"Hey... it's not a normal decision. Even if you say so. I would suggest you think."
"No. I already thought. I don't like anything here anyways."
There was a pause.
*"You really want to go?"*
"Yes."
*"Even knowing you might not be able to come back?"*
I hesitated for a second.
Then I wrote,
*"Yes."*
The ink stayed still for a while.
Then,
*"Alright."*
I stared at the word.
*"Really?"*
*"Yeah. But you have to do exactly what I say."*
A small smile appeared on my face.
*"Deal."*
"One, be careful.
Two, you won't know where to go or what to do. You gotta figure that out yourself.
Three, promise me not to put yourself in danger."
I stared at the lines and smiled to myself.
"Okay. Take me."
The ink slowly appeared again.
*"You'll meet the unknown me."*
I frowned.
Before I could ask what he meant, another line appeared.
*"Farewell, Azalea."*
A light came out of the diary. It surrounded me, and everything went dark.
I opened my eyes, only to find myself in dark woods. Chills ran down my spine.
I looked down at myself.
I was still wearing my pyjamas.
The diary was in my hand, but when I opened it, there was no ink.
Not even a single word.
"Veiren?"
Nothing.
I sighed and held the diary close to me before starting to walk.
I had no idea where I was going.
I just kept walking.
For hours.
The trees seemed endless. My legs slowly began to hurt, and my throat felt dry.
I hadn't eaten or drunk anything since I left.
I kept walking anyway.
Until finally, my legs gave up.
I fell to the ground, breathing heavily.
My stomach growled painfully.
I was hungry.
I was thirsty.
And I had absolutely no idea what to do.
When I was almost about to faint, I heard a voice.
It was faint, almost like it was coming from far away.
"Hey... you. Who are you? Are you fine?"
I tried to open my eyes.
"Hey... heyyy..."
The voice sounded closer now.
I wanted to answer, but I couldn't.
Everything around me became blurry.
And then, I blacked out.
I opened my eyes to find myself in a wooden treetop house.
It was just a single room, filled with sticks and old things. There were no utensils or anything useful around.
I tried to sit up, but I felt too weak.
The door creaked open.
A boy in his teens walked in.
He wore a torn shirt and pants. He had black hair and blue eyes. His features were striking, and despite being skinny, he looked sturdy.
He stared at me for a moment.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I... ummm... I am Azalea."
He stared at me for a few seconds.
"Azalea?"
I nodded slowly.
"And who are you?" I asked.
He didn't answer immediately. He walked closer and looked at me carefully.
"You're not from around here, are you?"
I shook my head.
He frowned.
"Then where did you come from?"
"B-before I tell you that... can I know your name?" I stammered a little.
"I am Veiren."
I froze.
Veiren.
I couldn't believe it. Out of all the people I could have met, I had actually found him.
I smiled at him.
"Why are you grinning like that? Do you know me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah... I know you."
"How? I have never even seen you."
"Well, it's complicated to understand. I will tell you sometime," I said.
Something in my answer seemed to anger him.
He suddenly grabbed my shoulders.
"What do you mean?! How am I supposed to believe you? What if you're someone sent by those villagers to cause harm to me?"
He had every right to be suspicious.
I blinked, a little taken aback by his reaction.
"Well, I know I seem mistrustful, but did you ever see me in the village? Or hear my name? I bet you know almost everyone in the village."
He hesitated and slowly loosened his grip.
"But still, how can I trust you?" he asked.
I reached down and pulled out the diary tucked into my pants beneath my shirt.
His eyes widened.
He stared at it.
Then he quickly turned around and searched through his things before returning with another diary.
He placed them side by side.
They were exactly the same.
He looked at mine, then at his, unable to believe what he was seeing.
"Where did you find this?"
He looked at me.
"At which place? Is it where I belonged? Do you know my parents?"
He bombarded me with questions.
I lowered my eyes.
"Unfortunately... I don't."
Silence filled the room.
"Eat the food and get out of my home."
He said it as he stood up and walked away.
I looked down at the fruits placed beside me and sighed heavily, watching him leave.
"Wait... But I have nowhere to go."
He stopped and turned around.
"And how does that concern me?"
His deep blue eyes pierced my hazel ones as he folded his arms.
I bit my lip.
"I was trying to find you."
He frowned.
"You say you don't know anything about me, and you were trying to find me?"
"Well... yes."
"And why?"
"You won't believe me if I tell you the truth."
"Just tell me. I deserve to know if I'm letting you stay."
I looked at him for a moment.
How was I supposed to explain everything?
I took a small breath.
"Because of that diary."
He looked at the diary in my hands.
"This diary?" he asked.
"Yes... this diary brought me to you."
"How are you connected to this diary?" he asked.
"I am from the future," I answered.
He scoffed.
"Really? Are you bullshitting me?"
I shook my head.
"No. You said you would listen."
He stared at me for a moment, his expression still doubtful.
"Then prove it."
"You're 17, I guess?" I inquired.
He nodded.
"How'd you know...?" he asked.
"I just do... And I am 17 too," I said.
"Oh... okay... and?" he asked.
I took a breath.
"Well, I am from 2026. I found this diary in my attic. Your diary. You were in it too. The last page you wrote was 20th May 1986, and the pages after that were all torn."
He stayed silent.
"You died that day, I think. And since you cherished this diary so much... your soul was in it. When I found it, I made it mine and started writing about my life. Somehow, you replied to me."
He stared at me, trying to process everything I had just said.
"We became good friends. And your soul had powers. Somehow, those powers sent me to the past, to meet you..."
I paused.
"...to save you from a greater evil."
"And you expect me to believe that story?" He scoffed.
"Well..." I paused. "The first family that adopted you was Mr. and Mrs. Seaton when you were five. Then you were adopted again when you were six. You had two older stepsisters."
His expression slowly changed.
"You loved your pet goat, Simo. Your favourite time of the day is sunset. You like omelettes so much. And you enjoy wandering around in the forests."
He was beyond shocked.
"How do you know all that?"
I smiled a little.
"So what you're saying is true?"
I nodded.
"As real as you and me."
I chuckled softly.
It was strange.
When I had first found the diary, I had asked Veiren the exact same thing.
Was he real?
And now, I was standing right in front of him.
"So... how did I die?" he asked.
My heart sank.
"The villagers burnt your home along with you," I answered.
His expression changed.
"I knew it! They meant bad to me."
I sighed.
"I am here to stop that from happening, Veiren."
He looked at me for a moment.
"And why would you do so much for me? You left your family, your life, and everything behind to come here... why?"
That question hit me hard.
I looked down for a moment before answering.
"You saved me from loneliness. You comforted me. You were there for me when I needed someone."
I looked back at him.
"And I am so thankful for that. I'd leave that misery behind and come to you..."
I smiled faintly.
"Because misery with you is way better than that."
I kinda blushed a little at my own answer, but he didn't notice.
"Well... let's talk about it later. First, eat."
He picked up a fruit and handed it to me.
"Here."
"Thanks."
I took it and started eating. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until then.
He sat across from me and ate quietly.
For a while, neither of us said anything.
The silence wasn't uncomfortable though. Somehow, it felt peaceful.
"So... you really came all the way from 2026?" he asked suddenly.
I nodded.
"Yeah."
"That's still hard to believe."
"I know."
He looked at me for a moment before shaking his head and taking another bite.
"I guess I'll have to get used to it."
I smiled.
We continued talking about small things. He asked me about the future, and I told him about a few things without revealing too much.
I asked him about his life, and he answered some questions reluctantly, while avoiding others.
For the first time since I arrived, I didn't feel completely lost.
I had no idea what tomorrow would bring.
But for tonight, I was safe.
We ate together, talked until we were tired, and eventually, the night quietly passed.