Fragment of the Life Cycle

Standing straight in numbness at a distance, I watched Marie's immobilised body in the pond. My emotions are dead, just tears flowing with rain cascading down my cheeks.

—Marie, I am sorry for being so slow. Forgive me.

I am not hearing that creature's footsteps anymore, so I slowly started walking towards her.

We were careless.

Since the time we came to Murk, we haven't met any animals or felt any danger, so we let our guards down. Even though knights have told us to always be ready for uncertain situations that might arise,.

Promise me, you'll embrace life's uncertainty with courage.

Dad's words to me before passing away, and I fucked it up.

I reached Marie's body. Thankfully, her head is outside, lying on the ground, while the lower half is in the pond. 

I sat down and picked her up in my arms. I checked her breathing rhythm, and a sense of relief took over me. She is alive. I gently slide her hair from her face to look at her.

Her left arm is twisted, multiple bones are broken, and the spine is completely crushed. She choked blood from the mouth and dripped till her chest on the hoodie. It feels like I am holding a lifeless doll.

Just then I saw the last water drop falling on Marie. I raised my head above in the air.

"The rain has stopped." 

Though the fog is still there and the atmosphere is as gloomy as it was when we entered this forest, And then gradually, the tiny sparkle of lights illuminated. The dance of fireflies in the air and the birds started chirping, and bushes started rustling with rabbits moving there. It was as if everything was coming back to life again.

Slowly, I picked Marie up on my back and decided to resume our journey in this forest. With Marie unconscious on my back, I left our bags behind, as there's no space to hold and keep them anywhere. Anyway, there were only bottles, a towel, a knife, and fruits in it. More importantly, I must find something or someone fast to heal Marie. I don't know for how long she will be able to hold on to her life in this state. Going back to the kingdom is not even an option to consider, as we are already too far. I must keep moving forward.

Five hours have passed, and I am feeling exhausted. I was out of breath very badly. Near a stream of water that was flowing in between trees, I gently lowered Marie against the sturdy trunk of a tree, her weight momentarily relieved. I drank deeply, the cool water from my hand. It felt a little refreshing, as I was thirsty a lot.

*Sigh**

With a relieving break, I asked.

"What should I do now, Dad?"

Just when a sense of calm washed over me, a sudden surge of curiosity and alertness seized my senses. My eyes widened in astonishment as they fixed upon a deer bathed in an ethereal, blue glow, its gaze unwavering as it stood poised on the opposite bank of the stream. It resembles a 12-point buck. I instantly removed my witchcraft from my back and took the stance.

I watched him closely to see if there'd be any attacking gestures from him. I have already dealt enough damage with just one encounter with something unusual. I am not going to lower my guard, even for a second.

With a serene grace, the deer dipped its mouth to drink water from the stream. Despite its seemingly peaceful demeanour, I remained in my stance. Soon the deer lifted its head once more, its eyes locked onto mine, before it gracefully moved along the left side of the stream. Every step it took was deliberate, and I found myself captivated by its elegant movements. I was watching him closely. However, after walking a few steps ahead, the deer halted and looked at me again, as if silently urging me to follow him.

I got confused for a moment. whether I should go or not. What if this is a trap? I looked at Marie and realised that there's no other option. I'll keep wandering like this forever if I do not take the only option ahead. I cannot leave Marie behind, either. There are animals around here, and what if that invisible creature comes again?

I picked up Marie's fragile body in my arms and started trailing the enigmatic deer deeper into the heart of the forest. Roughly an hour must've passed since I started following the deer, and I am completely sure that it's guiding me somewhere.

Then we emerged from the labyrinth of trees, and there, at the bend of the forest's edge, stood the majestic deer, silently looking somewhere before that point.

I walked forth, and as I approached the deer's side, a sense of awe enveloped me, for before us lay a desolate plain, stretching out to the horizon in all directions. The land was parched and barren, completely dry, as if rain never touched this place. The gloomy sky, with dark clouds and the plain covered in fog and dust, filled me with anxiety, the edges disappearing at a hazy distance around the mountains.

In the centre of the plain, two towering rocks were standing like ancient sentinels, their jagged peaks reaching skyward, bent, and pointed at each other. Between them, there's a white ball-like thing, a miniature white dwarf defying gravity; it floats as if locked in an eternal embrace.

I silently looked at the deer. He lowered his head, gesturing towards those rocks in the middle. Gulping* my anxiety, I slowly started walking towards it. I am feeling heavy in my chest. I have no idea what's going to happen. This dystopian-looking place is giving off a different type of eerie chill. There are no animals or birds around.

Upon reaching almost there, I turned my head to the place I came from, and that glowing deer that guided me till here was nowhere to be seen anymore.

Gulp*

I reached the towering rocks. It feels as if it were a part of some mountain, reminding me of the gate we had in our kingdom. The walls of the rocks seem to have something written on them. The language I cannot understand.

Though that white dwarf makes no sense at all,.

"Damn, it's huge."

I looked over my shoulders at Marie.

"Marie, are you looking at this? See, there's something floating up there." Obviously, you can't see.

*Sigh**

If Marie were to be awake, she would be loudly saying something about how it must be some magical ball shit.

I gently touched the wall before walking in between.

*Whir*

I looked above at the sound that suddenly caught me, and the ball that was hanging still is now rotating on its axis.

"Hmm?"

My eyes were captivated by the spin, which soon turned into uneasiness as its rotation speed was now accelerating at an alarming rate.

A whooshing sound emanated from the sphere, filling the air with an oppressive weight as it began to gather dust in its vortex. Suddenly, with a crackling burst of energy, a beam of light erupted from its core, striking the ground with a boom. The white light has now become black, and the ground doesn't feel as if we are standing on the ground. It's wrapping itself into nothingness, and there's a weird humming sound coming from the void.

"What is happening?" I said, stepping back in fear.

*DUM*

I got frozen in place. Glancing down at my feet, I saw the shadow growing over me. The hair on the hand started standing straight like a prickle.

No..no..not again..

I turned behind to look, and there it was—the scary footsteps of that creature on the ground. It's standing where I was standing a minute ago with the deer. It's as if it followed me until here.

*HUMM* *FWOOOSH*

I turned to the rocks as that sound shook my instincts.

*DUM*

I turned again at those footsteps. It's coming here.

I was feeling trapped in between, restless with fear and desperate questions. What should I do? Where should I go?

Just when that creature was getting close, the enveloping wrapped darkness woven among the jagged rocks intensified, shrouding my surroundings, and then...

I and Marie both fell.

The light from the plain closed before my eyes. I am falling down. Where? I don't know. I cannot hear anything. I cannot see anything. It's all pitch black. I tried to voice at Marie, but I couldn't hear my voice. I just know one thing: we are being pulled down somewhere. I was getting shivers all over.

My emotions are running dry; I don't know what to feel.

I hugged Marie tightly. Falling down and down.

Suddenly, sparkles of tiny particles started flowing around me. The dust increased, and then I felt something coming above or below us, or were we falling on it?

—The light ruptured into the void—The atoms divided—A giant planet sucking another planet—Violet light jets streamed everywhere—Water bubbles burst—Stream of light dusts around a giant black—Mutiple white beams spinning around a planet—Neon green sky—Quasar stream—Clouds surrounding a big red star in between as if a giant eye is staring at me—The loud screaching of countless souls surrounded me. 

What's happening? AAAAAA!!!! I screamed inside.

"I pray that you return safe and sound." I heard Knight Rose's voice and flashes of many scenes and voices, some of which I recognised and some I didn't.

"Fight back; they deserve it."

"Elea, my child, you can walk now."

"Here's your birthday present."

"Let's dance together. Shall we?"

"I will kill you."

"Die Bitch die just die."

—Someone stabbing someone repeatedly—Blood splatters—Warmth of hands holding each other—Butterfly coming out of a cocoon—Waves colliding and fog lifting up—The sounds grow even louder, and then...it all goes mute.

"Eleanor, we believe in you."

....

I slowly fluttered my eyes open, and I inhaled calmly. The wooden ceiling has a soft glow of dim yellow light. The faint scent of a sweet flower permeated the air, casting a serene ambiance that enveloped the room. It feels silent and comfortable.

"It seems like you are awake now."

I heard a girl's voice. I glanced my eyes down towards my feet.

A girl with white hair is sitting on a chair, her legs crossed, with a paper fan in her hand. There's also two boys standing beside her with swords on their backs, looking at me.

Where am I?