5

In the forest of gears it was beginning to get dark. From the terrace of the mansion,

Sora watched as the sun slowly set on the horizon. Her thoughts were focused on him

strange event today with that girl, how did he get here? That thought crossed through her head. "How many years has it been since then?" He muttered. She stopped thinking about the matter and went to the tree that was in the abandoned hospital.

The tree still gave off that flash of psychedelic colors.

- How are you today?- asked Sora.

The tree glowed and dropped a series of leaves to the ground. Sora the he picked up, those strange black sheets with white lines whose pattern it varied in each. By interpreting the patterns, Sora understood what he said.

- I get it. Now I will- Sora replied.

Sora moved into one of the rooms and several minutes later, he appeared with a syringe

filled with a green liquid. Crouching down, he inserted the needle into the roots of the tree,

Suddenly the brightness began to fade, as if it had been disconnected, the lights on it were turning off, ceasing to emit those colors.

At night lying in her bed, Isabel repeated that day over and over again in her head that

made her unable to sleep. She stayed reading a novel until that it was past midnight, and seeing the time on her clock, she hurried to open the window of her room, hoping Sora starts hitting those sweet notes, however time passed and she still she heard nothing, not even the usual terrible roar.

Disappointed, Isabel returned to bed, finally succumbing to sleep and falling asleep.

The next day, everything was as usual for Isabel. Bathing, dressing for the school and having breakfast with her grandparents.

After class, Isabel returned home thoughtful. Even though she wanted to leave

immediately to the forest to see Sora, she knew that if she did her grandparents

they would worry about her again and possibly punish her. She came home

quickly, and changing her clothes, she immediately went to help in the store.

As she did so, Isabel thought of a credible-sounding excuse to get closer to the forest without her grandparents worrying about her. At lunchtime the store closed for an hour, so Isabel took the opportunity to tell her grandparents.

- Grandma, I am working on an investigation and the truth is that I need go to the forest for that- said Isabel sitting down at the table, while her grandmother finished serve the food.

- To the forest?- Her grandmother replied, worried about her "I don't know honey, it sounds dangerous. What do you think of that dad?"

- It's okay for me, as long as I don't go too far, our little girl is also very smart

and I know that she will not get into trouble- said Isabel's grandfather, giving her approval.

Isabel looked around her to make sure no one saw her and ran to the back of the abandoned church.

She walked over to a moss covered angel statue, leaned over and began to taps the ground softly until she hears a metallic noise. She opened the hatch and entered the tunnel through the completely dark stairs, touching the glass to light the way.

Finding himself back in the ruined hospital, he walked towards the strange tree that she had seen the day before. However, at that moment her colored lines were missing, as if they had faded. Isabel reached over and put her hand on top of him, but she didn't react, and although she tried several times, she couldn't get him to react. She does not understood that could be happening.

It was a very large area, so it was difficult for him to know where he could be Sora. She thought of going to the factory, but she remembered that near the dam there was a lake and maybe she would find it there.

That area of the lake was covered in flowers, the wind was blowing strongly rocking Isabel's fine golden hair. A few steps from her, he observed a figure hidden by the flowers that were spread out. She approached slowly and there he was, asleep with a book taped to his chest. A dozen butterflies purple with blue lines around the wings, they fluttered around it giving it a magical appearance. Isabel knelt on the grass next to him. She began detailing his features, dressed in the same elegant manner, and continued with the unusual lack of her shoes. With her finger, Isabel touched her face to get her attention, and in a hurry, Sora managed to wake up looking around her to meet her.

- Ah! It's you, you gave me a good scare you know -said Sora, with a yawn-

I thought that you would not come back again little girl

- Isabel!

- How?

- My name is Isabel, not little girl. Besides, you said there would be no problem if came to see you.

- I didn't think you would come- Sora said, giving him a smile.

- What are you reading?- Isabel asked, pointing to the book she had, Sora

in her hands.

- Poetry of the seventeenth century, do you like poetry? - Isabel nodded without saying anything- Why don't you sit down? Today the weather is wonderful and the best in

these days it's sitting on the grass with a good book and a nap.

Isabel sat next to Sora, while she recited those beautiful verses, which she enjoyed

carefully.

- Hey, since yesterday I have a question, how did you get here? Is very

It is difficult to get to this place you know? - Sora said, interrupting the reading.

- Following the clues.

- ¿Can you explain it to me?

- At first it was quite complicated, the forest is designed as a maze in three dimensions, no matter how much you walk in the end you will always end up in the same place, or even further than you think, but when I saw the signs marked on the tree, the stone, and the huge gear it was very easy to get on the path.

Sora looked at her with interest.

- !Incredible! You would have to know Latin, old Romanian, and Sanskrit in order to

decipher the indications ... Tell me something How many languages do you know?

- 7, even though Sanskrit has not yet fully mastered it.

- It is surprising, you are much more interesting than I thought, you wake up my

curiosity and how did you learn all those languages?

- Well, translating the books, every year on my birthday I asked my grandfather a book with the language he wanted to learn along with a dictionary, among them were in Latin, Romanian and Sanskrit, which is very difficult.

Sora smiled, he was really impressed by Isabel.

- Well, since you're here, come with me.

They both got up and walked toward the lake. In the middle of the water, there was a weeping willow, whose leaf color was white, a little unusual for that kind of tree.

Sora, took a basket full of crystals and walked over to the water's edge.

- ¿What are those crystals? - Isabel asked.

- They are dreams.

- ¿Dreams?

- Flashbacks that go through your mind when you sleep, that's what mean dreams

- I know they are dreams, I mean, what are crystals for?

They function as dream catchers. When I sleep these crystals catch them, they are like dream catchers only these crystals do it from literal form.

Isabel curiously observed those crystals, they were similar to the ones

found in the tunnel, only those were much larger than the that were in the basket.

- I can see?

- Ahead.

Isabel took one of the crystal shards, a sequence of images showed up.

- ¿And what do you do with them?

- I give them to the spirit of the weeping willow.

- ¿Spirit?

- You’ll see.

Putting one foot on the surface of the water, Isabel watched in shock, how Sora did not sink.

- You should take off your shoes so they won't get wet when we cross the lake. Isabel stood in front of him.

- You know we can't walk on water, right? That goes against all the laws of physics ...

Smiling, Sora held out her hand for her to take.

- After you've seen all the weird things here, you still rely on logic- Sora said in a mocking tone.

Isabel approached and took the hand that she offered him.

- What are you waiting for?

- I can't, I'll sink! ... Besides, I can't swim

- Don't worry, nothing will happen to you, I'll make sure.

Flushing, Isabel put her right foot in the water and closed her eyes, without letting go of Sora's hand, she placed her left. When she opens her eyes, she observes that he is standing on the surface.

Still holding his hand, they walked to the weeping willow. Isabel watched; as the fish swam under her feet. The roots of the tree dug on the water, as if they cling to the ground.

- !Génova! - Sora said.

An intense white light began to shine. And a very beautiful woman appeared In front of them. Her hair and her skin were as white as snow. She was the purest incarnation of winter.

Isabel was observing in detail that strange woman, who had just appeared out of nowhere. Her gaze focused on the red symbols that she has on her arms and on her shoulders and neck. Those brands they looked like tree roots spreading across her body, and at each end a symbol seemed to flourish whose shapes varied in different

ways what meaning could they have? Isabel was thinking.

- That girl next to you, is she human? -Said Génova, directing her gaze to Isabel.

Her eyes were a deep crimson color, and that look of hers intimidated she.

-Yes- Sora replied.

- It's dangerous for her to be here, you know that right?

- I know, I'll take care of her. Here you go- Sora gave him the basket. Génova took it, and her gaze fell back on Isabel.

- What's your name little girl?

- Isabel.

- Isabel, you must be careful, this place may seem harmless, but it is dangerous for humans. You must leave before convergence.

Without knowing what Genoa said, Isabel nodded in signal understand. In the same intense white light, Génova disappeared.