Elder Merakia lifted Elysha’s unconscious body into her arms, carefully cradling her as she carried her to her room.

  Concern etched deep lines across her forehead as she saw the toll the pain and confusion had taken on the little girl. Elysha’s exhaustion was notable, and she couldn’t deny but feel a sense of responsibility for pushing her too far, too soon, in her journey of theonum sorcery.

  As she gently laid her down on the bed, Elder Merakia couldn’t help but question her own judgement of her own actions during the incident.

  ‘Could I have been too hasty?’ she thought quietly, her fingers pressed to her chin. ‘Elysha has only just awoken to this world, and her journey has been filled with uncertainty from the start. Perhaps I expected too much of her, especially considering her unknown past.’

  As she pulled the blanket over Elysha’s sleeping figure, Elder Merakia turned her eyes to look at the girl’s face, though at rest, showed signs of stress and pain.

  ‘The girl is still a child, it is unfair to burden her with the complexities of sorcery before she is truly capable and ready,’ she mused. ‘To find this possible ‘kuniju-naufenüvji child’ in the depths of the forest was a miracle in itself—I should not expect her to uncover her theonum core so soon, just because she wanted to find her identity as a mage…’

  She continued, ‘Elysha’s sensitive state and her desperate search for belonging may have misguidedly pushed her to go beyond her limits. Not only that…’

  Elder Merakia frowned, her eyes narrowing as she remembered the haunted look on the little girl’s face and the laughter she had let out.

  ‘Ah—Hahahahaha!!!’

  She gripped her hands tightly, for she couldn’t shake the feeling that she might have overlooked the burden such a task would place on the child’s current condition.

  With a sigh, she continued her musings, ‘Perhaps I should allow time to measure the child’s condition until she is ready to return to training. Today is an exception to assess her growth and the potential challenges that lie ahead on her path in life.’

  Elder Merakia looked once again at Elysha’s unconscious form. ‘Still, I must find out the cause of her recent disturbing behavior,’ she thought, gritting her teeth.

  As she looked at the child’s current state of rest, a feeling of affection and pride touched a sensitive nerve. She sat down on the side of the bed and carefully brushed a stray strand of hair from Elysha’s face.

  She said wearily, “These emotions I feel right now… are all because of this child.”

  ‘It is not often for a person like me to feel this way,’ she spoke in her thoughts. ‘For now, I will raise her, train her, and keep her safe until the time is right to let her go, just as I have done with Lucius.’

  She gave a single nod. ‘For this child—as my intuition tells me—is as mysterious as a phenomenon itself. I will dedicate myself to providing Elysha with the comfort and care she needs. Investigating her past can wait until she is ready to leave the nest.’

  Elder Merakia watched her sleep until she rose from the bed to leave the room. But just as she was about to reach for the lamp and turn it off, a small hand grabbed her sleeve and a faint voice filled the air.

  “Don’t go,” Elysha begged, her tired and vulnerable eyes trembling. “Please stay. Don’t leave me alone.”

  Elder Merakia’s expression softened, and she nodded with a smile. “I will stay,” she replied tenderly, sitting down on the edge of the bed next to her. “I will be here with you until you fall asleep, dear child.”

  Clutching her pillow, Elysha nestled her head into the soft cushion and murmured sleepily, “Thank you, Elder Mera.”

  The room was silent as she sat quietly by the little girl’s side, gently stroking her hair. After a few minutes, the child finally asked, “Elder Mera, why can’t I remember anything from before you found me?”

  Elder Merakia lowered her gaze, her brow furrowed as she considered how to respond as Elysha continued her questions, “Is there something wrong with me? How do I stop the pain when I try to remember?”

  Then she lifted her head from the pillow, her eyes fixed on her guardian, searching for answers and reassurance. “Do you think I will be okay, Elder Mera?”

  Her guardian watched the child’s eyes, which had become a little sharper as a result of what she had experienced. Then she sighed and smiled, showing her reassuring affection as she placed her hand on the child’s right cheek.

  “Huh—?”

  Elysha’s pupils fluttered. She felt the warmth emanating from her guardian’s touch.

  “You will be, dear child,” Elder Merakia replied, her fingers caressing Elysha’s cheek. “Remember, things do take time, after all. It’s too soon to expect any immediate progress. Today is just the beginning, and tomorrow holds a long road full of memories yet to be discovered. Life is a story of adventure, and you are, after all, my little protagonist to raise.”

  A smile curled the little girl’s lips as she clutched her pillow tightly, finding comfort in her guardian’s words. With a soft rustle of fabric, she buried her face in the pillow again, and this time a muffled hint of a soft squeak escaped her.

  Silence returned to the room, a brief pause in the conversation. There was no discomfort or embarrassment in the silence, but calmness and serenity.

  ~ ??? ~

  After a while, Elder Merakia rose from the bed, breaking the quiet stillness.

  “Wait here for a moment,” she instructed, stirring the little girl, who fell half-asleep from her pillow. “I will pick up something important and return shortly.”

  Elysha remained in the room, blinking her senses into clarity. Looking around, she thought she caught a glimpse of movement at the edge of her vision, and her eyes stared into a corner next to the curtains. However, it disappeared completely when her guardian reappeared, holding a book in her hands.

  Elder Merakia settled down in a chair next to the bed. “Elysha,” she began in a thoughtful tone. “If I remember correctly, you took this book off the shelf earlier, didn’t you?”

  Her face emerged from the wall of her pillow and she turned her gaze to the cover of the book. It was indeed the same book she had once seen on the shelf—the one with the strange symbol.

  “Yes,” she said. “I remembered it, but I couldn’t read it clearly. The words seemed blurry to me. How did you know?”

  A wry smile curved Elder Merakia’s lips. “Let’s just say I have good observation skills.”

  Then she opened the book and deftly flipped through the pages to find a particular story. “This book contains stories about the Soliremisce Archipelago, the world we live in,” she explained. “Written by a storyteller in the past who was very passionate about stories, each tale contains valuable meanings and lessons for those who listen. The characters on these pages have wishes, dreams and emotions that carries them through the passages. Not only that, but the stories are reflected on real experiences of the people on the islands themselves.”

  Elysha suppressed a yawn. “How interesting…" she mumbled, trying not to let the sleepiness overtake her. “Tell me more.”

  Elder Merakia continued flipping through the pages until she reached the cover of a particular story. “Ah, I found it. This one is called, “‘The Dreamweaver Bird.’”

  “The Dreamweaver Bird?”

  “Yes,” she nodded. “This is one of several unique stories written by this storyteller. This story is about a girl who dreams of flying—to fly and to see the world with her own eyes.”

  “Fly?”

  Elder Merakia turned and saw Elysha’s eyes looking at her curiously.

  “Yes, indeed, flying,” she confirmed. “Like a bird that takes to the sky, flies through the clouds and travels to different places that you may never have been before.”

  “How do you fly? I want to know, can you show me how?”

  Her guardian chuckled, “Well, flying is indeed possible, but unfortunately I cannot show you today as the sky has become late and dark. For now, let me read you the story of ‘The Dreamweaver Bird’ first.”

  Elysha nodded and Elder Merakia adjusted the book so that the little girl could see the illustration on the page. A gleam of amusement danced in the lady’s eyes as she cleared her throat and prepared to read the passage.

  She began in a voice full of storytelling charm:

  “There was a wistful dream felt by a curious girl....

  A dream in which she was a bird whose heart spoke to the vast, open world....

  To see with her own eyes upon the different places: from a meadow of flowers, to the mystical green forests, and to the rest of the wondrous lands in the afar....

  And yet they were all elusive to her; a dream that was only just a longing dream....

  When one night, as she lay in her bed like a nest and slept under the starry sky, a bright star fell down in its basked gleam....

  And when she opened her eyes, it appeared in front of her in place of her hand-drawn book. The little girl cradled the bright essence in her arms like a large egg. She closed her eyes once more and whispered to the star....

  ‘I want to fly.’

  Her eyes reflected gold when she imagined flight. Just as the child was about to drift off to sleep again, the star bathed the girl in its light. Wings sprouted from her back, and she jumped out of bed, happily surprised as she danced around and around....

  With her wings until she turned to the window and saw the expanse of the stars that greeted her. She took a deep breath, climbed out of the window, flew and danced through the skies....

  In her dreams, the girl has woven her story as a bird, and now she has become one in the air and sees the whole world before her eyes....”

  Elder Merakia continued until she had finished reading the passages. After that, she turned to Elysha and asked, “What do you think of this story?”

  Elysha blinked her eyes, took a brief moment to process her impression and nodded her head with a smile, “I liked the story,” she said. “Um…..”

  “Don’t worry, take your time.”

  “... I liked the dreaming and the girl who imagined flying and the bright star that gave her the wings to fly in the sky,” she said. “It’s very nice and warm. I liked this story a lot.”

  Her guardian chuckled again, “I figured that you would like this story,” she said, remembering the child’s wondrous gaze in the garden.

  “What happens next?” Elysha asked. “The girl met a man with a big bird and went on adventures together before she had to go home.”

  “Next? Oh, that was the end of the story.”

  “End?”

  “Yes, because when the author has finished, there are no more words after what was written, but since the story is open-ended, you can always imagine more adventures if you wish.”

  “I see,” Elysha said, looking ambivalent until the sound of pages turning reached her ears, and she watched as Elder Merakia continued flipping pages until she reached the beginning of another story.

  “This one is called ‘The Girl, the Beast, and the Golden Tree.’”

  “The girl, the beast, and the…?”

  “Golden tree,” her guardian finished. “I find this story to be particularly interesting. It’s more serious and darker in tone than the other one, but it makes you think more deeply about the story itself.”

  “Oh, I see, I want to hear about it.”

  Her guardian smiled upon hearing her pupil’s impatient anticipation, and so she began to tell the story:

  “Abandoned and cold, she was still a lamentable soul....

  The Beast, forsaken by fate, waits in the depths of the forest....

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  In search of the light, haunted by fear, the girl was lost and alone....

  Wreathed in shadows, the Beast crept through the veil of darkness....

  Clinging to hope, she saw a golden tree from afar....

  The tree allures, its swaying leaves asking for a wish....

  The girl had a feeling that wavered in her heart....

  Of a wish that would bring her dreams to life....”

  When Elder Merakia had finished reading the story, she turned to Elysha and asked, “What’s your opinion of this story?”

  Elysha tilted her head to the side and thought about the question for a moment before answering, “Hmm, I find the story interesting, but I don’t understand it.”

  “I see, then what can you tell about the story as far as you can remember?”

  The little girl thought for a moment and then answered, “Um, it was about a girl who was alone on a cold day, and everyone was having fun but her. So she walked and walked, following light after light until she got lost in the forest alone. She cried when she can’t find her way out in the dark when… a beast was behind her.”

  “Indeed, and what happens after that?”

  “Um, she ran and ran until she saw a golden tree that asked her for a wish, and she wished that her dreams would come true. I don’t know what happened after that.”

  Elder Merakia nodded. “That is a good way to interpret it,” she remarked. “This is one of the common fables often told as a bedtime story or during a fair noon leisure. For the story itself, there may be more to it than meets the eye. It could very well serve as a metaphor for hope.”

  “Hope?”

  “Indeed, for when light meets darkness, and darkness meets light, there lies the essence of hope. Just as the girl in the story faced darkness and despair, she also encountered the golden tree—a symbol of hope and possibility.”

  Elysha pondered her words, and as her guardian continued, “There is much more of the story to tell, however, all of that would be revealed another day.”

  “You are stopping here?”

  “Oh no,” she corrected, “there are a few more I want to tell, it hasn’t been long since I started telling stories, has it? Unless you are tired and want to go to sleep, do you?”

  “Oh no-no!” Elysha insisted, “I want to hear more, I’m not tired yet. Is there another story you could tell me?”

  A smile curled around Elder Merakia’s lips. “Indeed, yes,” she replied. “There is another story called “‘Totheniui’s Owl.’”

  “Tohujhi’s Owl?” Elysha blinked her eyes. “Toh—”

  “Totheniui,” Elder Merakia corrected. “This story is about a prominent individual from the City of Totheniui, which is named after him. He is the founder of a famous library and institution, and he is accompanied by his faithful owl, a loyal companion on their pursuit through the layers of history and knowledge preserved.”

  She spoke as she flipped through the pages to find the beginning of the story and began to read aloud:

  “Thus was the tale of the owl of Totheniui—

  Who watches over the library, wise and enigmatic....

  The owl is faithful to its master, the one who leads the prestigious city....

  To collect and preserve stories, gathering them like precious gems and storing them within the repository of knowledge....

  Night after night, the owl continues its solitary flight. The people know of the owl, who flies as the moon casts its silvery glow over the snow-covered mountains....

  Reclusive and aloof, the owl rarely communicates with the people of the lamplight city, only to collect new stories for the library....

  By fulfilling its role for the Totheniui, the owl preserves and regulates the repository—for the people, for the city, for the world itself. Stories are like fertilizers for the tree of knowledge....

  Despite its conscientious routine, the owl longs for something more, something that attracts the owl's eyes more than books, more than the pleasure of secrets and cryptic words....

  Perhaps something more intrinsic to the ideal than the mundane. Such as the time span for a bored and lonely owl is longer than that of the books themselves....

  Thus the tale of the owl of Totheniui continued its flight....”

  Elder Merakia finished reading, lowered the book, turned to Elysha and asked, “How do you feel about this story?”

  Elysha thought for a moment and frowned slightly. “Hmm, I liked the story and the owl, but I still don’t understand it.”

  “Is that so? Then what can you gather from the story, as far as you can remember?”

  “Um, it’s about an owl that belongs to Toteni and watches over the library. And the owl collects stories and wants more...”

  The little girl thought again until she said, “Um, that’s all I can remember. I’m sorry.”

  “Oh, there is no need to apologize,” said Elder Merakia. “This story seems a little more difficult to comprehend in its abstraction. I suspect there’s more to the story, but unlike the other story before, there’s no continuation for this one.”

  “No more?”

  “No more indeed, sadly.”

  Elysha’s expression changed, and she leaned back against the pillow and said, “How sad,” she murmured softly. “What is an owl though?”

  “An owl?”

  She nodded.

  Elder Merakia studied her and replied, “An owl is a bird.” Then she asked, “Do you know what birds are?”

  “Yes, like the bird in the first story. They fly up into the sky and have wings like this on their backs.”

  Elysha stood up on the bed and gestured to where her back is, then she raised a questions, “Are we birds too, Elder Mera?”

  Her guardian chuckled, and bluntly responded, “No.”

  “No? But the story…?”

  “I will like to ask you another question,” she continued, “Do you know what birds are before you heard of The Dreamweaver Bird story?”

  Elysha’s brows furrowed as she pondered Elder Merakia’s question. “Um... I’m not sure,” she admitted hesitantly. “I don’t know…”

  “You don’t have to remember,” she clarified. “Even if you do not know, I can tell you everything there is to know about birds.”

  ‘I may likely have to send her into the woods tomorrow morning with a children’s encyclopedia and a folder of homework,’ she sighed inwardly and looked at her watch. “It is almost bedtime, so the next story will be the last one for the night.”

  “Okay,” Elysha nodded.

  With a subtle movement, Elder Merakia turned the pages of the treasury book. “The next story,” she announced with a sense of finality in her voice, “is called, ‘The Cat and the Bird.’”

  “The Cat and the Bird?”

  “Yes, and just to our coincidence, this story also features a bird alongside a cat.”

  “Cat?”

  Elder Merakia looked at the little girl with scrutiny. “... Do you also not know what a cat is?”

  She fell silent and her guardian sighed, “Tomorrow morning, you will go outside the house and explore the woods so that you can get to know and understand the world you live in better.”

  Elysha’s eyes lit up and she spoke, “I am?”

  “Indeed, yes,” she nodded. “Well then, let’s begin this story, shall we?”

  Elysha closed her eyes, a feeling of anticipation rising within her. She settled into a comfortable position, ready to engage in the words that would soon tell another story.

  Elder Merakia began to read:

  “Long ago, there was a world of the lost....

  Everything was shrouded in white, a sad, fragile and lonely sight....

  A lonely cat stood around looking for something....

  Whatever it could be, it would appear one day....

  The cat, with a heart full of longing, is on an endless journey....

  Then a bird appeared and greeted the cat....

  The cat watches as the bird flies, wings outstretched as if in heaven....

  The cat was nothing and the bird was everything….”

  Elder Merakia closed the book and turned to Elysha, whose eyes filled with empathy. “I felt bad for the cat,” she said, this time speaking first before her guardian.

  “You felt bad for the cat?”

  “Mm-hm.”

  “Tell me more, dear. What made you feel sorry for the cat?”

  “The cat in the story felt lonely and sad because the bird had everything the cat wanted, like flying in the sky,” she explained.

  Elder Merakia regarded Elysha with a smile and asked, “What would you say to the lonely cat if you had the chance?”

  Elysha’s gaze moved briefly, meeting Elder Merakia’s deep green eyes. She replied, “I want to tell the cat that he is not alone in this world, because I am here at his side.”

  A quiet atmosphere filled the room after her words until Elder Merakia spoke, “You possess emotional intelligence beyond your years, dear child,” she complimented, clapping her hands gently. “Not only that, but there is much wisdom, knowledge and experience to be gained from this world, just as this treasury book holds tales of our history and the stories of Soliremisce, full of important details to be remembered.”

  She placed the book on the side table as she continued, “As for more stories, I will tell you another day.”

  Elder Merakia pulled the blanket over the little girl. “Rest well, Elysha. I will have breakfast ready for you in the morning.”

  When the flickering lamp went out, Elder Merakia turned to the door. Just as she was about to close it, a soft voice reached her ear. “Good night, Elder Mera.”

  A warm smile graced the lady’s face as she replied, “Good night to you, too, my dear child.”

  ~ ??? ~

  After closing the door, Elder Merakia could not help but let out a heavy sigh, the weight of her responsibilities finally lifted from her weary shoulders for the remainder of the night.

  As she stepped into her office, she reached out her hand and, with a flick of her finger, lit a nearby candle, its warm glow casting a light across the room.

  Her tired eyes scanned the familiar surroundings, taking in the rows of books containing knowledge of plants, creatures, and medicines, as well as the stacks of parchment containing letters from various addresses.

  Sinking into her well-worn chair, Elder Merakia let out another deep sigh as her body sank comfortably into the familiar cushion.

  “Ugh, I’m completely exhausted,” she said with a groan. “I need a moment to relieve my skin.”

  She rested her elbow on the table, her hand cupping her face. The events of the day were still fresh in her mind, and the stories she had shared with Elysha echoed in her thoughts.

  Her eyes narrowed, unable to shake the haunting memories that still lingered in her mind. The tear-streaked face of her young pupil played over and over again, from their initial encounter to their breakfast together. The pain and anguish etched in Elysha’s eyes left an indelible mark. The mere thought of the child suffering any more was unbearable to her.

  “That child, I wondered, what connection could she have with the mysterious force from earlier that had the entire forest in a state of rude awakening?” she mused aloud, leaning back against her chair. “Is she really just another phenomenon of a kuniju-naufenüvji child? Or is she something more than a lost child as far as this complex connection is concerned?”

  She furrowed her brow, her lips tightening in a flat line. “Why, no child in this forest, or even in this world, has ever experienced a degree of pain comparable to hers.”

  After a moment of indulging her thoughts, Elder Merakia straightened her posture and picked up the quill. On a sheet of parchment, she began to write a letter to the chief of the nearby village of Illumija.

  She sighed and muttered, “Nevertheless, I will inform the neighbors of this forest about the situation, however, Elysha’s unknown background will remain as a kuniju-naufenüvji.”

  As Elder Merakia wrote down her letter, her narrowed gaze wandered across the desk. She couldn’t help but stare at a stack of papers next to a picnic basket and the letters that had arrived today. The sight of them brought back memories of that early morning.

  Before Elysha woke up, she had put down her cup of coffee and went outside to see a winged creature perched on the mailbox.

  She greeted the courier, “Firlija, good morning to you my friend.”

  “Good morning, Elder Merakia,” she replied back with a gesture of her wing.

  Her attention turned to a wicker basket sitting next to the mailbox. On the lid was a black letter.

  She raised a finger to her chin and asked, “My goodness, did you deliver such a cute-looking basket to me?”

  “Oh, that basket you see, I didn’t deliver it here.”

  “Not you?”

  “Not me,” she shook her head. “On the other hand, those letters in your mailbox came from yours truly!”

  “Is that so?” Elder Merakia asked with a narrowed expression, staring at the ominous letter sitting next to her residence.

  “The basket was sitting there when I had arrived,” said Firlija. “From my nostrils, I could smell cookies inside!”

  “Cookies?”

  “Yes, you can check under the lid to make certain of it!” she said. “Anyways, I need to get going with my job. See you next time!”

  Elder Merakia watched as Firlija took off towards the next house to make the delivery. Then she knelt down and opened the lid of the basket, revealing a black envelope sitting on top of the many plastic bags of chocolate chip cookies. There was no return address or any other information on the envelope. Completely anonymous.

  She sighed, “Just who could possibly have sent me all this?”

  Closing the lid, she stood up and opened the mailbox, took a set of new mails and walked back to her house. She glanced at the sender’s name on the first and front mail.

  “Oh? From Professor Chthostric?” Elder Merakia’s brows crinkled with interest.

  She entered the house and stopped at the table to set down the letters and opened the letter from the esteemed professor from the Totheniui Institution. She raised the paper and read the message:

  ‘Dear Elder Cécil Merakia,

  I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you with a matter of urgency concerning the delicate balance of theonum energy in the Forest of Ir?stos around your residence. Recent observations and analyses conducted by our esteemed scholars at the Totheniui Institution have revealed concerning fluctuations in the levels of theonum energy, indicating a potential destabilization of the equilibrium.

  In particular, our research indicates a significant increase in the conflicting energies between the Elbijans and Zhivopians within the vicinity of the forest. This imbalance has increased the likelihood of a distortion effect, where the conflicting energies interact in such a way as to disrupt the natural order of theonum flow.

  As you are well aware, the consequences of such a disturbance can be dire. We need only look back to the tragic events of the disaster that occurred in the Isle of Vikavirya ten years ago to understand the devastating consequences of uncontrolled fluctuations in theonum energy. It is imperative that we take proactive measures to address this situation before it escalates further.

  I urge you to remain watchful and to take all necessary precautions to mitigate the risk of a major incident occurring within your forest and alert your neighbors as well. Our scholars at the Totheniui Institution are prepared to conduct thorough research to determine the cause of the unstable levels, and are available to provide you with advice and assistance if you need help in this matter.

  Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require further information or assistance. We can work to ensure the safety and stability of the beloved forest and its inhabitants.

  With sincere regards,

  Professor Demetrius Chthostric

  Totheniui Institution’

  Elder Merakia sighed and set aside the quill, its ink still drying on the parchment. She leaned back in her chair and let her tired eyes wander to the flickering flame of the candle, whose warm glow cast changing shadows in the room.

  “A troublesome time indeed,” she whispered softly, her words fading into the still air of the office. Her gaze wandered to the mail next to the professor’s letter, a black envelope emitting foreboding.

  After a moment or two of staring at the mysterious mail, Elder Merakia reached for it and opened it.

  Her eyes skimmed over the letter and took in the words written inside. Her brows drew together, and her expression changed from curiosity to a deep frown as she read on.

  “Beijal.”

  From the shadows emerged a creature. “Kyjuu?”

  “Burn this mail.”

  Without hesitation, the creature obeyed, enveloping the letter in flames until it was nothing but ashes. As the last remnants of the letter disintegrated, Elder Merakia let out a deep sigh in frustration.

  “Annoying,” she scowled. “Whoever wrote it, I’m going to find that person and make sure I get every last bit of answer out of them.”

  Her teeth gritted and her hands clenched into fists, but she knew she couldn’t let fear and anger get the better of her.

  She whispered under her breath, “How did this person know?”