Chapter 1

Xyris P. O. V.

"Never go to the forest between 12 pm to 4 pm." Mula sa pagkaing nakahain sa tapat niya ay dumako ang tingin niya sa kanyang Lolo. Though curious of the reason behind his request, Xyris just shrug it and continue her food.

She never dared to ask why, the five year old her is just not as curious as other kids of her age. Aside from that, she don't think her grandfather would provide an answer that her little mind can comprehend. So she just concluded that it was an adult thing that she needed to follow. Wala namang masama kapag sinunod natin minsan ang mga lumang pamahiin ng mga nakakatanda.

However as a kid, sometimes no matter how our parents tells us not do such thing. There's a part of us who is curious why they don't want us to do it. And that part of her is winning at the moment.

Ngayong nakatitig siya sa mayabong na kakahuyan sa paligid, ang tinig ng kanyang abuelo ay tila lamang isang malayong alaala. A vague words that her memory fails to remember.

Xyris stand tall as she look around the place. Isang nakakahalinang tinig ang pilit na umaagaw sa kanyang atensyon. If she is going to judge the singer, it is one of the most beautiful voice she ever heard in her entire lifetime. Well, she's only five years old but in her opinion, five years is a very long time already.

Slowly her little feet make a move and walks towards the tall tress with the aim to follow the enchanting voice. One part of her is begging her to wake up and runaway from the forest as far as she can but that rational part of her is way too far to be reach.

Nagpatuloy siya sa paghakbang tungo sa kailaliman ng gubat. Letting the beautiful voice lead her to the depth of the forest. Mataas ang sikat ng araw sa kalangitan ngunit pinili niya iyong balewalain. Her attention is solely focus on the magical song that continues to play around the lush forest. Katulad ng isang munting bangka sa gitna ng karagatan na malayang tinatangay ng alon, nagpatuloy siya sa paghakbang tungo sa kung saan man siya igiya ng mahiwagang tinig.

Her big bluish grey eyes are blank as if someone cast a powerful spell on her, luring her to a place where living creature is forbidden. The little girl continue to journey deeper and deeper in the midst of the forest. Completely unaware of the danger that lurks around. Hindi nito alintana ang tila kakaibang mahikang nakapalibot sa paligid.

At first glance, the place looks like a normal jungle. However, if you are going to look closer to it, the place has an eerie silence that makes you question if you are really in a jungle. You won't be able to hear any birds or insects that chirps around, you can't even feel or hear the wind. It is as if the nature is afraid to make a sound. The place is just too silent to be a jungle.

'Snap'

Xyris blinks her eyes twice upon hearing the sound of a broken twig that she accidentally stepped on, freeing her from the trance that she was in few seconds ago. Realizing that she is already far from home, she let out a loud gasp of surprise. Suddenly, her calm and lifeless features change, in just a snap fear became visible in her beautiful blue eyes.

She curiously look around the place as she tries to remember which way did she came from. She wanted to run, run and run until she finds her way back home but running without direction might only lead her deeper in the forest than where she is in right now, and she don't want that. Her grandfather always says that if she found herself lost in the forest, she should stay in one place. That will make the search for her easier.

She was busy surveying around the whole place when her attention was captured again with a bewitching voice she heard a while ago.

Agad hinanap ng mga mata niya ang pinangagalingan ng tinig. She just wanted to find where the voice is coming from. Maybe the woman that's singing the song can help find her way back home. Hindi naman siya nabigo. Her little eyes focused on the beautiful huge willow tree few meters away from her.

Its golden leaves are falling flawlessly on the ground making the setting look magical and fairytale like. However, what captures her attention is not the magical ambiance of the place but the beautiful woman who is sitting on the biggest trunk of the tree. The owner of the magical voice she heard.

The woman must felt her presence for turns its gaze towards her, letting out a soft and gentle smile. A kind of smile that will give you an assurance that she means no harm.

"Who are you?" Curiosity is mirrored in Xyris eyes as she look at the beautiful woman above the tree with amazement.

She take a step forward towards the maiden's direction when suddenly the woman disappeared. Xyris halted. Kumunot ang noo niya habang nakatitig sa puno na kanina lang ay kinauupuan nito. She look around her with a constant frown in her small forehead. 

"Where did she go?" Tanong niya sa sarili.

In just a second after whispering her thoughts, the woman suddenly appear in front of her. The little girl take a small step backward and look at the woman with admiration.

The fact that the maiden vanished and appeared right in front of her does not really caught her attention. Her mind is focus on admiring the beauty of the woman that she just ignore all of the warning signs. Her beautiful golden hair falls on the forest floor like a fairy from the magical book that her grandfather reads before she sleeps at night. Her skin is as pale as snow, making her brownish gold eyes glow mystically. In her young age, she knew that the person in front of her is not exactly a human. For no human could possess such grace and beauty, it is simply illegal.

"Aren't you cute..." The woman bend a bit for their height to match. Any normal person would find the situation disturbing, but for Xyris it was far from that. She's just curious, curious of what could be a beautiful maiden doing in this part of the forest. Is she lost too?

The maiden let out a warm smile upon seeing the rare combination of confusion, care and amazement in the innocent eyes of the young child. Right there and then, she knew she found the perfect vessel for her.

"What is your name?" Xyris squeak.

The woman's eyes shimmers like the moon during midnight at her question. She hold her little hand and whispered the words that will bind them as one in this lifetime.

"I shall be called with your name as you are with mine. My death will be your death as your own death will be mine." Kumunot ang mata ni Xyris, not having an idea on what does her words mean. "In your palm, my destiny will be written and our souls will be bind as one."

Xyris blue eyes widen in shock as she saw transcriptions suddenly appears on her wrist. Letters and words that she cannot read or understand but she is aware that this means no good for her, she's is danger. With that thought, she immediately pull her hand from the fair maiden and turn her back to runaway.

Suddenly her grandfather's word echoed in her mind.

'Never go to the forest between 12 pm to 4 pm.'

It is not just an empty warning but a precaution that she should follow. She run without a direction to go, she just wanted to get away from the beautiful maiden with the brownish gold eyes.

She was beyond scared. Whichever path she turns to, the woman's alluring voice echoed throughout the whole forest.

"Don't be afraid child, I mean no harm." Xyris halted upon hearing her words. She stand in the midst of the forest and just like what happened few minutes ago. Her eyes turn blank, the only difference this time is it slowly it start to change its color from bluish grey to brown with golden dust in it. Her beautiful black hair slowly turns to wavy goldlike color. A beautiful smile slowly formed to her lips as her surroundings became lively and vivid.

"Accept me little one, I promise to protect you from any danger in exchange." The maiden's voice is pleading and Xyris cannot just disregard that.

For some reason, the desperation in the maiden's voice tugged her little heart.

Kumunot ang noo niya ng makaramdam ng kakaiba. Emotions flooded her heart but she knew those emotions are not hers. She can feel the maiden's pain, her loneliness and her grief. Those emotion are foreign to her but she knew that those are unpleasant emotions that she don't want the beautiful maiden to have. She wanted to put her at ease so she did.

"I... Xyris, accept you as part of my soul and promise to be bind with you, forever..." The little girl whispered. With that, just like what we saw in those clichéd fantasy novel, little golden butterflies flutter around her and enter her little body one by one.

Golden dust was scattered around the place as the woman slowly walks towards her from behind. Her golden eyes is full of sadness, an emotion that she carries for hundred of years now. Looking at the innocent child in front of her, a dash of hope cross her eyes. The young child is her small firefly that will lit up the dark alley she's currently in.

The maiden kneels down a bit to match Xyris's height and slowly moves her hair to the side, revealing the little girl's nape. She plant a small and gentle kiss on it, leaving the mark of a golden butterfly on the little girl's flawless skin as a symbol of their contract. The maiden let out a smile as her body became ghostlike and slowly disappears like a smoke in the wind.

💐💐💐