1 『A New Journey』

Blue sky, a clear blue, limpid and crystalline with clouds of all shapes, mysterious shapes, some dangerous while others were milder. These same clouds that adorned that mysterious canvas called the sky.

But if this infinite space was so beautiful, then the terrain was something else. There is no comparison in describing this landscape. A land covered with only white flowers, the same flowers that are a symbol of purity and mystery, and with that little shade of purple and pink, they went to adorn these endless expanses.

In the midst of these two mystical, fantastic elements, there was a tower, a tower which, seen from afar, seemed something unattainable, something abstract, unreal, yet, it is there, it is present, and it is something concrete.

This tower has a strange shape, a pillar supported by a rocky part that, from a small base, it becomes higher and higher, getting more prominent as it went up, until, at a certain point, a tower rises, its color is that of a pure white, the same white that adorned the surrounding area. Around this tower, like a spiral, series of petals flew, making that landscape so mystical, even more mysterious.

Inside this tower, a person, if it can be described as such, was standing there, observing, observing that enchanted expanse.

A young-looking person with very long hair that, under that light projected from the sky, seemed to appear in color like that of the rainbow. His clothing was a white tunic adorned with purple laces; he also wore large black baggy pants with gold trimmings.

The most peculiar thing, however, is the large blunt object he has with him. A stick with a strange shape and full of colors.

This person sighed after several minutes of looking at that landscape and then, immediately after, he showed a smile, a relieved smile as if something that weighed on his heart had disappeared.

"Finally, that girl has found something to keep close to her ... she has found someone to trust ..."

Immediately after, a few seconds of silence, the same voice came again.

"I'm sorry, Artoria ... your life hasn't been easy at all, but that's why I'm relieved to see that you are fine now, that you have left behind your crazy and unattainable desire ..."

"... you are happy now ..." he murmured in a very thin tone of voice.

Just then, a small and tender sound entered the young man's ears.

"Kyuu! Kyuuuu!"

So, once he heard it, the young man turned his and looked over his shoulder.

There, a squirrel-like creature was leaning on it.

"Cath Palug ..." the person said upon seeing that creature.

Immediately after, with a smile, he said, "You're right, that long face doesn't suit the great Merlin!"

"Better this way?" he always asked with that same smile with which he replied to the creature.

The creature nodded, his eyes giving off a certain energy, intent on looking at the white-haired young man.

"Of course time flies ... hundreds of years have passed since that moment, and yet I am still here, intent on observing the passing times, trapped in this tower without a roof," said Merlin looking up, in those white silhouettes scattered in the sky that slowly moved.

Merlin's gaze, after speaking with the squirrel-like creature, seems to have not changed, but if one observed carefully, they could see how his gaze went beyond, went beyond that blue canvas and went beyond those white forms.

His purple eyes are looking at the outside world, the world outside this mystical place. The same place where the little girl who aspired to become a true knight made her first appearance. The same place where he saw her grow up. The same place where he saw her become "King." The same place where he saw that same kingdom fall.

"As they say, it's not the goodbyes that hurt; it's the flashbacks that follow ... with the times, even if it seems that I have improved, this sentimentality continues to grow stronger."

"That smile from Artoria certainly reminded me of several moments and ... it gave me a certain feeling ..." Merlin said, "I think it's called, affection?"

The smile wasn't so happy. It was an emotional smile, devoid of true happiness. What Merlin has now is called 'desire.'

"I have always loved humans, I have loved them to levels beyond the normal limits and yet ... I have never been able to be able to approach myself in that direct way, I have always had to resort to tricks to get close."

"But what am I going to think ..." Merlin exclaimed, putting a hand on his head, and then immediately after he laughed, "I've decided! This place, after all these years, is certainly not fun to observe anymore. Now it is the same every second, minute, hour, day ... and so ..."

Turning his head, Merlin looked over his shoulder again, "How about a trip? A journey into a new world, a magical world full of fantastic things, a world where you can venture, face a thousand ups and downs ..."

"A new beginning!"

The creature, at Merlin's words, seems to have opened his eyes slightly. Those eyes glistened from the magician's enticing proposal; however, soon after, they faded, and in a tiny tone of voice, he said, "Kyuu ... Merlin but Gaia and Alaya?"

Merlin seems to have expected this question, immediately, in a tone of not caring about anything, he replied, "And who said that you have to ask permission from those two 'entities,' how about sneaking? After all, if we told them, I bet it wouldn't be fun, right? "

At this behavior of the magician, the creature shook his little head. It cannot believe his ears that the great Merlin behaves in this way. Not that he has never acted like this, only that that vision previously made, made him different than usual.

But… that proposal it's not bad at all. He is tired too of being here, watching this place, and hearing the sorcerer's stories about his adventures.

"Then?" Merlin said with a smile, "Did I convince you?"

That look was like that of a shady con man. But it is that look that convinced the creature.

"Kyuu ~" he nodded after hearing Merlin's words.

"Perfect! So I start immediately with the preparations. After all, it will be something dangerous, to go beyond the 'root' - I can not wait!"

The preparation for that enchanted journey took an indefinite amount of time, perhaps a few hours but maybe even months or years. By now, the sense of time for both has almost vanished completely.

But after that indefinite amount of time, a voice finally reached the ears of the sleeping creature.

"Completed!"

At those words, he immediately woke up and then looked directly after Merlin, who, after having exclaimed, got up from the ground and then dusted off his pants with his hands.

"I've completed the magic circle for transmission! What do you say?" the young man said in the direction of the creature.

Asked by Merlin, "Cath Palug" lowered his eyes so as to observe what was on the ground, what the sorcerer is all proud of.

Upon seeing that, the creature was left a bit speechless. It cannot understand if it is a bad joke or what.

Merlin seems to have noticed what the creature was thinking, and so, with a serene smile, he said, "Trust me, everything will be fine."

That smile seems to have convinced him. For this reason, he nodded to soon after jump onto the magician's shoulders.

Without haste Merlin, with light steps, went to the center of this circle, full of symbols and runes. If Merlin can rank his spells, this one can easily get to the top three.

"⨈⨋⨐⨔⨖⨞⨧⨶⨼⩂⩄⨲⨳⩗⩑"

Soon after, those lines, those circles, those symbols, and runes, all lit up with an intense white. This light immediately came all the way to Merlin, completely submerging him and the creature.

The sky seems to have lost its blue color. The clouds that previously seemed to form figures have now become unreal. Those petals that were previously fluttering around that flowery meadow have now disappeared and, that land previously covered with flowers is now only a large mass of green grass.

After a few seconds, that light had disappeared but now, in its place, if before there were a figure and a small creature, now they are gone and, what is present is only a ...

Absolute silence.