27 Nightmare Invasion
He watches as reflections dance on the rippling water. The water goes oddly still, until a woman that appears to be made out of water seems to emerge out of the surface of the lagoon. It was the water nymph that raised him.
"Laguna!" He called her name.
"It is good to see you back." The entity walks out of the lake through the grassy terrain as she leaves trail of water droplets.
"I only pays a visit. I may not stay here any longer." He said as the entity caress his cheeks with her cold and wet watery hand.
"Who do you got there?" She asked him.
"This is Maku. A friend I have met while I was away." He introduced him to her.
"You have a pure heart. I can sense that he will be safe by your hands." Laguna said towards Maku. Water nymphs are well-known as entities that has the ability to read emotions and hearts of humans.
Maku only gave her a tender smile.
"If you'll excuse us." Mizuki asked Laguna to give way which the entity agreed. "Come!" Mizuki grabbed Maku towards the biggest tree in the area across the lagoon.
"Where are you taking me?" Maku asked him.
"To my house." Mizuki replied.
"Where? I don't see any houses, just a bunch of trees." He said to which Mizuki just chuckled.
"Here it is!" He pointed to the tree in front of them wrapped with huge vines and shrubs.
"You live in a tree?" Maku asked in surprise to which Mizuki just nodded yes.
He flicked his hand and wave them around that made the vines to move and shrink back to the ground. He wrapped his house, the moment he left it when he come along with Balthazar.
"You were able to do that?" Maku was surprised to see Mizuki controlling the vines without his violin.
"Of course I can, it's my little secret and now you know."
"I thought Lunarians can only manipulate vegetation through music."
"That was indeed the truth, but I am different from them. Long story short, it was the moon goddess' blessing to my grandma. She passed it unto me before she died." He explained.
"Isn't it a hassle to do multiple tasks at the same time like playing music and using magic."
"I've got used to it for the last seven years. It's what my grandma taught me as a trick to fool my enemies. Let them think that I may be helpless without my instrument." He smiled. "Welcome to my humble abode." He welcomed Maku as they enter the house made of entirely a whole living tree.
Mizuki snapped his fingers that made the walls and ceiling inside the house lit up. Dozens of lights start to glow like fireflies.
"What are they?" Maku asked.
"Panellus stipticus." Mizuki answered. "A bioluminescent mushroom that grows on tree branches creating a mesmerizing effect as soon as the sun goes down."
Maku walks around the room while looking up above the ceiling to watch the glowing effect of the mushrooms inside the room. He was amazed about how Mizuki created his own house inside a tree.
"No wonder you think of this place, you really do find inner peace here. No humans, no disturbance, just a peaceful land of paradise." Maku said.
"This is the only place I could think of. I haven't gone to anywhere for the past seven years, not until your father came and convince me to come to with him." Mizuki said.
Thereafter, they move outside, put a blanket on the grass and lit a bonfire to accompany them through the coldness of the night. They both sit beside it and watch the shimmering moon. Maku lend Mizuki his coat to cover him from the coolness of the surroundings. They both snuggle under the thick sheet of garment.
The two exchanged stories about theirselves and laugh on it. They told funny moments to each other and even nonsense events. Time passed and they did not notice that the night is getting deeper. They do not care about any single thing around them as the two submerge themselves in laughter and humour.
"---took me to the lake every winter to ice skate. Then, I would create golems made of ice and---" Maku was storytelling when he was interrupted with a loud snore. Mizuki fall asleep on his shoulder in the middle of their conversation.
He watched his tender face as he sleeps like baby. He smiled and carefully removed Mizuki's head from his shoulder and let him sleep gently on the blanket. After a few moments of dawdling in the silence of the night, Maku got weary and decides to asleep as well beside Mizuki.
Mizuki was in a deep slumber when he dreamed something bad in his sleep. He found himself back at the river of Velaris and saw the child figure of him, playing the violin at the riverbank.
"What are you doing here?" His child self talked to him. "You could have save them if you go now."
Suddenly, the surrounding was distorted and Mizuki was taken back to the village where the houses and everything was already set ablaze into fire. He saw the cold body of his little brother, his father and even his mother lying on the ground.
"Why are you just standing there, you coward?" His former child self appears behind him. "You could have saved him if you weren't so craven to even move a muscle." It's face was distorted and disfigured into an entity with dark hollow eyes. It looks like a monster that taunts him in his mind creating false and horrifying images that reflects what had happened seven years ago.
"Stop!" He yelled. "Please, no!" He shouted as voices starts to echo in his head creating a disturbing and distorted hollow sound.
"You should have died with them." A voice whispered in his ears.
The alteration of disturbing sound and images was making him lose his sanity. He reached for his head and grasp his hair tightly as he scream loudly and insanely.
He's woken up to the scream of dryads and nymphs of the forest. He was frightened to see the entire forest on fire. Maku was nowhere to be seen when he woke up. There is not a single trace of him from his vision. He was going insane, not knowing where to go or what to do.
Suddenly, he heard a scream calling his name deeper into the forest.
"Mizuki!" It was Maku's voice screaming somewhere beyond the enraging flames.
He run towards the voice across the blazing flames that had eaten half of the forest.
"Mizuki!" Maku keeps calling him but there was no sign where he is.
He run deeper into forest across the flames as scorching branches and trees fall down before him. At last, he found Maku standing from afar surrounded by the devilish waves of fire.
"Maku!" He yelled back at him.
Maku turned to him and tears run down his eyes. He uttered words which were not clear for Mizuki to hear. Suddenly, something sharp pierced Maku's heart from the back and made a hole in his body that leaves Mizuki aghast.
