Chapter 18 - Sleeping Gracefully

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TearCRF

Mmm… So soft. I roll onto my side, extend my arms and, as I pull them back, grab an armful of the pillowy material. Feels nice… I pause for a moment, place a hand near my head, and press into the spongy headrest. My pillow wasn’t this soft. I open my eyes and see that I am sinking into a white cushion. I stare at the spotless bedding and slowly sit up.

I lazily turn my head as I look around. The fluffy, white landscape I am sitting on extends as far as I can see, while, overhead, is a vast plane of more white. Well this is new…

“Where am I now?” I mumble as I lay back down, the cozy comfort embracing me. Wherever this is… I close my eyes and sigh pleasantly. …I like it. I lay there for a while enjoying a luxurious calm, before eventually opening my eyes. I should probably get up before I fall back asleep. I sit up again, sigh, then stand up.

Seriously though, where am I? Scanning the environment, nothing is visible save the white fluff. It’s oddly quiet too… “Hello?” I holler, cupping my hands around my mouth. My voice almost instantly disappears into the nothingness that surrounds me. Doesn’t seem like anyone is here…

I take a step forward and feel my foot press into the pillowy ground. Looking down, I notice that I am wearing a simple, white dress, while comfortable shoes adorn my feet. I sigh. At least I don’t have to worry about someone seeing me naked if I find somebody.

I look up and examine the horizon. Everything looks the same. “Hmm…” Well, it’s not like I’m going to get anything done just standing here. Just… Need to be careful since Revus and Faraine don’t seem to be here. I start walking forward.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” I shout as I traverse over the cushiony floor, “Can anyone hear me?” There has to be someone here right? Maybe not… But if not, then how did I get here? I freeze in place as my heart starts to race. Wait, did I die again? I place my hands on my head. No, please tell me this isn’t the afterlife. I pause and glance up. If this is my second time dying then would this be my after-afterlife?

I shake my head and continue my walk through the endless white plane. There’s really nothing here except me… I stop for a moment as my feet gently press into the fluff beneath me. …Well, me and this stuff. I bend down, reach my arm out, and press my hand into it. Soft. I smile as I close my eyes. Opening them, I retract my hand and watch as the fluff expands back into its original position.

I giggle as I start to repeatedly poke the fluff and watch it return to normal. I look down and see the indent from where I am standing. I wonder. I stand up and jump from one spot to another and, immediately turning around, watch as the fluff rises. “Hmhm.”

I start to jump backwards, going from here to there, ogling the fluff. “Ah!” I shriek as I trip backwards and fall into the pillowy landscape. “Pfft,” I laugh as I gradually sink into the ground. Well, it’s fun to play with, but what is this stuff? It’s fluffy, warm, and kind of bouncy too. I place my hand against the fluff, grip it, and, without any resistance, pull a clump of white fluff from the ground.

That was… Surprisingly easy. I sit up and examine the tuft of fluff, my eyes bouncing from it, to the hole that now resides where the clump once occupied. So it’s not connected… I poke the misshapen ball and stare at it, but stop and tilt my head. Why isn’t it going back to normal? I look at the hand-sized hole, then back to the small indent where I poked it. Is it because I removed it?

I put the clump back in its original spot and it slowly, but seamlessly merges back into place. “Phew,” I sigh lightly. Well, at least I didn’t ruin it. I look to another spot, grab another clump of fluff, and pull it from the ground. Since it’ll go back… I smile, cup my hands, and press them around the fluffy ball. Now…

I release the ball, keeping it within my cupped hands, and stare at it. Huh? I tilt my head. The fluff is now an almost perfect sphere in my hands. I furrow my brows and continue to observe the white orb, patiently waiting for it to do something. Why isn’t anything happening? Did I break it this time?

I look back at the hole and try to return it to its home. I release the sphere and watch as it instantly falls from the cavity, rolling down the indented fluff that I am sitting on until it hits my leg and stops. An anxious bubbling erupts within me as I grab the ball. Did I really break it? Quickly, I place it back in the hole and try to cover it up with surrounding fluff but the sphere repeats its previous motions, falling and rolling back to my leg. No, please. I didn’t mean to.

I look around in a slight panic, but the eerie nothingness ignores me. Right… There’s nothing here to get mad at me so what am I getting so freaked out for… I close my eyes, place my hand over my chest, and exhale. That’s better. I look at the ball, grab it, and lay on my back, holding the ball over my face. Why’d it change though? I poke the solid, glass-like ball and run my finger over it. Smooth?

I sit up and sigh. Now what? Glancing about, my eyes return to the fluffy ground once more. I really shouldn’t… I place the smooth sphere in my lap, reach out, and grab a new clump of fluff. I don’t even know what this stuff is, but… I press my hands around it, remove them, and look at a second, smooth sphere now in my hands.

I guess that confirms what happens when I squeeze it like that… Wonder what else I can do with it? I place the second sphere on my lap, next to the first, grab a new clump, and press my hands together. Will it be flat like a pancake? I pull my hands away and watch as the fluff swells from its flattened state, and returns to a clump. Nothing happened?

I grip the clump with both hands and pull them apart, tearing the clump into two smaller pieces. Interesting. I set one piece on the ground, cup my hands over the other, and press them together. Removing my hands, I see that the small clump remains. Nothing happened this time either? I glance at the fluff surrounding me. Do they need to be a certain size for them to change?

I grab another clump, form it into a sphere, and examine it. I wonder why they change? I look down and grab one of the other spheres resting on my lap. As I pull the orb in my hand up, the other sphere rises with it. Huh? They’re stuck together? I set the third sphere down on my lap, grip the connected spheres, one in each hand, and pull. THEY’RE… NOT… LETTING… GO…

I stop trying to separate them, exhale sharply, and lay down. I hold the two spheres over my face and scan them. They’re barely touching but won’t come apart… I lift my head and glance at the third sphere. I wonder… I hold the two spheres with one hand, grab the third sphere, place it against the conjoined spheres, and let go. It stayed! I smile, sit up again, grab several clumps of fluff, and start shaping them into spheres.

And that makes four. I smile proudly at the newly formed spheres. Now… I grab a new sphere with one hand, and the chain of three with the other. If I place them together then… I bring the four spheres together and release the singular sphere. It fell… I stare at the orb that fell into my lap. I tilt my head and analyze the three-sphere chain. Maybe only three can connect together? Unless they have to be in a certain order?

I grab the sphere I previously dropped, press it against the opposite sphere of the chain, and watch it fall once more. Nope. That clearly wasn’t it… Maybe they only stick to the middle one? I grab the orb again, place it against the middle sphere and, upon letting go, watch it stay in place. It stayed! So they do stick to the middle one. I look down at the three remaining spheres next to me.

I grab them and, one by one, connect them to the center sphere. Hmm… I can move them… I start to slide the spheres around the central orb, separating the top and bottom, then pulling the middle apart leaving two clusters of three. Hmm… I wonder how many I can fit on here…

I set the cluster of orbs down and start shaping clumps of fluff into smooth spheres. Four… I grab another handful, press my hands over it, and release. Five… I glance at the cluster. That should be good.

Slowly, I begin to add the spheres to the cluster. One after another, the empty space becomes occupied by a new sphere. I slide the spheres about to allow for another sphere to be placed. That’s all five but… I scan the cluster. …there’s still room for one, maybe two more. I sigh.

I grab two more clumps, shape them into spheres, and place the first within the remaining space. Good. I grab the second and start to move the outer spheres to try and make space for the final sphere in my hand. I push the sphere down, but it refuses to touch the central orb. Doesn’t seem to be enough space… Guess I made one too many…

I put the last sphere down on the ground at my side and lay down on my back, holding the cluster of spheres overhead. Now what… I rotate the cluster, looking at it. It’s cool but I can’t fit anymore on it… I blink and, suddenly, an almost transparent sphere surrounds the cluster. What’s this? I sit up and put the cluster in my lap. Is it going to do something? I wait for a moment, then try to touch the glassy casing, but my hand passes through it and touches the cluster.

I sigh. Looks like I got my hopes up for nothing… I place my elbows on the cluster, and rest my chin in my hands. Well that was entertaining for a bit but I guess I should- As my elbows start to sink, I hold myself up and glance down at the cluster. The outer sphere is back and… I tilt my head as I lean closer. Did it get smaller?

I lift the cluster up, bring it toward my face, and put a hand on either side of it. Did it get smaller because I leaned on it? I push my hands together and watch as the cluster of spheres start to merge with the outer sphere. A little more. The head-sized cluster of spheres shrinks as they fuse together, before the entire cluster is encased and hidden within my cupped hands.

I pull my hands away and, there, a singular sphere resides but, unlike the previous spheres, a white ring hovers around the sphere without directly touching it. They became one? And what’s with this ring? I go to poke the ring, but my finger passes through it. Interesting… I look down at the extra sphere I made, grab it, and place it against the ringed sphere. As I release the ringless orb, it falls to the ground. So they won’t connect if they’re different? Does that mean that if I make another ringed sphere they’ll stick together?

As quickly as I can, I grab handfuls of fluff and start to shape them into spheres. How many do I need again… I look at the ringed sphere. I started with a chain of three… made four more, so that’s seven. Then I made five which puts me at twelve. I glance at the extra I made. Plus one, so thirteen? I shape clumps into spheres until I have thirteen. Placing them together, I finally end up with another cluster.

I put my hands on either side of the cluster and, once again, an almost transparent sphere appears around the cluster. Here goes. I press my hands together until the sphere is small enough to fit within my hands. I open my hands and a second ringed sphere rests around them. Time to see if they stick together. I grab the first ringed sphere, stick the two together, and release my grip on one of them.

It worked! I tilt my head and furrow my brows. But that’s new… The two ringed spheres are connected, but the two rings have merged together, leaving one singular ring to surround both spheres. I place the spheres at my side, lay down on my back, and stare out at the white nothingness above me. Well that was fun for a bit but… My eyes glance about, searching for something. …I still have no idea where I am. What if I really am dead? Or maybe I’m stuck here? Heck, I don’t even know how long I’ve been here. I sigh. Guess I should keep looking and hope that I find a way out of here… Or at least something else to keep me occupied.

I sit up, grab my ringed spheres, then stand up. As comfortable as this place is, it’s… pretty empty? I sigh, slump forward, and start to wander forward over the fluffy landscape. I gradually shift from walking, to running, skipping, and then finally, jumping, humming along the way. I try to keep myself entertained so as not to worry, since nothing within this place ever seems to change.

I trip and collapse forward, falling on my chest and slowly sinking into the fluff. How long has it been? Maybe a few hours? I chuckle. Maybe days? I sigh heavily. I wish there was some way to tell time in here, but there’s nothing. As far as I can see, regardless of how far I walk, there’s nothing around me. I roll onto my back. And there’s nothing in the sky. I tilt my head. I can’t even tell if that’s sky or a roof… I sigh once more. Nothing above or b- I quickly open my eyes and spin around.

Below me… I stare at the fluff on the ground. What if there’s something beneath it? I grip the fluff and start to push it aside, digging my way down. How far down does this stuff go? After a moment, I look up, and see that I have dug myself into a hole. As I stand up, my eyes barely poke out from above the fluff. Geez, it’s a lot deeper than I thought it’d be… Maybe there is nothing down here? I look down into the hole I am in. And if I keep digging could the fluff bury me? It doesn’t seem heavy, but still, I’d rather not risk it. I tilt my head. Actually, what if there’s nothing beneath the fluff and I just start falling forever… A chill runs down my spine. Yeah, I’d rather not-

“Argh!” I shout as a sharp pain shoots through my chest. Breathing… hurts… A sudden cold starts to spread over the landscape and a cyan glow appears on the horizon. What’s… that? I press my hands against my chest and wait for the pain to subside.

“Huff…” I pant for a moment, then climb out of the hole. Resting on my hands and knees, I look up at the horizon. The ground and sky are tinted cyan, but the color deepens around a certain area. Something’s… over there…

“…vet…”

Hmm? Did someone say something? I look around and shout, “Is someone there?”

“…vus… it’s… ain…”

“Hello? Can you hear me?”

The cyan color in the distance gets stronger and the landscape, as if in sync with the light, gets colder. Why’s it so cold all of sudden? I force myself onto my feet, turn away from the glow, and start to retreat. Need to get away… The farther I walk away, the weaker the cold becomes.

This seems to be far enough. I turn around, and see the faint, cyan glow in the distance. Whatever that was-

“Evetta…”

“Revus?” I mutter as I look around. “Revus, where are you?”

“…vetta… you… me?”

“This isn’t the time for games,” I shout, cupping my hands around my mouth, “Where are y-”

I stop mid-sentence as I notice my translucent hands. My hands… I can see through them. As I stare at my now-clear hands in shock, white glitter starts to fall from them.

“Revus!” I shout in a panic. I frantically check the rest of my body, and see that I am now entirely see through, with the same white glitter radiating off me. “Revus! What’s happening?” Steadily, I become more and more translucent, until I-

“Revus!” I shout. I open my eyes, but blurry images greet me. I- I can’t…

“She’s awake,” Faraine comments anxiously. Faraine…

“Evetta, can you hear me?” Revus asks. Revus… It’s them. It’s really them.

“Yeah…” I mumble as my mouth trembles. I’m back… Steadily, my vision returns and I see Faraine sitting over me, anxiously looking down at me. Almost immediately, tears fill my eyes as I focus on her.

“Faraine, can you take care of the rest?” Revus asks.

“Sure,” Faraine nods, as she glances down at me and smiles.

“Good, then I’ll get some soup started.”

“Revus-” I start to speak.

“Don’t talk right now,” he interjects, “Just stay still for now.”

“Okay,” I mutter as I glance around the room. Are we in a tree? I smile. Guess it doesn’t matter, since I’m back. I look at Faraine and notice her hands are over me. Glancing down, I see red flames coming from her hands, pressing on my chest.

I furrow my brows, and inquire, “Uh… Faraine. What’re you doing?”

“Melting the ice,” she bluntly answers, her focus unchanged.

“What ice?” I ask as I try to lift my head. Ow… I feel… stiff? Stuck?

“There,” she remarks, “That should take care of the front, now…”

“Hey, what’re you doing?”

“Sorry, but bear with it for a bit more,” Faraine says. A moment later, she picks me up and rolls me onto my back.

“Faraine? Can you explain what’s-”

“It’s worse back here…” Faraine mumbles.

“What’s worse!?” I shriek.

“The ice.”

“What ice!?”

“The ice that keeps growing on your body!” Revus roars from across the room, “Now stop talking and let Faraine remove it!”

Ice that’s… growing on my body?

Faraine sighs heavily, “This is going to be…”

“Faraine, could you-”

“Evetta,” Faraine remarks, “This isn’t easy so could you be quiet and let me focus? Please.”

“Sorry,” I whimper. What the heck is happening?

I wait as patiently as I can while Faraine treats my back. As I lay there, I feel liquid start to roll down my skin. The heat grows steadily and water starts to puddle beneath me. Gradually, the stiffness holding me starts to loosen and, soon I can move my neck. Ah… Freedom… That feels nice. Before long, my back, arms, and legs are released from the ice.

“There,” Faraine sighs, “Done.”

“Agh,” I heave a deep sigh, “Finally.” I glance back at Faraine and ask, “Can I sit up now?”

“Sure,” She replies as she wipes her forehead.

I push myself up and, as I turn around, a blanket is thrown over me. “Hey, what’s this for?” I inquire as I pull it from my head.

“I imagine you’d rather not walk around naked,” Faraine replies.

“Naked!?” I shout as I pull the blanket around me. I glance down and see my bare chest and exposed lower half. I- I- naked… I glance up at Faraine. “Why was I-”

“Because we were looking for any ice left on you,” Faraine responds with a smile.

“If you’re done, go get changed,” Revus orders, “I’ll explain while you eat.”

I puff my cheeks and glare back at Revus. I turn to Faraine and, as she locks eyes with me, I ask, “Did you…” My face heats up as I get quiet and look away from Faraine.

“Sorry, but I figured you’d rather I see you instead of Revus,” Faraine gently consoles, “I had to convince him but he didn’t see you so you don’t have to worry.”

While my face is down, I glance up at Faraine and whisper, “Sleeps.”

“Now, go get dressed and then eat,” Faraine instructs, “I bet you’re hungry.”

“Food does sound nice.”

I look up as Faraine stands up and walks over a table resting near a makeshift kitchen. Scanning the room, I see our bags placed against a wall, but none of the beds are set up. Looks like we just got here? Now, what should I wear… I open my bag. Sitting on top is one of my dresses folded nicely. Well, this would be the easiest… I sigh, grab it and some undergarments, and put them on.

As I turn around, I feel the air tickle my lower back. Why’s it feel different? I look over my shoulder, trying to find the source of the strange feeling.

“I haven’t had time to make your new shirt, so I modified one of your dresses,” Revus remarks from across the room.

I face him and see him walking over to the table with a bowl of stew. As I approach the table, I comment, “It’s not exactly what I wanted, but sleeps.”

I sit down in one of the chairs. Faraine is sitting to my right. Revus sets the bowl down in front of me, walks around the table, and sits directly across from me.

I stare at the thick, brown stew for a moment, then glance up at Revus. “So, can you-”

“Eat,” Revus cuts in as he nods at the food.

“Fine,” I pout, grabbing the spoon.

Revus leans his head back against the chair, and exhales heavily, “You really know how to make me worry, don’t you.”

Sorry… I grab a piece of meat with my spoon and, as I glance up at Revus, put it in my mouth. “Uaagh!” Immediately, I spit the scorching-hot meat back into the bowl.

Faraine stands up quickly, but Revus is already at my side.

“Are you okay?” he inquires intensely.

“Aught!” I whine, my tongue hanging from my mouth. Tears well up in my eyes as I turn to Revus, “Iz oo aught!”

Revus glances down at the bowl, then back to me, “But… this is how I normally make it?”

I glare at him and state, while using my tongue as little as possible, “Woo I ee cying ih ih uhzn augh?”

“Pfft,” Faraine chuckles. I snap my eyes at her as she turns away. It’s not funny!

Faraine takes a breath, as she sits down, “Sorry.” Then, she picks up another spoon, grabs a different piece of meat, and eats it. Revus and I stare at her as she swallows it. Once done, she looks at me and says, “It seemed fine to me, still warm but not too hot.”

“Iz oo aught or me ough!” I bark at Faraine.. I turn to Revus and order, “Coo ih own!”

“Cool it down?” Revus clarifies.

“Ye!” I shout.

Revus sighs, glances at the bowl, then back to me, “Are you sure?”

“YE!” I roar, my blood boiling.

“Okay,” Revus replies as he holds his hand over the bowl. A brief moment later, a chill frost surrounds the bowl. He’s really making it cold? Then… I glance at Faraine. …If what they said is true, why is it so hot for me?

“There,” Revus comments as he pulls his hands away from the bowl.

“Zeepz,” I try to say as accurately as possible. Geez, now I can barely speak.

I watch as Revus turns around and makes his way back to his seat. I look at my icy bowl of soup. Doesn’t look as good anymore but… I put my spoon into the slushy meal, scoop up some meat and broth, and hesitantly shove it into my mouth.

“Mmm,” I hum as warmth bathes my mouth. “Mush etter,” I mumble with a mouthful of food.

Revus sighs, “Can you stop worrying us now?”

Sorry… I peek up at him, his yellow eyes fixed on me.

“Alright,” Revus starts, raising his index finger, “Since you seem fine-”

“Wait,” Faraine interjects, waving her hands in front of us. Revus and I turn to her and Faraine faces me, “Maybe let her eat first. This might be a little shocking so…”

“Fine,” Revus replies as he looks at me, then commands with a glare, “Eat.”

I continue working my way through the bowl of warm, slushy stew. It’s good and my tongue’s feeling better, but… Do you guys have to stare like that? I glance at them, my eyes, bouncing from one to the other. It’s making me uncomfortable. An anxious feeling starts to build up in my stomach. Oh no… Am I going to get sick again?

Burp. I look from Revus to Faraine, then down at my bowl as my face starts to heat up.
“Pfft,” Faraine rolls her eyes as she tries to stifle a laugh.

Revus, on the other hand, starts laughing unrestrained, “Hahaha.”

“Don’t laugh!” I bark, puffing my cheeks, “It’s not funny, I just burped.”

“Oh…” Revus exhales as he wipes a tear from his eye. He looks at Faraine, “Wasn’t expecting the first thing she does is… Pfft, ha.”

“Come on, it’s just a burp,” I complain, “What’s so funny about that?”

“It’s not… hmhm” Faraine clears her throat to collect herself, “We’ve been worried about how you’d react to the food.”

“Why would that-” Right. I got sick last time. Even I was… I look at Revus, “Is that why you were both staring at me?”

“That’s part of the reason,” Revus answers, “The other being we just wanted to see how you’re doing in general, and seeing how you reacted to the food…”

I tilt my head. “I’m doing fine right now though?”

“You don’t feel any different?” Revus inquires.

My body feels fine. My head doesn’t hurt. I stand up and stretch my arms and legs. No problems moving either. I put my hand against my chin. “Hmm…” I’m full now, I feel good. Actually… I quickly lift my head, “Ah, for once, I don’t feel cold.”

Faraine’s head noticeably dips as her mouth falls open and Revus’ eyes widen in shock, a confused look plastered on both of their faces.

“What?”

Revus turns his head slightly and questions, “You’re not cold?”

“Nope,” I smile widely, “This might be the first time in a while since I felt like this.”

“Evetta, I just spent the better part of a day thawing you,” Faraine suddenly blurts, “Yet, you don’t feel cold at all?”

I open my mouth to say something, but close and purse my lips. I guess I can see why they’re confused.

“Alright before we get there,” Revus says, “Let’s start at the beginning.” I sit back on my seat and turn to Revus. He glances at Faraine then back at me and sighs, “Evetta, you’ve been asleep for roughly four days now.”

“Huh?” I mutter, blinking several times. Wait, how does that make sense… “But then…”

Revus holds up his hand and continues, “The night you passed out, ice rapidly encased you.” He pauses as he looks at Faraine, “We worked to melt the ice, but even after it was all gone you didn’t wake up and…” He looks back at me, “The ice hasn’t stopped either.”

“Wait wait wait,” I blurt, “What do you mean it hasn’t stopped?”

“Faraine, could you do a quick check?”

“Sure,” Faraine replies as she gets up and walks over to me. I look up at the blue-haired woman, her red eyes filled with concern. “I’m going to check your neck, okay?”

“A-alright,” I mumble. My eyes follow her hand as she lifts my hair and looks at the back of my neck.

Faraine lets out a long sigh, “It’s back.”

“What?” I blurt as my heart starts to race. My eyes jump from Faraine to Revus, then back to Faraine. The ice, but they just melted it?

“You don’t need to worry,” Faraine consoles as she points at my head, “Could you hold your hair up?” She lets go of my hair and walks over to our bags. I turn around and watch as she pulls a cloth, and something else I can not see, from them. She returns to my side and places the cloth at my neck. “This will absorb any of the water so your clothes don’t get wet.”

“Uh… sleeps.”

“And here,” she adds as she hands me an ornate hair clip. The white metal is sleek, with a yellow flower resting atop it. A single, blue jewel sits in the center of the flower. Written fancily on the metal is the word ‘Raine’. The text glows a mystifying blue, rhythmically intensifying, then softening. It looks like it’s breathing.

“This is pretty,” I mutter as I stare at the wondrous clip, “Where’d you get it?”

“Faraine?” Revus snarls from across the table.

“I got it from my family,” she answers as she clips my hair in place, “And, this is only temporary. I’ll need it back, but for now, this will make it easier for us to check your neck.”

”Okay,” I murmur, “Well sleeps again.”

“Sure. Also, I’ll do your hair properly a little later.” Um… Do my hair?

A moment later, I see a red light radiate from behind me, its soft glow shining upon the walls and ground at my sides.

“There,” Faraine remarks, pulling the now damp cloth from my neck.

“So…” I face Revus, “Why is ice growing on me?”

“That’s what I want to know,” Revus growls, then places his hand on his forehead, squeezing his temples. He lowers his hand, stares at me, and hisses, “What happened the night you passed out?”

“What do you mean? Nothing happened?”

“Really?” Revus inquires skeptically, “You expect me to believe that you suddenly started producing ice because you felt like it?”

“Well, no.”

“Come on,” Revus implores, “Think, there has to be something that comes to mind. Something that triggered this.”

“Hmm…” Something that comes to mind… What’d we even do that day? We left the cave. Flew most of the day. I played with some flowers for a bit while Revus rested… I looked at the moons with Faraine… “The moons…” I mumble.

“What?” Revus says.

“That night, before we came in to eat,” I explain as I glance at Faraine, “We went to look at the moons and I saw something on Vigaro.”

“Right, I mentioned that before but…” Faraine stops and looks at Revus.

“Just seeing something shouldn’t cause this,” he clarifies, then gazes at me, “Are you sure there’s nothing else that seemed off that day?”

“Yeah,” I answer, “I felt fine up until then, but after…” I wrap my hands around my arms, “I started feeling really… really cold.”

“Yet you’re not cold now?” Revus inquires.

“Yep,” I answer joyfully.

“So she’s traded feeling cold for producing ice,” Faraine comments.

“Hmm…” Revus rubs his temples, then faces me, “What did you see that night? On the moon.”

“Um… I’m not sure if it was anything specific,” I reply, “It just looked like a black dot. But it started growing until the entire moon was black and then, poof it was gone.”

Revus sighs aggravatedly, then mumbles something to himself. He leans back against his chair and states, “Regardless of what’s going on, I’m glad you’re okay.”

I smile softly at him.

As we all sit at the table, an awkward silence fills the room. I silently scan the room, then blurt, “So… Where are we now?”

“Hm… Ah,” Revus mumbles, “We’re actually on the edge of the mountains.”

“Really!” I exclaim excitedly.

“Yeah. Maybe another day or two and we’ll enter the Valnia Woods,” Faraine explains.

“That’s the place with trees that are always on fire, right?” I inquire.

“That’s right,” Revus answers, “And I’m thinking about staying there for a while.” Faraine and I look at each other, then face Revus and, as I go to ask, hes continues, “As long as the ice keeps appearing on you, staying in Valnia should help keep it at bay.”

I guess that makes sense. And considering how focused Revus is on getting us to Folian, this might be a good chance to relax a little bit. I smile.

“I hate to burst whatever happy thoughts you’ve got going on up there,” Revus states, “but with Vigaro being the month of ice, your condition might be affected by the seasons.”

I tilt my head and glance at Faraine as I ask, “Which means?”

“He’s saying that if your condition is this bad during spring then imagine how bad it could be during winter,” Faraine elaborates.

I see… I look down at my hands and notice small patches of ice forming on my knuckles. Summer shouldn’t be that bad. Autumn might be a little worse than spring, but winter… I glance up at Revus, “Will I be okay?”

“That’s why I’m thinking about staying in Valnia,” Revus restates, “While we’re there, Faraine and I won’t have to constantly monitor you and we can try to figure out how to solve your problem…” He pauses for a moment, “Ideally before winter hits.”

I sigh and mope, placing my chin on the table, “It’s just one thing after another.”

“Heh, now you know how I feel,” Revus mutters.

Faraine pokes my arm and I turn to her, “Hmm?”

“Care to help me set up the beds?”

I smile, “Sure.” I get up and follow Faraine over to our bags. She bends down, grabs our blankets, and starts handing them to me. Ah, so comfy… “Oh right!” I shout, gripping the blanket and spinning to face Revus, “Revus, I just remembered.”

“What? Did you recall something else that might have caused this?”

“Huh? No,” I shake my head, “Earlier, you said I was asleep right?”

“Yeah…” he reluctantly answers, squinting his eyes. So I was asleep? Then where was I?

“Hello… Evetta?” Revus calls, “You going to finish explaining or are you just having a moment?”

I furrow my brows. “I AM NOT having a moment,” I bark, “Jerk. I can’t believe you’d say that.”

“Wouldn’t be your first time,” he comments.

My mouth drops open and I slowly turn toward Faraine, “Faraine…”

“I’m not involved,” Faraine immediately remarks, holding up her hands.

“Now you guys are just bullying me,” I complain, puffing my cheeks, “Hmph, fine I won’t tell you about what happened while I was asleep.”

“Oh, are you going to tell us about how you were making the ice grow on you?” Revus brashly taunts.

“No!” I bellow, clenching my fists.

“Evetta!” Faraine hollers from behind me. As I turn around, Faraine crawls to my side on her knees, grabs my right hand, and, immediately, red flames surround my ice-coated hand. What the… Revus rushes over, kneels down, grabs my left, and conjures golden-yellow flames that swallow it. My hands… The ice isn’t stopping…

I watch in horror as they both go quiet and silently start to melt the expanding ice, a look of concentration written on their faces as they fight the spreading ice. They’re both working so hard to keep the ice from… I smile flatly, then frown.

“I’m sorry,” I mumble.

Almost a minute passes before the ice fully melts.

“Phew,” Faraine exhales, “It wasn’t so bad this time.”

“Yeah,” Revus agrees, then looks at me, our eyes almost at the same level. He says, “You don’t have to apologize. You haven’t done anything wrong. If anything I should apologize for getting you all worked up.”

“It’s okay,” I mutter as tears start to form in my eyes.

Revus sighs and sits on the ground in front of me, “Alright, so, what were you going to tell us?”

“I was…” I pause, “Well, I don’t really know where I was, but it was white everywhere.”

Revus squints his eyes, turns his head to the side, and opens his mouth.

“The soul plane?” Faraine utters from my right.

“Wait, you mean, my soul plane?” I inquire as I place a hand against my chest. I turn to Revus, “But you said-”

“I told you that once you successfully graced your soul you’d know, but…” he pauses and places his hand on his chin, “You graced your soul?”

“But I never-”

“I know,” Revus interjects, “You gracing your soul while being asleep, much less encased in ice…”

“Is there anything else you can tell us about it?” Faraine asks.

“Well, everything was white, the sky, ground, everything,” I explain, “Um, it was also really quiet. Oh, but I think I heard your voices a few times.”

“Anything else?” Revus shoots.

“Um… The ground was covered in a lot of fluff, like clouds. It was bouncy, warm, and really comfortable to lay on,” I elaborate, but stop as I see their faces. Both, Revus and Faraine, are smiling widely. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No reason,” Faraine replies.

Revus chuckles, “Just know your mom’s going to love you.”

My mom? That’s kind of random… I shake my head and continue, “Anyway, I explored the place for a long time. I don’t know how long it was but it felt like a day or two, but I can’t say for sure since there was no way to tell time.”

“Interesting,” Revus acknowledges, “And I assume there was nothing in there.”

“Hmm, well I don’t know if it’ll still be there,” I state, “but I made some glass-like spheres about this big,” I describe as I use my hands to portray their size.

“So you made some axsel cores,” Revus comments.

“Is that what those were?” I inquire, “I was just playing with the fluff. I even made some with rings.” I smile widely.

Why’re they both staring at me like that? “Could you guys not look at me like I’m weird… please?”

“Sorry,” Revus sighs as he puts a hand on his forehead, then shakes his head. “I just wasn’t expecting you to say you made ringed cores… ‘for fun’.”

“Yeah,” Faraine agrees, “Making cores for fun… With how long it takes, you must’ve been pretty bored.”

“How long does it usually take to make one?” I question, glancing from Revus to Faraine.

“Hmm…” Faraine ponders for a moment, then answers, “It’s not going to be the same for everyone but a good guideline is if you can make a single core in a few minutes then you’re about average.”

I lick my lips. Minutes? “And what about the ringed cores?” I hesitantly ask.

“Maybe an hour?”

An hour… is average? I gulp. Then if it took me a few minutes to make a ringed core… I feel a sweat start to form under my arms. It’s okay, as long as I don’t tell them they won’t think I’m weird.

“Evetta?” Revus calls, “You okay?”

“Y-yeah,” I murmur, avoiding eye contact, “Of course.”

“You know,” he remarks, “Sometimes you’re great at lying but other times…” He leans forward, “You’re… this.”

“But I’m not lying,” I reply.

“Then what’re you hiding?” Revus inquires.

“Nothing.”

“Are you embarrassed?” Faraine questions, “Would you rather tell me, then I can explain it to Revus.”

Ugh… If you guys say it like that… I sigh and nod. Faraine leans next to me and, as I whisper into her ear, my words get progressively quieter, “Um… It took me a few minutes to make… ringed cores…”

Faraine sits up, a blank look on her face.

“So?” Revus prods.

Faraine holds up a finger, looks at me, and asks, “Could you repeat that?”

Mgh… I’d rather not… I lean toward her and quietly repeat, “It took me a few minutes to make ringed cores…”

Faraine turns to Revus and, as they lean toward one another, I hear Faraine mumble something in his ear. Revus glances at Faraine with an astonished face, then stares at me. As I match his gaze I feel a knot start to form in my stomach. Say something already. One of you please!

Faraine still has a blank face as if she is staring off into space. Revus is shifting his hands from his temples, to covering his eyes, then pulling his eyes down, constantly massaging his face.

“I knew I shouldn’t have said anything,” I mope.

Revus sighs, “You’re not weird… You’re just… not normal?”

“Isn’t that the same thing?” I bark.

“It’s a good thing if anything,” Revus argues.

I glare at him. “If that’s true then why are you both acting like, like that!” I shout as I motion both my hands toward Faraine.

“Because for everyone else,” Revus starts to explain, “We have to put in hours upon hours of cultivating to make multiple ringed cores, and you ‘playfully’ make multiple in a few minutes.” He takes a breath, “Do you have any idea how upsetting that is for us?”

“Um… Very?”

“Urgh!” Revus roars, “If I was that skilled I’d be-” He stops, stares at me, and turns his head. I don’t like that look. “Evetta, from now on, you can’t tell anyone else about how quickly you can make your cores. Do you understand?”

“Yeah, sure,” I nod, leaning back.

Revus sighs, “Clearly you don’t. Let’s say that, currently, about half of all fairies would like to become one of your pages.”

“Isn’t that too much?”

He rocks his head side to side, “Maybe, but let’s use it for our example. If word gets out about how quickly you make your cores, it wouldn’t be surprising if that number jumps up to almost everyone.”

“Okay, now you’re definitely joking.”

“I’m not,” Revus remarks, a serious tone in his voice, “When a fairy becomes your page, you and your page share your power with one another, enhancing each other. Now what would happen if everyone found out that such a fairy still had spots available for pages.”

“They’d… gather around me?”

“Gather?” he scoffs, “More like swarm.” Revus sighs, “Look just don’t tell anyone else about this, the only people you can tell are Nova and your parents. Do you understand?”

“Yeah,” I nod sullenly.

“Good,” Revus says, getting up.

“Um, I did have something I wanted to ask about,” I state, getting Revus to direct his attention to me once more.

“What’s up?”

“When I was in my soul plane, there was… Well, I don’t know what it was, but there was something cyan glowing in-”

“Why didn’t you say this sooner!?” Revus roars as he rushes around me and gets on his knees.

“Hey! What are you-”

“Faraine!” Revus hollers, as he snaps his fingers in front of her face, “Time to come back to our realm.”

“Hm?” Faraine turns to look at us, “Sorry, I was imagining how easy life would be if-”

“That’s great! Hurry up and lay down a blanket!”

“Revus, why’re you so worked up?” I question.

“If you saw something in your soul plane,” he hurriedly explains, “Then whatever that was might be what’s causing the ice to form on your body.”