarter, one eighth, and one sixteenth the value of a pynce.


    Eythe and seythe pynces were made of copper, and all other pynces were made of silver. Syndes and eleuars only came in hathe and quarthe forms, and they were respectively made of gold and ra''lerium which was a white metal with a faint ice blue gleam.


    These three types of coins came in eight different sizes that increased in size as the value increased. However, an eythe pynce was the same size as a quarthe pynce, a quarthe synde the same as a pynce, and a quarthe eleuar the same as a synde.


    The beast demon claw Essairyn kept was uncommon and worth two eleuars.


    .


    .


    Demons & Spirits


    1st Tier (33% D): Specters, Phantoms, Ghosts


    2nd Tier (55% D / 93% S): Average Beast Demons / Spirits Animals


    3rd Tier (10% D / 5% D): Strong Beast Demons, Humanoid Demons / Guardian Animals


    Fourth Tier (1% D/S): La''tymls


    Fifth Tier (<1% D/S): Superior Gods


    .


    Secondly, demons and spirits came in five tiers. The first tier was the lowest and included 33% of the demon race of specters, phantoms, and ghosts. They were weak, semi-transparent creatures that often played pranks or haunted people.


    The second tier included 55% of the demon race of average beast demons and 93% of the spirit race of spirit animals. The third tier included 10% of the demon race of stronger beast demons or humanoid beings and 5% of the spirit race of guardian animals.


    The fourth tier included more than 1% each of the demon and spirit races of la''tymls, or small gods. The fifth and final tier included less than 1% each of the demon and spirit superior gods which all other demons and spirits submitted.


    .


    .


    Mage & Knight Classifications


    F: 30 - 90 m''u


    E: 120 - 800m''u


    D: 1,000 - 7,000 m''u


    C: 12,000 - 50,000 m''u


    B: 100,000 - 170,000 m''u


    A: 200,000 - 500,000 m''u


    S: 700,000+ (1,000,000+) m''u


    .


    Elemental Composition


    1% A - Superior Royals


    5% B - Elite Royals


    32% C - Standard Royals


    50% D - Adults


    12% E - Children


    .


    Human Composition


    1% B - 2% C - 5% D - 48% E - 44% F


    <<1% A


    .


    Demon and Spirit Composition


    F - 1st Tier


    E/D - 2nd Tier


    D/C - 3rd Tier


    B - 4th Tier


    B/A - 5th Tier


    .


    Lastly, mages and knights were classified as F, E, D, C, B, A, and S by the quantity of their regular magic units, or m''u. F classes have between 30 and 90 m''u; E, 120 and 800; D, 1,000 and 7,000; C, 12,000 and 50,000; B,100,000 and 170,000; A, 200,000 and 500,000.


    S classes have 700,000 or more m''u and were seen only once every few centuries. True S classes, however, have 1,000,000 or more m''u and were seen principally in the ages of the elemental gods.


    Elementals were constituted of 1% A class and were usually superior royals; 5% B class, usually elite royals; 32% C class, usually standard royals; 50% D class, adults; 12% E class, children.


    Humans were constituted of 1% B class, 2% C, 5% D, 48% E, and 44% F. An A class human was very rare.


    As for demons and spirits, first tier were F class; second tier were E and lower D class; third tier were C and upper D class; fourth tier were lower B class; fifth tier were upper B and lower A class.

 22 Chapter Five - 5 || Magical Authority

    After explaining this, Lachlan continued with supplementary knowledge.


    "All living creatures have excess magic which makes them alive. This excess magic is enumerated by regular m''u. Anything living which has less than ten m''u risks death. Fifteen m''u is best for survival, and twenty is adequate for everyday living.


    "Each day, you regenerate your quantity of regular m''u up to a limit called a magic capacity. This is essentially the amount of the magic you can store inside your body before it dissipates into the air.


    "For humans, the amount is roughly double of your regular m''u. And with each magic class increase, it''s double plus another half. Therefore, S classes can theoretically store four times their regular m''u.


    "For elementals, it''s the same except they can store four times plus one for each class level. Demons and spirits below third tier cannot store any magic besides their regular m''u, and those that can store the same way as humans.


    "Additionally, you can handle or cast an even greater amount of magic than your magic capacity. This quantity, called your magic control, is double of your magic capacity. For demons and spirits, it''s also double, but for elementals, it''s quadruple.


    "And lastly, anyone can store items in their personal magic cache. But people with higher regular m''u can store more items as well as larger ones. It''s a rather simple and handy inventory system.


    "Of course, inventories can also be synthetically produced inside gemstones with large magical capacities. These are the same stones which are commonly used by mages as amulets for storing m''u.


    "Now, the quantity of regular m''u someone has is initially innate, but it can be increased through physical or magical training. Of course, the rate at which m''u increases varies by person and will naturally be easier for some and harder for others. Magical ability can be strengthened in the same way; however, it relies more on inherent talent."


    Lachlan paused in his explanations to gesture toward Darren.


    "Take you for example, you have a sizable amount of regular m''u already, but your magical ability was overwhelmed in the presence of Essairyn''s that I detected it only after being near you for some time. She also has a higher regular m''u as most with considerable magical ability usually do.


    "You would typically be considered a nonmagical human; although, most nonmagical humans don''t even have a trace of magical ability as you have. With training, you could increase your magical ability to be able to cast basic spells."


    Darren listened with slightly scrunched brows and nodded in understanding. Since humans in general lacked substantial magical ability, he wasn''t surprised to hear that he couldn''t use magic. It made sense that humans would have the least amount of magical power as they originated from the magic-less Earth.


    Although, in a similar fashion, demons and spirits which had evolved from humans shouldn''t innately have much magical ability either. Lachlan attributed this apparent inconsistency to demons and spirits having been born in a magical world.


    And further substantiating this speculation, the percentage of humans with inborn magical ability increased slightly from generation to generation. Children became stronger than their predecessors.


    Nevertheless, Darren was still a little disappointed, but he felt better knowing that he could eventually strengthen his magical ability to be able to cast spells.


    However, that did make him question why Essairyn could wield magic so naturally. He wondered if her enthusiasm about this world and nonchalance about leaving their world had anything to do with it. Or if certain humans were brought over to Sol''h''meyr for a reason. He asked Lachlan about this.


    The man pondered a moment before answering, "Originally, the humans were forced into Sol''h''meyr during the Great Elemental War, so it would seem that it was just an unfortunate, unseen consequence.


    "However, some travelers have acclimated well and are almost glad to have left Earth. Of course, others haven''t and became distraught, but then they''re brought to Neu''arth and soon feel right at home because of its similarity to Earth.


    "Not to mention, we get travelers from various cultures and time periods, so there''s a place in Neu''arth for everyone. And because of its magical barrier, people can live in Neu''arth without worrying about stray magical creatures or other dangers. That also includes a health care system that can treat any kind of illness."


    Essairyn''s mouth opened a little upon hearing of Neu''arth''s magical barrier and health care system. "That''s amazing. So you can''t use magic in Neu''arth? But they can treat any kind of illness?"


    Lachlan nodded. "The magical barrier prevents any kind of magical discharge, so upon entering Neu''arth, you automatically agree to these terms. The only ones who can use magic are the Secret Service Protection Agency, or the SSPA, who protect Neu''arth.


    "And when you become a citizen, you give up any magic generated beyond your regular m''u. In return, you receive free treatment whenever you get sick. Not to mention, magic combined with human technology has greatly increased the standard and ease of life."


    "Wow," Essairyn gasped, "so magic can be used in such a way in society."


    Lachlan smiled with a shade of stoniness. "Yes, it''s quite an example for the rest of Sol''h''meyr. However, not everyone will agree to such a construct of society in a world of magic."


    Essairyn knitted her face disconcertion. For sure, it was counterintuitive to bar magic in a world where everything was composed of it. Humans were also the foreign race in a land where the elementals had lived for thousands of years prior. So, some elementals were bound to find Neu''arth distasteful, to say the least.


    Thus, no matter what kind of world it was, she deduced that as long as intelligent beings resided in it, power struggles were certain to transpire. And for Sol''h''meyr, magical prowess was authority.


    "All that aside, what are you two going to do now?" Lachlan posed.


    The two looked at one another, and Darren spoke first.


    "I guess there''s no way to return to Earth?"


    Lachlan shook his head. "I''m not actually positive about that. The portal apparently still exists in the heart of Sol''h''meyr. But even if you could find it, there''s no way to ensure you would return where and when you had left Earth. Space-time itself would likely prevent you from ever setting foot within millenniums of your original time."


    "In other words, it''s hopeless." Darren half sighed, half scoffed. He leaned back in his chair and and looked up at the ceiling. The remaining trace of floundering hope in his heart drowned in the somber, swelling reality.


    The receding light in the boy''s eyes pricked Essairyn''s conscience. "He just arrived a couple hours ago," Essairyn softly informed Lachlan.


    The man turned his impassive gaze toward her. "Then you have already accepted that you can''t return to your time?"


    Essairyn smiled enigmatically. "Yes, I have."


    Lachlan scrutinized the girl''s face. It was confident and unwavering, and yet it also held a barely perceptible melancholic air. But, he wasn''t sure if it was due to leaving her world or something else entirely.


    "Well, if you have no set plans, I suggest traveling north to the city of Byar''non. The Academy campus there has a knights facility while Reisparte only has a standard educative school. It''s a short distance and can be traversed by foot in less than a day. I also recommend eventually going to the main campus right outside of Neu''arth if you wish to practice your magic and learn more about Sol''h''meyr."


    Lachlan paused to gauge Essairyn''s possible response to his next words. "And be careful showing your magic in public places; a shady group has been causing trouble around As''pyze lately, and they seem to target mages. As long as you don''t use magic though, you should be safe."

 23 End of Chapter Five || Heart of Layered Walls

    Essairyn pursed her lips. "Can''t they recognize my magical ability like you did?"


    "No," Lachlan assured, "only high class mages can. And don''t worry, I''m not a dangerous person." He added that last part upon seeing a glint of suspicion flash in the girl''s eyes.


    "Well thank you for teaching us; I really appreciate your time," Essairyn nonchalantly smiled as she got up to leave. She picked up the small history book with the loose paper tucked inside and waved it in the air. "And thanks also for this book." She opened up her cache and placed the booklet inside.


    Just as Darren was about to stand up, they heard a scratching noise from the window nearby. It was Akari who was standing sideways on the window ledge. Essairyn looked at her in surprise and walked over to open the window.


    "Where were you?" she questioned after lifting the glass.


    "Do you have any idea how hard it was to find you?" Akari interjected. "Actually, I figured you''d be in a place like this, but I hate walking around in public unnecessarily by myself."


    Essairyn laughed as the fox jumped onto the table and trotted over to Darren. Akari leaned into his shocked face and stared at him intently.


    "You''re rather handsome, aren''t you?" she remarked, making him open his mouth in speechlessness.


    He edged back in his seat and pointed a finger at Akari. "A-A talking animal!"


    "Hey, didn''t anyone teach you it''s rude to point fingers?" Akari huffed and twirled away.


    "Who? You know this.. fox?" Darren gawked at Essairyn. She smirked and nodded.


    "I met her in the Spirit and Demon Forest. She tried passing off some pursuers to me, but in the end, we decided to adventure together."


    Akari licked her paw. "What? A god''s gotta survive."


    "A god?" Darren exclaimed.


    "Yes, I am the almighty god Akari!" The fox haughtily puffed out her fluffy chest. "I just recently reincarnated, that''s all."


    "

 24 Chapter Six || Realize Living

    The trio strolled briskly on the road to Byar''non. Essairyn twirled a teardrop-shaped, viridescent stone pendant between her fingers. Earlier, she had punctured a tiny hole at the tip of the gem with magic and looped the fine string once through it.


    She didn''t want to lose too much of the Ayvirdizite, so even if a single strand wasn''t durable enough to last long as a necklace, she had already planned to make the jewel into a long earring once she got ahold of some light colored metal.


    Essairyn snacked on a dark pink apple with pale, chartreuse yellow flesh. She had bought the apples and some peaches that were shaped like small mangoes from the marketplace. She sampled them from one of the stands and was instantly sold on their crisp, exotic flavors.


    "Why''d you only buy fruit? Why not bread or meat or something else?" asked Darren as he chomped down on a mango-peach.


    "¡­Meat¡­" Essairyn''s eyes lit up at the thought of a juicy steak fillet. "Well, fruit gives water and nutrients, and there wasn''t exactly a water bottle stand around. Eh, we''ll make it through somehow."


    "Make it through? You have no plan?"


    "This is an adventure! There''s no set plan; it''s constantly changing." Essairyn''s eyes sparkled.


    "But we need water to survive," objected Darren.


    "Probably."


    "Probably?!"


    "Well there''s no sun."


    "Wai-, what¡ª?!" Darren''s eyes shot up to the sky, and he spun around frantically searching for the sun. "There''s no sun!"


    "Yup."


    "Ahh, I thought I had already come to the realization that this was a different world. But I''m still so surprised." He furrowed his brows in a ''huh'' look.


    Essairyn gave a soft laugh, and Akari just raised an eyebrow tuft.


    "Yes, and watch this." Essairyn suddenly broke away at a breakneck speed while Akari hung on for dear life.


    "Hey, where''re you going?!" Darren shouted, and he sprinted after the girl who was quickly vanishing from his view. To his astonishment, he accelerated at an anomalous pace. The refreshing air whisked silkily about his face, and he felt freer and more invigorated than ever before. Every bound took him closer to her, and he yelled, "Essairyn! This is amazing!"


    The girl turned her body in a sideways run to look back at Darren. "Right?!" she called back. She spun on her heel and ran to meet him. A few strides before she reached him, Essairyn leapt into the air above him in a somersault.


    "Whoa there!" Darren laughed as he reflexively ducked; even though, she was several feet above his standing height.


    Essairyn giggled with giddiness when she landed. "It''s incredible, isn''t it? I couldn''t ever do this on Earth."


    "Yeah, my body feels light, but not as if I''m floating. I''ve always been athletic; however, I''m pretty sure I gave any Olympic sprinter a run for the gold."


    The two laughed and ran carefree on the road for some time. Then they walked and talked while Akari merely listened with feigned indifference.


    Darren shared that he played basketball recreationally, but he used to be in his high school team. He enjoyed video games, alternative music, and action movies. He had a younger brother and sister, and a golden retriever. Their family lived in the suburbs, and he attended college to study business a few hours away in the city.


    Essairyn enjoyed many of the same recreations and also had a family dog, a little terrier mutt from the rescue. However, she was an only child and commuted to a college close from home. She also majored in business, but she loved the arts and dreamed of a job that could satisfy her restless imagination.


    Before long, they reached a little farmhouse with fenced animals in the back. It was now the evening. They decided to stop here and ask the owners if they could stay for the night. The farm owners were the Welforts, a hospitable, somewhat elderly couple. They had been repairing a section of the fence where a pack of wolves had broken it the night before. Thankfully, all the animals had been safe inside the shed.


    However, it was unheard of for wolves to leave the forest much less run into human habitation. The travelers offered to help fix the fence in return for letting them sleep overnight. The Welforts gratefully agreed as they still had their daily chores to do.


    While they were fixing, Darren asked Essairyn, "By the way, did you know there would be a farm here?"


    She shrugged and replied, "No, I just guessed we''ll hit something along the way."


    Darren gave her a look of mock exasperation. "Seriously?"


    "Yeah, but camping out is not so bad either," she grinned.


    He could only shake his head in amusement. "You''re really taking this adventure thing to a whole other level, aren''t you? Remind me why I followed you?"


    Essairyn tilted her head up in a thoughtful pose. "Because I''m awesome?"


    Darren snorted, and she laughed. "You didn''t have to come with me, but I''m glad you did. It''s nice having another person from Earth."


    "Hah, it''s not like I had any other place to go. And it is comforting having someone in the same boat. Although.." He raised an eyebrow at her. "You seem much more relaxed about this whole situation."


    "Hmm," Essairyn hummed. "I suppose it would seem that way. I think I''m just much more excited than upset about the prospects of living in a magical world than a mundane one. Of course, I''ll miss my family and friends, and I''ll probably get homesick later, but for now.. I''m okay." She nodded to herself and looked over at Darren with a small smile.


    He looked back with mixed emotions. Her blas¨¦ attitude was visibly apparent, but he noticed a trace of sadness in her voice at the end. Even if her magical abilities warranted her some security in a strange world, they had both lost everything and everyone they had ever known and loved. Surely, she was suffering on the inside.


    But even right now, he wasn''t as miserable as he ought to be. He wondered if she was rubbing off on him. Perhaps the reason why he was still sane was because of her.


    After all, it still felt like a dream¡ªthe way he fell from the sky without breaking a bone; a beautiful girl suddenly taking his hand and running; a glowing, magical sphere of lavender light; a man dressed like a rich, modern wizard; a talking Pomeranian with short fur, a sassy mouth, and twin tails; and an antiquated, cobblestone town encircled by a labyrinth of a market.


    From the moment she took his hand, he had been engaged every second without a chance to really stop and ponder his forsaken existence in a foreign universe. And perhaps, one day, all the emotion would rush out when this realization hit them.

 25 Chapter Six - 2 || Chain Reaction

    "Aand we''re done!" Essairyn announced as she placed her hands on her hips and examined their work.


    It had only taken them an hour to repair the seven meter stretch of fence. Essairyn had cut down and transported a tree from the nearby forest with magic, and then they tested their enhanced physical strength by chopping the wood with the Welfort''s axe.


    Needless to say, they and the Welforts were thoroughly impressed. By now, however, it was well past six. So, Mrs. Welfort called them inside for dinner.


    The farmhouse was cozy and rustic inside with pastel painted wooden furniture and iron utensils. Several handmade toys and a picture frame rested atop the fireplace mantle. They both suggested that a family of five used to live here.


    "Beef or chicken?" Mrs. Welfort asked as she stirred a pot of hearty stew.


    "Beef!" Essairyn immediately answered with her eyes shining in anticipation.


    Darren gave a small laugh and agreed, "Beef sounds good."


    Mrs. Welfort smiled jovially. It was a long time since her children had grown up and left, and she missed the laughter and excitement that used to ring throughout the house. Even though they had welcomed many adventurers and merchants traveling to Byar''non, it wasn''t often that their visitors were this young.


    The two youths reminded her of their youngest a few years before she had gotten married. It seemed like it had all passed by so fast, but the memories of those days were still vivid and alive.


    "Suzanne!!"


    The sound of her husband''s distressed voice brought Mrs. Welfort out of her reminiscence. With her ladle still in hand, she rushed over to the door as it burst open to an apprehensive Mr. Welfort.


    "The wolves are back," he shouted as he pointed toward the woods, "They look like the same ones from the other night, but there''s something off about these. They are emitting a strange aura, and there''re even more of them than from before."


    Mrs. Welfort furrowed her brows in unease. Essairyn and Darren exchanged alarmed glances while Akari narrowed her eyes. They looked past Mr. Welfort''s arm and spied the horde of wolves racing erratically toward the farm. Their eyes glowed red, and dark shadows like grainy smoke hung over their bodies.


    "I couldn''t get all the animals inside in time, so I had to close the barn doors. Hopefully the wolves will just run past like last night and won''t harm them. However, I''m concerned about the crazed look in their eyes.." Mr. Welfort voiced tensely as he reached to close the front door.


    "Wait, you''re just going to leave them out there?" Essairyn blurted out as she impeded the door from closing. The manic wolves reminded her of the previous beast demons she had come across.


    "Unfortunately yes, I have to protect as many as I''m can," the man replied regrettably.


    Essairyn''s eyes shot back and forth between the quickly approaching wolves and remaining animals. A plan of action to save them was already forming in her mind.


    "Bloodlust."


    Everyone turned at Akari''s abrupt words.


    "I wouldn''t go out there. Those wolves are demonically possessed and out to kill. There''s a lot of them to handle, and you''ll have to deal with any escaping demons."


    "Possessed?" Essairyn echoed.


    Akari nodded gravely. "First tier demons aren''t very dangerous on their own, but they''re capable of possessing other creatures. Unless the demon leaves the body on its own, you''ll have to killed the creature being possessed. Also, ordinary wolves are intelligent, born predators. Possession enhances their abilities, making them more formidable."


    Essairyn frowned. This was now the third demon disturbance since entering this world. And in all three cases, it seemed that the occurrences were out of the ordinary. Could they be connected somehow?


    She turned to Mr. Welfort. "I''ll stop them, so can you herd the rest of the animals back inside?"


    The man gaped at her in shock for even bringing up the idea to fight against them. "You heard what she just said; you shouldn''t go out there! Even though you have strongmagical abilities, you''re still only a human!" he protested.


    "Don''t worry, I can handle this," she assured with a grim smile.


    In truth, she was a little concerned about the large number of wolves; it looked like there were at least fifty. She had only dealt with large demons one-on-one, but she figured each one individually wouldn''t take much to defeat. Besides, the thought of taking on so many actually electrified her.


    "Then if you''re going to do that, is there any way I can help?" Darren asked.


    Essairyn nodded. "If you can assist Mr. Welfort in herding the animals, they can escape quicker."


    "Ok, sounds good," Darren agreed. He knew that with no weapon or magical abilities of his own, he wouldn''t be able to help her fight. But he didn''t like the idea of staying inside either while she was out risking her life. "So, what''s your plan?"


    "I''ll cast some barriers in front of them and direct their attention toward me while you two get the animals inside. Shout when you''re done and run inside the barn."


    "The barn? Why not the house?"


    Essairyn smirked. "So I can finish them off of course."


    Everyone looked at her in surprise except Akari who had hopped off Essairyn''s shoulder and begun casually eating the leftover stew ingredients. The girl glared sharply at the sly fox before sprinting outside. Darren followed, and the older man was left trailing behind and wondering how they were both so fast.


    As she ran, Essairyn formed a new weapon in her hand while casting a long barrier a few meters in front of the wolves. In a matter of seconds the foremost wolves crashed into the transparent barrier and the ones directly behind toppled over their fallen bodies.


    The middle and rear wolves slowed down and searched for the source of disruption. They quickly discerned the source as tiny magic pellets came barreling toward them from Essairyn.


    Provoked, the wolves changed direction and rushed headlong toward the approaching human girl. Once she was within twenty feet of the wolves, Essairyn flung a wide arc into the throng and leapt into the air above them.


    The arc knocked out the front wolves upon impact, and as she came down, she sent a blast of magic outwards from her body that sent the wolves below her flying. She landed on her haunches and sprung toward the wolves with a now fully formed weapon: an eight-foot scythe.

 26 Chapter Six - 3 || In Cold Blood

    With the blunt back of the scythe, she clouted the nearby wolves down. Rather than killing them, she had hoped to force the demons out by allowing them to escape the unconscious bodies.


    However, she quickly noticed that the fallen wolves soon regained their senses and staggered up like unfeeling marionettes. She didn''t want to kill them as they were simply the victims of demonic possession.


    But, it seemed it would be hard to get rid of the demons without killing their wolf hosts. She had thought this might be the case, but she was nonetheless disappointed.


    "

 27 Chapter Six - 4 || Resolution

    Seeing this, Essairyn''s chest lurched in heartache. Darren had put himself on the line and reluctantly committed callous acts all because of her altruistic arrogance in saving the barn animals.


    They were no longer in a world secured by law and order. This was a kill to survive world where power granted protection. It was possible that for the sake of their lives and the upholding of their integrity, they might have to execute future unimaginable atrocities. But in this distorted morality, they would paradoxically have to lose some of those principles too.


    Essairyn didn''t let Darren''s efforts go to waste. She hunted down the runaways while he maintained the wolves'' aggression and fended off their second floor jumping advances.


    This gave Mr. Welfort enough time to finish obstructing the door. He yelled up at Darren upon the barricade''s completion, and the boy quickly fished the pitchfork back up, tossed it onto the hay beds behind him, and started shutting the loft doors.


    But halfway through closing them, a wolf vaulted toward the vulnerable youth. Darren strove to snap the doors shut, but the lunatic, cochineal orbs of the triumphant beast blazed into his eyes. With less than one meter remaining between them, and a quarter of the doors left to close, Darren readied himself to dodge the incoming fangs and claws.


    While dodging, he would finish shutting the door as the wolf crashed into the hay. Then he''d retrieve his pitchfork to fight the possessed creature. Because of his heightened abilities in this world compared to Earth, he was assured that he could beat the wolf in a one-on-one battle.


    However, he wouldn''t need to follow through this risky plan as Essairyn had just returned within range of the barn to lob a downward angled spear into the airborne wolf''s back. Darren cringed upon seeing the wolf''s eyes bulge in the prelude of imminent death before it plunged down into the barn wall right below the bottom of the now closed, loft doors.


    He released a tremulous breath of relief and slumped down to his knees. He could still hear the dying throes of the wolves and Essairyn''s magic whizzing about outside.


    Darren slowed down the remaining adrenaline rushing through his system, and fifteen seconds later, it was silent. He fretfully waited a few seconds before he heard Essairyn''s familiar, mellow voice.


    "Hey! You okay in there?"


    Darren cautiously opened the loft doors. The elated face of an ebony-haired girl greeted him. He lightly smiled in return. It was finally over.


    The three cleared the barricade, and in the middle of comforting the jittery animals, Akari and Mrs. Welfort arrived at the barn. They had observed the gut-wrenching battle from the farmhouse windows and rushed over to join them upon its end.


    When Mrs. Welfort fixed her gaze on the half dozen, strewn wolf corpses in front of the barn, she nearly retched. Essairyn''s magic had quickly ended most of the wolves'' lives, so their bodies dissipated into black mist as the first tier demons could no longer escape from their host. Hence, they died theoretically as beast demons, and their bodies were disposed of in the same way.


    The majority of the intact corpses resulted from Darren''s brutal pitchfork attacks. Some of these demons had decided to leave their mutilated hosts. Essairyn couldn''t chase after the extremely nimble, gaseous demons, so they successfully fled the scene.


    In retrospect, this made Essairyn wonder out loud if for the future, she should severely injure possessed creatures in order to draw out their demons. But Akari speedily rejected that notion. It was simply too inefficient and sacrificed time and safety for unnecessary kindness.


    "Speaking of safety, you got injured." Akari nervously examined the girl''s wound on her right leg. After seeing it wasn''t serious, only about a millimeter deep, the fox exhaled a sigh of relief.


    "Next time, you need to be more careful battling beast demons. I know this is your third time, but demon wounds get infected easily. They can also develop nasty afflictions which turn the flesh into soot, much like when beast demon bodies dissipate."


    Essairyn internally shuddered at the thought of her body deteriorating away into ash. "Thankfully, my body mostly healed itself while I was fighting. Now, I can probably finish healing it myself."


    She placed three fingers at the top of the five-inch long slashes and pressed downward, swiping her hand slowly across their length. Lavender light flushed beneath her fingers, and the skin seamlessly repaired itself.


    Healing oneself took much less concentration than healing others, even for white mages or green elementals. Essairyn figured she could''ve easily willed the injury to heal without bending down and following through the gestural motions.


    "How deep was the wound initially?" Akari was curious about the speed of Essairyn''s self-healing abilities. When regular m''u and magical ability was high enough, usually D-ranked mages or higher, the body would self-heal when injured.


    "Yeah, that wolf got your leg good. I was worried that you''d be pulled down, and I wouldn''t know what to do then," added Darren with a slight wrinkle to his forehead.


    Essairyn chuckled mirthlessly and drew her forefinger and thumb close together, gauging the original depth to be about half a centimeter.


    Akari didn''t know whether to grouse on the girl''s literal inhuman regeneration or skin toughness. She had only received half-centimeter deep lacerations from a falling wolf that seized her leg with two centimeter claws.


    If it was a regular wolf, Akari wouldn''t be surprised if Essairyn had only gotten a third of a centimeter, but under possession, wolf claws were enveloped in black magic which made them razor sharp.


    Nevertheless, the fox only huffed in disgruntlement. Perhaps getting injured would make Essairyn wake up to the harsh reality of possibly taking on more than she could manage.


    It never hurt to be extra careful, but Akari couldn''t determine whether Essairyn was unassumingly arrogant or compassionately courageous for jumping straight into dangerous situations. She settled on a mixture of both.


    "Well, now that''s over, I guess it''s just a matter of cleaning up and figuring out how to prevent this from happening again." Essairyn struck a pensive pose, leaning on one leg with a hand on her hip and her head tipped to one side.


    The Welforts looked anxiously at one another. They had only wanted to live tranquilly on their farm for the last half of their lives. It had been that way until now with the appearance of demons.


    The trio understood the anxiety on the older couple''s faces. Darren directed that they first clean up like Essairyn had suggested and then discuss over dinner. By now, the stew was probably overcooked.

 28 Rewriting Elsewhere

    @@


    As the title might imply, I''m rewriting the beginning and posting it elsewhere, specifically, on Royal Road: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/23760/canaan-my-world-to-live


    To be honest, I''m not so sure of the future of this story being posted on Webnovel. While the story will never be discontinued, I found RR to be a much better suited platform for MWTL than Webnovel.


    Since my story doesn''t fit well into the tastes of readers here, I don''t foresee it ever being successful on any small level. So due to this, better formatting capabilities, better prevention of reposting on aggregator pirate sites, and my laziness in posting on two sites, I decided to not post these rewrites here at the very least.


    I''m also seriously considering not posting here at all anymore since the reader base is small and basically not growing. In fact, my tree story I did on a whim does better than this lol! I have no idea where the collections come from on that one since the contest ended.


    Anyway, I''d appreciate it you could support me on the RR platform. (: It''s simple and quick to make an account with an email, and I find the reading experience to be better too. Additionally, I''ve found that stories on RR are written better overall than Originals from here. *cough* The shade is unintentional. Both places have their hidden gems. I just find them not so hidden/easier to discover them on RR. Although, litrpg is very popular like how certain story types are popular here. So if you''re a ceo romance lover, maybe stick here.


    I don''t know. I guess I''m just feeling discouraged/demotivated...:/


    Let me know your thoughts on this...@@

 29 Update Decision

    @@


    I''ve decided to keep posting the story on Webnovel, but I won''t be updating the previous chapters with the rewrites. Since RR has better formatting, I find the reading experience to be better and more necessary as the rewrites have a lot of inner thoughts/deeper insight into the characters now.


    For reference, the original had 32K words, but the rewrite has 42K, so 10K more words, almost like 10 new chapters worth! So yeah, I do suggest reading the rewritten version on RR. *cough* :P At the least, the Prologue got a real reboot in terms of MC''s backstory, so that''ll be good for comprehension in future chapters.


    Ahem, here''s the link again:https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/23760/canaan-my-world-to-live


    Anyway, the new chapters will now be "posted" on Tuesday-Wednesday in order to avoid automatic pirating by other sites. The dummy chapter will still be posted Monday and updated with the real one at least 24 hours later.


    It''s good to be finally back continuing the story! Thank you all for reading! :)@@

 30 Chapter Six - 5 || True Knight-Mage

    Back at the house, they ate the mushy stew in silence for some time. Essairyn roved through her mind for possible causes as well as fixes.


    Although she expected more demons to pursue Akari, not all of the incidents directly connected to her like with that humanoid demon. Thinking back to the reptilian jaguar, the valguarkin, it was possible that it had raced over to the tent in the middle of their battle because of Akari.


    Otherwise, there was nothing in the tent that could possibly entice it over an injured, defenseless human. And with these wolves, they must have been targeting the barn and only redirected their aim to the farmhouse because of Essairyn. They were smart enough to know where the humans lived. She needed more clues. After eating, she would have to inspect the barn with Akari.


    "Mr. and Mrs. Welfort." Essairyn broke the oppressive silence. "I''m sorry that this happened to you again. I have an idea how to protect the farm from any further instances."


    The couple cut in before she could continue.


    "No no, not at all Essairyn. It''s not your fault that this happened again," Mrs. Welfort assured with commiserative concern after which Mr. Welfort added, "Those demonically possessed wolves might have been chasing after the ones from last night. If I think about it now, those wolves from yesterday looked like they had been running away from something. Perhaps some rogue horde of demons attacked their pack? I can''t imagine any other reason for them to leave the forest in such a panic and not care about crossing over human territory."


    Essairyn listened intently with a partially closed hand resting on her chin. "I actually encountered some demons before this, and I think they were acting bizarrely too. It''s possible that it''s as you said. Something is causing the demons to go rogue." She flicked her eyes to Akari for the briefest of glances. The almost imperceptible action was not unnoticed by the fox.


    "Anyway," the girl continued. "I can try setting up a magical barrier system around the farm. Demons seem to dislike my magic, so it''s possible that it can ward them off." Essairyn faintly gulped. It felt odd pronouncing that demons were averse to her magic. She felt like she was boasting about that as well as being able to set up a defense mechanism; even though, she really wasn''t sure about either being true.


    "Can you really do that?!" The couple started back in astonishment. "What rank are you if I may ask?" They were sure that Essairyn couldn''t have been anything less than C-rank based on the abilities she had displayed.


    The girl hesitated before replying, "Umm, I''m not sure to be honest. I just arrived in Sol''h''meyr the other day¡­"


    This news further stunned the elderly couple. They would''ve never imagined that the gifted human mage was actually a traveler! They were surely lucky that she had been put into their path as the wolves might''ve destroyed a great part of their living. Agog, they turned to Darren expectantly. He hadn''t shown any magic, but his strength was rather high too.


    Seeing the couple on tenterhooks about him, Darren sweat-dropped. "I just arrived a few hours ago and met Essairyn¡­" He oddly felt defeated by the girl whose frame was rather petite. Although he knew he wasn''t the most skilled even back on Earth when he played basketball or anything competitive, he still prided himself on being one of the best. This prick of envy about another person was unfamiliar to him.


    The couple nodded in understanding with mouths somewhat agape. They finished eating while Essairyn explained her plan.


    She would cast a spell on the fence so that if demons came near, it would activate and expel them from the premises, much like a warning. Should the demons continue provoking it, the system would go into combat and eliminate the threats. The system could be supplied with magic, and it would save on magic by remaining dormant as long as demons didn''t come near.


    When Essairyn inspected the barn with Akari after dinner, the fox queried, "That magical system you were talking about before, are you really able to cast such a protective spell?"


    The girl honestly replied, "Nope. But it doesn''t hurt to try. I never guaranteed the Welforts that I would be successful anyway. And if worse comes to worse, I can probably make a magic sword or weapon for them right? Will it be useable by them even after I leave?"


    The fox sighed. She really didn''t know why she even asked such a question as Essairyn''s answer was exactly as she had expected. This girl was always trying to do the impractical. Akari wondered if that was why her magic was so anomalous. Magic had a direct connection to the soul it was bound to. Although lineage was important, a stronger spirit often related to a stronger magical ability. This was one of the rationales for unlikely talents.


    "Yes, that magic weapon creating ability of yours is a skill only demonstrated by full-fledged Knight-Mages. Ugh, you wouldn''t have to be an incarnation of the Knight-Mages of old would you?" The fox peered at Essairyn with jesting, suspicious eyes. The girl merely shook her head with a light, entertained smile. She had been born on Earth, so there was no way that she could be connected to anyone living in Sol''h''meyr.


    The fox clicked her tongue and continued, "Items created purely out of magic will eventually dissipate into the magical atmosphere. But they can remain intact for a long time depending on its creator and the effort used. Anyone can use them, but they can''t directly hurt the creator. The weapon will just sink back into the body.


    "The only way to possibly cause harm to creators is if the amount of magic returned by the weapon greatly exceeds their magical control and capacity, including any amulets or magic storage devices. The sudden over-abundance can cause them to overheat and faint while the body tries to expel excess magic."


    Essairyn let out an enlightened breath. "So that''s why I couldn''t maintain two magical objects like the flying disk and scythe. My body wouldn''t allow it because of the magical strain."


    Akari gave an amused scoff. "That''s only because you''re creating the magic circle through an unconventional means by first creating a flying disk, an object as you said. You can actually cast the flying spell directly and be able to equip any weapon too."


    "Oh. Ahahah¡­" Essairyn felt like she lost some smarts. She was doing everything the hard way instead of the easy way. She really needed to learn about how to properly cast magic.


    Seeing the ruffled girl, Akari tittered. "Anyway, let''s finish up this investigation. There has to be something leftover from yesterday''s wolves that attracted the demonically possessed ones to go after the barn instead of chasing after the previous wolves."


    "So it''s not at all because you''re here?" Essairyn couldn''t help asking the question no matter how distrustful it sounded. She needed to know in order to prepare for future incidents.


    Fully expecting the question to be eventually asked, Akari calmly replied, "No. I do suspect that the valguarkin from yesterday was sent after me. They sure are quick." A glint of resentment flickered in her orbs. "But these wolves aren''t related to my pursuers or even the fact that I''m a spirit. We might naturally oppose one another, but that doesn''t mean we can''t live in harmony like most in the Spirit-Demon forest."


    For a moment, Essairyn felt abashed for interrogating her. ''Didn''t you decide to trust her for now?'' But she was glad that the fox was nonchalant about it. "That makes sense. So what should I be looking for in here?" She surveyed the dimly lit barn and resting animals.


    The fox trotted over to a pen and jumped up on the fence. Sniffing the area as she walked forward from pen to pen, Akari suddenly halted. "Essairyn!" the fox seethed as her hackles rose. "There''s a demon in here!"


    At her shout, the ragged outline of a shadow manifested in the gloom. Unblinking crimson eyes opened and a sawtoothed smile spread across the face of the demon. "Ah-kar-ee? Ss-pir-it? W-weak?! Hehehe!" The demon lurched toward the fox in delight. Akari leapt away onto the ground while Essairyn sprinted at the unveiled demon in alarm.


    "Akari!" the girl shouted as she hurtled a blade of magic at the demon who narrowly dodged the abrupt attack.


    The demon frowned with serrated teeth showing. "H-human, m-mage?" It confusedly edged back from the girl and then cast its gaze back on the retreating fox. "M-must eat, ss-pirit! Strength!" It charged at Akari with a cavernous mouth.


    Essairyn raised a barrier in front of the demon''s beeline toward the tiny fox. But Akari had managed to leap away at the last second even without the girl''s help.


    Granted, Essairyn was successful in injuring the demon which had crashed through the barrier. The demon roared out in agony and spun around in wary fury. Red cuts were sprayed over its body, and a seared splotch smoked in its center.


    "E-elmental?!" The demon cried out and darted toward a spooked animal. The poor cow bellowed in fright as the demon latched onto it and began ripping through its side.


    Absolutely appalled, Essairyn dashed toward the aggrieved cow. She couldn''t send any magical attacks from afar without possibly hurting the animal, so she materialized her sword.


    Vaulting over into the pen, she whisked her blade onto the gorging demon. It swung over onto the other side of the cow and grinned tauntingly at the girl who missed. Frustrated by the speedy demon, she hooked the sword up by the handle and stabbed it on the other side. But the snickering demon evaded and latched onto another animal a few pens away.

 31 Little Gift Giveaway

    @@


    Although I cannot gift it to everyone, alas I only have one, I''m giving out a 100 SS giftcard that I received from winning 5th in the tree prompt contest.


    I forgot I had it since then in my email, but I decided that I didn''t really need it as I''m reading free originals these days and saving all else for whenever Webnovel reimplements the membership.


    With that said, every reader has a chance to receive it in a random number generator draw. I will include everyone who has ever commented, reviewed, or voted on any of my three novels:


    - My World To Live


    - RE: Life as a Tree


    - Big Hit''s New Girl Group: I''m a K-Pop Star?!


    You get 1 entry for participating in one novel, so you can get up to 3 max entries (I figured I might as well reward those who follow me as an author than just a single book). I will choose the winner by Friday of next week, so y''all silent readers still have time to enter!


    If the person that I chose happened to not want the 100 SS, I will chose again after confirming with them. In advance, you can also comment somewhere that you don''t want to be included in the free giftcard draw.


    The winner will be sent the code over email or whatever secure form they prefer.


    Anyway, I thought this would be a fun way to give back in any way I can to my readers besides continuing to update. :3@@

 32 Chapter Six - 6 || Rogue Demihuman

    More pirate sites uploading this story whee~


    Today is Monday. The real chapter will be posted here on Tuesday-Wednesday in order to avoid the pirates.


    See yah~


    -


    Hm, it''s now Tuesday-Wednesday, and the pirate sites haven''t updated this dummy chapter. Perhaps these bots are quite smart? They only pick up chapters when they''re long enough? I saw that they got the last story chapter too despite doing this dummy chapter thing. So I think there''s some algorithm in place those sneaky little crawlers! I noticed that non-story chapters were grayed out (though they still posted them entirely), so that was sorta concerning...


    Well, I don''t feel like putting my random chatter in this, so excuse me as I paste walls of text from random sections of different chapters. (Actually I was just lazy and posted the brief history of Sol''h''meyr part). Hopefully this will trick them huehue. Otherwise, I''ll have to figure out another method of updating this without them getting their hands on the actual chapter. Maybe there''s a certain time that they run over the novels? Hm, hopefully some pirate staff isn''t reading this, but meh, probably not. If you are, then stop stealing stories stoopid!


    Okay, I''ve decided. When I update a new dummy chapter, that means that the previous chapter has been updated with the actual chapter. That way, you get some sort of notification on Webnovel. Of course, if that doesn''t work, there''s always RR... *cough cough*


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    -


    -


    -


    -


    -


    -


    Tymlune, the timeless one, forged Earth and brought forth five elemental beings: Water, Light, Earth, Warmth, and Cold, into the universe to admire Time''s newest creation. In awe of Earth, and bestowed with Time''s imagination, the elemental gods shaped a world of their own and named it Sol''h''meyr.


    They ruled separate eponymous kingdoms: As''wyde, As''lyte, As''eryt, As''fyre, and As''iyse, and fashioned the inhabitants after themselves called the elementals. They were similar in likeness to Earth''s humans but were not blessed with ingenuity. Only Time, known as Tyml, could give creatures the gift of imagination.


    The subkingdoms As''glyfe, nature; As''ayre, wind; As''spyke, lightning; and As''nyte, darkness; emerged shortly after Sol''h''meyr''s genesis and fell respectively under the main kingdoms of As''eryt, As''iyse, As''fyre, and As''lyte. Each main kingdom and subkingdom had a line of especially powerful elementals descended from the gods themselves and were known as the royals.


    Because the elemental gods personally oversaw the world, Sol''h''meyr prospered with millenniums of peace.


    But one day, it was discovered that Water and Light, had fallen in love and conceived a new god. The other elementals gods decreed that the two forfeit the child god because it would imbalance the world.


    However, Water and Light refused, and a war which would last centuries began. Several years after the start of the fighting, the new god was born. Right before its inception, water which streamed like light engulfed the world, and this element became known as rain.


    Unlike the original five, this new god acted more human than divine. She was curious and needy and could feel loneliness and anger. Her name was C''rienne, also spelled Cyrienne, meaning ''born from rain.''


    Even though she was inherently superior to the original five, until her powers matured, she was young and vulnerable. Thus, she was stowed away by Water and Light in a small castle surrounded by potent illusional magic.


    It was a losing battle, and after seeing the great destruction wrought upon their kingdoms, Water and Light resolved to split from Sol''h''meyr. By withdrawing, the war would cease, and they could protect Cyrienne from death because only she could fill the elemental void generated by their egress.


    So, with a great sword, they fractured the land and took the fragments with them into another dimension. And above where the forsaken sword had pierced the ground, a spacial tear traversed to Earth, creating a portal which dragged countless humans into Sol''h''meyr.


    The human influx soon begot new creatures known as demons and spirits, the embodiments of the dark and light recesses of their souls. This war would later become known as the Great Elemental War.


    The departure of Water and Light enabled the remaining elemental gods to easily discover Cyrienne''s castle. Upon breaking the castle''s protective spell, rain magic surged across the surrounding lands.


    To stem the cascade, the gods sealed Cyrienne''s power with Water and Light''s abandoned sword. The sword then became known as the Sword of Cyrienne.


    Afterwards, they relocated Cyrienne to a remote human village in a barren land. Finally, the weary gods decided to merge themselves with Sol''h''meyr as it was the only way to restore the broken world.


    Over the centuries, Cyrienne''s rain power revitalized the lands around the poor village, and it flourished into an economic hub. From there she established the center of her new kingdom, As''rien.


    She blessed the original human villagers with elemental rain power, and the family she stayed with became the royals. She also founded As''pyze, the safe haven for humans, and the Knight Mage Academy, the premier school of magic and combat, with her closest aides, the original Knight-Mages.


    One day, Cyrienne peered into the portal to Earth and spied a young man. She fell in love and crossed over to Earth to pursue him. The Sword of Cyrienne remained in Sol''h''meyr in order to sustain the lands.


    Today''s world now persists without the presence of the elemental gods and follows the royal rule of the five main kingdoms: As''eryt, As''fyre, As''iyse, As''rien, and As''pyze. Sol''h''meyr has existed for eight thousand years.

 33 Lucky Numbers for the SS Draw

    Here are your Lucky Numbers for the 100SS GiftcardS drawS!


    Yes notice that capital plural S! I unexpectedly got 500SS from the BTS comp so whoop, that means I''m handing out 6 giftcards to you all~!! 600SS¡­ I feel oddly rich LOL. XD


    Reminder: You can have up to 3 entries into the Draw if you''ve voted or commented or reviewed once in any of my three novels.


    May the RNG god be with you tomorrow (Friday) when the results will be drawn around Midnight.


    1 - Chryiss


    2 - Chryiss


    3 - Chryiss ¡ª> testing out my luck, will redraw if it picked me xD


    4 - veronicapurcell3


    5 - veronicapurcell3


    6 - veronicapurcell3


    7 - NatsumeRikka


    8 - NatsumeRikka


    9 - ihateyounot


    10 - ihateyounot


    11- Felicity_Huang


    12 - Felicity_Huang


    13 - LucilleLight


    14 - LucilleLight


    15 - GrumpyNeighbor


    16 - GrumpyNeighbor


    17 - Gabriella943


    18 - RedVoidDoragon


    19 - Euphonic Wisteria


    20 - SaraEllis


    21 - Katherine_Machata


    22 - JoKim


    23 - ShookieSmith


    24 - VVante


    25 - Gossamerry


    26 - Claudia_Pajares


    27 - Lovecomic2006


    28 - Sarah_Papadopoulos


    29 - Nicole_Marcelo


    30 - Jaehyana


    31 - HumblyBear


    32 - VaishnaviJ07


    33 - Daoist_Flaming_Sky


    34 - Alpha_C


    35 - emiiii


    36 - forr34 ¡ª> including RedVoidDoragon''s fan because why not XD


    37 - MyCharacterLeads


    38 - Rxel


    39 - chghaith


    40 - AdmiralCob


    41 - DDRBOG


    42 - Sighe


    43 -_Typhoon_


    44 - niharikabhol


    45 - Sollkiri


    46 - Skiterz


    47 - Mr_Ethical


    48 - FeatherlyDuck


    49 - XOMatsumaeohana


    50 - chonnie


    51 - Lizabella88


    52 - yunisao


    53 - LonelyLittleMiss


    54 - Ellendria


    55 - walker0


    56 - veinglory


    57 - midnight_bloom


    58 - schreient


    59 - TwistedWhimsy


    60 - DarkImmortal_Intel


    61 - jackjackattack


    62 - Daoist37 ¡ª> just testing out luck, will redraw if picked


    63 - MythologyMaster


    64 - SnowLeopard


    65 - RiverBlue1


    66 - QUASAR_MAGELLAN


    67 - BlindingTears


    68 - IceSnowball


    69 - WedhusSlayer


    70 - jensseng


    71 - PsyberRose


    72 - 4ola_aina


    73 - maxiprince


    74 - nothingisit4me


    75 - ursus010


    76 - StenDuring


    77 - JVenior


    78 - rice_this_get_lets


    79 - Lovelywuju17


    80 - MajestyGloxinia


    81 - Ken_Raynous


    82 - AlexAnbi


    83 - PeachyPearl


    84 - shrishthi


    85 - PoppyQueen


    86 - Nightmare_Taichou


    87 - UnliMegane


    88 - Jamison_C


    89 - Paper_Crane


    90 - Nzoputa


    91 - cloudstepping_mare


    92 - Rachel_white


    93 - BAJJ


    94 - Unknown_Hooman


    95 - Gossamerry


    96 - Cheryl2610


    97 - samayra_akhtar


    98 - SakuraShirota


    Last call for entering the Draw! I will add anyone else before Friday to this list.


    And if you want to go all out on this silly luck test and chose a specific number(s), then sure, I can swap you with that person/number. X''D

 34 End of Chapter Six || Breaking Icy Hearts

    Huehue, so the pirates took the bait finally. >:3


    That means the last chapter has now been updated with the actual material, and this has become the new dummy chapter.


    Below is the same old version of the brief history of Sol''h''meyr. No need to read it lols. It''s not even present in the rewritten version RR. But the actual content hasn''t changed.


    Blah blah blah, putting in filler so that this chapter seems different from the last dummy one. (Don''t know how smart these bots are hmph!)


    -


    -


    -


    -


    -


    Tymlune, the timeless one, forged Earth and brought forth five elemental beings: Water, Light, Earth, Warmth, and Cold, into the universe to admire Time''s newest creation. In awe of Earth, and bestowed with Time''s imagination, the elemental gods shaped a world of their own and named it Sol''h''meyr.


    They ruled separate eponymous kingdoms: As''wyde, As''lyte, As''eryt, As''fyre, and As''iyse, and fashioned the inhabitants after themselves called the elementals. They were similar in likeness to Earth''s humans but were not blessed with ingenuity. Only Time, known as Tyml, could give creatures the gift of imagination.


    The subkingdoms As''glyfe, nature; As''ayre, wind; As''spyke, lightning; and As''nyte, darkness; emerged shortly after Sol''h''meyr''s genesis and fell respectively under the main kingdoms of As''eryt, As''iyse, As''fyre, and As''lyte. Each main kingdom and subkingdom had a line of especially powerful elementals descended from the gods themselves and were known as the royals.


    Because the elemental gods personally oversaw the world, Sol''h''meyr prospered with millenniums of peace.


    But one day, it was discovered that Water and Light, had fallen in love and conceived a new god. The other elementals gods decreed that the two forfeit the child god because it would imbalance the world.


    However, Water and Light refused, and a war which would last centuries began. Several years after the start of the fighting, the new god was born. Right before its inception, water which streamed like light engulfed the world, and this element became known as rain.


    Unlike the original five, this new god acted more human than divine. She was curious and needy and could feel loneliness and anger. Her name was C''rienne, also spelled Cyrienne, meaning ''born from rain.''


    Even though she was inherently superior to the original five, until her powers matured, she was young and vulnerable. Thus, she was stowed away by Water and Light in a small castle surrounded by potent illusional magic.


    It was a losing battle, and after seeing the great destruction wrought upon their kingdoms, Water and Light resolved to split from Sol''h''meyr. By withdrawing, the war would cease, and they could protect Cyrienne from death because only she could fill the elemental void generated by their egress.


    So, with a great sword, they fractured the land and took the fragments with them into another dimension. And above where the forsaken sword had pierced the ground, a spacial tear traversed to Earth, creating a portal which dragged countless humans into Sol''h''meyr.


    The human influx soon begot new creatures known as demons and spirits, the embodiments of the dark and light recesses of their souls. This war would later become known as the Great Elemental War.


    The departure of Water and Light enabled the remaining elemental gods to easily discover Cyrienne''s castle. Upon breaking the castle''s protective spell, rain magic surged across the surrounding lands.


    To stem the cascade, the gods sealed Cyrienne''s power with Water and Light''s abandoned sword. The sword then became known as the Sword of Cyrienne.


    Afterwards, they relocated Cyrienne to a remote human village in a barren land. Finally, the weary gods decided to merge themselves with Sol''h''meyr as it was the only way to restore the broken world.


    Over the centuries, Cyrienne''s rain power revitalized the lands around the poor village, and it flourished into an economic hub. From there she established the center of her new kingdom, As''rien.


    She blessed the original human villagers with elemental rain power, and the family she stayed with became the royals. She also founded As''pyze, the safe haven for humans, and the Knight Mage Academy, the premier school of magic and combat, with her closest aides, the original Knight-Mages.


    One day, Cyrienne peered into the portal to Earth and spied a young man. She fell in love and crossed over to Earth to pursue him. The Sword of Cyrienne remained in Sol''h''meyr in order to sustain the lands.


    Today''s world now persists without the presence of the elemental gods and follows the royal rule of the five main kingdoms: As''eryt, As''fyre, As''iyse, As''rien, and As''pyze. Sol''h''meyr has existed for eight thousand years.


    -


    -


    -


    Bloo blah bloop de doo doof doof


    Burble bubble....


    Don''t mind me....

 35 Chapter Seven || Byarsnon

    If you are confused by this chapter, then please read the new auxiliary chapter which explains what happened and why this is a mis-mashed repeat of the original Prologue.


    Don''t read the below. :P Don''t say I didn''t warn you! I just cut and pasted to rearrange the order of the words. xD You can never be too careful with these sly bots! O_O


    The only "released ''new'' chapter" is the Prologue for today. Every day for the next 33 days will have a ''new'' chapter reposted in the old, corresponding spot.


    ---


    Perhaps due to the rain, it felt like I paused by some natural force of the world instead of the light or traffic. My thoughts wandered. It was a moment of reflection, a contemplation of the world around me. I only heard myself, as if I entered another world that was somehow more serene, and clear¡­


    The light was green. I walked straight across, but once I reached the end, I wondered why I hadn''t crossed back to the other side of the road instead of waiting for a green light to continue on the same road.


    It didn''t really matter in terms of distance or time to catch the train, so I shrugged it off. I actually rather liked this new side of the road, this blunder wasn''t so bad. I enjoyed the continued fresh perspective and soon approached the last crosswalk to the train station.


    Before I reached it, I scanned the traffic on both sides. It was clear. The crosswalk light on the other side was flashing red and counting down from eight. That meant the previous wave of traffic had already passed before the traffic light turned red and the walking light turned green.


    Even though I only had a few paces to the actual crosswalk lines, it seemed pointless to waste a few seconds to properly cross the street. So I walked over diagonally to the opposite side.


    Six seconds.


    I wouldn''t beat the clock to the other side, but it didn''t matter since I would arrive before the ensuing traffic.


    Two seconds.


    I almost felt competitive as I picked up my pace to finish before zero. I knew I still wouldn''t make it; I don''t know why I made this silly game on the spur of the moment.


    Zero.


    Suddenly, the downpour departed as swiftly as it came, and I was back to reality with only the sudden vividness of the world to remind me of the fleeting rain.


    Can you escape from this mundane cycle?


    wish| wiSH |


    noun


    a desire or hope for something to happen


    - an expression of a desire or hope for something to happen, typically in the form of a request or instruction


    - an invocation or recitation of a hope or desire


    - an expression of a desire for someone''s success or good fortune


    - a thing or event that is or has been desired; an object of desire


    dream| dr¨¥m |


    noun


    a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person''s mind during sleep


    - a state of mind in which someone is or seems to be unaware of their immediate surroundings


    - a cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal


    - an unrealistic or self-deluding fantasy


    - a person or thing perceived as wonderful or perfect


    I had just missed the bus after class to catch the earliest train home. So in choosing to walk, I had to take a slight detour halfway through my usual route because of a new building being constructed. I only needed to cross over the four lanes to the other side and then return over again to reach the station.


    I arrived at the block of the building being constructed. A few meters before the crosswalk, metal side bars with lumber planks as roofing provided a somewhat sheltered walkway. Instead of walking through it, I walked on top of the sidewalk curb around it to the crosswalk.


    It was a red light, and I waited for it to turn green or for a good break in the passing cars. I was a bit worried that I''d get splashed by standing too close to the road, so I took a step back and stuck my head out to watch the traffic.


    The walking light was still red, but the next wave of cars were stopped at an earlier traffic light. The opposite side was clear too, so I scurried across the lanes before more cars arrived. I knew I would make it, but I still breathed an inward sigh of relief when I reached the other side.


    Although I had seen the other side of the street every day, the unfamiliar walk was a little thrilling, like I was exploring a new part of the city. I reveled in the fresh perspective and soon reached the end of the block. The walking light was red, and the cars kept coming this time.


    Dreams of the imagination are quite rare. Even if the dream becomes reality, the reality never quite matches the imagination.


    Between wishes and dreams coming true, which would you choose? Wishes of fame, fortune, love¡­


    Dreams often encompass wishes. Together, wishes create the dream of a better reality, better future.


    However, my dream does not hold any wishes, for this world could never grant them. Thus, I dream of another world.


    Falling apart.


    Coming together.


    A violent ordeal.


    A natural process.


    From one world to another, you cease to exist, then begin to exist.


    Is this rebirth? A restart?


    No.


    It''s simply the beginning of my living.


    ... I guess I should say that line about dreams coming true from some princess movie, but I won''t. ...Because I never wished for this, I only wanted to live.


    I love rainy days.


    Even though it was late at night, and I was walking to the train station from campus, the sudden spring rain didn''t bother me under my black and white umbrella.


    Despite the glares of the vehicles and downtown lights bouncing off the rain and slick streets, and the whizzing and honking of passing and distant traffic, whenever it rained, it felt like the world became still. I could only hear the sound of the rain pattering, echoing as it spilled onto surfaces. All other sounds were thrums in a far off distance, and the sounds I made seem to be amplified.

 35 Chapter Seven || Byarnon

    If you are confused by this chapter, then please read the new auxiliary chapter which explains what happened and why this is a mis-mashed repeat of the original Prologue.


    Don''t read the below. :P Don''t say I didn''t warn you! I just cut and pasted to rearrange the order of the words. xD You can never be too careful with these sly bots! O_O


    The only "released ''new'' chapter" is the Prologue for today. Every day for the next 33 days will have a ''new'' chapter reposted in the old, corresponding spot.


    ---


    Perhaps due to the rain, it felt like I paused by some natural force of the world instead of the light or traffic. My thoughts wandered. It was a moment of reflection, a contemplation of the world around me. I only heard myself, as if I entered another world that was somehow more serene, and clear¡­


    The light was green. I walked straight across, but once I reached the end, I wondered why I hadn''t crossed back to the other side of the road instead of waiting for a green light to continue on the same road.


    It didn''t really matter in terms of distance or time to catch the train, so I shrugged it off. I actually rather liked this new side of the road, this blunder wasn''t so bad. I enjoyed the continued fresh perspective and soon approached the last crosswalk to the train station.


    Before I reached it, I scanned the traffic on both sides. It was clear. The crosswalk light on the other side was flashing red and counting down from eight. That meant the previous wave of traffic had already passed before the traffic light turned red and the walking light turned green.


    Even though I only had a few paces to the actual crosswalk lines, it seemed pointless to waste a few seconds to properly cross the street. So I walked over diagonally to the opposite side.


    Six seconds.


    I wouldn''t beat the clock to the other side, but it didn''t matter since I would arrive before the ensuing traffic.


    Two seconds.


    I almost felt competitive as I picked up my pace to finish before zero. I knew I still wouldn''t make it; I don''t know why I made this silly game on the spur of the moment.


    Zero.


    Suddenly, the downpour departed as swiftly as it came, and I was back to reality with only the sudden vividness of the world to remind me of the fleeting rain.


    Can you escape from this mundane cycle?


    wish | wiSH |


    noun


    a desire or hope for something to happen


    - an expression of a desire or hope for something to happen, typically in the form of a request or instruction


    - an invocation or recitation of a hope or desire


    - an expression of a desire for someone''s success or good fortune


    - a thing or event that is or has been desired; an object of desire


    dream | dr¨¥m |


    noun


    a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person''s mind during sleep


    - a state of mind in which someone is or seems to be unaware of their immediate surroundings


    - a cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal


    - an unrealistic or self-deluding fantasy


    - a person or thing perceived as wonderful or perfect


    I had just missed the bus after class to catch the earliest train home. So in choosing to walk, I had to take a slight detour halfway through my usual route because of a new building being constructed. I only needed to cross over the four lanes to the other side and then return over again to reach the station.


    I arrived at the block of the building being constructed. A few meters before the crosswalk, metal side bars with lumber planks as roofing provided a somewhat sheltered walkway. Instead of walking through it, I walked on top of the sidewalk curb around it to the crosswalk.


    It was a red light, and I waited for it to turn green or for a good break in the passing cars. I was a bit worried that I''d get splashed by standing too close to the road, so I took a step back and stuck my head out to watch the traffic.


    The walking light was still red, but the next wave of cars were stopped at an earlier traffic light. The opposite side was clear too, so I scurried across the lanes before more cars arrived. I knew I would make it, but I still breathed an inward sigh of relief when I reached the other side.


    Although I had seen the other side of the street every day, the unfamiliar walk was a little thrilling, like I was exploring a new part of the city. I reveled in the fresh perspective and soon reached the end of the block. The walking light was red, and the cars kept coming this time.


    Dreams of the imagination are quite rare. Even if the dream becomes reality, the reality never quite matches the imagination.


    Between wishes and dreams coming true, which would you choose? Wishes of fame, fortune, love¡­


    Dreams often encompass wishes. Together, wishes create the dream of a better reality, better future.


    However, my dream does not hold any wishes, for this world could never grant them. Thus, I dream of another world.


    Falling apart.


    Coming together.


    A violent ordeal.


    A natural process.


    From one world to another, you cease to exist, then begin to exist.


    Is this rebirth? A restart?


    No.


    It''s simply the beginning of my living.


    ... I guess I should say that line about dreams coming true from some princess movie, but I won''t. ...Because I never wished for this, I only wanted to live.


    I love rainy days.


    Even though it was late at night, and I was walking to the train station from campus, the sudden spring rain didn''t bother me under my black and white umbrella.


    Despite the glares of the vehicles and downtown lights bouncing off the rain and slick streets, and the whizzing and honking of passing and distant traffic, whenever it rained, it felt like the world became still. I could only hear the sound of the rain pattering, echoing as it spilled onto surfaces. All other sounds were thrums in a far off distance, and the sounds I made seem to be amplified.