Periwinkle

I stood frozen at the school gate for what felt like an eternity, my feet glued to the spot, my thoughts swirling. The icy breeze tugged at my jacket, but my body felt numb.

It was almost as if my mind had shut down, like it couldn't process what had just happened so I went back to our school to rethink things. Only after what seemed like an hour did my brain finally decide to function again, and with a reluctant sigh, I forced my legs to move.

I made my way back inside and sat down on a bench in the student lounge. My hand instinctively brushed against my cheek, and I paused for a moment, noticing how my skin had grown cold. There was no longer any sharp pain from earlier, no sting, but somehow it felt like I was in a different world.

Everything that had just occurred felt real and surreal at the same time. My mind couldn't make sense of it, and my body felt disconnected from reality.

Maybe I was just exhausted, my thoughts too scattered to make sense of what had happened. My mind was drowning in something—maybe insanity, maybe something worse—overdose.

I closed my eyes, trying to shake off the dizziness that seemed to settle in my skull. I didn't even know what to make of everything.

With a heavy sigh, I opened my eyes and blinked a couple of times, trying to clear the fog in my head. I needed to get out and think—really think—about everything. I needed space, time to process. My gaze drifted to the door, and before I knew it, I was walking out, heading home on foot, my thoughts heavy with uncertainty.

I traced the familiar route leading home, my eyes locked on the road in front of me. I didn't notice the people around me, the hustle and bustle of the city—nothing. The world felt like a distant hum. The only thing that mattered was the pounding in my chest and the storm swirling in my mind.

The earlier events flashed again in my thoughts, vivid and sharp. I pressed my fingers to my temples, trying to block it out. The image of those three men—the chilling presence they brought—wouldn't leave me. I wanted to talk to someone about it, but the truth was, I had no one.

I had friends, sure, but I knew they'd never believe me. They'd think I was losing my mind. Depression had a way of doing that to people, and I was no exception. They'd think I was just spiraling out of control, especially since I'd never sought proper help.

I muttered to myself, frustration building inside me. Maybe if I had some solid evidence... maybe then they'd believe me.

The thought stung, but I couldn't deny it. It wasn't just a delusion. It couldn't be.

The names echoed in my mind—Frost, Tim, and Fall: the name three guardians, each with a role tied to an ancient story my grandmother used to tell me when I was younger.

I could still see her face in my mind's eye, the way she would smile as she spun tales of gods and immortals. Of the Lunar god descending to Earth and finding the Sea goddess, how they fell in love and bore children—twelve sons, one daughter. Thirteen children.

The guardians. I could almost hear the story coming back to me like a distant whisper from my past.

The eldest son, Cloud, became the guardian of the mist. Coast, the guardian of golden sands. Blaze, the fire guardian. Rain, the water guardian. East, the spring guardian. Frost, the winter guardian. Flash, the lightning guardian.

Cay, the red sand guardian. Fall—the Autumn guardian. Tim, the guardian of time. Zephyr, the wind guardian. And finally, Sun, the youngest, who was entrusted with the summer.

Twelve guardians, chosen to protect the earth and maintain balance—especially the four who controlled the seasons: Sun, East, Fall, and Frost.

What was I even saying? My mind was a mess. I was rambling, lost in ancient stories that I had no business thinking about. I'm going insane. I've completely lost it.

"Ugh!" I groaned and rolled my eyes to the sky, letting the frustration spill out. "That's it! I'm just gonna let everything slide. I didn't see anything. It's all just a hallucination, a piece of junk in my brain!"

But the moment the words left my mouth, a voice interrupted me.

"Hmmm... you haven't changed at all."

I froze, heart pounding in my chest. I spun around, but there was no one there—just the empty street behind me.

Or at least, I thought it was empty until I saw her.

A woman stood there, dressed entirely in white. It was as if she had stepped out of a fog, her pale dress flowing around her like something ethereal. She looked like a freaking ghost, a "white lady," as they called it, but there was no mistaking the eerie aura surrounding her.

"Ah... hi?" I said, hesitating. My voice was shaky, unsure.

I quickly scanned the area, half-expecting her to vanish into thin air, but there was no one else around. Just her.

"Are you talking to me?" I asked, pointing to myself to make sure I wasn't imagining this.

The woman smirked, a playful gleam in her eyes. "That's an obvious question, silly. Of course, I am. No one else is around."

"Oh, my mistake," I muttered, still reeling from the shock. "H-Have we met before? Do I know you?"

She grinned, a knowing look crossing her face. "Probably," she said, taking a few steps toward me. "Let me check something real quick."

Before I could even react, she reached for my hand, her fingers cold as ice. She rolled my sleeve up, and my breath caught in my throat when I saw a mark—the cinquefoil above my wrist. I didn't even know it was there.

"Found you at last," she whispered, her voice sending a shiver down my spine.

I jerked back, my pulse racing, heart pounding in my ears.

"W-What are you doing?" I stuttered, instinctively covering my wrist with my other hand.

She stood there, unfazed, her smile twisted in a way that didn't sit right with me. Her eyes locked with mine, and I felt a strange chill settle in my bones.

"You saw everything, didn't you?" she asked, her voice soft but full of certainty.

"W-What? What are you talking about?" I was confused, desperate to make sense of this nightmare.

She cocked her head slightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You can't fool me, Silvermist. I know how your mind works."

My confusion turned to rage. I narrowed my eyes. "I don't know who you are or how the hell you know my name, but you need to stay away from me."

I started to turn away, ready to walk off and pretend none of this happened. But her words froze me in my tracks.

"Orphan."

The word was like a punch to the gut. My breath caught in my throat, my fists clenching at my sides. How did she know that?

"I know everything about you, Sil."

A grin spread across her face, and before I could react, she was suddenly standing right in front of me. The world seemed to tilt on its axis.

She... teleported?

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move.

"Shocked?" she asked, her smile playful, almost teasing. "You shouldn't be if you couldn't see me, but because of that mark you have," she pointed to my wrist again, "you're starting to see new and wonderful things!"

"I-I don't understand!" I stammered, my heart hammering in my chest.

"Let me help you," she said, and before I could ask another question, everything around me went black.

I couldn't see. I couldn't feel anything.

What the hell is going on?

Suddenly, a bright light pierced the darkness, blinding me. I squinted, trying to adjust, when the world around me shifted. I gasped, finding myself standing in a vast meadow. The air was thick with the sweet scent of dandelions and lavenders.

"Where am I?" I breathed, overwhelmed by the beauty surrounding me.

"Wonderful, isn't it?" came the voice again.

I whipped around and there she was, standing just a few feet away, that eerie smile still on her face.

"Who the hell are you?" I demanded. "Where did you take me?"

She chuckled, her voice light and airy. "I do owe you an apology, and a whole lot of explanations."

She walked toward me, her steps light and carefree, her eyes filled with something unreadable.

"I am Periwinkle," she said, and her gaze drifted over the colorful field around us. "And here?" She paused, looking at the vibrant flowers. "Here is where the guardians' apprentices live." She turned back to me. "Where your kind lives."

I felt my knees weaken. "I-I'm sorry, what?"