A Quiet Night Before Another Tense Journey

The fire crackled inside the fireplace. I stood before it with crossed arms, admiring its persistence.

How old is this place? We cleared so much dust, and yet, the fireplace still works. I wonder if the lights work, too.

I looked around the small, dilapidated living room. Some of the glass protecting the wall lamps had long been shattered. Moonlight shone through gaps in the windows facing the forest.

“How’s it looking?”

I turned to the crooked doorway beside me. Matthias stepped out, eyes fixated on the fireplace.

“Looks like it works just fine. I’m thinking we can sleep here for tonight. Should be safe.”

Matthias walked off to a dusty armchair and plopped down, coughing as the thick cloud of dust arose. I chuckled at the sight and walked over.

“Sorry, I didn’t think to dust off the furniture.”

Matthias shot me a glare, and I began dusting off the other chairs beside him. A waft of something savory hit my nose.

“You trust Vivian alone in there?”

Matthias sighed and closed his eyes. I could finally see the fatigue in his face.

“Of course. She lived on her own for a while, didn’t she? Besides, this place can take any damage she might cause.”

“I’m more worried about her hurting herself.”

I walked over to an open window and shook the ripped cloth I’d been using to dust the house. I stared at the distant dark forest and the bright moon above it.

A clattering sound came from behind me, and I turned to rush into the kitchen. Before I could get halfway, Vivian stepped out holding a dull silver tray.

Vivian walked over to a splintering wooden table and placed the tray atop it. The meaty smell mixed with the house’s strong musty one. I crinkled my nose from the overwhelming scents as I approached the table.

“Whoever lived here did not finish all of their supplies. I found a few salvageable spices… I hope it turned out all right.”

Rushed footsteps came from behind and stopped beside me. I kneeled down and admired the meal Vivian had prepared for us. The smell reminded me of my childhood days, but I couldn’t decipher if the memories were my own or Finley’s. I shook my head and focused back on the present moment.

“This smells amazing, Vivian!”

“It really does.”

Matthias knelt down beside me, and we stared at the glistening heap of venison. Vivian let out a small laugh and knelt opposite us.

“You two can begin eating, you know?”

“Ah.”

I laughed at Matthias’s and my hesitation before digging into Vivian’s creation. The flavorful meat was like an award after a struggle.

“So, Matthias. I was wondering… would you be willing to teach me to fight now?”

“Urk…”

Matthias nearly choked and coughed in response to Vivian’s words. I tensed up, remembering their previous arguments.

“Mm… It’s just, I mean, well—“

“You’re an amazing mage, Matthias. If you teach Vivian, even a little, I’m sure it will help us greatly in the long run.”

My companions stared at me wide-eyed. I looked from Vivian to Matthias, keeping a serious expression.

“What? I really mean it.”

Matthias turned his head away, his face becoming shadowed. Vivian looked at him expectantly, her hands gently gripping the edge of the table.

“I… guess I could try, but—“

“Thank you, Matthias, I promise I will be an excellent student!”

Vivian cut off Matthias, grabbing his hands in earnest. Matthias stood up straight and leaned back in surprise. I covered my mouth to hide my laughter as my companions continued their light-hearted conversation.

~~~

Rays of sunlight peered through the dusty, cracked windows. I pushed myself off the bed and trudged toward a nearby mirror. Although the glass was dim and dusty, I could still see ‘myself’ reflected in it. My eyes were half-lidded, and the heavy creases underneath them told me I’d overslept.

I stretched and yawned. I could hear the distant cooing of birds coming from a window near the splintered door. I adjusted the bundles of hair on each of my shoulders and assembled my gear.

Walking through the hallway past the door, I began to notice the silence. I picked up my pace as I neared the doorway. The room from last night was well-lit by sunlight, a stark contrast to the previous eerie darkness.

I was just about to search the other rooms when I heard something large fall to the ground outside. I rushed out of the hole in the wall and found my companions in the middle of a tough situation.

Matthias’s hair was filled with small leaves and twigs. Beside him was the fallen upper half of a tree, the leaves now scattered slightly across the ground beneath it.

I looked at Vivian, who was covering her mouth with her hands. I walked toward my companions slowly.

“I’m so sorry, Matthias. I really did not mean for that to happen!”

“It’s alright. F—Velda is up now, so we might as well head out. I think we’re almost there.”

He was going to say her name again… I know it can’t be helped, but it’s getting a bit annoying. The longer I stay like this, the more I’m unsure of who I am... and who they see me as.

My companions turned to me as I approached. I put a hand on my hip as I looked Matthias over.

“What happened here? You look like you’re turning into a tree.”

Matthias nearly poured and turned away, leading us back into the forest. I followed close behind, with Vivian beside me.

“It is my fault. I was supposed to transport a tree from one place to another. Unfortunately, I could not move the whole tree… or move it to the proper place.”

I reached up and removed a twig from Matthias’s hair. I twirled it around in my fingers, the sharp edges sticking to my gloves.

“Eh, well, I guess that’s to be expected. Magic can be very finicky, but I know you’ll get the hang of it someday.”

I smiled down at the young girl, and her eyes nearly sparkled with hope. A gust of wind swept by, and a few leaves were pushed out of Matthias’s hair. I covered my eyes as the leaves swept by, followed by the blinding light of the sun as we exited the forest.

We stepped out into an open field of pale green grass that swayed gently with the wind. The mountains stood high in the distance, the snow-covered peaks visible thanks to the sunlight.

As we turned to continue on the dirt path, we were met by a confusing sight. What we expected to be another long road was a short path ending in a towering mountain wall.

“Wait, this isn’t right.”

Matthias pulled out his map, looking it over twice before turning back to face us.

“That wall is standing right where the missing portion of the map should be. There should’ve been another forest opening.”

Matthias turned back to the path, his jaw tightly clenched. I stepped beside him and looked at the map. I looked up at the nearby wall, then to the areas beside it. The forest to its left seemed to stretch on for a few miles, and the plains to the right ended in the cluster of mountains.

“Let’s take a closer look, then. I’m sure we will find an answer, or perhaps something that can guide us?”

We walked on, the bright sun becoming hidden behind the mountains as we neared the wall. Sounds of wildlife faded as we approached it, leaving only the soft whispers of wind to surround us.

“Something about this is… suspicious.”

Matthias held out his hand to touch the wall. He quickly pulled his hand back and stared at it.

“What happened?”

“The mountain. When I touched it… It felt as if my hand would be shredded to threads.”

I stepped forward and reached out my hand. The wall warped around it, then snapped back into solid shape. A jolt of electricity shot up my arm, and I stepped back in surprise. I felt my head ache, and a familiar feeling of being separated from my body kicked in.

A boundary of some kind? I feel like, if I kept my hand there… I would’ve lost this body.

A sickening sense of dread surged through my chest, and I looked around frantically for another way forward.

“Miss Velda? Are you alright?”

“Ah— Yeah, I just… need a moment.”

I placed a hand on my forehead and calmed my sporadic breathing.

“Velda. The wall reacted differently to your touch… do you think you could walk through it, if you tried?”

My head snapped up to meet Matthias’s eyes. His brow was furrowed as his gaze moved from one of my eyes to the other. I noticed my hunched form and straightened up.

“I don’t think I should risk it. I have this feeling that… having full contact with that barrier might separate me from this body.”

Matthias narrowed his eyes at the wall. He took another look at the map in his hands. Vivian stepped forward and touched the wall, drawing her hand back as if scorched by fire.

“It wants you.”

A soft, feminine voice came from somewhere beside us. I turned to the forest, where a hooded figure stood just out of the sunlight. I squinted my eyes to try to make out the details of their face.

“Who are you? What do you mean, ‘it wants me’?”

The figure stepped forward, the sunlight barely reaching the upper half of their form as they stood behind the bushes. They pointed at the wall, their small pale arm almost fully covered by silver-colored cloth.

“The entity awaits you. It blocks the way home. Please, remove it before its master can be summoned. I have done too much to be found now.”

The figure turned away and stepped farther into the shade. I looked back at my companions, who shared equally confused expressions.

“You heard her, Velda. This thing is something otherworldly, so only someone like you can do anything about it.”

“But what if—“

“Finley’s body stayed intact for a while last time… so who's to say there isn’t some chance it can stay intact this time?”

I glanced at Vivian, who nodded, although unsurely. I walked up to the mountain, stopping just before it. I looked at the forest to my left, trying to see if that figure might still be there. When nothing met my sight, I stepped into the wall.

The wall warped around me, and a pain like a thousand paper cuts washed over me. I pushed my body forward and nearly toppled as I stepped into a void of gray.