A Paradise Turned Hell in Disguise

The walk along the marble path felt endless. Fortunately, it lasted only a few seconds; but to Mia, it stretched on like a march toward a guillotine. Her heart pounded with each step until, finally, she stood atop the ceremonial podium. Her back lightly touched the girl behind her, and a strange, sharp sensation pierced her chest; a vivid déjà vu of the stake where the villagers had bound her struck her heart like an arrow.

“Stop trembling,” the other girl whispered, her voice teasing and provocative like a child about to do mischief. “Want to hold hands?” Mia couldn’t see her face, but she knew there was a smirk on her lips.

Why did she always have to get the last word?

Still, Mia didn’t answer. Instead, she took three steadying breaths and focused. Cradling the white fruit in both hands, she held it close to her chest, ready to offer it at a moment’s notice should a horse approach. From where she stood, she could see five of them wandering near the edge of the garden. But she’d counted them earlier.

Twelve.

Only one needed to choose her. That’s all it would take.

But what made a horse choose a rider?

Appearance? No, that wouldn’t make sense.

Talent? But how could they know her abilities if they hadn’t seen her in action? …Or had they? Just like Gaia has been watching her all along?

Maybe it was about personality? But she'd never even interacted with them.

A heavy sound of hooves brought her thoughts to a halt. One of the horses stepped closer. Up close, it was massive, far larger than it had looked from a distance. Mia wasn’t even sure she could climb onto its back if it accepted her. The beast studied her, eyes a pale, eerie yellow. She could see her own trembling frame reflected in them. Intimidated, Mia turned her face away, though she still held the fruit out with shaky hands.

A pause… and then the sound of retreating hoofsteps.

The horse walked away.

Behind her, the other girl let out a soft chuckle.

“Watch your mouth,” Mia snapped, her voice taut with anxiety and frustration. Before the silence could grow too thick, another set of hooves vibrated across the grass. A new horse approached, and Mia instinctively straightened her back, posture stiff and reverent. Like a knight before a king.

Behind her, more hoofbeats.

Some light. Some heavy.

There was a strange sense of relief in noticing the subtle hints of their personalities hidden in the little details. Why did this bring her comfort? Did it remind her of Brave Ice Rose?

The horse stood still by her for a little while, eyeing her down and up, and even smelled her hair…To only go away!

Are you kidding me?

Do I smell bad or something?

Mia exhaled slowly and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself. Again. But each time she tried, her thoughts betrayed her. Her mind kept dragging her back — to the faces of the villagers, their cold stares, the stake where they had tied her like an animal. She feared that the moment she opened her eyes again, she wouldn’t see the lush garden of Athermane, but the harsh world she thought she’d left behind.

Minutes passed.

Ten? Maybe twenty. Or even thirty.

She had no idea.

But deep down, and though she knew it was wrong to feel that way, Mia was quietly relieved that the other girl hadn’t been chosen either. Truth to be told, she no longer held much hope of being chosen herself. Of the twelve horses present, ten had approached her; and none had accepted her.

That left two.
Two possible chances.
But… What if none of them were even looking for a rider? What if—

“Let me see your eyes.”

Doing as she was told, Mia slowly opened her eyes, and what she saw stole the breath from her lungs.

Standing before her was the most beautiful horse she had ever laid eyes on.

Its coat was pure white, shimmering faintly in the soft light. But its mane… its mane glowed gold, like sunlight at dawn, cascading like silk down its neck. This one wasn’t as tall as the others, and that made it easier to meet its stare, in search of a clue. Its eyes sparkled with the same brilliance as the river pebbles she used to collect as a child; and those eyes… light purple.

Just like the amethysts in one necklace her father never let her keep, afraid she would lose it.

Mia didn’t dare whisper, but she mouthed the words,

“Was it you who spoke to me?”

But the horse didn’t move. It stood still, silent and regal, like a statue carved by divine hands. She hadn’t even heard it approach. Its steps must have been the lightest of them all. But the words still pounded in her mind.

“Let me see your eyes…”

Not once had the horse blinked since their gaze met. Mia forced herself not to blink either. Each second felt sacred, too precious to lose to something as careless as blinking. She believed, somehow, the horse could understand her through her eyes. Understand if she was worthy.

Please. Please. Please...

The silent chant began looping in her mind, in case — just in case — the horse could somehow hear her thoughts. But then, the horse moved. It walked right past her.

No… No, no, no, no, no, no… No!

It circled around her without a sound and stopped in front of the other girl. A single tear rolled down Mia’s left cheek instantly, as if it had been sitting at the corner of her eye all along, just waiting for the trigger to come.

Shit.

Her fingers lost their grip, causing the fruit to slip from her hands and roll off the edge of the podium, disappearing into the grass.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

Mia bit her lip, hard, hoping the sharp sting would replace the pain in her chest. But it only worked for a second.

“After being stoned for so long, her body had grown numb—she barely felt anything anymore. In fact, her limbs felt strangely light, as if she were ready for an angel to descend and carry her gently into the afterlife. The only weight she still bore was the heaviness in her chest. She could feel the salt on her tongue, mixing with the metallic tang of blood from her wounds.

Her last meal.”

Then came the memory of Gaia.

Gaia.

The creature lowered itself to the ground, silently inviting her to climb onto its back.

The red wolf, whose fur was so vividly crimson that she’d first mistaken it for being stained with the blood of its prey, had turned out to be her savior, the one who brought her here for a second chance.

Gaia, hurry up and save me again.

NOW!

Mia glanced at the hourglass, then immediately shut her eyes tight, as if refusing to believe what nightmare this dream had become. The sand was nearly gone, just a few grains away from the end.

It will all be over soon.

Any moment now, a horse would make its choice, and she would be the one left behind. She would have to kneel, retrieve the fallen white fruit, and then…

She had to accept her end.

She had to accept her downfall.

She had to accept the fruit.

She had to accept her loneliness.

She had to accept her destiny.

She had to open her eyes and meet her fate.

Because the wheels of Lady Fortune don't slow down only because she wants to.

As her eyes fluttered open, she found the same horse — the one that had turned its back on her — quietly eating the fruit she’d dropped at her feet, as if it had never left.