The Garden’s Secret — Meilin

“Ah, you’re awake.”

I was roused from sleep by a gentle tickle of a feather. “Ah-choo!” I sneezed, and the feather was quickly withdrawn. The holder of the feather was peering at me with inquisitive upturned eyes. The feather appeared to be a cat toy, attached to a string and dangling in the air.

The holder had voluminous hair with a natural sheen, pink like cherry blossoms. Her upturned eyes were a darker shade of pink, resembling a blossoming peony. “My, my, did I wake you up while you were indulged in a vision?” Her voice was rich and angelic, and her tiny chuckles extinguished my rage, replaced by a childlike curiosity.

One thing that stood out about her was her ears. They were noticeably elongated and pointed at the end. Like a leaf. Are they even real?

Her ears twitched in response to my prolonged, rude gawping. “In case you’re wondering, these are my actual ears.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude.” I shifted my gaze away from her, and she grabbed my chin forcefully, making me look her straight in the eye.

“It’s quite all right. Of course, you would be perplexed by my appearance, not many people know of elves after all!” Elves? So that’s why her ears are shaped strangely. “Let alone a fellow friend from planet Earth.”

I shuddered. I seem to keep bumping into mind readers…First Celeste, now this elf. “How did you know I was not from Elysium?”

“Elves are not that dumb, you know. If it were the average person, they wouldn't be able to figure it out, sure. But elves?” She pointed at her head, “I guess you can call our extreme intelligence a gift, little Meilin. And you may call me Elpida.”

Now I had even more questions than before. In fact, those questions were pouring out of my brain so fast that I had to cover my mouth to prevent myself from blurting out.

“And also, it wouldn’t be too hard to guess what you’re thinking. It’s written all over your face, little Mei!” Stop giving me nicknames! I glowered at Elpida, and she edged away. Guess I’ve been making these ridiculous looks all this time. Haruki mentioned something about that too, along the lines of, “A young witch shouldn’t put such a dirty look on her face!”

“It wouldn’t hurt to smile a little bit, little Mei,” Elpida commented, brushing my cheek softly. Oh yes, just the thing I had wanted to hear.

“If you give me your biggest smile, I’ll answer all your questions.”

A scowl spread across my face again. What did this elf want? But still, I needed the information, so I forced a comical smile on my face.

Elpida clapped her hands together, “Alright! “Sh—No need to tell me,” she put a finger to my lips, “I already know what you want to ask.” Allow me to explain everything.”

“You were having a vision when I found you, lying flat on the ground. As a kindhearted witch, I willingly brought you to my house. Oh, and I’ve been wanting to say—welcome to my humble abode!” For a humble abode, it was decorated quite exquisitely.

“I’m sure you came here to go to Aokaze Peak. For your wish.” The wish orb suddenly appeared between Elpida’s fingers. “Hey—” I tried to take it back, but it magically disappeared. “Keep listening. I’m sure by now you’re well aware that illusions exist in Eiksia. There’s a truth about Eiksia no one wants to hear… a truth even your eyes can’t trust." She paused there, clearly making me wait and teasing me.

Get to the point already—I was getting impatient. Upon seeing my annoyed expression, Elpida giggled.

"What you might not know is that Eiksia—” She paused again and turned quiet, “It’s all a lie. It’s just an illusion.”

I slammed my hand down, “I knew it. So you’re an illusion as well?”

Elpida threw her head back and gave a mirthless laugh. “Ha! You think an illusion could replicate the grandeur of Lady Elpida this accurately? Of course, I’m not an illusion. If you suspect me, then I might as well suspect you. But my senses tell me otherwise. Anyways, since Eiksia is an illusion, most exits of the city are also an illusion. There’s only one exit, and if you can’t find it, you’ll only be going in circles.”

That’s not good…

The illusion of Haokei really threw me off. And information wasn’t helping at all. I was getting irritated easily, so I slapped my cheeks. I gotta pull myself together!

“But I must say, this whole illusion is what makes Eiksia so breathtaking. The citizens have no idea they’re living under a spell! The creator doesn't just possess an intelligent mind; he also has the mind of a virtuoso! The faint jingling of music, the captivating scenery, it's clear that a pair of artistic hands constructed every detail of this place.”

Elpida smirked, pride glinting in her eyes. “And that’s saying something, coming from me. Whoever forged this is a genius beyond compare. I’d give anything to meet them, to learn from him."

That’s it! If I find the creator of this land, I’ll be able to discover the exit!

“Elpida!” I yelled out, startling her, “Let’s go meet him.”

“Who?”

“The creator of Eiksia!”

She chuckled, “I appreciate your enthusiasm. But what makes you think that you’d be able to find him?”

I thought for a while. “Yulan might be able to solve this. Or Jianyun. I don’t know if Himari would be able to help, but she could be a moral support. As for Haruki, he seemed wiser than all of us. I’m sure with six brains—including you—we would be able to find that guy.”

“Hmm. Sure, I’ll play with you guys for a bit. But from now on, you’d have to call me Lady Elpida.”

Urgh…But I guess I did owe her for saving me when I was in a vision.

“Sure, Lady Elpida,” I mumbled. Elpida giggled in response—such a playful elf.

We walked out into the streets and were met by a busy alleyway full of people and shops. Now that I knew this place was an illusion, my impression of this cheerful place changed drastically. Who is an illusion and who is not? An unsettling feeling crept up my stomach. I kept seeing “glitches”, the inaccuracy and flickering of the illusions.

The citizens looked so happy.

But I knew it wasn’t real.

Joy itself was the illusion—

And they had all fallen for it.