That same night, Gamma appeared in the Oceania Archipelago’s largest island. Pine trees surrounded her. Their branches waved in rhythm with her auburn hair as the gentle sea breeze flowed past.
Gamma joined her palms in prayer. The leaf symbol etched in her forehead glowed orange and the forest slowed to a standstill. Everything around—the grass, leaves, branches and trees—became illuminated in azure. Little beams rose from the grass, and particles of various colors shifted in and out of existance.
The leaf continued to glow. Through Koyo, Gamma could view dimensions normally invisible to the naked eye.
She extended both of her arms and gently rose her self up in the air, eventually reaching the peak of those trees. The entire island was in view—along with that yellow spherical barrier she and the other Alphabet members formulated.
That was good. The queen hadn't stepped foot in that place. Or at the very least, she was unable to breach it. They all knew that it was a matter of time. But none of that mattered now.
Gamma descended back down and walked towards the largest pine tree. “I know you’re here, Yuuna.” She placed her palm at its large trunk. “Show yourself.”
But little Yuuna did not appear. Gamma’s green eyes narrowed. She had no choice but to force her out. With one sudden and swift release of Ether, she sent energy shockwaves through the tree’s own Ether network.
Some of its leaves instantly withered away and fell down one after the other. Little Yuuna still did not appear. “You’re quite persistent today,” Gamma smiled. “But I’ll do it again. I know you’re here. You can’t escape the barrier.”
Yuuna’s voice echoed through the cold air. “Your threats are of no meaning.”
Gamma removed her hand from the trunk. It made no difference whether Yuuna was right in front of her. “I mean no harm. Quite the opposite, I have a proposal that you might enjoy hearing.”
“No harm? You have trapped me in this island. I need not hear any of your proposals, human. They are probably of a violent nature.”
“You hate humans. I get it.”
“You are a faulty creation. You plagued this world.”
“A world that you so much love.”
“And a world that the architect is now displeased with.”
“Have no fear, Yuuna.” Gamma placed her palm over her chest. “I am here to tell you that this world has plenty of hope left. That there are humans who are worth the effort.”
“Impossible. All humans are the same—through and through!”
“No, you’re wrong. In fact, there is a certain someone I’d like you to meet. You will get along well.”
“I’m not interested.”
“That’s too bad.” She slowly turned her back to the tree trunk. “And here I was going to offer you a way out of this island.”
Instantly, Yuuna—a small black cat-like spirit—appeared in front of Gamma. “Wait!” she flapped her wings to come close. “For once, you said something of interest!”
Gamma smiled and waved her finger. “It comes with conditions.”
“What conditions? Tell me right now!”
“You have to fuse with a human.”
Yuuna’s red eyes and whiskers twitched. A sphere of light appeared around her violently. “You’re insane!”
“I’m offering you freedom—and a way to save this world from certain doom,” she said. Pure energy continued to gather around Yuuna. Gamma knew that if she felt like it, she could end her right on that spot.
But she knew that Yuuna, the spirit of light, could never possibly do that.
“You dare suggest that I waste myself on a human? How dare you—“
“Sssshhhh!” She put a finger over her tiny mouth. “I know you hate the idea. But hear me out for a second. You will like what you hear. I guarantee it.”
The light around Yuuna subsided. “Make haste. Do not waste my time.”
“I found a young woman. She is like you. And just like you, she once wished to set the world straight.”
“Once?” Yuuna did not like that. “What do you mean by that?”
“That’s complicated. It doesn’t matter anyway. What matters is this woman’s song.”
“Her… song? What about it?”
Gamma locked eyes with Yuuna. “This woman knows your song.”
***
Alua with her lantern in hand stepped out of the cabin. The full moon, shining over the dense forest that surrounded the clearing, lit everything in its silver haze. The crickets chirped their nightly songs and the distant owls hooted along the rhythm.
A few meters away from the cabin, sat on an old log, was Olive overlooking the silvery sea of stars that scarred the cobalt sky. She stepped closer and then stopped when a single tear ran down her left cheek. It deflected the skylight and dropped down the grass.
She went on and stepped closer. “Can’t sleep, young lady?”
In response, Olive immediately wiped her face clean. She dropped her gaze towards the ground and said, “Not really. I’m not really a huge fan of sleep.”
Alua sat next to her. “That’s not normal. Do terrors haunt you?”
Olive’s face drooped further. “My past is what haunts me.”
“Your past, huh? Are you a criminal? Lab rat?”
She shook her head rapidly in response. “I’m just a nobody.”
“That can’t be. You’re somebody.”
“I don’t know who I am.” Olive laughed to herself. “Now they’re chasing me. I guess I faulted someone in the past. I must be a terrible person.”
Alua laughed—much more than Olive. “It’s an honour for the royal government to be looking for you. That makes you someone special. A lot more special than the nobody you claim to be.”
“I don’t want to be someone special. I just want to live in peace.”
“Peace must be earned.”
To that, Olive didn’t respond. More tears rolled down her cheeks. “I just want to be in peace. I just want to find that coast from my memories. I don’t want anything else.”
“A coast, eh?” Alua set the lantern down and crossed her arms together. The candle light flickered on her wrinkly face as she descended deep in thought. All the while, Olive continued to cry next to her. “Well…” she released her arms. “I don’t know your full story. But that coast sounds important to you.”
“It’s all I want to find. I just know that I’ll be able to trace the real me then. I just know it.”
“And I hope that you will. But I have lived for a long time to sense that there is a hard road ahead of you. You must keep going. If you do, you’ll make it to that coast of yours.”
For the first time, Olive looked Alua in the eyes. “Will I really? What if I fail?”
“You will fail. But that shouldn’t stop you. Get up”—she clenched her fist—“and keep going. Fight and never stop until you have what you want.”
“And what if I fail again?”
“Then you get up again!” Alua stood to her feet and made a spin. “You don’t ever stop. Ever. No matter how many times you fall down, you get up again. Those who don’t are left behind. Do you want to be left behind?”
“N-no…”
“Then get up!” Alua pointed at her. “Get up and fight. Trust me, you can do it. I used to be sort of like you. A young troublemaker who could never quite digest those royal dicks up in their big and stupid castle. I hated them. I hated them to the core. All my life, I just wanted to live detached from their tyranny. And then“— she extended her hand and summoned a vine in an instant —“I became one with this forest. Nature hides me and I live in peace. It took decades to get to this point but I did. And so can you.”
“But what if—“ Olive thundered to her feet. Her tears flowed harder. “What if I’m not as strong enough as you? What if it was never meant to be?”
“Nothing is set in stone. Nothing is meant to be. You alone are in charge of your destiny! You! And nobody else. Stop believing that and you’ll loose everything. You’ll loose that coast. Do you want to loose that coast?”
Olive shook her head. “No!”
“Then fight.” Alua placed a hand on Olive’s shoulder. Her voice was now calm and kind. “You can do it. I promise it to you. I sense power in you.”
“I don’t know…” Olive averted her gaze. “I just—“
“You’re tired. You can’t think straight. Go and sleep. I’ll prepare you a special herbal tree that will help with that, okay?”
“Okay…”
Minutes later, when Alua ventured in the forest to gather the herbs, a green-hooded mage appeared behind her. Without turning to look, she called the mage’s name. “Good to see you, Delta. What brings you here?”
Delta took off the hood. Her glossy black hair reflected the moonlight, as did her crystal-blue eyes. “You’re hosting three important people. Be cautious.”
“I know that. The forest tells me everything.”
“You never change, teacher.” Delta smiled.
“I’m no longer your teacher. I’m just some old witch living her twilight years.”
“That’s not true. You are most wise. I trust you to keep them safe until daylight. Thanks for all you have done.”
With that, Delta vanished.
