STAGE TWENTY NINE: A Shard of the Past

The cave's floors were wet, full of holes and stalagmites. Freyja's legs covered in scratches and blisters, after wandering aimlessly for almost an hour. Her torch only lasted for 30 minutes, leaving her completely in the dark.

Human bones and rotting flesh scattered around, flying creatures grazed her from time to time. Freyja shook uncontrollably. Tears streamed from her eyes. Kirin is unconscious. Alaric is nowhere to be found. Even Astrid, her guardian, is not with her.

Her tears rained on the ground, feeling her sanity slowly escape her mind as she walked further and further with misguided courage. "Alfiore... Kirin..." She called them, trying to make herself braver, but it's no longer working. Soon, she could no longer bring herself to move her legs, and her entire body.

The village, on the other hand, is safe. Although most are still unconscious, a number of them finally woke up. Kirin recovered the fastest.

As soon as he woke up, he immediately recalled the illusions that the song made him see. He saw a little girl around four to five years old, with long jet black hair, and dark brown eyes. She's wearing a pure white dress with pale blue linings and a silver circlet around her head.

Kirin recognized that girl right away.

"It's Freyja." Kirin looked around, but found most of them still sleeping. The ones who woke up were even more clueless. "Freyja!" He ran around, searched every nook and corner of the village, but she was nowhere to be found. The only thing that she left is her medallion hanging around Kirin's neck.

"Impossible." Kirin felt the medallion with his hands, unable to believe that Freyja left such an important thing behind. It's the symbol of Celestia's absolute monarch, the cage of the celestial guardians and the regulator of the white aura. "That idiot!"

Astrid came out of the medallion and faced Kirin in his human form. "She went to find Alaric and the girl. She left me some of her aura to protect you, but it'll run out soon." Kirin felt Astrid's insincere service to him. He is obviously not fond of him and he can understand why. In fact, the feeling is mutual. But this time, they agree on the same thing: To find Freyja.

"Where is she!? Take me to her!" He commanded. The celestial dragon is the one and only being that could feel the presence of his master even from miles away. He led Kirin into the woods, hastily guiding him to Freyja's location.

Freyja sat on one corner, her entire body trembling in fear. She would scream every time she felt something crawl on her hand, thinking they were spiders. Freyja kept on hearing sounds that made her spine tingle, like the sound of water droplets, ghastly footsteps and the cold wind blowing. "Stay away..." Tears kept falling from her eyes as she sank her face into her knees. "Stay away... Don't come near me...." She mumbled over and over. "Kirin..." The thirteen year old girl called his name countless of times. Freyja couldn't even move an inch away from her place. At this rate, she thought she's trapped forever.

"Run!"

Her brain started playing tricks on her. The memory of the Alfiore's death, the shards of her memories showing her homeland engulfed in flames are being played in her mind over and over.

Another bitter memory flashed before her. Back in her world, she's locked in a pitch black room as punishment. Back then, all she could do was cry. Just like what she is now, unable to move, terrified, helpless. "It's the same..." She murmured. "It's the same!"

"Then let's get stronger. You are Freyja Lenfiare Leafen of Celestia, aren't you?"

There it is, that voice again. "Then, use your white aura."

"I can't. It will consume me at this rate." She bit her lip.

"No it won't. Come on, use it."

Freyja was about to give in.

"FREYJA! FREYJA!" Kirin shouted his lungs out, running through the slippery floors of the pitch black cave. Unlike Freyja and Alaric, Kirin's eyes are trained in the dark. He knew that Freyja is afraid of the dark, he can't even imagine the horror she's going through. Kirin ran faster, his heart racing. He shouted her name, louder and louder until finally, on one corner, he found her.

"FREYJA!" He called, running straight at her.

"Ki-rin?" His voice is like a ray of light amidst the dark. "Kirin! Kirin! I'm here!" She shouted.

Kirin took the girl in his arms, embraced her tight, feeling her cold and shaking body. "It's alright now Freyja, calm down." With his warm arms around her, Freyja's shaking ceased and her heart calmed.

"Kirin... I'm sorry..." Freyja is aware that her rash actions caused more trouble. "Sorry..." She repeated. Kirin took Freyja's medallion off before putting it around her neck. "Don't take it off. Whatever happens, don't take it off ever again. This is the symbol of Celestia, right? This should always be with you and you alone!" He then wiped her tears.

"Sorry Astrid." She whispered.

Kirin held her shoulders, and looked straight into her eyes. "Tell me Freyja, what is that medallion around your neck?"

Freyja took a deep breath. "It's the regulator of the white aura, Astrid's vessel." Kirin nodded, urging her to continue. "This is the symbol of the Lenfiare, ruler of all Celestia!" Kirin let go. "He's very worried about you too." Freyja kissed the medallion, before putting it back under her shirt.

Seeing that Freyja finally regained her composure, Kirin left the decision to her once and for all. "Should we go back? Or forward?" He asked.

After a long pause, Freyja grit her teeth and suppressed her trembling hands the best she could. Finally getting herself together, she nodded. "Forward."

Kirin took her hand and squeezed it tight. "Let's go get Alaric."

"And the Celestial Guardian." Freyja said.

~ o 0 o ~