Interlude 1 – I Exist

Chocolate cake under the cloudy skies. The rhythm of the night and its highs.

They come together for me and you. It makes me wonder if this heart is true.

Grace could stare endlessly at the kaleidoscope of colors that made the sky as she sang. A cushion of clouds felt more luxurious than any material imaginable as she bounced across them. A call of the dream had left her heart reeling with joy.

Night after night, she experienced this paradise – the dream world created by Haru. And tonight was no different as she raced across the heavens. A hand covered her pounding heart, excitement threatening to overflow.

She wouldn’t stop. She didn’t want to lose this feeling. If the burning in her lungs calmed down the slightest bit, she would find herself whispering his name.

Tonight was an open venue, Haru front and center. Music blasted into the skies while faceless people cheered him on. Grace settled for riding her cloud above it all, a VIP seat amid the chaos. She loved seeing Haru enjoy himself.

But just as the fun began, the darkness came. Silence blanketed the area in an instant. The festivities ended with no warning. And Grace was left alone.

A tear rolled down her cheek as the horizon crumbled. Her smile dropped as nothingness soon spread all the way to her.

Grace knew how temporary it all was. The paradise that she saw every evening would disappear with the morning, sometimes later, sometimes sooner. It was fun while it lasted. It made her hope that it would always come around again.

The joy that it brought was blinding. So much that she couldn’t worry about anything else. ‘That was why she was desperate. That was why she would embrace every moment of it.

Yet, the fun faded away, melting into the darkness. Haru waking up was infallible. Nothing could stop it from coming. And then, all she could do was wait in this abyss.

Another call caused her to stir. It took her far too long to react. A precious voice yelled for her, carried along by sweet music, but who knew how long she had been deaf to it. It wasn’t until a familiar tune hit her ears that she realized the night was still young.

And there Haru was, waiting for her. His face looked like a lost kitten. His gaze as he found her was like a mother finding her child. Or perhaps, something else?

Grace simply smiled as the night continued. The magic rushed within her, and then, she joined into the music. The night was theirs to have, in any way Haru wished for it.

But then… Haru wondered.

Why she knew certain things.

How they differed from his own.

And whether she existed at all.

Grace was left confused.

Does any of this matter? A fairy that lives only in a dream. What is her existence when no one is sleeping?

Grace could not exist without a dream. She could not live without someone else. For her existence to die and revive at the whim of a single person, what did it mean to her?

Thinking about it made her shed a tear. And then, she began to wonder as well.

The darkness came mercilessly once again. And then, she would wait, let the world rebuild, and hope for life again. The rebirth of this world every evening defined her existence. What if tomorrow never came?

Grace didn’t want to think. She didn’t need to ask questions. They would only go unanswered. Her existence was nothing without Haru. She couldn’t reach beyond this transient world. Her memories were encased in this lonely place. But that didn’t matter. Haru filled her thoughts. His dreams were hers as well.

But there were times, she couldn’t help but shiver. From worry. From fear.

Their positions weren’t the same.

She could disappear one day, and he would live on, slowly forgetting her like the very nature of a dream.

Would Haru miss me?

She didn’t want to find out. Not while the fun hadn’t stopped. Not while Haru’s world was so bright. Not while he still felt so alone. She would simply smile, knowing that Haru held a piece of her. That he granted favors for her sake. They had a special connection hidden from the waking world.

And all Grace had to do was wait. With prayers that he would continue to dream of her.

“Ah, so it begins.”

Grace could feel it coming, the first light of this world again. Bit by bit, she felt things form around her. Little by little, she could feel herself move.

Her wings unfurled from the darkness. Her arms reached forward into the endless kaleidoscope. Finally, she could mouth his name again. She was free.

Free to dance upon the skies. Free to go where she wanted.

But there was only one place she wanted to be, and that was by his side.