A Dreamy Blue
Cold, icy wind, freezing and chilling, blew throughout the concrete buildings. From the racks of the alley way, it howled, and ran right towards the two girls.
Pushing against the sudden wind, the two forced their way through the wind.
Even as the wind rushed against their faces, trying to block their eyes and make them blink, they persisted. They covered their faces with their free right arm, and with their left, they both held out their staff.
Together, they swung their staffs backwards, crouched down, and leaped forward with an explosion of snow.
Blue particles of mana burst from underneath Anna's foot as she jumped alongside Avalow simultaneously into the sky.
Above at least six foot high they flew over the snow between them and the building.
Then, they smashed into the windows of the building, already cracked and broken. They both covered their faces as they made impact.
𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬-!
𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬-!
𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬-!
Shards of glass violently fell onto the polished cold floor, producing tiny pitter-pattering sounds akin to that of a metal chime.
Then came two 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘥s' as two girls rolled across the ground as though they have practiced this many times.
Side by side, they rolled onto their feet and continued sprinting.
𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬. 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬.
𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬. 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬.
𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬. 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬-
Forcefully pressing their feet against the hard floor with each step, they sprinted past the white-haired boy trying to get up.
Now unfrozen, they slowly resumed lifting their long, fiery hands again.
'Circulating mana, constructing foundation, copy and pasting blueprint...'
Anna's mind strained underneath the construction. Creating a mental, blank space, using mana to place the foundation and then afterwards 'pasting' the blueprint onto it…
In real time, it was only a second, as her staff's tip started glowing.
Whipping it around like a whip, she 'tossed' the staff forward.
Still in her hands, the staff almost flung itself off her hand. Just as it was halted by her grip, the blue light shined, and two blue strings emerged.
Like a snake, they slithered across the sky and onto two monster's raised arms. Quickly tying themselves itself around both their fiery, shimmering arms, Anna 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥.
The monsters' arms halted. For only a second. Then they simply resisted against the blue shining rope.
They simply 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 back.
The hooded girl gritted her teeth as she pulled against its strength.
Putting more mana into her arms, she leaned backwards. Putting more mana into her feet, she tried to find a foothold. Alas, she couldn't find one as her feet were being slowly pulled across the stone floor.
"Ugh…"
Anna's weak arms shook and trembled. The strain on her fingers was too much. It even began sweating. It was a good thing she wore gloves, otherwise the staff would've flung out of her grip much earlier.
Any moment now, she'll be forced to let it go.
But it was enough, for the blonde girl had already arrived.
Sprinting towards the right monster, the blonde girl leaped above the right monster's back. As she rose above it, she held the staff up way up over her. Near the bottom of her staff, her gloved right hand gripped it tightly, and her left right below it.
As she raised it higher, the staff in her hands shined a sharp blue glow. Then, Avalow swung it downwards.
From the head, she began cutting through its entire body.
Just as her staff cut through to its chest from the head, she suddenly halted.
Pushing off from it, she fell from its back as one of the monster's hands reached behind for her.
As her feet landed on the ground, she crouched, and pushed against the ground as she sprinted towards the monster's legs.
With one swing, Avalow sliced through the 'knee joints' of said monster with just a single swing.
And just like any other two-legged being cut in their knee joints, they slowly began either leaning forwards or backwards.
The monster leaned backwards.
Its knees buckled, and so began its slow fall backwards. As it began falling over, Avalow cleanly rolled between its legs.
Eventually, with a groan, it landed on its back with a 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘥.
On the front, the blonde girl ran up onto one of its 'legs' and then onto its 'chest.' As she reached its chest, she jumped up and stabbed at the end of where the cu-that was still there-stopped.
𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬!
𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨!
Then came a chime and a sigh as the monster fizzled and dissipated into particles. On the ground, only a small crater and pieces of strange, multiple red-colored shattered glass were the spoils of war.
Avalow exhaled a sigh-
And she rolled out of the way as a fiery arm took her place.
Pushing off against the ground once more, Avalow also ran behind the monster and cut its 'knee joints.'
Just with the other monster, it slowly fell backwards with a groan. As it hit the floor with a 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘥, the blonde girl jumped onto its body. Raising her staff upward, its blue light shimmering intensely, she grunted and brought it down into its chest.
𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬!
𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨!
Once again, the echo of glass cracking and shattering echoed as the monster 'sighed,' and dissipated into nothingness.
Similar to the other monster, pieces of red-colored glass pieces laid around where it fell.
"..."
"..."
𝘏𝘶𝘧𝘧…𝘩𝘶𝘧𝘧…𝘩𝘶𝘧𝘧…
𝘏𝘶𝘧𝘧…𝘩𝘶𝘧𝘧…𝘩𝘶𝘧𝘧…
In the silence, the two girls huffed, huffed, and huffed.
One put their hands on their knees whilst standing, while the other just simply stood, looking up at the ceiling. They both took in deep,fast breaths.
Then, someone ran past them. First past Anna, and then past avalow.
"Chaya!" the white-haired boy yelled. He skidded across the tiled floor and neary arrived next to the unconscious lump on the ground.
𝘛𝘢𝘱.
𝘛𝘢𝘱.
𝘛𝘢𝘱.
Footsteps came from behind the blonde girl, and in a few seconds, it stopped beside her.
The two girls watched the boy shake the white-haired girl.
"At least…at least I was able to save this one…" the blonde girl muttered.
The hooded girl closed her eyes. Then, she glanced at her.
"…you swing and stab with that staff like a sword," Anna suddenly said. "Are you really a magic caster?"
"Yes, I am very sure," Avalow nodded her head. "I prefer to attack close, but I also can use ranged attacks."
Anna just nodded her head.
'We…worked together,' she thought. 'Without talking. Without saying anything.'
It was as though they had worked together before many, many times. As if she had known the other girl for a long, long time.'
Even if they had only met within half an hour.
Then, promptly, she raised her hand to the ceiling. From it, a small glow appeared as a small, blue butterfly fluttered down onto her palm.
Anna looked at it for a while, and she felt a familiar burst of warmth against her 'mental' space. The girl closed her eyes and smiled.
The blonde girl's eyes looked down at the palm of the hooded girl's gloved hands. Just then, the blue butterfly fluttered off and into somewhere unknown.
Only in the 'mental space' of her head, filled with the once alien and unfamiliar connection, told her that Amor was always there.
She just needs to 'think' at him.
As the hooded girl looked at where it disappeared, the blonde girl besides her opened her mouth-
"Thank you…both of you…" said a voice.
The two girls looked up. In front of them. the boy stood there, a few feet away, along with a little girl. Anna's eyes looked at the taller boy, and then at the little girl shorter than him.
Then she looked at the boy again, and then at the little girl.
'They both looked very, 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 similar to each other,' Anna thought.
White hair, same eyes, almost similar eyebrows and nose…the older boy could have passed as a girl if it wasn't for his voice.
The boy suddenly placed his left arm in front of the little girl.
"...?"
"..."
The two girls blinked, but the boy suddenly coughed into his left hand.
Promptly afterwards, they simultaneously bowed towards the two girls.
"Thank you for saving my little sister," the white-haired boy said. "I…I wouldn't know what to do if…"
As he said that, the boy clenched his hands into fists, and his arms trembled. The little sister reached out for his arm, and patted it.
"Thank you…thank you…" he whispered.
The blonde girl smiled.
"You're welcome. It's what anyone would do."
The hooded girl only closed her eyes. Just a little longer than a blink.
Not anyone.
Apparently, so did the white-haired boy, because he shook his head. Suddenly, he swapped the metal pipe from his right hand onto his left,. Then, he reached out towards the blonde girl with his right hand.
"My name is Jonah…and you?"
Avalow reached out and grabbed his furry gloved hand. Her leather glove created a 'squeeze' as she firmly shook it.
"My name is Avalow. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Jonah."
The boy nodded his head. Then, he turned to look at the hooded girl besides the blonde girl. Before he could raise his hand, the girl simply nodded her head at him.
"My name is Anna."
"Oh…I see…"
"..."
"..."
"..."
…
Silence filled the atmosphere in the seemingly empty, bleak town that was once so vibrant and colorful.
The bleak, gray skies continued to slowly spawn out snow, never ending and never changing.
Anna felt a sense of deja vu again. Seeing no one was talking, she tiredly leaned more onto her staff wedged into the crevice of a tiled cracked floor.
Left by yours truly monster number two.
Exhaustion gradually left her.
'So…this is the cost of mana,' Anna thought.
The exhaustion setting into her overworked and strained muscles and bones, the feeling of something seeping out of her, draining her energy…
It was a feeling that would not end here.
Many more days, months, and years will come where she will still feel such exhaustion. That is, unless she becomes stronger.
Circulating in the mana, practicing it, using it in practical experiences, and other nonsense…it is like a muscle.
The more she uses it, the more capacity she can absorb and use. And the more she uses it, the more she loses-
'It was a good thing I'm not entirely human, because If I'm not…hmm? I'm not entirely human? What…what am I thinking-?'
"Ugh…" Anna pressed her right hand against her forehead, and slowly rubbed it.
"Anna, are you alright?" the blonde girl whispered next to her.
The hooded girl nearly flinched.
Nearly.
"Yes, I am fine," Anna said, nodding her head. Indeed, she was fine.
Almost.
The suddenly pulsing pain slowly left, and another burst of warmth appeared in her head.
'Thanks Amor," she thought.
The blonde girl frowned, but she shook her head.
Then, Anna suddenly spoke up.
"I'm just here to look around the town. After getting some supplies, I'll head back to my home and wait until something happens."
Just like she always does...waiting inside her house.
That was Anna's backup plan.
Other than the aftereffects of using mana…just walking out here felt as if she's being drained of her energy.
Being outside by itself really does passively siphon her social energy levels.
The only thing that'll restore her back to full health is staying at her home.
'Yes, that's right,' Anna mentally nodded to herself.
'I'm an indoor person after all.'
So, she looked around her.
In the large department store, dim from the gray, morning light filtering in through the broken windows. Paper, trash, and other variety items were littered here and there. Clothes hung on the poles or just lying everywhere, wrinkled and stained by footsteps of various sizes. The books off to the side were left alone on their shelves.
Everything was just…there.
Everything looks so, so…
"..."
Anna simply walked deeper into the large, dark store filled with endless aisles of products and trash.
In the back, she heard voices talking.
"C'mon Chaya, let's go away-"
"Big brother, it's alright. They saved us, and so they're good people," the girl named Chaya whispered, tugging at the older boy's sleeve.
"Maybe we can find food with them."
The boy sounded hesitant, but another voice intruded.
"Yeah, you can come with us!"
'Who is us?' Anna thought. She was many steps away from the three now.
'Oh. That's right. It's me and Avalow.'
More social awkwardness events are bound to come.
Anna continued walking deeper into the store, the light slowly began to fade far behind her. The hooded girl felt heaviness seeping into each step she took as other footsteps followed behind her.
…
𝘛𝘢𝘱.
𝘛𝘢𝘱.
𝘛𝘢𝘱.
𝘛𝘢𝘱.
Footsteps echoed down the dark, silent store.
𝘛𝘢𝘱.
𝘛𝘢𝘱.
𝘛𝘢𝘱.
𝘛𝘢𝘱.
The cold air settled down on the shoulders of the ones walking on the polished floor in silence, filling the air with tension and trepidation.
Walking away from the gray, dim morning light, only darkness and the sound of footsteps were friends.
That is, until a dim blue light shined. It was only a tiny light that can only light up within a few of feet of its radius. Although its light cannot reach the shadows many more feet away and it could not reach the dark ceiling that was many, many feets away, it gently shimmered.
Then another similar light joined it a few feet away.
'It strangely does look beautiful,' Anna thought, and she glanced at the blue light blooming from the tip of her staff.
'It's just like Amor.'
The light pulsed in response as though answering her thoughts.
It had been a few minutes since they began walking. From near the entrance of the department store, to what seems to be just past the middle.
In the darkness, the sound of footsteps was…a surprising joy.
Anna would've definitely enjoyed the silence if it wasn't for those meddling kids-
"Wow...Miss Avalow, is that magic? Isn't it tiring keeping it on?" a little girl asked, looking at the glowing staff.
"Heh...this is nothing much. Compared to other magic, this is one of the simplest ones. I just train a lot…," the blonde girl slowly trailed off and awkwardly laughed while scratching the side of her head.
While the two were talking, the older brother tagged along behind the two. He looked silently everywhere while not-so-stealthily listening in on the two's conversation.
Anna felt the boy was a little too paranoid in his actions when she sneaked a peek back. Perhaps the time before he met them was tumultuous, frightening, and stressful.
Or perhaps he met something here?
'Should I ask?' Anna had thought. Later she shook her head. Luckily, facing away from them, the coat of her hood didn't move even when she shook her head.
'Too intrusive and too bothersome.'
Now that she had thought about it, it must be surprising to see someone using magic.
Even she herself was surprised when she first saw it.
Well, it probably wouldn't be too much of a surprise, since tall humanoid fiery monsters that appeared from the books and stories of imagination walking around everywhere.
As they were walking deeper into the store, the two girl's conversation turned towards her.
Unfortunately. Anna's eyes twitched as she tried to tune out the voies behind her.
"By the way...Miss Avalow? Is Miss Anna alright? She seems so scary and cold..." Chaya whispered.
Then, the hooded girl felt gazes staring into the back of her coat as her staff barely scraped the floo.
'I freakin' knew that I should've went alone!' Anna screamed soundlessly and silently in her head.
'Why the hell aren't y'all whispering!? To hell with safety in numbers!! To hell with rational, logical, and common sense!!!'
Behind her, Avalow smiled kindly and patted the little girl's head. The look of an older brother's dismay manifested itself hiddenly and silently.
"Oh, Anna? Don't worry, it's fine. That's how she always is," the blonde girl said with a smile. "Deep down, she's a kindhearted person-ᵐᵃʸᵇᵉ-who loves helping cute kids like you-ᵐᵃʸᵇᵉ."
'I'm going to find a way to fight you,' Anna thought. 'We've only met recently, and she claims to know me?'
This girl named Avalow started to feel much more annoying. Yes, the annoyance was already there, from the moment she first saw the blonde girl in the snow.
Yet there was still the feeling of familiarity. Of nostalgia.
Who was she, really?
Suddenly, Anna stopped. The group of three following behind her stopped abruptly tol. Chaya immediately hid beside Jonah, and the boy raised his metal stick.
He warily looked around him, as though he was trying to spot something in the shadows.
The blonde girl simply looked at the girl in front of her.
Anna raised her staff in her left hand a bit. In front of her was a door. Above the door was a sign. Placing the light near it, she saw the words '𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲.'
Grabbing the doorknob with her right hand, she twisted it-
𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬.
-and slowly pushed against it.
𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘬𝘬𝘬....
The backdoor slowly opened, and a slow, yet metallic 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 echoed throughout the silent building.
Only a gaping darkness awaited her. As expected, that was the only thing she would see. So Anna simply walked further into it.
Before the door closed behind her fully, the others followed suit.
Near the door, Anna flipped the switch.
𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬.
"...power is out," she mumbled. The hooded girl sneakily looked around her. The other three were simply looking around.
Then, slowly, she flipped the switch once more.
𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬.
𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬.
𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬.
"""..."""
Alright, she did it more than once, but nothing buzzed. Nothing flickered.
Nothing was happening.
Anna cooly left the light switch behind and walked further into the room. The blue light on the tip of her staff lit her path, even if she couldn't see a few feet in front of her.
At least the room was not too small or large. There were bulletin boards, foldable chairs and tables, and other miscellaneous and unimportant items.
Among those was a coffee maker, coffee packets, and packets of half-and-half milk and sugar.
The hooded girl stared into it.
At least she was in a department store, for there are bound to be bags around. Luckily, there were plastic and paper bags literally littered on the floor around them.
Grabbing one of the paper bags, she dumped all the packets containing the delicacy that is coffee, sugar, and half-and-half milk.
She also pulled the plug of the coffee maker out and placed it inside.
While she was opening cabinets and taking out more coffee packets and other things, a certain blonde girl whispered to the white-haired boy.
"Coff…ee…what is this coffee?"
"It's a drink to keep people awake," he answered, also clearly bewildered.
"Wow…that seems delightful…" Avalow sighed.
Then, the boy asked no one in particular.
"Hey, is this stuff really necessary-?"
"It is the lifeblood of all those who feel exhausted anytime of the day, Jonah," Anna suddenly said. The poor boy almost jumped into the air.
"You will do well to remember that."
Jonah's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.
"A-alright…"
Anna nodded her head.
"I am pleased we have reached a conclusion on each other's understanding."
"?????????"
Question marks almost physically manifested around the white-haired boy.
The hooded girl felt herself cringe, but she cooly walked away. At least she hoped she did.
Then, she found what she wanted.
In the back of the room, Anna had noticed something in a rather dark corner.
At the corner, there were seven boxes stacked. The hooded girl walked towards it. Raising her staff forward, the light guided her way as she arrived beside it.
Reaching for the box, she brushed off a tiny layer of dust. There, a familiar label was labeled on the boxes.
Instant noodles.
Anna Took one off. From above, she looked down, and through the see-through plastic…
Paradise.
'No, not paradise. Treasure. Wait, why did I think of paradise?'
Anna just shook her head, and when she shook the box, she heard the delightful sound of many, many packets inside them.
The hooded girl smiled secretly, for her coat's hood covered the back and both sides of her head.
As an expert at eating instant ramen type food for an indiscernible amount of time, she was glad there was this much. Especially these brands, as they were her all time favorite after all.
Although eating them everyday is indeed unhealthy…in times like these, she has to prepare. She read too many apocalypse novels to know what would happen if there is and isn't food.
Then, Anna pursed her lips.
She grabbed one of the boxes and tested its weight. It was quite light, but the girl pursed her lips even more.
Anna knew she couldn't bring it all to her home. Using magic was inefficient. Was there a sled around here or something?
Before she began looking around…a thought appeared in her head. The girl had become enlightened.
She already has workers. Three in fact, albeit one is small and fragile.
The pros are free hands that work for her. The price is social anxiety.
This needs to happen. It must happen.
For she is definitely not lazy.
Anna turned around, and saw the three of them looking at her. The white-haired boy, the younger white-haired girl, and the blonde girl.
Silently, she looked at them, one by one. Finally, she turned towards the boy.
"Do you have anywhere else to go?"
The hooded girl could almost see the mushroom clouds rising from the top of their heads.
"We...have nowhere else to go," Jonah said, looking away.
Anna turned towards Avalow.
"See, I told you she's nice…" the blonde girl whispered to Chaya.
The hooded girl stared into the blonde girl.
Apparently, she noticed, for she stood up straight and stiff.
"𝘒𝘶𝘩𝘶𝘮…I also…have nowhere else to go, no destination to walk towards, and no real goal in mind. So I followed you here," Avalow mumbled.
"..."
She began scratching the side of her head while her eyes darted around from Anna's silent stare.
Then, the hooded girl nodded.
"If you have nowhere else to go, nor have anything else to do...I have a task that requires hands."
Jonah and Avalow looked at each other, while Chaya tilted her head.
...
𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩.
𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩.
𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩.
From the empty town, four people trekked outside of it, and began walking across the plains of soft snow.
𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩.
𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩.
𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩.
It looked to be the afternoon, when the sun was at its highest, for the gray skies looked to be at least a tad bit brighter.
The hooded girl and blonde girl held two boxes in their arms, while a white-haired boy carried three. Between the three was a white-haired girl merrily walking, her arms swinging.
Fortunately, the boxes themselves were considerably light, so it was easy enough to carry.
The problem was their staffs. The girls can only hold it in their arms sideways, alongside the boxes.
"Hey," the white-haired boy suddenly said.
"Why can't you just, uh…unmaterialize your staff? Actually, can't you just float the boxes?"
"It doesn't work like that, Jonah, as much as I wanted it to. Second, it's a waste of mana," Avalow sighed, white clouds exhaling from her mouth. "At least I'm used to this type of work, so I'm fine, no matter how uncomfortable it is."
"Huh…"
Within just a minute, while the entire group walked onto the crunching snow, the snowy plain slowly began to disappear as it slowly began to darken them, for both sides of them were eventually being covered by trees. Trees that grew many, many feet tall that covered the sky from their sight.
Jonah's eyes darted around. He stared especially at each shadow, at each shade of the trees, in the crevices, or high above in the canopy…
The white-haired boy looked everywhere.
On the other hand, the white-haired girl was the opposite. Chaya looked around and around, like a tourist going on vacation.
"Oh, I know about this place!" she said in awe.
"It's called the "Forest of Yume." Legends say that people who walked deep enough in there can walk to another world, where dreams and reality coexist. Also, it's actually a tourist spot…or rather…"
The young white-haired girl hesitated.
"...it once was. Um, Miss Anna…do you…do y-you live here?"
The hooded girl remained silent, slowly trekking across the snow. That is, until she felt something staring into her back.
She started nodding her head, but she stopped herself..
'Why did I even nod my head? What kind of mysterious force made me do that? Was that some kind of social pressure?'
Unfortunately, it was too late, and so she opened her mouth.
"Yes, I do live here. In fact, I lived here for most of my life."
"Lucky…" Chaya mumbled. "That means you must've seen the butterflies, right?"
Anyone could hear something draining down the toilet.
Perhaps the dying hope of a young girl. Or it could just be the fall of unrealistic expectations. Anna easily sympathizes with her.
"Butterflies? What butterflies?" the blonde girl asked, looking back at the small girl.
The hooded girl's eyes glanced to her left from underneath the shadows of her own coat's hood. Then she quickly looked forward as the white-haired girl suddenly clapped her hands together.
"Ah! You're from that family who raises butterflies, right?" she asked in a hippity-hoppity manner, chipper and what-not nonsense.
"Raised?" Avalow echoed.
Anna blinked. Then, she blinked. Lastly, she blinked.
"...yes, although it was my grandpa who raised them. I only helped him..."
Chaya's eyes sparkled like the stars that dotted across the night sky. At least the stars that Anna remembered in the past. These days, she could only see them in the countryside.
In the city…she can't see much at all.
Human progress truly is a double edged sword.
"Daddy told me all about it," the white-haired girl said. "He said that many years ago, there was an old man that raised the most beautiful blue butterflies here! During those years, people would come here to watch the butterflies fly."
"Ah, Dad did talk about that," Jonah muttered. "He said that when I was young back then as well."
"Yeah! Daddy also said they were the loveliest butterflies he'd ever seen. At night, they shined a dreamy blue...I wish I could see them..."
Slowly, Chaya's voice slowed to a whisper, and she began to look down.
Anna looked at the sad little girl, if only for a brief moment. She then looked at her overprotective older brother.
Instead, what she saw was that Jonah was absentmindedly walking step by step. His eyes were only looking forward; looking at nothing in particular nor interesting.
Something only the white-haired boy could see.
"A dreamy blue..." he mumbled distractedly.
"Is something the matter?" the hooded girl asked.
Jonah's head immediately jerked up. His head and eyes darted left and right quickly.
After a short moment of figuring out nothing was happening, he laughed awkwardly.
"Hahaha...no, it's nothing..." Jonah said. As he said that, he absentmindedly returned to looking at an invisible horizon none but him could see.
Anna simply looked back at the road ahead.
'The Forest of Yume, huh?'
If she was going to be honest, Anna had forgotten what the forest's name was.
Actually, she didn't think anyone told her at all. It was always just that 'one forest where' she spent her childhood playing with her grandpa and the butterflies.
A blurry memory slowly unfolded in her eyes.
A child's laughter, joy, the feeling of being free...
Before Anna began truly reminiscing over her blurry memories, she snapped back to reality.
For she felt something 'brush' against her mind.
'Amor?' she thought.
Anna looked to the right. Looking through the trees besides her, lo and behold, she spotted the familiar blue glow of a butterfly fluttering through the trees.
Amor was fluttering besides them.
Flying towards home.
'What was he doing then?' she wondered.
The hooded girl silently 𝘩𝘮𝘮'𝘦𝘥. Then, she 𝘩𝘮𝘮'𝘦𝘥. Finally, she 𝘩𝘮𝘮'𝘦𝘥.
"Chaya," Anna suddenly said.
Chaya immediately straightened up, and Jonah snapped out of his imagination. The boy stared at the hooded girl's back, who didn't turn around once.
"Y-yes Miss Anna?"
From underneath the shadows of her hood, Anna's eyes and mouth curved into a smile. Walking next to her, Avalow's eyes widened, and her smile grew into a parabola.
"Would you like to see one of those butterflies?"