When she opened her eyes she felt…clean. Devoid of every thing, emotion , feeling, goal — all of it. She glanced round, not sure of her location or goal for being there. She merely was. For the briefest of moments she felt as if she was experiencing some type of deja vu. A phrase, a thought or perhaps a reminiscence edged the cusp of her thoughts but attempt as she would possibly, she couldn’t grasp it. Even the physique she was in felt overseas, unusual. She glanced down at a pair of small fingers that weren’t her personal and felt disconnected.

Her physique was small, and in some way it did not appear applicable. A toddler’s physique. She was additionally chilly, partially resulting from the truth that she was bare and the evening air was quite cool on her pores and skin. She shivered, and but on the identical time felt no trigger for concern. She felt… lesser, much less highly effective, much less dynamic, but it surely did not cease her from attending to her ft. The method was unstable, she wobbled as if to teeter backwards and forwards earlier than gaining stability.

*Had been my ft all the time this small?* This was the thought, and it was gone simply as rapidly as she had it like so many different issues. Round her was the acquainted visage of nightfall. That second simply earlier than the solar rose to shine amongst many issues. It was an unmistakably magical second, she might inform as a lot. She felt an odd drive lingering about within the air as she watched numerous orbs hover and float earlier than her.

Whether or not they have been dragonflies, butterflies, or orbs of sunshine she knew not. She reached out her hand to the touch one such orb and was instantly stuffed with an emotion that was her personal, but not. The feeling was transient, it crammed her with an odd vitality that supplied heat and power — after which it was gone. She repeated this a number of instances, her outstretched fingers reaching for the lights which gathered about her location. Every time she grasped one it will disappear, as if it was absorbed by her, solely to get replaced with a brand new sensation.

Hope. Envy. Melancholy, a bittersweet disappointment, was the overwhelming sensation. After which the lights started to maneuver. So she did as properly. She discovered her hair to be fairly lengthy, all the way down to her waist actually, and blonde with bluish suggestions. Her keenly perceptive ears have been lengthy and sharp, she anticipated them to be extra spherical and felt stunned as she lifted her hand in the direction of them. Nonetheless, this did not matter a lot to her within the grand scheme of issues — for she was a baby and her consideration lied with something which may seize her consideration.

She started to stroll, slowly at first till the lights picked up pace. Quickly her unsteady steps grew to become strides, and thereafter a splash. The lights sped up, and he or she together with them till she was working by the environs. A forest, or maybe a woodland space, darkish but in some way stuffed with gentle because the solar continued to rise. As she ran she reached out, gathering the sunshine orbs and located renewed power flowing by her. She leapt over rocks, logs and dashed by bushes. With every second she grew extra fixated on the swarm of lights which regarded extra like residing creatures with every passing second.

The wind blowing by her hair was exhilarating. The feeling of it towards her pores and skin made her need to run extra, and even sooner. Quickly she was working at breakneck pace to maintain up– but she wasn’t drained within the least. This continued for what appeared like an limitless time till lastly, the swarm of lights stopped. So she did as properly.

There, within the distance, was one thing new. A city, with wood partitions that rose far increased than her. There have been quite a few individuals out and about regardless of the early hour, as in the event that they sought to make the perfect of on daily basis gentle second. She stood, stone nonetheless for the longest of instances, and watched the oblivious people transfer back and forth. She did not really feel or suppose something specifically as she noticed — that’s till the orbs of sunshine started to drift upwards.

She immediately felt…panicked. Her fingers reached out, making an attempt to understand the orbs, but now they eluded her grasp. After a number of misses she started to develop determined and jumped as she tried to seize on the lights. She continued this for a time, her willpower rising as did the sense of hysteria.

“Little one, the place did you come from?” A girl’s voice echoed. The younger woman spun round, as if she’d been caught purple handed and targeted on the girl’s phrases. There was no understanding available, so she took a single step backwards and growled. She clenched her fists, as if she have been able to unleash a strong spell and swung her hand forth. As an alternative, nothing occurred, simply the actions of a younger woman displaced by the ember’s of loss of life’s flame.

“Oh, baby. Come. I see now, you are misplaced.” The girl stated as she stepped forth, her arms outstretched. The woman shrank again in response, clenching each fists fiercely as she ready to run — nevertheless one thing modified her thoughts.

A lone spark of sunshine fluttered in the direction of the girl and lingered simply over her head. There it stopped, as if to say, “this the best way”. The woman reconsidered her aggression for a second then felt her fingers unclench regardless of her misgivings.

“It is alright.” The girl stated softly. Now that the woman regarded upon the woman she appeared…outdated. There have been creases within the lady’s face and lengthy strands of gray that complimented lesser brown colours. Regardless of her suspicion there was one overwhelming emotion which got here from the girl’s path, consolation.

Upon seeing the girl’s eyes, the younger woman felt all of her resistance soften away. Nonetheless..she felt shy, having acted rashly. Fortunately the girl might learn her physique language and stepped forth, bridging the gap between them.

“Come. Let’s get you dressed.” The girl stated as she led the younger woman in the direction of the inside partitions of Gardenia.

[End Arc 2]