A THROBBING headache was setting inside Clara's skull, and her eyes were drifting close. She heard what seemed like a million people calling her, their voices faded but somehow clear.
"Her Highness!"
"Her Highness has been attacked!"
"Seize the enemies!"
People who were dressed in heavy armor and were carrying spears charged in their direction. She could barely hear the muffled sounds of chaos when her eyes finally closed.
And then there was only peace.
Clara slowly regained the senses she had lost. She could hear no sound but the gentle blowing of the wind and the soft churning of the water. Her body felt fine as if nothing attacked her. And her head felt so light just like each time she woke up in the morning.
Was she dead? How unfortunate. Clara could only hope that her friends could make it alive at least.
The Fyrians!
Clara sat bolt upright, a moment of dizziness washing over her. It took several seconds before her vision cleared, only to find that there was no ongoing battle around her and that she was all alone.
She was sitting on lush green grass and just beside her was a small garden pond with floating lilies and small fishes. Surrounding her were plants and trees of all kinds and sizes. Butterflies even flocked around her and at a safe distance, the birds and rabbits watched her with curiosity.
"Wait a minute. This place looks oddly familiar," she said to herself, standing.
"It's because you've been here before, my dear," a soft female voice answered.
Clara's eyebrows furrowed. Even that voice was familiar. She turned around and came face to face with the golden fire. And suddenly, she remembered. She'd been here once before on her first day in Blaire.
"A-Am I dead?" was the first thing Clara asked.
The golden fire laughed. "Dead? Oh no, dear. You are far from being dead. And it's not your time yet. Didn't I tell you that you still have great things to do?"
"B-But why do I always end up here? I never meant to be in this place."
"It's because I call for you." The fire shapeshifted into a woman. The butterflies adorned her fiery hair. The birds flew out of their nests and perched on the fire woman's shoulders, and the rest of the garden animals gathered around her feet. Clara didn't burn when the golden fire cupped her cheeks.
"Call for me?" Clara whispered back. She found out she was not afraid. The fire's warmth simply drew her in.
From her cheek, the fire's hand traveled to her neck where the gold, string necklace hung. It pulsed a warm glow under the woman's touch.
"Have you found out the power of my gift?" the fire said, taking a step back.
"No." Clara bit her lip. She fondled the necklace, thinking deeply. "What does it do?" She even nearly forgot it existed as it would simply vanish from sight and would only show once she touched it.
The fire hummed, nodding in understanding. "What is it that you can't do at first and you are magically able to do the next?"
Clara shook her head, even more, confused now. "I-I don't understand—"
"When you first came to that body." The fire's voice was firm, her flames intensifying. "Think hard, dear."
She figured the fire wouldn't give her answers that easily. What was it that she couldn't do when she first discovered she was inside Anneliese's body?
"The most important thing, dear. The most valuable possession a Hiestoran has," the fire whispered to her ear.
And it finally clicked. When she first discovered she was in another girl's body, Clara learned she could not put her powers to use. She got used to it existing within her that the moment it was gone, she felt half of herself was gone. She depended so much on her powers that she never imagined how life would be without them. She became weak... and scared.
The look of realization on Clara's face was enough to answer the fire's question. But the princess still had so many to ask.
"I remember you telling me that this necklace is your second gift—"
"Not my second gift," the fire interrupted, "but the second gift that was given to you."
"And the first one?" Clara's heart was racing. She couldn't decide whether it was due to excitement or something else.
"The first one was given to you by a dear friend. I believe it was her soul she had gifted you."
"Wha—" Clara almost lost her balance. She put a hand around her throat and then down to her stomach, remembering how Jade, her dragon friend, made her swallow a part of her soul.
"Giving you my soul means I will always be with you. No matter where you are, no matter where your soul goes, you shall never be alone."
Clara remembered Jade telling her that. She placed her palm over her forehead. The fire's eyes followed her as she moved around. Or at least, Clara imagined the fire had eyes.
Is that why every time something bad was about to happen, there was a tingly and warm sensation in her stomach? "It was as if she was warning me from afar," she said to herself.
"A jade dragon's vision can extend for miles and they can do it in so many ways."
The fire arranged the garden flowers to make a bed and she caught Clara by the arm, forcing her to sit down.
"And with you having a part of her enables her to see what happens around you," the fire continued as she sat down beside her.
No longer wary of her presence, the birds braided Clara's hair and decorated it with tiny beads and flowers. A rabbit lay on her lap and the squirrels gathered around her to offer her chestnuts. Clara gave them a small smile and accepted their gifts, afraid that she would offend them if not. But still, she couldn't help but be bothered.
"T-Then it means Jade knew this would happen. Why wouldn't she... why would she still..."
Why would Jade let it happen? She could have warned Clara!
"Don't," said the fire as if it knew what she was thinking. She took the red ribbon from a bird's beak and tied it herself around Clara's finished braid. "I'd like to ask you."
Clara swallowed. "Go on."
"Would you give someone a part of your soul?"
Clara's eyebrows knitted.
"It's a simple question, my dear."
She looked away. Somehow, without the facial features, Clara thought the fire had eyes that could see through her mind and heart. And that idea alone made it impossible for her to lie. She just couldn't.
"I guess so?" she answered with uncertainty. "Who knows." Clara shrugged. "How would I know what the future brings? Maybe if I need to, then I will... for someone... important to me."
The fire laughed heartily. "Then I hope that clears your doubt for your friend. If there are things she doesn't tell you yet, there's probably a reason. And my question is a matter of yes or no, but still"— she placed a hand over Clara's chest — "you speak what's in your heart."
Clara's tensed muscles loosened up a bit. Squinting her eyes, she said, "You seem to know a lot. Who are you?"
The fire shrugged. "It's not important for you to know who I am."
"It is." Clara attempted to stand but the fire pulled her back. Her eyes were pleading. "This is the second time you called for me and it happens whenever I am in danger or I feel scared. Don't tell me those are just random and baseless encounters. You gave this" — she held the necklace for the fire to see — "and knew me as Clara. Who are you?"
The fire's head perked up. Clara detected a hint of amusement in her command.
"Meara," the fire finally said.
"Oh." Clara blinked, suddenly feeling conscious of her words. "Alright. So, Meara, are you really fire?"
Meara's laugh echoed around the quiet garden, making Clara blush.
"I-Is it wrong to ask?"
Something liquid in the form of a flame fell from Meara's face. The woman wiped it as she continued to laugh. "This is just one of my many forms. But the real me is only known to a few, and all of them are gone at this age."
"So... how old are you?"
"Older than you think I am."
"By how much?"
Meara tilted her head. "You want to know more about me, that I am sure of. But you will at the right time." She stretched her hand to pat Clara's cheek.
"Meaning this is not the last time we'll be seeing each other?"
Meara shook her head. "Certainly not, dear."
Clara's lips curled and inched closer to Meara. "Am I such a bother? There's another thing I'd like to ask. I never had the chance before. You... surprised me."
"Who knows when will be the next time you'll see me? Ask away."
Clara took a deep breath. "How did you know who I was? Not as Anneliese but... as me."
The birds around them twittered. The others even sighed and looked at her as if she had lost her brain.
"She still doesn't know? Go tell her, Meara," the turtle said.
"Here I thought the girl was smart enough," the rabbit said as he adjusted the blue and white ribbon around his neck.
A hedgehog came rolling from a bush and said, "And she's got so many questions! She's annoying."
Gasping, Clara threw them a sharp look. "I can hear you, you know."
"We'll go grab a mirror!" a pair of lovebirds said in unison.
"Here, here! Look here!" said the fish in the pond.
Meara nodded. "Do look at yourself first in the water. That should answer your question."
Confused, Clara crouched at the bank and peered down at the water. Her mind froze for a second as if someone had put her head in a block of ice. She didn't realize how much she missed seeing her face until now.
Speechless, Clara's mouth formed into an 'o' while pointing at her reflection in the water.
"Oh, good goddess. She's broken," the rabbit said, then leaped off to somewhere.
"Only a soul could get into this place," Meara took to herself to explain. "While a soul is here, the body shall be left in the mortal realm. This castle that is lost in time contains things that are divine that a weak body of a mortal who is not pure from sins cannot stand.
"Mortals have sinned at least once in their lives. No matter how small or big it is, it's still a sin."
Clara gulped. She couldn't deny that she had been naughty most of the time. The princess couldn't count how many times she had caused trouble to their maids, using them as her scapegoats whenever she planned to sneak out without anyone knowing where she went. It was not as horrible as stealing or killing, but it was not a good deed either. Every time she did that, her parents almost got heart attacks, thinking she escaped past the castle walls, or worse, kidnapped.
"There's something more important I have to tell you before you go, Clara."
There was a sense of urgency in Meara's tone despite acting so calm. Clara backed away from the pond. "What is it?"
"Your mission."
"Mission? Wait, what do you mean?"
Heat radiated off Meara's body and her form melted. The fire rose higher, almost at the height of the castle's roof. Then, it morphed into a deer with huge antlers and chinky yellow eyes.
Clara hesitated. "M-Meara?"
"Follow me." Meara galloped towards the heart of the castle, leaving tiny orange flames on the tips of the grass. Clara was left clueless and unmoving. The garden animals had to force her to stand up, pushing her towards the familiar throne room.
It was just like the first time she saw it. Everything was made of white and gold—from the throne to the streams of the waterfall.
The deer disappeared in a narrow hallway and Clara followed. The passage was dark with no lights except the glowing hoof prints the deer left. Clara traced its path, coming to a stop in front of an engraved door. The light was streaming out of its threshold.
Placing a hand on the door, Clara pushed it open with ease. It opened to an empty room, four times the size of the castle's throne room, with murals on the walls. The golden fire, now back in her form as a woman, stood waiting for her.
Meara waved a hand at the painted murals around them. "Do you recognize any of these paintings, Clara?"
Clara studied them closer. The walls were covered with paintings of different scenes. She ran a fingertip over it and the moment she did, she felt herself being pulled up. Clara pulled away. With her eyes closed, she massaged her temples when she felt her head was about to split.
"W-What was that?"
The slap of Meara's footsteps echoed on the floor. It lasted until Clara felt the fire's presence beside her.
"You were about to see something," Meara said. She reached for the same mural Clara touched, only to stop midway. "More than just random paintings on the wall, these murals are the memories of this world."
The pain in her subsided. Clara frowned, thinking deeply. "Memories of this world. History?"
Meara nodded, pleased. "Yes. And anyone who touches it will have the chance to relive those memories."
"This place, this castle. Where is this exactly?"
"This place is everywhere," Meara said it so low that Clara almost missed it.
Clara blinked. "Oh, alright." She did not press on the matter any further.
Meara let her roam around, which Clara was thankful for. She was starting to get amused as she identified some of the murals that matched what she learned from the history books. One of them was the Historian Assembly where Nivalon and Frostalia's peace treaty was first established. Another one was when Nivalon's kingdoms once disagreed, and a giant wave caused disasters, affecting neighboring empires. Nivalon's destructive wave became historical when even the untouchable floating islands of Eirinia were no exception. It amazed her how every important event that happened in this world could all fit in this large room.
"Come here, Clara," Meara called from the opposite side of the room. "What do you think of this one?"
Clara joined Meara and studied the mural closely. It was of a giant painted in black with terrifying red eyes, long hair, and sharp claws. In each of his hands were the sun and moon. His jaws were open wide about to devour the two celestial bodies and at his feet were bodies of dead people.
"I think... I know this one." Clara stretched out her hand but stopped herself in an instant, remembering what would happen if she touched it. "I... I don't understand. You said these murals are the history of our world. It happened in real life. But this painting of the giant... I saw this once from an illustrated book my parents forbade me to read as a child."
She looked at Meara, eyes wide in confusion. "This could have not been real... right? I mean, the story about the boogeyman's supposed to prevent us, kids, from ever doing naughty things. He will come for us at night, steal us from our parents, make us do things we hate and then eat us."
Meara tilted her head. "Is that how they tell children the story of The Dread?"
Clara choked on her saliva. That was not the first time she heard that name. Willow told her about the story of The Dread alright. He was used by parents so children wouldn't cry over little things. She couldn't believe that it was the same boogeyman from her childhood. They never called him names. Just 'boogeyman.'
"The Dread. Argyle. The Blood Magic user," Clara said slowly.
"You know him by his alias, name, and attribute. I assume you know he became a threat to our world's balance."
Clara nodded once, stepping a little farther away from the painted wall. There was an aching fear that the giant monster in the mural would come alive and grab her.
"It happened thousands of years ago... in the earlier days," Meara started. "The Dread is a very impatient man, you see. It takes a century before other users of the Sun and Moon magic resurfaces. To try his luck, he devours children with the hopes of finding the powers he seeks.
"If you touch this, imagine the horror you will see. This tragedy has been covered up in a telltale."
Clara gasped as Meara moved dangerously close to the wall. Meara continued, "This is not how The Dread looks like. This is merely just a depiction of his soul. No one to this day has ever seen him, but everyone knows he's just everywhere. That's why he's called The Dread. People fear his name. People fear his return."
"This... this is evil. I-I know he's bad, but I never knew the extent of it." Clara didn't realize she was trembling so hard even without the cold. "H-He's been killing children. And if he comes back, the horror of the past might just happen again!"
"Greed and power create evil, Clara. It's like every living Blood Atts." Meara turned to her in achingly slow steps. Clara had suddenly become scared for an unknown reason. "And do you think The Dread had never learned from his mistakes? He's been in hiding for so long now, probably because he finally learned to wait. Or maybe because this time, he knows where to look. Just the right moment is all he ever needs."
"H-How could you say it? Who are you really?"
Clara yelped as she tripped on her long dress. She continued to back away, tears streaming from her eyes.
"You realize you are the moon, right?" Meara reached out to touch her. A sob escaped from Clara's lips. For the last time, she glanced at the two celestial bodies that were about to be devoured by The Dread.
"Find the sun. You'll be strong together. Strong enough to finish The Dread's reign of terror."