Chapter 6: Land of the Souls
The next thing I knew was that I was already in another unfamiliar place. I found myself lying against a bunch of hay. I pushed myself to sit and scanned the place with my eyes. It was dark and gloomy, even worse than the impression I had when I saw the ruined dungeon. It looked like a ravaged and abandoned land. Even the scent of the place badly stank. There were plowed parts with dead crops; others being feasted over by flies which were twice as big as their original size.
I stood up and shook off the dirt. My head immediately pulsed when I stood up. Then I started recalling the green witch and the dark hole that swallowed me up and brought me here.
“Ligian! Oh, I’m glad you’re safe.” A little voice said.
I turned around and saw Twinkle Bell! How glad I was to know that Twinkle didn’t disappear!
“Twinkle! I’m glad you’re here. What is this place? What are we going to do now?”
“Well, seems like we’re in one of the weirdest places in Forestierre.”
“What? I mean, there’s not even one place in Forestierre that’s normal so far.”
“This is the Land of Souls, if I’m not mistaken. This is where the spirits go after death.”
I shivered after hearing what Twinkle had just said. If we were at the Land of Souls, then there might be ghosts roaming around!
“Hey, I know what you’re thinking, missy. Don’t worry, they’re not scary you know?”
"Let’s just find the way out, alright?”
“Um… well I think it’s the well located in a certain jungle. But, let’s just move. Let’s decide which way to go afterwards.” Twinkle said.
“What? Are you saying that you’re not sure about this?” was my anxious question.
“Yea- not exactly… but we’ll see alright? Don’t be so pessimistic there.”
I didn’t really want to rely on Twinkle Bell. In fact, he seemed like he wasn’t sure about anything. But as my guardian, and the only companion that I had at that moment, what else could I have possibly done?
We walked until we reached a long, deep river. The darkness of the place blinded us of the river’s real color. Everything appeared in two shades only--black and gray. From there we saw boats.
“What? There are such things in the land of spirits?” I asked.
“Yes. That gondola is where new spirits ride to go to where the judge is.”
“Ah! Now that I think about it… yes! That is a gondola! I saw it from one of the books in the library before.” I said.
“Yeah, and you didn’t tell me, huh? Anyway, let's get on that boat."
I was really shocked. But Twinkle had just said that it was for the delivery of new spirits to the judge. So did he mean that we’re going to see the judge?
“What? Why? We’re still alive, yes?” I asked anxiously.
“Yes, of course! We just have to go to the Jungle of Souls.”
“What is that place? How would the gondolier know that we’re going there? And is that really possible?” I asked.
“Just tell the gondolier the name of the place. And oh, don’t breathe. Breathing is a sign of life. We'd just be brought to the lake of fire once he finds out that you're alive. Well since you can’t do that for such a long period of time, you’ll just have to breathe when the gondolier isn’t looking around. You see, he mustn’t see you breathing.” Twinkle explained.
I got even more terror-stricken and petrified upon hearing those from the firefly. One mistake would toast me up in the lake of fire! I’d never felt this way before. Just why wasn’t I waking up yet? I could never accept all these as real. Would I be able to remember this dream, if this ever were a dream, when I wake up?
Before I realized it, we were already approaching the gondolier. Twinkle signaled the speech.
“U-um, Mr. Gondolier, you shall deliver me to the Jungle of Souls.”
The gondolier was like a fisherman. He was wearing a hat that covered his eyes. He was always staring at the ground, as though he was scared of looking at the faces of the spirits. When I asked him about taking me to the Jungle of Souls, he didn’t speak a thing, but nodded. I was really cold that moment, as if I were about to collapse.
I held my breath as I rode the gondola. We started moving, but I didn’t notice the movement that much. The river was not like a river at all. It was more of a lake- the water wasn’t moving. I was feeling the cold air around, and we could hardly see anything from the boat. Yes, the fog added up to the darkness of the place. The cold and fear nauseated me, and I had an agonizing time fighting against vomiting, along with other unwelcome emotions that I was feeling.
Holding my breath wasn’t as easy as I thought. I felt as if I were going to die, so I took a breath quickly and held it again just before the gondolier noticed me.
The trick worked, and after a long journey in the deep, we finally reached the jungle. I alighted from the gondola with unfathomable surge of relief. I took a quick glance at the gondolier, but he was still as usually staring at the ground. However, I refused to stay longer for fear of actually throwing up in front of him. We hurriedly went on our way.
I was really mystified by the jungle. It was very dark. It had tall trees, and the silence was overwhelming. It gave off a negative aura that made me feel sick.
“Hey Twinkle, this is the jungle right? But it’s dark. Is it possible to make a torch here?” I asked.
“Hush, Ligian. I’m actually trying to examine this place. I don’t feel good at all.”
“You sensed that too?” I was surprised.
“We can’t make a torch, sorry. Worry naught, we’ll be able to find the well. We’re together, right?”
I didn’t respond. His poetic line there only aggravated the negative emotion that was already overwhelming me. But then again, I had no choice.
As we were walking our path, we heard some rustling of leaves just behind the bushes. We stopped and lingered for a moment to observe whether there were other creatures around or not. It might be the wind, but how come we didn't feel it?
Suddenly, a huge creature came right out of the darkness, between the two tall trees that the monster had just split. It was taller than those trees! It had red eyes that glimmered in the dark. Its wrinkled face, with skin that looked like it were made of old wood, expressed a heinous intention. Its overwhelmingly gigantic hands were holding tight onto the two tall trees, and the trees, despite their massive size, were as if they were as small as pencils in the grasp of the revolting being. It was a complete abomination right in front of our eyes!
“Wh... what the...” I stammered.
“T-that… uh… RUN!” screamed the frightened firefly.
His mention of "run" triggered my adrenaline rush. I made the fastest run I had ever made in my life.
Wait a second, why am I running? I have my protection right? He-!
My eyes widened in terror when I realized that the Cyclops' eye was no longer with me!
“No! Twinkle! The Cyclops' eye is gone!” I exclaimed.
“What? Oh no… we’re doomed!”
“But what was that, Twinkle? Why is there such monster in this jungle? I thought that only spirits live here!”
“As I thought, there really is something wrong in this place. That’s it. That monster’s name is ‘Tame’. He guards this jungle and often misled the spirits who came here. It's very dangerous for a living being like you to be chased by that monster. There’s only one thing to do, Ligian. Let’s find the well before it catches us!” Twinkle explained.
“What about the eye?” I asked.
“We’ll solve that later. Right now, we have to survive!”
I could feel my heart pounding hard against my chest. Without the sound of my feet stepping upon fallen and dried leaves, I bet we both would've heard my heartbeat. The place was just too dark, and we could really hardly see the path.
How are we supposed to find the well in this darkness?
“I think we’re fine now, let’s slow down here.” Twinkle said.
I stopped. I was panting, tired of the long and fast run. Twinkle flew slowly, lighting up the path. I followed Twinkle Bell.
“The monster won’t eat us, right? It’s just meant to mislead people, right?” I anxiously asked.
“Well, that holds true for the spirits. You're a living human, though, and I can't be sure how dangerous he may be. But we’ll be fine, believe me.”
“Didn’t you tell me that I have a running time in this game? So, can you tell how much is left as far as now?”
Although I was still thinking, hoping, that this was a dream, I couldn't brush off the idea of all these being real. Asking the time left for me was the worst thing ever. I felt the heavy pressure pressed upon me, and I couldn't help feeling stressed.
“Ligian, I tell you… you better not know for now.” Twinkle replied.
“What? Ugh, whatever.”
Not telling me made me anxious. But perhaps he's right about not telling me, 'cause shortly after our conversation, we heard heavy footsteps. I was extremely terrified by it. I knew that the monster was nearby!
“What do we do?!” I nervously whispered.
“Don’t run, just walk quietly. I don’t think that it had spotted us yet. Follow me.” Twinkle whispered back.
Again, I was reluctant about relying on him. But in this kind of situation, I’ve got no choice other than following his lead.
After all my doubts, the noise disappeared slowly. I thought Tame had gone farther from us then. But alas! It suddenly appeared in front of us, extending its arms, as though it was up to crash us between its palms!
“Twinkle!” I shouted.
“Run, Ligian! Run!” Twinkle instructed.
I ran immediately, and was fortunate enough to have escaped the deadly hands of Tame. I barely escaped from his palms as I felt that my hair got lightly pulled between his clasped hands. We heard the giant tracking us down, and its footsteps sounded heavier and closer! I was really doing my best to accelerate, but I couldn't run any faster.
“Twinkle, I can’t keep up! The monster’s going to catch me!” I cried.
“No! Look, Ligian! The well is right there!” Twinkle exclaimed.
I was shocked, and felt a slight relief. Now that the well’s finally there, I knew that I must do my best to get there before the giant catches up!
I was successful in reaching the well, but I was terribly shocked when I saw what was inside it. There were leeches and dead worms floating on the dirty water! I almost puked, and didn’t know whether I would dive in or not.
“Twinkle! T-this… This is gross! I-is it really safe to dive in? T-there are leeches and dead worms, and it stinks!”
“Just dive! The giant’s coming!” Twinkle shouted.
I looked back and saw that the giant was really coming. So I had no choice but to hold my breath, close my eyes, and finally… dive in.
Chapter 7: Memories
Unlike the first well, this well didn't take me to the other dimension as quickly as the first one did. I had my eyes closed, I was sure. I was also sure that I had held my breath. However, I wasn't losing my consciousness. I could see a glint of light from afar, and it's coming closer.
Was it?
Or was I the one moving closer to it?
My mom came to view. Suddenly, I forgot the feeling of losing my memories of her. My mom was really far away from us. Our parents were working abroad. I had to be independent. That’s what I became, ever since they had left us. I had an older brother, but we didn't take care of each other. I couldn't recall how things turned out that way between us.
Suddenly I hear my own voice coming from somewhere, but not from myself, asking,
"Is it lonesome? Are you sad?"
I had thought before that I was strong. People thought that I was handling things too well. For a grade-schooler to show no pity for herself even when her parents had separated and left her alone with an indifferent brother, I was surely perceived as a superhuman.
However, I loved my mother. She loved me too. I wasn't sure about my dad, though. He had a new family of his own. He had neglected us. But he continued to force me to take on courses that I didn't like, and move with him when I didn't want to.
I disliked him for failing in his one job that I could ask from him--being my father.
Even so, I still wanted to have a complete family. I wanted to have a family picture to display at home. I never wanted to be labeled as one among those whose families are broken. And I was tired... so tired of trying to feign bravery and indifference. I was so exhausted of trying to act like a matured person. I wanted to act my age for once, and whine and scold my parents, and tell them that we need an explanation. What did we do wrong?
I had friends. My friends were great. They had a nice family picture hanging in their rooms. I loved them and their families, and somehow I began to slowly hate myself--and my family. Why did my life turn out this way?
What did I do wrong?
I wept. After many, many years of trying to be cool, strong, and understanding, I broke down. I broke down and thought that life wasn't worth it anymore.
"Are you sad?"
I heard my own voice asking me once more. I was merely seeing my own life from an outsider's point of view. And as I watched myself breaking down right in front of me, I felt my own cold tears fall from my eyes as well.
My throat was hurting.
"I..." I managed to say. "I am... so sad..."
It was the first time that I admitted it. Though nobody was listening but my own self, I was glad that I had finally said it.
The image diverted from my broken self to the decorations in our neighborhood. I became aware that it's the Christmas season. I felt even more lonely at the realization.
It's almost Christmas.
I wanted my mom to come home. I wanted to celebrate it with everyone. I wanted to be with my family.
Would it ever happen...?
I decided that those would never happen, and I would be in sorrow again. That's why I... That's why...
What did I do to myself?
Chapter 8: The Arcanum of Time
Just before realizing it, I already had passed through the gross well. It was just then that I found myself hanging by the edge of another well, which was located on some weird cell. I helped myself up. I knew that it took me some time before regaining my consciousness here, but I couldn't remember what happened during the interval between diving into that gross well and waking up here.
I saw Twinkle Bell, and I was so glad to see him here!
“Twinkle! Oh, I’m glad you’re here. I'm confused. Where are we? Also, I'm having vague memories of my mom.” I said.
"Oh, that must be because your time here is running out. We need to hurry. Open the door and let's see where we are.” Twinkle replied.
I hurriedly opened the door and took a peak. I was shocked to see such a familiar place! I stepped outside and closed the door. I walked slowly, trying to recall where we were. Finally, a pang of realization struck me.
“What… this…?! This is the academy!” I unconsciously said out loud.
I suddenly became conscious of the trouble that I made. I made a noise in the Forestierre Academy! Everyone looked at me! Due to my surprise, I forgot all about avoiding eye contact and accidentally made one with a student in front of me.
Darn… I am completely a klutz. I forgot that I can’t make any eye contact here!
I bowed my head down. My knees were really shaking. Everyone was glaring at me again! I decided to just ignore them and walk, but right when I moved a step forward, everyone started walking slowly towards me!
W-what…? What are these people up to? Why are they moving closer to me? Are they going to hurt me? Where’s Twinkle?!
I was almost ready to be eaten alive when someone suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me through the crowd then out of the academy. This totally shocked me, because the stranger was wearing the Forestierre Academy’s uniform.
Not so far from the academy, we stopped. I looked at her carefully, and surprisingly, she looked not as weird as the other students in the academy. Her blond hair was done in a ponytail, and her expression was difficult to read. She was very familiar, but I couldn't get my hand on it. I suppose I had seen her in the Forestierre Academy the first time I went there to go to the library.
“Please stop gazing at me. You’re scaring me you know?” she said.
I sighed for relief. She talked!
“You’re talking, I’m glad. Then you aren’t as weird as the other students there, eh? Should I say thanks?”
“You don’t have to. First of all, just for the sake of formality, I am Rania- holder of the Arcanum of time.”
I was confused. I didn’t understand what the “Arcanum” was about, but just as I was about to ask, Rania was suddenly attacked by a familiar beast. The beast growled angrily while pressing Rania against a tree, until I finally recognized him.
“Is that you? Yuzan! Hey, don’t hurt her, she’s not an enemy.” I said.
“What? Are you sure?” Yuzan asked.
“Please get off me, this is embarrassing.” Rania said.
Yuzan backed off. Rania stood up and brushed the dust off her clothes.
“Yuzan, what happened? I’m glad you were able to find me!” I said.
“Yes, I followed your scent. What happened to you?” Yuzan asked.
“We were thrown down the Land of Souls! We had encountered a lot of troubles.”
“So it's the well… that’s how you got into the academy’s cache.” Rania butted in.
“Exactly.. But wait a second, where’s Twinkle?”
Twinkle suddenly appeared flying towards me, and rested on my shoulder.
“I’m tired! I’m sorry, Ligian. I had to leave you earlier because I had to hide myself from the students. Did something… Wait! That girl, you’re from that academy! What are you doing here?”
“Hi Twinkle… I’m Rania, the holder of the Arcanum of time.” Rania said.
“Just how the heck did you know my name?” Twinkle asked.
“I know everyone’s name. You’re Ligian Bahmatan and that’s Yuzan, right?”
“What? How did you know?” I asked in amazement.
“Ugh, didn’t I say that I am holding the Arcanum of time?” Rania said.
I didn’t understand what it meant, so I kept quiet. The rest didn’t speak either, which made me think that none of us had an idea, so I started a new topic just to shift the mood.
“Hey Yuzan, where were you when we vanished? Weren’t you just waiting outside the ruined dungeon that time?” I asked.
“Yes, I was. Here, I actually had to kill the witch just to retrieve the necklace.” Yuzan handed the Cyclops’ eye to me and continued, “The dungeon is gone.”
“Oh! Yuzan, thank you so much! But isn’t that bad? The disappearance of the ancient dungeon?” I asked.
“Nah, it’s old anyway. The important thing is that you have the eye with you again.”
“You stole the eye just for protection, right?” Rania butted in again.
Everyone looked at her with much astonishment. However, she looked indifferent.
“Think about it, Ligian. Weren’t you able to survive from the Jungle of Souls without the eye?” Rania asked.
I realized that what she said was correct. I looked at Twinkle, but he didn’t speak a word.
“Cyclopes are giants who take care of the plants, trees and animals in their region. A Cyclops, who loses his one and only eye, will eventually die after a month. Take note that Cyclopes never bear more than one baby.” Rania explained.
I knew what Rania wanted me to realize. She succeeded; I was shaken. I felt as though I had broken one family just because of my treacherous act of stealing the baby’s eye.
At the thought of "breaking one family", something stung inside me. I couldn't identify whether it was guilt, pity, or something else.
“I’m… I’m sorry. I know that I have to take this back to the baby Polyphemus.” I said.
“Are you sure, Ligian?” Twinkle asked.
“Yes, I am very sure. Thank you, Rania. But I wonder how you knew about all these things?” I asked.
“I told you, I am holding the Arcanum of time.” Then Rania sighed.
“If we’re going to the region of the giants, then we must hurry. You know, you’ve got less than ten hours to win this game.” Twinkle said.
I was startled. Who wouldn’t be? Twinkle informed me of the remaining time just when it’s almost running out? How unfair!
“What…? That’s the only remaining time for me?” I asked in surprise.
“Yes, unfortunately. But please stay optimistic.” Twinkle said.
“So, we shall hurry. Come, Ligian, hop on! We’ll be able to get there fast with my agility.” Yuzan said.
“Thank you, Yuzan. But how about Rania, are you coming with us?” I asked.
“Humph. You’ll need me, you know? You should be speaking in a more pleading tone.” Rania said.
I smiled. We sat on Yuzan’s back, while Twinkle followed.
“Let’s roll.” Rania said.
I had not had a proper rest since waking up at the Land of Souls, so I felt dizzy and sleepy while Yuzan was running. I couldn't control it anymore, and had finally fallen asleep while riding on his back.
I thought that the rest would reenergeize my worn out body, but it was short-lived. I was awoken by Yuzan being stagnant. I was startled when I saw that we were actually under attack by tiny thin creatures!
“You can’t pass through! None of you will!” one of the creatures said.
“Will you please get out of our way? We have some more important things to do, alright?” Yuzan yelled.
I was amazed that I was not affected by the stones that they were throwing at us by their sling shots. It’s because I was wearing the Cyclops’ eye. I studied the creatures by their appearances, and it was just then that I recognized that they were actually elves!
“Wait a second!” I yelled. I motioned for everyone to stop and stood on my feet. “What do you guys want from us?”
“What, you ask? Very simple, Madame! We extremely need to have your necklace!” one elf said, pointing at my necklace.
“No, we cannot surrender that to you.” Twinkle said.
“Why, we need it the most! You don’t have any idea how much our elf king is suffering right now!” another elf said.
“What do you mean? What’s with your elf king?” I asked.
The elves narrated how their elf king suffered from an unknown illness which made him bed-ridden for a long time. Also, according to them, their elf king was almost dying, and in any kingdom, especially the elves’ kingdom, a king’s absence would lead to misfortune and endless troubles.
I felt much pity for them, indeed. However, I was still perplexed.
“How can we be sure that what you’re saying here is the truth?” I asked.
“Well, it’s good that you asked. Let us go altogether to our place.” One of the elves said.
I looked at the others, as if asking whether to come or not to.
“No, we’ve got…!”
“I’ll go.” I said.
All of them were shocked. But I had to go and see the situation myself, because if it’s true, then maybe there's something that I could do for them.
“If you’re going, I’m going.” Yuzan said.
“I am going as well!” Twinkle moved forward.
“W-ell… it’s not like we’re excluding you, saber-toothed mammal, but you can’t come. You are too huge to be at our place.” One elf said.
“What? That’s unfair!”
“If that’s the case, then Twinkle and I are going. Don’t worry, Yuzan.” I said.
“Then, please hold on us tightly.” Another elf said.
Twinkle rested on my shoulder, while I held onto the elf’s wrist. With just a snap of a finger, we were already teleported.
Only Rania and Yuzan were left. Yuzan was still very bad-tempered. He wanted to accompany us that badly. It took a mere minute before he realized that Rania didn’t come with us either. He was even surprised.
“Whoa! You’re here! Why didn’t you go with them?” Yuzan asked.
“What? Why should I go? It’s pointless,” Rania responded in her usual cold manner.
“You don’t really care about her, do you?” Yuzan asked in a disappointed tone.
“I hope you know what you’re saying. Not going with the person doesn't imply that I don't care. Your basis for judging me is rotten, mister.”
“That’s not it. You’re really giving off that kind of impression in the first place.”
“First impressions are not real. Remember that.” Rania said.
“Then why did you decide to stay here?”
Rania, getting annoyed by his repeated questions, finally made an effort to turn and look at him. With creased forehead now, indicating annoyance, she said,
“I told you, it’s pointless to go, that’s why I stayed. Please stop repeating the same question over and over again.”
“Okay, alright… sorry.” Yuzan replied.
Just who does she think she is?
“I’ll explain this for once. Listen carefully and heed my explanation, ‘cause I’ll never repeat saying the same words over again. Got it?”
“Uh, yeah… say it.” Yuzan replied with wonder.
“This is about the Arcanum of time." She brought out the necklace that was hidden behind her uniform. She detached the small black pendant, held it in her clasped hands, and said, "Extend."
The moment she uttered the word, the small pendant magically transformed into a long black staff that was about the same as her height. Yuzan was filled with shock and wonder as he watched in amazement.
"I said I was the holder of it, right? This staff is called the Arcanum of time. I can control the time with it. I know most of the things that you don’t know for I am also the host of this game. And I have this bad feeling that I’ll be proving this to you real soon."
Chapter 9: The Elf King
The elves’ kingdom absolutely charmed me. It wasn't as small and cramped as I thought it would be. It was placid and didn’t seem like the kingdom was mourning over their king’s near death. Their kingdom was called “Arcadia” which, true to its image, meant “a scene of simple pleasure and quiet”.
I saw that the elves were very industrious. They looked exactly the same as the elves portrayed in old Santa Claus movies, and it amused me.
Hey, come to think about it. If the elves had to use their powers just to bring themselves and the others at this place, then could it be that this is not in Forestierre?
I looked at Twinkle Bell. The elves were leading us to their king, and all of which were looking straight ahead. The matter about their elf king seemed very serious to me.
“Twinkle, is this still in Forestierre?” I whispered.
“Of course,” he replied.
“Eh?” I pouted.
"Disappointed, are you? Well, it's impossible for you to be outside of Forestierre. You haven't escaped yet."
“Fine. Anyway, I'm worried about the elf king. I wonder what I could do for him.” I said.
"Don't you ever think about giving up the necklace."
"I don't. It's not even mine. Giving this up is not something for me to decide," I replied.
"Good, but I don't feel good about this. I hope nothing bad happens to us just because you're trusting these minions."
I would say that I was really shocked. I never thought this little meanie would say it as if he were blaming me. It made me a little mad for a while, but recalling my past experiences of being trapped, they might've happened due to my inclination to trust other people.
Just before I came to realize it, we were already in front of the uniquely- designed elf castle. It's elegant architecture excited me a lot. It truly put me on a daze--the touch of nature in its very design, as though the structure had sprouted out from the ground.
“Whoa, just look at this,” I said, unmasking my astonishment.
“Yes, Madame,” answered the elf, “that is the highest building here- the castle.”
“Wow, I must say, I'm really impressed!” I said.
“Well, might as well go inside, yes?” Suggested one elf.
“Ah! Yes, of course. Let’s go then!” I replied cheerily.
I was still very awestruck until we got inside the castle. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the big difference between the outside and the inside. How wonderful its appearance from outside was! But the exact contrary could be seen inside.
“I can’t believe it. What happened here? Has this castle been abandoned already? Why, the place is messy.” I commented.
“Please don’t be that harsh. We couldn’t find anyone who could maintain the castle. You know, no one else knew what he’s going through right now, and we can’t let anyone discover it.” One of the elves replied.
“But why wouldn’t you tell everyone? They have the right to know that.” I said.
“Yes, you’re right. But that would only cause panic amongst the elves. The elf king won’t allow that.”
I didn’t reply. I knew I couldn’t say any more. They were right. A king’s duty is to protect his land and not to worry the people.
After going up the stairs, we finally arrived at where the elf king was. Yes, it’s true that the elf king was bed-ridden.
“Pardon our intrusion, elf king. We are here to see your condition. How are you feeling?” I asked.
“Oh, a human! So you have come here just to see Elflied’s current status. However, I haven’t been feeling any better ever since I caught this unusual illness. I am very grateful, though, that you were able to come and see me. I appreciate your kindness.” King Elflied said.
“Yes, we are greatly privileged to see you today. But I am worried about your illness. If it gets worse, this will trouble the entire kingdom, correct?”
The elf king’s meaningful sigh worried me. He shifted his gaze from me to the window and smiled.
“I love my kingship; so do I love everyone who dwells in my kingdom. As much as possible, I do not want anybody from the public to know of this. I decided to keep myself away from them forever, and start teaching my faithful familiar to rule the kingdom the same way that I did.” King Elflied explained.
I was really touched by the elf king’s words. Indeed, that old man in front of me was a king- a king who loved his people very much. Despite his condition, he still thought about the elves more than himself.
My eyes glistened with tears while I struggled to suppress them from actually pouring out.
What awesome king you are. How I wish there’s a president in the present time that’s as loving and honorable as you are.
“I… I really am overwhelmed by your words, king. But by the sound of it, you seem to be giving up already.” I said.
“Rather than giving up, let's say I am ready to face my fate. A king should always be like that. I am already very grateful that my body would rot in the same land where I was born and raised,” he replied.
I paused for a minute and suddenly realized that I haven't actually asked if there were anything that I could do for him. My purpose for coming in the first place was to see if I could lend a hand to those elves.
“The reason for my coming is to actually see if you’re truly in a bad condition. Now I wonder if there's anything at all that I could do to help you.” I said.
"I'm very happy to hear that. However, your old man here is-"
He was interrupted by one of the elves who angrily exclaimed,
"Lend that necklace to him!"
We were all startled. The elf king looked at him and said,
"What are you talking about?"
"You know it, elf king. If you would have the Cyclops' eye in your hands for a day, you would be relieved of this disease. It's that powerful!"
“A day!" Exclaimed Twinkle Bell. "Ligian, your time here is running out!"
I was surprised by Twinkle’s sudden anger. This was the first time that I heard him talk in high pitch. But I couldn't put myself first when all I could see is the poor elf king suffering in front of me.
I immediately took the necklace off and handed it to the king. He looked surprised.
"What, dear human, you have no obligation to do this. I understand that your circumstances are no less difficult than mine. Please take it back," he said.
"I will surely regret all my life if I don't do this," Ligian answered.
"Stop that, Ligian!" Shouted Twinkle Bell.
Then, everything happened so fast that I didn't get a chance to even process what was happening. Twinkle Bell was caught in a net that buzzed as its wires emitted electricity and burnt the poor firefly. I was pushed to the ground, while the elf king held the necklace and flashed a devilish grin while I was being tied up.
W-what’s this…? What’s happening…?
Didn’t I hand him the cure? Didn’t I want to help him? Suddenly, Twinkle’s words came to mind:
“I hope nothing bad happens to us just because you're trusting these minions.”
Uh-huh… I am trapped again due to my gullibility. And I got Twinkle Bell in trouble once more. He's dead, and I...
“How can we be sure that what you’re saying here is the truth?” I asked.
“Well, it’s good that you asked. Let us go altogether at our place.” One of the elves said.
I looked at the others, as if asking whether to come or not to. I thought I’d say that I would go, but Rania suddenly pulled me back.
“None of us is coming. So please leave us alone, you obnoxious little pricks.” Rania said.
I was startled. I looked at Rania in aghast.
“What are you talking about, woman?” one of the elves said.
“We know that your elf king isn’t sick at all. Stop messing around, scums. You're not fooling anyone here.”
“What! You… how dare you say that to us! You want to fight, huh?”
“Who wants to fight? I’m in.” Said the furious Yuzan.
This obviously freaked out the little creatures. Yuzan let out small but threatening growls while slowly approaching them. Oppressed by Yuzan’s terror and intimidated by his two sharp fangs, they all decided to escape.
Twinkle sighed in relief. Yuzan turned to Rania.
“You did it! You really did it, Rania. I am very impressed by your ability!” Yuzan praised.
“You don’t have to say it here, Yuzan. Hush."
“Ha-ha! I’m just so amazed. Hey Ligian and Twinkle, Rania really saved the day. Let’s all thank her!”
“Huh? What are you talking about? Well, thank you Rania- for stopping me from going with them," I said.
“She just used her Arcanum of time just to save you two. Don’t you know it? Well, now you know!” Yuzan said.
“Stop it, you, saber-toothed!” Rania shouted in embarrassment.
I looked perplexed. What? We were saved through the Arcanum of time? I absolutely couldn’t understand a thing.
“Please ignore Yuzan. We must be going now," then, Rania turned around and said, "Shrink." At the mention of the word, the black staff that she was holding glittered and shrank into a thumb-sized pendant.
I was confused by it. It was the first time that I saw her holding a staff.
But wait.
More than that, the staff looked remarkably familiar.
With my forehead still furrowed with skepticism, I asked,
"Wait, Rania. That staff. Where'd you get it?"
"What do you mean? This is mine," replied Rania.
I stood nonplussed and kept staring at her with this confused expression. We stared for each other for straight thirty seconds, and it wouldn't have been broken had not Twinkle said anything.
"Hey! What's wrong, you two? The time is running out!"
I broke out from my bemusement and realized that we had to keep going.
“Oh, yeah… we should head to the region of the giants.” I replied, holding the Cyclops' eye in my hands. But I couldn't keep the black staff off my mind.
Just when and where did I see that staff?
Chapter 10: Finale
It took us about three hours to reach the region of the giants. I knew I’d lost too much. I wondered why, while I was only sitting on Yuzan’s back, my memories kept flashing back rapidly. However, I couldn’t remember what day it was in the real world when I came to the Forestierre. The only thing I knew was that it’s almost Christmas time.
But before I ended up delving deeper into my own thoughts, Yuzan suddenly spoke and broke my introspection.
“Here we are.” Yuzan said.
“Their home is the entire place. The caves only serve as their bedroom. Look at them.” Yuzan said, pointing at the only visible, but distant cave.
All of us watched from a safe distance. There were three Cyclopes there. And even at first sight, it was easy to know that they’re a family. I was even surprised to realize that the baby Cyclops there was the one from whom I’d stolen the eye. But before I got bothered by my conscience, I lingered a little more and watched as they bonded with each other. They showed us that close family ties can exist even among the fiercest of creatures.
I was most amazed when the mother Cyclops embraced her little one. Polyphemus, the father, tapped his son’s head while saying something we couldn’t understand. We were all awestruck with wonder. They were beautiful. Their family seemed very inseparable. Indeed, I was inspired and touched by them. But for some reason, I felt incomplete. Lonesome. But I ignored the negative feeling and took hold of the necklace.
I must return this eye immediately. I’ve got no more than two hours left.
I took the first step forward to the cave. The rest followed. I knew that the Cyclopes would get mad at me. It's their child we're talking about, of course. But I’d decided already. I would give this back to them.
When we were already very close to the cave, I looked back at my friends and smiled.
“Ligian, please remember this: we’re just behind you. We’ll always back you up, Missy.” Twinkle said.
They were all looking at me with such concerned expressions. I giggled and gave them a thumbs-up.
"I know, silly firefly. Thank you all for staying with me through all this."
I turned around started walking towards the Cyclopes' cave. Each step was a struggle to keep my heart from faltering.
As I went closer, the Cyclopes noticed my presence. The two gave me an austere look. Of course they had to be more cautious ever since the treacherous incident. But I didn’t mind, and didn’t think of wasting any more time.
“Good afternoon, senior Cyclopes. I am Ligian Bahmatan. You see, I came here just to apologize. Don’t worry, I am harmless right now.” I said.
“What are you apologizing for?” asked Polyphemus.
I was shocked that they actually could speak my language. But it wasn’t the right time to show my amazement. I quickly took out the necklace, and showed it to the Cyclopes. And upon seeing their child’s stolen eye, they became more furious and threatening.
“You! You're the one that stole our child’s eye!” Polyphemus spoke in gritted teeth.
“How dare you show yourself before us, after stealing the eye! For that, you shall be punished!” the mother Cyclops said.
“I shall be, indeed. Please take your son’s eye. I’m peacefully returning it to you. I’ve seen how close your family is, and I couldn’t think of anything more than your son’s life. It was already late when I found about the consequence of my reckless action. I never wished for your son’s death.” I explained.
I kept my head bowed down. A long silence followed, and finally, Polyphemus retrieved his son’s eye from me. I was silently waiting for them to punish me.
“I’m really sorry. If only I could help you more than this.” I said.
“Where are you from? You sure are not from the Forestierre Academy, aren’t you?”
I was surprised, but I kept my head bowed down.
“Uh, yeah, I wasn’t from there. I came from… the… well, it’s kind of complicated.”
“I see. You’ve been chosen for the quest haven’t you? I mean, the ‘Escape Game',” said the mother Cyclops.
“That’s right. I’ve got less than two hours left for this game. I still have no idea how I would win the game, and I've decided to give up already.” I replied.
“Humans are bizarre creatures. They tend to give up when it's not over yet. But you see, giving up should only happen when it's over, and nothing is over until you're dead.” Polyphemus said.
I was really startled. I unconsciously moved my head up to facing him.
"I can help you," said the father Cyclops.
I was truly surprised to hear it. I was so speechless, that I stammered when I tried to speak. I didn't expect things to turn out this way. My whole being was ready to yield. I had given up already.
"I... I don't... But I... stole..."
“It doesn’t matter to us anymore. The important thing is that you have returned the eye, and even apologized personally. Facing us, Cyclopes, is the hardest thing I know for the rest of the creatures here in Forestierre. And yet, you were brave enough to appear before us without bringing anyone along.” The mother Cyclops explained.
"Do you want us to help you?"
I was startled. I had given up, but hearing it gave me a tiny glimpse of hope. I nodded.
"But... how?" I asked.
"We simply need to talk some sense into you."
I was flabbergasted by what the Cyclops had just said. I supposed that I had expected a little more than that.
"Can you remember something about your life before coming here?" Asked the mother Cyclops.
“Yes I do. I didn't, when I had first woken up in this strange place, but these past few hours, I have been regaining them," I answered.
“What do you remember about your life then? What was the very last thing that you did before coming here?"
And that one, I really couldn’t grasp immediately. My memories were still a bit hazy, and I was having a diffcult time digging for it.
“It’s because you never asked yourself these questions that you couldn’t win. Think carefully, Ligian.” Polyphemus added.
Suddenly, the weeping, broken image of myself from when I had dived into the rotten well came to my mind. I remembered as well the decorations in the neighborhood. The Christmas season. It's almost Christmas time. What did I wish for?
I had known that they wouldn't happen. A happy family celebrating the Christmas day together--it's too far-fetched. Mother wouldn't come home. My parents would never get along. And that's why I...
That's why I had given up.
This surge of realization made me sweat a lot. My eyes blood-shot, I could feel that the tips of my fingers were trembling.
"I had... given... up," I said.
I was choking on my words, and I felt that my heart was beating faster, as if it were racing, and I panted and struggled to regulate my breathing.
My memories now flooded my mind, and I remembered...
“Forestierre is like life itself. Every occurrence has its purpose. It's good to be strong, but it's okay to be weak. There are people who will stay with you and back you up without expecting for anything in return, and they aren't necessarily your family. They are your friends. Sometimes the one you perceive as an enemy is a friend, and sometimes the one you perceive as a friend is an enemy.
"Sometimes you get too scared and the only escape is scary as well. You feel like you're trapped, but the truth is that there's no escape in life. All you have to do is to face it. You will fail, but don't give up. You will make wrong decisions, but it's never too late to make right decisions if you still have time. But even if you have all the time in the world, it would be pointless if you just give up."
I was tearing up. I tried hard to conceal it, to hide my ugly self. I could be seen by the Cyclopes, and my friends were somewhere close, watching. My throat hurt and I couldn't hold my tears back any longer. I remembered finally... I knew what I had done before waking up in that cabin.
"I... I thought I could run away. I thought it was the only way..." I whispered, and then the burst of tears. "K...killed... myself..."
That's right.
I had killed myself.
I was so fed up with all of it. I hated everything, and I thought there was no way out.
I cried relentlessly. I was embarrassed, but it didn't matter anymore. It was too much for me to take.
"Humans don't realize it, but they tend to run away all the time. They look for an 'escape' from every problem, as if it solves anything at all. Some people marry at an early age to escape from familial duties. Some couldn't have children and take lots of pets instead. Or sometimes, when one is bored, this person would take sanctuary in playing games or watching shows for long periods of time. The others take more aggressive ways to escape from the unpleasant situation, like getting themselves drunk or drugged. Either way, no matter how big or small their escape is, it never solves anything.
"When humans discover that their little escape isn't working, they look for better escapes that might work. Until, well, in worst case scenarios, they end up killing themselves when they think there's no way out. But is the problem solved? Not at all." Said the mother.
I understood. That moment, hearing all those from the Cyclopes, I understood that I'd always run away. I pretended to be strong to escape from getting pitiful stares. I pretended to be independent to escape from my own helplessness. And when I thought that all these couldn't help me anymore, I killed myself... because I wanted to escape from my own life.
But even so, in the real world, would my death bring my family back together? I doubted it. They would probably blame and spite each other even more.
I was finally realizing it. Even though I was only innocently trying to save myself from all the pain and sorrow, I was also unconsciously self-destructing.
"How did you feel when you found out that I could help you?" Asked the Polyphemus.
"Well, honestly I... I felt... h...hope...ful." I replied.
It was one word. I was surprised upon hearing the word that came from my own mouth. And it felt as though it's the one thing that I'd been missing all my life.
"It's normal to lose it, especially when you feel like you're all alone. And to get it, sometimes all you need to do is ask for help. Hope will come to you if you seek it first. Don't just give up on your own, dear human."
I sobbed. I knew that it was something I couldn't afford to do in the real world. I had to be perceived as strong. Nobody should pity me. But in this world I realized that I needed somebody to see me as I was. I needed somebody to stay with me even though I was actually too trusting and weak. Somebody who'd help me overcome my pains and pull me away from escaping. I needed somebody to show me there's hope when I was about to give up.
And I shouldn't give up.
But I had killed myself.
And at that thought I lost all my energy and fell on my knees. I continued to weep so hard that I couldn't breathe well.
It was all over, but I hadn't done anything yet.
It was over, but I might've done something more than just that.
It was over, but things could've ended up better than just that. I had only one chance to live.
But it was over. Because I had given up.
My heart ached. My soul cried out. I wanted to change everything, start from scratch, get the same life but live it differently. If I had responded to my situation differently, my life might have been more interesting. I desperately wanted to get another chance.
It was excruciating. My whole being agonized. If a soul had blood, mine would have been spilling badly. My eyes hurt so much, but tears wouldn't stop from flowing. It was as though I was pouring out a year's worth of tears, and I thought that if I hadn't stopped, blood would come out next.
The hopelessness. I spiraled in an endless abyss of hopelessness. But I'd been so tired of feeling that emotion.
Hope...
Life...
Why do these words complement each other?
"I... don't want....." I struggled to speak, but I said it anyway, and I didn't think that I could be more sincere and full of hope than when I said,
"I don't want to escape anymore. I want to live!"
At that moment, I realized that everything that had happened to me in the Forestierre were related to my life. And as images of all that had happened flashed through my mind like vertigo, my vision also got dimmer and dimmer, until I could see no more of the Cyclopes.
“Good job, Ligian,” whispered the Polyphemus.
And right after saying those words, everything then turned peach black.
I felt as if I was floating, but I couldn’t feel anything other than that. I couldn’t even see anything. I hadn’t had the chance to see Twinkle Bell, Yuzan, and Rania for the last time.
Life is just like the "Escape Game". Sometimes, for weaker beings like myself, it's only at the end when they would realize that there's no escape. There's only life.
I wake up and find out that I had fallen asleep on the desk. I stretch my back and relax my body. The light is turned on, and on the top of the desk where I put my head down, is a book opened on its last page. I realize that I fell asleep while I was reading it. It is funnier to think that I had fallen asleep just when I was about to finish the book.
The story was all about this girl who woke up in another world. A weird black-riding hood appeared and introduced the so-called “Escape Game". Then in the mystical forest called “Forestierre” happened all the adventures, and in the end she realized that the “escape” isn’t real. Rather, the game was meant for the players to understand life. And hope.
I look at the book again, and on the last page, at the very bottom of it, there are these words written:
“Merry Christmas, Gillian! I hope you're feeling better after reading this. Remember that I'm all ears no matter what you're going through. BTW, we're having a Christmas party at home. The party can't start with a family member missing, so please do come on time, a'right? 8 PM tonight. See you!"
-From your good friend,
The Author
"The author...?" I mumble.
I immediately close the book to see the cover, and I get startled by what I see:
"Advent in the Arcane Forest"
A woman cloaked in black hoodie, blond hair hung loose, holding a black staff.
Stephanie Kaplan.