After Rhys Rhodes turned ten, he harbored a secret: he had a little wife that no one else could see. This little wife, who had emerged from a stone, was invisible to all.
At first, Rhys Rhodes thought he was dreaming. The day he spoke with the little girl named Cherie, she led him into a place as beautiful as any fairyland.
Here, there were mountains and water, a house built of purple bamboo, and inside the house, countless books.
Cherie taught him how to write and gave him some magical fruits to eat. After eating them, his whole body grew hot, and he became dizzy and disoriented. He didn't even know how he eventually fell asleep.
When he woke up, he found himself sleeping on the steps in front of The Blind Crone's thatched hut. Beside him was an unfinished pile of firewood, and in his hand, he held that pitch-black stone. The Alabaster House, the glittering glass steps... it had all been a dream. His face was still just as ugly, and the horn still grew from his forehead.
