The sound of the man's steps couldn't be heard as he rushed across the rooftops, carrying both children in his arms.
"Don't worry Mim. I'll save him, okay?"
"..."
"He promised you, right? So don't worry, it'll be fine."
The man who was a stranger to her continued to speak, preventing her from fulfilling her wish to follow her brother.
How could this happen... why did I let it go so far? He looked down at his feet that hung in the air.
He had let his own selfish desires win over the life of these kids.
Finally...
"See Mim, he is going to be fine now."
The western plains appeared as he leapt off the final roof—landing on nothingness.
He continued his steps through the air itself until the carriage he had prepared came into sight.
He descended onto the field spread out beside it.
He put both kids down, laying the boy on his back, and placing the girl—that still held onto her brother—next to him.
It should be fine now.
A soft breeze passed over my face, waking me up from the sleep I had found myself in.
I opened my eyes—multiple breezes passed before I could keep them open.
A field stretched out—further than the eyes could see.
I looked around me, and there was no one.
"Why is there nothing... and I am alone?"
"Huh?"
Even my thoughts were voiced out loud in here.
"What even happened..." I looked down at my palms and clean clothes.
"Oh yeah right, I fought Arih and then rushed over to Mim..."
"Did I leave her alone...?" I clenched my fist and looked around the place I found myself in.
"Did I die?" I stood up and walked around.
"Maybe I can find something... where am I even?"
I walked endlessly.
I had no idea of how much time had already passed.
Hours, days, weeks—it all felt the same.
There was nothing but an empty scenery, with a breeze passing by every now and then,
That was all there was besides me and the ground I walked on.
As I brought my head down, darkness dawned upon this place—the floor beneath me shattered like glass.
"AHHH!!" An endless fall, the only thing around me was darkness that had swallowed me whole.
The only thing felt was to scream as I fell.
"The scenery has changed again."
It was a mountain cliff, that split into two paths.
The end was blurry—unable to see where either of them led.
But from both paths loud voices could be heard—as if calling for me.
But with each scream it became clearer.
And clearer.
They weren't calling for me.
"Who am I?" I looked down at my hands,
They were larger—scarred and bloody.
"Who is this?" I closed my fist.
"Who am I?"
As I tried to walk forward, I stayed in the same place.
I brought my gaze down, and there was nothing to be seen.
My legs had vanished, it all felt natural.
It kept moving up, with seemingly no end, until it swallowed me whole.
I lifted my head up, and looked at the view in front of me.
There was one thing similar—what laid underneath each path.
It was nothingness.
As the vanishing reached my neck, I heard a voice—one that called me,
"The world is calling you again,"
"But never forget who you are..."
It was a familiar voice, but one I couldn't place.
Who was this?
Sunshine penetrated my eyelids, making me open them again.
It was a different sky I saw, with a sun that hung low in the east.
How long was I out...? I felt a slight pull on my sleeve.
I turned my head—and saw Mim, who still held the same void look as before.
But a tear—a single tear—came flowing out as she looked at me.
"Tj-er—" I jumped up and pulled her into my embrace, bringing my hand to her cheek.
"Mim... you are alright..." Tears streamed down my face, soaking into her bloodied clothes.
I will never leave her alone again.
Where even are we? I brought my hand to the right side of my chest,
I can feel essence again... I let go off Mim as I looked around, and saw Kage east of us.
How did we get outside?
"Huh, you finally woke up?" It was voice that I didn't need to see the face of to recognize.
"Eden, what are you doing here?" I closed my eyes again.
"Is that how you greet me? I did save you both," he said in an easygoing voice.
"Save?" I opened my eyes again, with my fingers wrapped around my sword,
"You knew it didn't you?! How else would you arrive perfectly in time!?" I released my sword and raised my finger at him.
"Knew what? Are you still in a haze? Did you have a bad dream?" He said, grinning as he spoke.
He is going to hide everything.
"Tsk... tell me one thing then." I said, slouching my back,
This won't work.
"That is something I will decide." He smiled as he spoke, changing his voice to the low tone that seemed natural. And as I looked into his eyes they were closed off, looking down at me.
He already knew my question, while I already knew the answer.
"Can you read minds?"
"You are kind of right." He squinted his eyes, while bringing his finger to his lip
"Sigh..."
I shouldn't have tried it...
"Okay perfect—we are done now, right?" He returned to his previous tone, as his eyes opened up again.
"But wait... what am I supposed to do?"
"Hahaha, why ask me? You already know it, right?"
"...I need to gain knowledge... right? And to do this I need to get rid of this thing from Kage—it's a curse right?"
"You are truly wise, Tjer." He said while snickering.
"..."
I couldn't feel at ease around him—not by the way he spoke, nor anything else he did.
"Huh!?" I got snapped back into the world by his breath that heated my skin.
"And your sister is strong. Don't worry too much," he whispered softly—a shiver ran down my spine, while he slowly pulled back—showing a narrowed smile as his entire face came back into sight.
"Of course I know that already..." I brought my head down.
It's not her who's weak...
"And thank you..." No matter how I felt—he was the one who had saved us.
"Don't worry about it... and don't forget about your essence."
It was impossible to forget.
It was my death that waited.
"And I don't mean what we talked about before." He flashed a glance over at Mim.
I almost said it...
"Your essence is different than most—it might take a while, but be sure to understand it when you are older." He looked away as he finished,
"I've said too much already."
Different what does he mean... is it the voice? I shifted my eyes away from him.
I need to find it all out myself.
But I shouldn't be able to hear him right? So why can I now...
'So you knew already?'
'Knew what?'
'About your approaching death.'
'You were awfully silent don't you think. Weren't you able to follow my everyday life?'
'Strangely enough I couldn't—not from a certain point onwards.'
'Uhm... It was in the forest—it was like I got separated from you—but I was able to see the following day again.'
"Here is the carriage I prepared for the two of you," Eden said, walking us over to the horse in a hurry.
How much does this even cost?
"Good luck, I'll be watching you," he said, closing his eyes wearing a closed smile.
"What do you m—"
He had already turned his back to me—walking back to Kage before I could even finish.
'Do you know how to rein a horse?' I asked the voice, hoping he would know it.
'...'
'Maybe if we sit on the horse I will?'
I climbed onto the seat behind the horse while Mim settled into the carriage.
'Okay I can help you...'
'How does this even work...'
'Hold the reins steady, but don't pull yet!'
The voice had been trying to teach me, but without someone to show me it became quite difficult...
'Luckily you were able to remember it, right?'
'Don't change the subject, Tjer.'
'You're normally quite mature, so I didn't expect you to behave like this.'
'Just try to deal with it.' I switched my hold on the reins once again,
Why is this so tiresome...
I looked over my shoulder—loosening my grip on the reins—as I took the view behind me in.
It was Mim who I saw, asleep on the cold carriage floor.
She has been through a lot already... Her breath was loud—on the verge of snoring,
She needs this.
'But what about you?'
'What do you mean?'
'Wait did you listen to my thoughts?!'
'It isn't just her—you went through the same thing.'
'Stop.'
'You even scared your own sister... and it could have ended far worse than that.'
My teeth were squeking as they met one another, I couldn't find anything to say.
'Not just to her, Tjer.'
'Stop it... please...'
'No, you know it as well as I do. You need to hear it.'
'What does it even matter, we're still alive. That's what matters most.'
'Stop acting so foolish! You can't act like these things didn't happen... it will catch up to you.'
'You think I can afford to rest!? My sister almost died, the one I promised to protect.' The reins burned into my palms.
'Even I almost died, and guess what... I'm still dying!' My eyes trembled as I spoke.
'So don't you dare talk about me. You are the one who just entered as if nothing happened!'
'Just one thing matters to me now, and that is to survive.'
The horse's neigh reached my ears as I pulled the reins,
'And even more important than that, my sister needs to live—she needs to live a life so well, that she doesn't even blink at the thought of her past!
'...'
'So stop changing the subject, and just teach me!'
'Sorry... I didn't mean to anger you...'
'...'
'I know. You are just worried about me... about us.'
'...'
'Okay... I'm sorry as well... I just can't afford to sit with my thoughts right now. But when I can, I will.'
'...And I know that it wasn't your choice to come into my life...'
'Don't worry about it. But I can't let you cause your own ruin—you are still a child after all.'
'It's something you should not forget yourself. Rely on those older than you—it's your given right.'
'...I'll keep it in mind. But I can't promise you anything.'
'That's good enough—or now.'
'I'm holding it correctly right?' I had restored my grip on the reins.
'Yes, finally! Now listen to me, or we'll be here another day.'
'Tsk.'
It took us until the next day before we were able to depart.
"Big brother are you finally able to ride the horse?" Mim leaned over the seat I sat on.
She had just woken up—after more than a day's sleep.
Why is she acting like nothing happened... The final words Eden left me with kept flashing through my mind.
"I am not really good at it..."
"IT took you more than a day!"
"Uhm..." I scratched the back of my head
'Hahaha, she is right.'
'Stay out of my conversations—and thoughts!'
'I'll try to, sorry...'
An uncomfortable feeling rushed through me as he apologized. I kept swallowing words, unable to find what I wanted to say.
"But we are both rested now—so it worked out perfectly, right? I planned it all," I said to Mim, nodding along.
"I'm not that stupid, you liar!" She raised her finger at me.
"Okay... I had trouble learning it." I lifted my arms in the air.
"But where did you learn it from?" She lowered her finger, tilting her head.
"Uhm... from Eden?"
"Ohh, that guy from yesterday!"
"Yes exactly—that guy."
"He didn't do anything strange to you, right?" I narrowed my eyes as I met hers.
"Huh, what are you talking about, he took us outside Kage, that's all he did... I think?"
I think?
"And after that?"
"Uhm... I can't remember it well..."
"And before that!?" I reached my arms out, grabbing her by her already thin shoulders—I could feel my fingers slip between her tensed muscles.
I didn't realize how much force I was using until I saw the look on her face.