《Celestial Saga: Exiled to Earth II》


 Chapter 1：Celestial Saga: Exiled to Earth Volume II

I had a long dream.


    And when I woke up,


    I was back to where I started.

 Chapter 2：Stage ONE: An Unfamiliar World

    I had a long dream.


    And when I woke up,


    I was back to where I started.


    STAGE ONE: An Unfamiliar World


    "Wake up! Wake up its six thirty! You''ll be late for school!"


    Little by little, she opened her round light eyes, almost golden with sunlight. Tears rolling down her pale cheeks, she looked around and found herself in her bedroom. Posters, books, her clothes drawer, her mirror, her bed¡­ everything was exactly where she''s expecting them to be, yet, it felt different. Not minding the nagging outside, she forced herself to stand, palms on her face. She wept, non-stop, crying her heart out. For what reason? She can''t remember. But she is sure she had a very, very sad dream.


    ~ o 0 o ~


    The school bell rang and rang. While others rushed to beat the timer, she calmly walked to her classroom wearing her usual white blouse, checkered-maroon skirt, a matching necktie and her shoulder length jet black hair tied in a high-ponytail. Blowing her straight bangs hanging over her forehead like a daily ritual, she walked inside the classroom. There, the furious teacher scolded the blank-faced girl first thing.


    "You are late again!" Completely ignoring the teacher, she sat on her seat without batting an eyelash. Her poker face always irritated the teachers and classmates alike. But she never cared.


    Class, as usual, went as if in slow motion. The whole time, her eyes were at the window, blankly staring at the big tree outside. She''s been intensely interested in it for some reason. The thick branches seemed to be telling her something. Did she forget anything? What''s in a tree? But the harder she tried to think about it, the worse her headache became. So she stopped.


    "Hey there!"


    A group of schoolboys, a year ahead of her blocked her path while she walked on the hallway. She has always been aloof and strange and uncaring, it irritated almost everyone around her. All at once, they charged at her, held her hands and feet.


    Something sparked in her. A memory. A hazy one. Sweat rolled down her forehead as she tried to remember, but she couldn''t. It was so frustrating, she trembled.


    The boys were surprised. For the first time, she looked bothered. Thinking they won, they pinned her against a wall. "Let go." She ordered. They refused.


    She took a deep breath and lightning fast, she kicked one of them on the groin. As soon as her hands were freed, she threw a couple of punches aimed at their torsos and faces. She twisted their wrists, and knocked them aside. It happened all so fast that they just found themselves trembling in fear while staring at the girl. They knew she''s stronger than your average girl, but this time, she seemed too strong. To them, she''s possessed. She''s a different person overnight.


    "Get in my way again, and I''ll kill you." She glared, before heading to the library like nothing happened. In truth, even she, was surprised with what she did. It all felt so natural, her body reacted on its own. She''s getting more and more certain that something did happen.


    Even inside the library, she couldn''t concentrate on the book she''s reading. Noticing she''s been staring on the same page for almost half an hour, the buff boy sitting across her called her attention.


    "HEY!"


    The voice of her classmate, Ash, surprised her. He is tall and muscular, almost twice her height.


    "You look weird since this morning. Something happened?" He asked while shooting glances at the science book she''s reading. She sighed.


    "Dude, I travelled to a parallel universe and I left something undone." She explained with a serious face.


    "¡­"


    The two of them stared at each other, one in complete seriousness and the other in disbelief. "Dude, you''re not sick, are you?"


    All of a sudden, she burst into laughter, leaving Ash more confused than before. Closing the book, she smiled. "Yeah, maybe I''m just feeling a bit sick." She returned the book to the shelf and went ahead. "See yah."


    As she walked home from school, the familiar surroundings she''s been seeing everyday suddenly felt different. The street food stands, she just bought some of her favorite fried squid rings yesterday, but looking at it now felt as if she''s living in a distant memory.


    As she walked back home, all of a sudden, the familiar world around her looked like a completely different, unfamiliar world.


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 3：Stage TWO: Who Are You?

    She couldn''t sleep the whole night. She kept staring at her palms, which felt strangely light and different. They went to the doctor earlier, and confirmed that she''s healthy. But ever since having the ''sad'' dream she can''t remember, she''s been having trouble sleeping or even focusing her attention, even when doing the things she used to enjoy.


    ~ o 0 o ~


    The class today ended earlier, but she was not in the mood to go home yet. The girl found a quiet spot in the school grounds, a circular concrete bench around a tall Agoho tree. Seeing that no one was there, she sat down, took her sketchpad out and began sketching whatever to relieve her mysterious uneasiness.


    Her fingers started moving on its own. Somehow, she ended up drawing a young man with pale white face, tall nose, high cheekbones, thin lips, narrow eyes. His long silver hair and his green eyes, they looked so beautiful.


    With a smile, she finished the sketch with a few shadows over his chin and eyes. Tears fell from her eyes, wetting the sketchpad with salty drops. She didn''t even know why, but looking at that picture made her chest ache. Who is this man?


    "Kirin Aethelmer." A sudden voice from behind her, snapped her out of deep thoughts.


    She jumped back in surprise, dropping the sketchpad on the ground. More than the sudden appearance of a stranger, the name that was suddenly whispered on her ears made her heart pound uncontrollably.


    The stranger, a girl wearing the same uniform, with long wavy hair and clear, tan skin faced her with apprehending eyes. "This man is Kirin Aethelmaer, isn''t it?"


    This stranger''s eyes and hair are both chestnut in color, something unusual in their country. "Who are you?" again, the girl asked.


    She can''t give her an answer. She wanted to know too, including the name she''s supposed to give her. Her splitting headache came back. She squeezed her head tight, tears fell from her eyes. The chestnut haired girl held her hands. She smiled.


    "Van." The girl said it, her name. "My name is Van from year 1. How about you?"


    She was captivated by her gentle voice. It reminded her of the sad dream she''s been desperately trying to remember. "What is your name?" Van repeated, driving her to a corner.


    "Who are you?" She was sure she heard the same question before. And she was sure she answered it right, long before.


    "I am Freyja."


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 4：Stage THREE: Linked Dreams

    "I told you to stop! Tell me, who is Kirin?" Freyja stopped running, chasing after her breath. Van was surprisingly quite the fast runner, it was difficult keeping up with her. "You need to lose more weight, maybe you''ll be much lighter!" Van stuck her tongue out before running ahead, in a seemingly endless burst of energy. But Freyja was determined. With a smirk, she decided, fists tightly clenched. Today, she''s going to make her spill everything.


    Ever since meeting Van, and ever since hearing the name ''Kirin,'' her insomnia grew worse night after night. Even so, she felt a glimmer of hope that the weird things happening to her will soon have answers. Since then, Freyja would wake up early in the morning, read even more books and stalk this girl Van day in day out.


    Unfortunately for Freyja, Van kept running away from her, every time she would ask her about it. But this time, Freyja had a good plan. For sure, she will capture her this time.


    The teacher for the last morning subject just went out to get lunch. Taking this chance, Freyja skipped her afternoon class and snuck at the faculty room, headed straight to the first year adviser table. As fast as she could, she skimmed through the piles and piles of documents until finally, she saw Van''s records. With a smirk, she took her pen out and started writing as much information on her left palm. Satisfied, she left the room unnoticed.


    "Hmmm¡­ I believe her house is somewhere here¡­" Skipping the rest of the classes for the day, Freyja headed straight to the address written in Van''s information sheet. Freyja carefully walked through every single un-labeled street in the small subdivision. The place was quite far from city center, she had to take two jeepney rides just to get there. And when she did, there were no plates or house numbers at the gates. Heck, it took her some time just to find the streets.


    Freyja was lucky, still. She heard a loud noise coming from one small, concrete house. Out of impulse, she hid herself in the nearby bushes and observed from there.


    "Get the hell out of here!" A woman is chasing a girl out of the house. The girl seems used to it, she quietly walked out, as if it was a daily routine. "Wait a minute¡­" Looking closely, she recognized the girl. It was the loud, cheeky Van!


    But she looked different. Freyja wanted to run to her and ambush her with questions as originally planned, but decided to keep herself hidden. She followed Van as quietly as she could, tiptoeing, hiding behind bushes after bushes, tree after tree unnoticed. Van kept walking towards the forest way back of the subdivision. Still, Freyja followed.


    Van stopped walking and quietly sat on a boulder facing a gushing river, throwing small stones into the water. She looked like a completely different person, much to Freyja''s surprise. Seeing her quet and a bit down made her feel guilty spying on her. Then, Van pulled something out of her shirt, a crystal pendant. The pendant didn''t look ordinary at all. It looked brilliant, reflecting the sun''s rays. It had an air of mystery around it. Looking closely, Van gently rubbed it against her cheek as if drawing comfort out of it. But, what surprised Freyja the most was that little by little, she saw something come out of the crystal pendant. It was like a faint white gas. Squinting her eyes, she saw the gaseous substance shroud Van''s body. She yelped.


    "Who''s there!?" Van stood up in a panic, feeling her presence.


    "Wait! It''s me!" Freyja stepped out of hiding, her hands up. "I''m sorry. I''m desperate about Kirin so I¡­"


    "So you saw it."


    Freyja nodded. "Come on, it''s not like it''s something new to me. I was disowned by my parents here twice already. Outcast, weirdo and all¡­ why would I make such a fuss over that?" She laughed it off. "Listen, I''m not trying to comfort you or anything! Just tell me who the hell Kirin is!" Hiding her embarrassment, she feigned anger.


    Van took a deep breath and showed her the crystal pendant. "This is Kirin." Van said in all seriousness. Freyja fell silent. "When I was six, I would always wander around this area by myself when I needed a break from all that." She began.


    One day, when she was six years old and walking around that area, she saw something shining on the ground. It was a small crystal. It captivated her instantly. It felt mysterious, beautiful, strangely comforting. It fits perfectly on the palm of a small child. She picked it up and kept it like it was a treasure.


    Then, on the night after picking the crystal up, Van had her very first, awfully vivid dream about being transported to ''another world.'' In her dream, she saw floating fortresses and people flying around. She saw fireballs being conjured by people clad in white robes out of thin air. She saw things she never thought existed, and saw them in brutally vivid detail she couldn''t tell that she''s dreaming.


    The dreams then got more and more frequent. While Van was more than thrilled, this caused her to grow distant with the people around her. Naturally, what''s real to her is never to them. The ''disconnect'' was the price she had to pay. Even the people closest to her, started treating her like a lunatic.


    Though enjoying it, Van ended up getting more and more frustrated that in the end, everything always turns out ''just a dream.'' Because of this, she was prepared to throw the mysterious crystal away to live a normal life again. But just when she was about to, she had the most vivid and most unforgettable dream of all.


    All of a sudden, she saw in her dream, a young man with pale skin, silver hair and enchanting emerald eyes. "¡­and his name is Kirin Aethelmaer." Since then, Van couldn''t bear the thought of parting with the crystal pendant. Even if the world hated her, if she can see Kirin, she knows she''ll be fine. Before she knew it, Kirin has already made his way deep into her heart.


    Hearing her story, made Freyja''s tears fall uncontrollably. Hearing her, she felt a strange, happy sensation overflow in her. At the same time, she felt envious. But above all, it was relief that made the tears flow.


    She was so relieved. It was as if she found a fellow earthling on a strange planet. Freyja laughed. She laughed, still with tears on her eyes. "Freyja¡­" Van was quite surprised with her reaction.


    "Hey, why are you crying?" Van sighed, and smiled.


    Freyja wiped her tears at once and walked towards Van. Punching her arm, she said with her usual vigor: "How about this, I have an idea! How about we go and look for Kirin? So you with me?"


    Her almost childlike suggestion surprised Van speechless. "You¡ª" She can''t believe what Freyja just said. For a while, she was unsure if Freyja is an even bigger weirdo than her. But just the same, an overflowing sense of relief, made her totally forget why she went to that place in the first place.


    "So? You with me?" Freyja had a childish grin on her face as she urged her.


    Van grinned and playfully punched Freyja. "Of course! But you''re not taking him away from me!"


    Freyja smirked. "Let''s see about that."


    Freyja held her hand out for a shake. Van grabbed it, squeezed it tight. "You got a deal."


    "Yup! It''s an adventure, then!"


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 5：Stage FOUR: Warrior of Justice

    "You broke the computer again, didn''t you!?" The voice of Freyja''s elder brother rang around the house. "It wasn''t me!" She shouted, covering her face with a pillow.


    "Kirin¡­" unknowingly, she called. She used to be so afraid of the dark. But lately, she loved pitch black darkness. Not seeing anything made her mind a blank slate, allowing for Kirin''s visage to enter her thoughts clearly. For the past few days Freyja and Van skipped some classes, wandering around, looking for suspicious places and clues about Kirin. Unfortunately, they haven''t found a single clue. For a second, Freyja felt guilty making such a bold promise.


    "Who the hell is Kirin anyway!?" She shouted. "SHUT UP!" Her brother''s angry voice sealed her mouth for the rest of the night. She slept soundly.


    The morning was unusually cold. No wonder, the ''ber-months'' had started. She went to school wrapped in her favorite pale blue jacket. She peeked at Van''s year 1 class, but she''s not there. Freyja grew worried.


    The class ended in a breeze, much to her surprise. Rather, her mind''s been full of many things to even notice what happened in class. One of them, is Van''s whereabouts. The other, Kirin''s. She headed to Van''s class again after school, but confirmed she''s absent the whole day. Left with no choice, she headed out to check up on her.


    On the streets, she noticed a girl who looks like her soul''s left her body. She''s been standing at the pedestrian lane for quite a long time, around three batches of people has already crossed the street. Freyja was about to ignore her, when the girl suddenly stepped forward, still with her mind in a daze. But it was sudden.


    The girl mindlessly walked forward, in the middle of the streets, with rushing cars and motorcycles and it''s NOT even the red light yet!


    One red car, couldn''t break in time. It was about to hit the dazed girl when Freyja, just in the nick of time, ran to the middle of the road and pushed the girl hard, to the other side of the lane. The girl was unhurt.


    Almost dragging her to the other sidewalk, Freyja slapped her hard. Finally, she snapped out. "What the hell are you doing!? Are you trying to get yourself killed or what!?" Freyja shouted so loud, not even the police officer approaching could say something. The girl, in the same year as she is, with braided wavy hair, shrieked all of a sudden. "Wait, what happened!?" Freyja was at a loss. She''s about to go to Van, but she can''t leave this strange girl like this. She sighed.


    Freyja had the girl follow her back to the circular bench in the school grounds. There, she waited for the girl to regain her senses.


    "Hey. You okay now?" Finally, the girl stopped sobbing, and seems to have calmed down. Finally. "Okay. If you want to die, do it somewhere you won''t bother anyone. Look. I hate watching people die in front of me." Freyja meant it as a joke, but all of a sudden, found her own words disturbing. "People dying in front of me, huh¡­" she felt something squeeze her chest.


    "What was that!?" The girl shouted, shaking Freyja''s shoulders. "How the hell did you do that!?"


    "What are you talking about!?"


    The girl knew what she saw. When Freyja pushed her, she saw her side hit the car''s edge even before it could swerve to the other lane. She was sure she even saw a dent on the car. But what surprised her even more is seeing some kind of ''light'' wrap around her body for a few seconds. Then it disappeared. That''s why she shrieked earlier.


    "Hey, you''re uninjured right?" Finally, the girl spoke calmly. Giving Freyja a weird look.


    "Whose fault do you think I almost died!?" She shouted.


    The girl stood up and shook her shoulders. "Tell me, who are you!? What is that light!?" Suddenly, she''s making no sense to Freyja. "Wh-what the hell are you talking about!? Ah I get it. You must still be in shock." Freyja gently shoved her hands off, stood up, and grabbed her backpack.


    "Anyway, don''t waste your life. I don''t know what happened, but killing yourself won''t make anything better. Trust me. It won''t." With that, she waved and walked ahead.


    "Wait, who are you? Tell me that at least!"


    Freyja looked back. With a grin, she proudly declared. "I''m a warrior of justice!"


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 6：Stage FIVE: A Scarlet Sky

    Freyja shut her eyes while sitting on her bed, concentrating. For some reason, she''s feeling a strange, warm sensation shrouding her body. It felt like she''s submerged in a warm liquid. She can''t see it whenever she faces the mirror, but when she looks directly at her hands, she sometimes sees a faint, white gaseous substance emanating from her body. No one else could see this, except for her and a handful of people, like Van. It was also quite similar to the same gaseous substance that she saw came out of Van''s crystal pendant. Now she''s sure, this is the same thing that the spaced out girl earlier told her about¡ª the strange white light that protected her from the car''s impact.


    "Alright Kirin! I''m gonna find you and fast!" Freyja roared, feeling a sudden burst of excitement in her.


    "SHUT UP!" Someone outside shouted.


    Freyja grinned as she threw herself on the bed, tightly hugging her pillow. "That girl earlier, why was she so spaced out?" She thought, closing her eyes. "I hope she''ll be alright."


    Freyja drifted into a deep sleep, where she vividly dreamt of a silver haired young man with piercing emerald eyes, skilfully fighting a number of men clad in black robes.


    The reunion was a lot more sudden than she expected. She went to school the next morning and saw the spaced-out girl she met yesterday standing on the hallway. But this time, she''s with another girl wearing the same uniform. The girl she''s with is tan and slim, with long wavy hair tied in a low ponytail. She looked familiar too. Freyja instinctively hid herself. Then, she followed the two of them secretly to their classrooms. Apparently, they''re the same year as she is. They were heading to the classrooms of the second years.


    Freyja ended up witnessing something that looks like a part of the girls'' daily routine. A group of familiar boys blocked their path and tripped the spaced-out girl''s companion. They laughed and began throwing insults at the two. They called them names, laughed at them and threw crumpled paper at them.


    Freyja felt her blood pressure rise watching them. "Are you just gonna let them do whatever!?" She shouted in her mind.


    The spaced out girl was irritated alright. She was about to put her foot forward, but Freyja beat her to it. Even before she could do anything, Freyja jumped in and glared at the boys imitating the ''Kirin'' boy in her dream. "Aren''t you blocking my way, fags?"


    "It''s you again!?" Of course, they knew who she was.


    Without wasting a second, Freyja''s fists came flying to their leader''s face. She was about to hit the others too when she heard a familiar voice, rushing from behind her. "Hey! Leave some for me!" Much appreciated, Van came charging at them, kicking them one by one, and claiming her own share of glory. Of course, Freyja didn''t let Van hog all the fun. Back to back, they beat them all one by one, Freyja even threw one boy''s bag far away scattering all his belongings on the floor. The group of boys ended up running while throwing insults at them. "Barbaric bitches!" Freyja and Van grinned at each other.


    "Warrior of Justice!" The spaced out girl recognized her right away. But what surprised them the most was her reaction. "Her fists are glowing!" She said, pointing to Van''s fists.


    The two girls jumped away from her in surprise. Although Van is already used to seeing the strange gaseous substance appear in her body from time to time, she never expected that another one would be able to see them aside from Freyja. Indeed Van''s fists were covered in faint gray-ish light. This time it''s more visible than before. Freyja too, saw the white light cover her hands, up to her elbows for a moment.


    "Well, we gotta go!" Freyja slipped her hands into her pockets before running to her classroom. Van too, rushed back to her classroom soon after, leaving the two girls in shock.


    Freyja returned home only to be shouted at by her brother. Freyja was chosen as the school''s representative for an investigatory project competition. The teacher was impressed with Freyja''s project proposal, a design of a facility that accelerates organic waste decomposition. However, the big secret that she''s been hiding from her school is that the real inventor is her elder brother. And now, he wants to make sure that his invention will win through Freyja''s defense. He trained his sister hard, day and night, making her solve problems, teaching her advanced scientific concepts. While Freyja managed to defend the project well in class, deep inside she would always feel wrong doing that. The truth is, she''s only memorizing his brother''s words, deceiving people as if the invention was hers. Her project partner, Ash, was also unaware of the real person behind the invention.


    Her brother too, was not at all amused seeing her try ''strange'' rituals, and hanging out with friends he believes, would ruin her concentration.


    Despite this, Freyja actually welcomes the much needed distraction from the other problem she can''t solve¡ªthe strange white light around her, the disturbingly vivid dreams about a silver-haired young man, everything else that she can''t answer by reading her brother''s books.


    "NOW WHAT?" her brother shouted at the speechless girl. "Don''t expect to win with THAT."


    Freyja clenched her fists, tears fell from her eyes. Actually, she couldn''t do it. She couldn''t solve the mathematical problems, she couldn''t help with the design, no nothing. No matter how much people would praise her, the invention that is only forced upon her is something that she will never be good at, especially in front of the real inventor. "I QUIT!" She shouted, running away.


    Everything was just too much! She''s trying to remember something important she knew she forgot. She''s trying to figure out the strange white light she''s giving off. She''s trying to figure out why Van''s crystal is emitting the same light. Though used to it, she''s facing bullies at school and more. She''s trying to figure out all too many things at once, she''s breaking down.


    Freyja, in her running, just found herself at the school, right in front of the circular bench where she met Van. All of a sudden, a flash of memory came into her. "You really love machines don''t you?"


    Who said those words? It was a very familiar and nostalgic voice. But when she forced herself to remember, a splitting headache came to her. Freyja fell onto her knees in pain. But, she wanted to know more than anything. Who was it? She''s tired and frustrated, but who was this person she couldn''t remember, but made her remember how she loves studying how things work. Who is this person? Freyja endured the pain.


    "Could it be?" Kirin''s face flashed in her mind. "Could it be you, Kirin?" A warm breeze blew.


    The headache subsided. She felt her mind clear up. Kirin''s gentle face popped up in her mind. But this time, no headache. He''s smiling, gently. Freyja smiled too, in relief.


    "Um Hello." A voice said from the other end of the bench.


    "Oh hell¡­. WHAT!?" She jumped away, realizing she''s not alone after all. It''s the spaced out girl she met before. She''s there and for sure, she heard her talk to herself like an idiot. Freyja wanted to disappear.


    "I don''t really know what happened, but aren''t you the warrior of justice?" The girl said, with a straight face. She''s so serious, Freyja wanted to laugh but held it in. She took a deep breath and smiled. "You''re right." She sat down, on the other side of the bench across the girl and looked up at the sky.


    "I''m Freyja. You?"


    "Scarlet."


    "Look," Freyja pointed up. "The sky has a nice scarlet color, isn''t it?"


    "Yup, just like the color of blood." The girl sounded exasperated. She smiled, self-deprecatingly.


    "Don''t be stupid." Freyja grinned. "It''s what makes us alive, right?"


    The girl looked at her in surprise, for a few seconds, and smiled sweetly with tears forming on her eyes. "Yeah, you''re right."


    Freyja stood up, stretched, full of energy. "Alright! I''m going back after all. I''ll have to study, and make sure Kirin praises me!" Freyja chuckled, looking refreshed. She turned to Scarlet and waved at her. "See you tomorrow!" Freyja ran, in full speed, back to her house.


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 7：Stage SIX: Awakening Aura

    "Come back here!" The teacher shouted, running through the hallway covered in sweat. "Goddammit Van! You said we''ll ''sneak'' out!" Freyja shouted, running for her life beside the grinning Van. "At least it''s more fun this way!" She ran even faster, almost leaving the furious Freyja behind.


    On the way, Freyja met Scarlet and her friend. With an evil smirk, she grabbed Scarlet''s arm pulling her along with them. In surprise, she ended up running with them. Scarlet''s friend was left by herself. She was hesitant to go after them at first, but when she saw the furious teacher approaching, she instinctively ran to Freyja and the others.


    "Why the hell am I running!?" Scarlet complained. "Because you ARE. Over here!" Van made a turn left, leading them to a bushy path. Then, Van climbed up the fence that''s on the way, and jumped to the other side. Freyja did the same. Having no other choice, Scarlet and her friend followed.


    Breathing heavily, Freyja lashed out at Van for starting this entire mess. "You said you''re a ninja or something!? We''re more like reckless criminals on the run!" She shouted. "Blame your short legs! I could''ve breezed through it without you baggage following me!" Van retaliated.


    "Wait! And just what the hell am I doing here!?" Scarlet broke the fight.


    "Come on, admit it. You''d rather be here than in that boring class, don''t you?" Freyja taunted, and she can''t bring herself to disagree. "Well, I''m already here." Scarlet sighed in resignation.


    "What are we going to do!? They will scold us!" Scarlet''s friend joined in. They looked at each other, and laughed. "Come on, we''ll just get scolded. That''s okay!" Van grinned, holding her hand out. "I''m Van. You guys?"


    "I-I''m Aya." Scarlet''s friend bashfully shook Van''s hand. "Scarlet." "I''m Freyja!"


    "Well, great! We''re accomplices now! For starters, how about we go for an adventure?" Van, without hearing what the others had to say, headed off to the paths behind the school campus, leading to a forest. Freyja followed, but looked back. "Come on!" She urged the two, and the four of them headed to the forests.


    Scarlet knew the place. She''s been passing through a part of that forest as a short-cut to her house. They wanted to go to the town proper. But after crossing an old bridge over the river, they ended up walking for an hour without seeing a trace of the path Scarlet is familiar with. Pale, she finally turned to them. "Guys," She swallowed before continuing. "I think we''re lost."


    "We''re lost!? Aren''t you supposed to be from this area!?" Aya panicked. "I am, and I''m sure I went through the correct way!"


    "We''re lost!?" Van exclaimed, with sparkling eyes. "That''s great! Right, Frey?"


    Freyja was unusually quiet. All her energy and excitement suddenly disappeared since crossing the bridge. Just as soon as they did, she felt a strange presence but ignored it, trusting Scarlet''s memory instead. "Earth to Freyja!" Van snapped her out of deep thoughts. "Oh, yeah. Sorry."


    "Hey, don''t you think evil spirits did this?" Scarlet, apparently, is superstitious. "Then let''s just kick them evil spirits on the butt and get the hell out of here!" Van readied her fists.


    "Guys, don''t you feel anything weird?" Freyja said, looking around. "You guys can see this strange thing around me, right?" She held her hand out. The white gaseous substance is leaking from her body again. The three of them nodded. "Well, no one else can see this except us. So maybe we can sense something similar? How about we look around?" They agreed, and started scouting the place.


    It''s all trees and grass and bushes. Nothing special. They went forward, backward, left and right, but everything seems to be the same. It felt like they''re just walking around the same place for hours. Worse, it''s getting dark. Aya clung to Scarlet. "What if we can''t get out of here!?" Tears forming on her eyes. Scarlet remembered the old tales of her grandmother. After all, she got her superstition from her. She once told her a story about an ''engkanto'' or a spirit who plays with people by locking them in looped places. She took out a piece of sticky paper and stuck it to one of the trees. Calling Van and Freyja, the four of them continued walking forward together. After a couple of minutes, Scarlet shrieked. They never turned back, but found the same marked tree. "Guys! We''re inside a loop, I''m sure of it!"


    Freyja and Van stood back to back. The moment Scar confirmed her suspicion, the skies suddenly turned dark way faster than possible. They are now sure that something is behind this after all. A sinister presence filled the air, the trees around them started to look scary, as if possessed by evil spirits.


    Freyja looked around. She vigilantly searched for anything, any clue that might help them. She''s trembling. She''s afraid. But she clenched her fists. And suddenly, a memory came to her mind in the most unexpected moment.


    "Look closely Freyja, this is a Phrein." A tall, dark skinned man with long silver hair and beautiful violet eyes glared at her. Then, another memory flashed. This time, she''s fighting a serpent like creature, with two other people she can''t remember. "Do it Freyja! Finish it!"


    "I KNOW!" Freyja suddenly shouted, pulling the Swiss knife from her pocket. "I recognize this aura!" The fear in her heart turned to excitement. It felt like she suddenly solved a problem that has been bugging her for so long. Suddenly, she felt a strange bulk of sinister aura from ahead. Completely surrendering to her feelings, Freyja let her instincts lead her body, and her friends. She ran forward, in full speed, while the three followed.


    Not for long, they saw a big bush covered in the same kind of gaseous substance radiating from Freyja''s body, but this time its colored dark green. Heightening their senses, Van, Scar and Aya finally noticed it. "Look, this one''s aura is green!"


    "I see, so that''s why it''s hard to see this little crap. Its green everywhere dammit!" Van ran to Freyja with her fists ready for some punching. Aya and Scarlet ran to them. "So, what are we gonna do?" Aya asked.


    "Destroy it, of course!" Freyja shouted, charging straight at the green aura-emitting bush with a Swiss knife. "Hell yeah we should!" Van agreed, charging bare-fisted.


    But when Freyja tried to stab it, the bush suddenly jumped back, as if evading consciously. Not only that, the ground shook, and the trees around them started swaying like they''re alive too. A number of branches flew straight at Freyja''s back. Being the nearest to Freyja, Aya took her sling bag off and used it to shield Freyja. Thanks to her, Freyja was only scratched on her left cheek. Much to Aya''s surprise, her hand and her bag emitted the same faint aura, which made it sturdier than normal. She dropped the bag in surprise. "How did I do that!?"


    "Ask later!" Scarlet shouted, throwing a couple of stones at the suspicious bush that seems to be running away. Similarly, the stones that she threw were covered with a faint red aura. One of them hit the bush, making a couple of its leaves flame up.


    Going with the flow, Van chased after the running bush with all of her might. When she closed in the distance, she jumped onto it, pinning it down to the ground. Then, she punched it a couple of times, grabbing some branches in the process, tearing them off with all of her might. Like Aya and Scarlet, her hands were mysteriously covered in faint gray aura.


    This scene felt awfully familiar to Freyja. She knows what to do. The green aura around the moving bush started to weaken. With a smirk, she charged at the bush that''s held down by Van. Instinctively holding the Swiss knife as if it was a sword, she ran towards them with all her might. Her white aura piled up, turning the small Swiss knife into a long, aura sword. Van jumped away, before she slashed the bush into two.


    The bush shriveled instantly, the ground stopped shaking and the trees returned to normal. The sky however, didn''t turn any brighter. After all, it''s already night time. But, the sinister atmosphere disappeared. The four of them breathing heavily, their hearts pounding. No one spoke a word, until Van broke the silence. "We did it! Hell yeah!" She jumped in excitement. Freyja sighed, and smiled. Scarlet sighed and Aya fell on her knees in relief.


    "Hey guys, not sure if you noticed it, but¡­ we all emitted aura, didn''t we?" Freyja pointed it out. Of course, they all saw the same thing. They all can see aura, but it''s the first time Aya, Van and Scarlet saw themselves consciously emitting such amount of aura. Suddenly, they had tons of questions in their minds. But for now, they feel so exhausted, they wanted to sleep right here right now.


    "It''s already seven! I''m dead!" Scarlet rushed ahead. This time, to the correct path out of the forest. Aya followed. For the last time, Freyja looked back. Van urged her to go. "Come on, we can talk tomorrow."


    "Yeah. You''re right. See you guys tomorrow." She grinned, before following the three of them back to town.


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 8：Stage SEVEN: Firey Mystery

    Freyja had a dream.


    In her dream, she is concentrating, against her will. There are six persons clad in long, white cloaks intensely looking at her, watching every twitch of her muscle. As the dream went on, apparently, she realized that she was supposed to be focusing all her aura on her back. It was extremely difficult, and painful. It felt like her back was being burnt! The harder she concentrated, the hotter and more painful it became. Tired, she gave up and sat on the floor with a pout. All those around her were obviously disappointed, but they couldn''t bring themselves to speak a single bad word about her. She could definitely tell.


    "Lenfiare" One cloaked man, whose face is blurry, came forward and helped her stand. "Why do I even have to do this!?" She shouted in violent protest. But the man calmly took her hand, pulled her up and dusted her clothes off gently with his hands. "Listen Lenfiare," He explained in a calm voice, "The Leafens'' wings are the most beautiful in Celestia. Wouldn''t you want to have one?"


    Freyja, of course, wanted a pair. "Can I use them then, to fly to other worlds?" She demanded an answer.


    "Well, yes. But there are places where you must learn to seal your aura off consciously. The balance of every world is different. In some worlds, you can fly as much as you like. In some, you must keep them hidden."


    "WHY?"


    "Celestials are the guardians of the universes'' balance. We must never cause disruption, else, the universe itself will call upon the auras to counter ours. And when we leave, it will be much difficult for those living in there to return the original balance."


    "BORING!" she ran past the cloaked man, and straight to the door.


    Then, the scene changed to a more serious and terrifying one. All of a sudden, flames engulfed the surroundings. Freyja suddenly found herself running high up a tower, as fast as she can, heart pounding in terror. The moment she reached the top, a woman was there, her face still a blur. The woman hugged her tight and whispered: "Forgive me, Freyja." With force, she slammed her palm on Freyja''s chest. Freyja felt a strong, burning pain inside her. She struggled, sweat rained from her forehead. It was as if a raging fire was suddenly inside her body, and it felt the most painful. She violently threw her arms and legs, but the woman hugged her tighter, she couldn''t move. She couldn''t speak. Her voice won''t come out. Soon, even her eyesight was blinded by a hot, radiant white light that came from inside her. Freyja felt her body submit, her limbs fell, as if they''ve became lifeless all of a sudden. Then, the woman took a deep breath and pushed her into a raging, swirling vortex that slowly pulled her to the other side.


    Freyja desperately tried to reach her hand out to the woman. She didn''t want to leave her. But the woman stayed there, without moving an inch, as the vortex slowly pulled her deeper and deeper until it was all black.


    Finally, the last scene in her dream was her, holding a short sword and sparring against a young man, with silver hair and emerald eyes¡ª Kirin. She felt aura around her body, as if she''s submerged in a hot liquid, and her body fels much lighter than usual. But this time she can control it at will. She shifted her aura in her weak spots, shifted it to her attack weapons, she did is masterfully.


    And she woke up.


    Freyja looked at her hands. Remembering what she did in the dream, she focused her aura into her hands. Much to her surprise, the white aura nicely wrapped around her fingers, her palms, not leaking uncontrollably like it used to be. Freyja smiled. And went back to sleep.


    ~ o 0 o ~


    "And yes, I was scolded non-stop. But come on, what''s new anyway? Haha!" Van laughed out loud, despite having a few Band-Aids on her face. Scarlet, Aya, Van and Freyja gathered in Freyja''s old house at the town proper and there, they talked about the strange experience that happened, and the not-so-strange rage of their families when they came home late. As much as they wanted to tell them what happened, they are more than sure that the ''lousy excuse'' would do them more harm than good. They all sighed.


    "But I think that dream means something, Frey." Aya shifted the topic back to Freyja''s dream. "If you really lost your memories, then maybe they are parts of the memories you lost! And maybe, they''re surfacing now because we''re encountering these strange things!"


    "That''s possible." Scarlet agreed. "But the thing is, why did these strange things appear just NOW? It has to have a connection with your memory loss!"


    Remembering the dream she had that night, Freyja had to agree. "What if, by awakening my aura, I am somewhat disturbing the balance of this world. That''s why things turned hostile. And instinctively, they''re targeting me. It''s just like the case of the universe trying to repair itself." Freyja felt extremely guilty. The thought of her inability to understand what''s happening to her, and controlling it, destroying the world bothers her.


    "What about our aura? Don''t tell me we are after you too." Van joined in.


    "Well, what if it''s also a way of warding off the hostile auras?" Freyja quickly replied.


    They all fell in silence. Things are starting to make sense, but they''re not quite there yet. Van tried calling her aura, but unlike the fight with the bush monster, it''s not appearing. "What''s this!? Is there some sort of trigger or what!?" Scarlet and Aya did the same. But nothing happened. Even Freyja, tried to conjure aura, but only a little came out. Nothing close to the aura sword she conjured yesterday.


    In the middle of the serious mystery cracking, Van''s stomach growled. "Oops. I guess I''m hungry? Haha." With that, they decided to head out and grab something nice and cheap. They bought a couple of sandwiches, juices and sat on an unused pavilion on their school. Despite being worn out and unused, the scenery from where they are sitting was nice. From there, they can see the high school building, and the little theater of the school on the other side. While they ate and had some light conversation, all of a sudden, Van spotted smoke coming from inside the theater. "Hey guys, what''s that?"


    "It''s probably the barbecue stand beside the theater." Scar dismissed it right away. Her dismissal made sense, they ignored it completely and headed back to Freyja''s old house. But before they left, Freyja felt something strange coming from the theater. She didn''t bother telling her friends, since it''s nowhere near as strong as the other disturbances she''s feeling. They headed back.


    Even before they could reach Freyja''s old house, they saw people screaming, gossiping, about the burning theater at their school. "The theater is burning!" They remembered the smoke they saw quickly, they ran back to the school grounds and found the theater engulfed in thick, red flames. Freyja felt a chill run through her spine. The firefighters came right away, and stopped it. But it was too late, the building was completely burned to the ground. They even heard the firefighters talking about how unusually strong the fire was.


    They headed to the nearby internet caf¨¦ to search the net for spontaneous fire incidents, as Scarlet suggested. They browsed the net for a couple of minutes, found some information, but ultimately didn''t appear to be much of help. They headed back to Freyja''s house.


    "Spontaneous fire¡­ they say there are people who can do that." Aya recalled the articles she read earlier.


    "But the spontaneous fire incidents are at most, the size of a room. NOT an entire theater. Not even a house. Maybe there really is an arsonist there!" Freyja rebutted.


    "But there''s NO ONE there, I mean. Come on. We were there, man." Van added. "We''re the only ones there for crying out loud!"


    "Don''t say that!" Scarlet joined in. "After that bush forest monster incident, I might as well believe that we did that!"


    ???There must be an arsonist." Freyja said. But quickly retracted her statement when another news reached them. The computer shop they were just in a couple of minutes ago, is now in flames. Freyja turned pale as a ghost. They all knew what Freyja was thinking. "Come on Frey, we can all sense it. It isn''t an ordinary fire. And if we don''t do something, who knows what will burn next!?" Van made a good point. Too good, actually. Just as soon as she said those, the bunch of assignment papers on the center table is in flames!


    "Holy crap! That''s my science paper!" Van shrieked, jumping away instinctively. Being the nearest to the toilet, Aya grabbed a dipper and scooped water from the bath tub, before running back to extinguish it. It took three splashes before the fire stopped. "This is not the time to worry about your homework dammit!" Scarlet shouted.


    "See what I mean!?" Van panicked, looking around for more fires. And yes, she found them. One by one, the house''s walls started to catch small fires. Even the exit, is starting to catch flames. Freyja knew very well, that if this continues, their house will be burned down to the ground as well¡­ and with them inside!


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 9：Stage EIGHT: The Phoenix

    Scarlet''s eyes are fixed at the flames, getting bigger and bigger. She can''t move.


    The flames clumped together, forming fireballs. "Dammit, show yourself asshole!" Van shouted, randomly throwing punches in air. "DAMMIT!"


    The fireballs fled towards them. Freyja, Van and Aya managed to evade, but the spaced out Scarlet couldn''t move in time.


    "SKAR!" Freyja shouted, running to her. But it was all too late. Right before their eyes, the gigantic fireball, almost twice as big as her, hit Scarlet head on. The fireball engulfed her entire body before her friends'' eyes.


    "Am I dead?" Scarlet asked, aware that she''s been hit. Scarlet looked around. It didn''t look like heaven or hell at all. In fact, the surroundings looked so normal, and familiar. A small concrete and wood house, a small yard garden¡­ of course she recognized it, it''s her home. She stepped inside, saw her dad watching the TV, looking so much younger. She''s standing in front of him, but he can''t see her at all. "Am I ghost?" She went straight to the bedroom and saw a nine-month old baby on the bed, with pillows all around her.


    In the middle of her nostalgia, she felt a sudden sinister presence. It is very much alike when they were lost at the forest, and the mysterious fires. She stood on guard, looking around. Slowly, she sensed a Dark-reddish aura surrounding the entire room. The aura formed fireballs and to her surprise, attacked the baby on the bed! Instinctively, Scarlet jumped onto the bed and shielded the baby with her back. To her surprise, the baby opened her eyes and looked at her, as if she could see her! But it''s not the time to wonder, she took the baby in her arms and took the fireball attacks on her back. She felt the sting, the pain, but she could bear it. After gently putting the baby on the floor, for the bed to act as a shield, she faced the clump of aura and with her bare fists, tried to restrain it as much as she can.


    There''s only one thing in her mind: Protect the baby!


    In her surge of emotions, she herself, is covered in a bright red aura. Sharp arrow-like aura formed on her hands. It was pretty much like Freyja''s white blade, only thinner, smaller and more wobbly. She shook her hands and found that these aura arrows can be dislodged from her hands. She threw them straight at the enemy and saw that for every strike she hits makes the dark-reddish aura vanish into thin air. She called out more of these by concentrating her energy to her hands. Soon, it rained red aura arrows in the room, completely obliterating the enemy. Finally, the presence was gone completely. "Oh shoot!" Remembering the baby, she looked down. But the baby was laughing, unburned.


    Then, a memory flashed in her mind. When she was young, they did say she was found on the floor. And she remembered back then, in her earliest memories, seeing a red ''bird'' like creature fly over her. Scarlet sighed, and smiled.


    When the baby''s mother, her mother, came into the room, she disappeared.


    "I see." Scarlet understood something. She can''t say she completely understands it such that she can explain in clearly to others, but she somewhat had a newfound peace with herself and with the mysteries happening around her. "It makes sense now. I don''t know why, but it does. It''s like, it''s something I have to do." She opened her eyes, and found herself back to Freyja''s burning house. Her body engulfed in flames. She felt the sting, but she''s in unburned just like in the vision. Scarlet took a deep breath and growled. She called out her own bright red aura, it shrouded her entire body. The fireball engulfing her vanished into thin air.


    "Skar!" Aya ran to her in tears. But it still isn''t time to celebrate, the house is still engulfed in flames! Scarlet is positive. This is the same type of flames she saw in that time-travelling vision. Summoning her aura-arrows like she did there, she hit every bulk of flame, which disappeared immediately upon contact. "Hurry Frey! Help me!"


    "Okay! I''ll try!" Freyja closed her eyes, concentrated and released her white aura, the same as what Scarlet did. A white aura blade formed on her right hand. "There''s something here Frey!" Van sensed the same chunk of red aura near her, in an unused room. "It''s the same as the green bush thing so maybe this is the culprit!"


    "Thanks Van!" Freyja rushed to the room, and bingo! She was sure the moment she saw it. The clump of dark-red aura flames. It''s definitely the one causing all the flames around the house. She squeezed the aura blade in her hands and charged at it without hesitations! She cut the clump of fire in half!


    As it vanished into thin air, the flames in the entire house started vanishing as well. Soon, the presence was totally gone. Freyja fell onto her knees, chasing after her breath. The white aura blade dissipated too, and the aura surrounding her and Scarlet vanished.


    Much to their surprise, the house is completely unburned. But they are too exhausted to even think about that. It''s a mystery they can solve tomorrow. Freyja laughed, lying on the floor. "God, that was scary! Hahaha!" Van sat beside her. "Something sweet after all this would be nice. How about we grab some ''halo-halo''?"


    "Great idea. Hahah!"


    Scarlet and Aya stepped into the room.


    "Skar! Are you okay?" Freyja stood up and went to her at once. "I was sure you were burned by that fireball." Freyja looked at her head to toe. Van and Aya affirmed to it.


    Scarlet sighed, and held Freyja''s shoulders. "Listen, about Van''s question about our auras, I think I know now."


    Her words earned her all ears. "You said that you might be causing a disturbance in this universe, by awakening your white aura, right?" Freyja nodded. "And your birthday is November 6, 1991. Right?" Freyja nodded again.


    "I was born five days after you. And while inside that flame, I think I just happened to see the past for a while. The disturbance has already started the moment you were brought into this world. Your aura might still be sleeping that time, but maybe, the universe already saw you as a threat." Scarlet sighed and looked at Van and Aya, before shifting eyes back to Freyja. "So similarly, this universe made us, sealed at first and when the time comes, we do our job."


    "What do you mean our job?" Van interfered.


    "Isn''t it obvious? It''s to stop Freyja from ruining this world. We have to get her out of this universe!"


    They all fell silent. What Scarlet said made more and more sense, as they pieced together the events happening. Freyja clenched her fists. "I¡­ I''m sorry."


    Scarlet patter her back. "Don''t worry, we''ll get you back to wherever you came from." This warmth made her remember Kirin. Bracing herself she grinned. "Of course."


    For some reason, she felt her chest so much lighter. "Alright! How about we have some halo-halo now? I''m hungry!" Freyja cheerfully ran ahead. Of course, they couldn''t agree more.


    "You better treat us!"


    "Hell no! I don''t have money!"


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 10：Stage NINE: The Lady in White

    Ten o''clock PM, high school grounds. Freyja, Van, Scar and Aya are wide awake inside a cramped tent. "Hey, you''re not supposed to be here. You''re a first year." Freyja gave Van a cold look, who shrugged it off with a laugh. "Come on, when did we ever follow the rules anyway?"


    "You have a point."


    Its camping night, and the night activities has just ended. Everyone is in their tents, most are asleep, but the four of them can''t. And it''s because, they are feeling a faint sinister presence in the area. They''ve been waiting for something to happen for hours now, but the presence won''t manifest itself. They are getting more worried by the minute. "This is boring. We can''t catch some demon or spirit whatever if we stay here and wait." Van complained.


    "I have an idea!" Freyja grinned, "How about we go out and hunt for it?" Her eyes sparkled, making Scar and Aya even more nervous. "Now you''re talking! Come on!" Van and Freyja stood up and as stealthy as they could, snuck out of the tent, out of the camping grounds. "My God, these two!" Scar was against it, but ended up following them along with Aya.


    "Hey Van, I''m sure Scar and Aya followed us." Freyja noticed that the two of them are taking a long time catching up. And they''ve even slowed down for them. Freyja felt a chill run through her spine. Van too, stopped, feeling the sinister presence getting stronger. "Frey¡­" Van and Freyja looked at each other. They didn''t have to say it to understand what''s happening. For sure, the sinister presence has already manifested itself and is now targeting them. Standing back to back, Freyja grabbed a bamboo pole on the ground while Van pulled out a Swiss knife. "I''m worried about Scar and Aya." She whispered.


    "Don''t. Scar''s got the fire power thing, she can handle it."


    Reassured, Freyja nodded and focused on the situation at hand.


    "Freyja! Wait!" Scar and Aya are running faster and faster. For some reason, the Freyja and Van they''ve been following were faster than usual. They won''t even listen to them, they won''t look back. And what''s stranger, is that they are heading way past the campus grounds, almost reaching the uninhabited woods. Scar stopped. "Where are those two going anyway!?" Aya stopped, chasing after her breath.


    "Hey Aya." Finally, Scarlet noticed it too. "The presence¡­ is here. And it''s targeting us."


    "But Frey and Van!"


    Scar didn''t want to say it. But something tells her that those two they''ve been following are not her real friends. But, if ever they turn out to be them after all, they will really be in danger. Scar clenched her fists in frustration, confusion. Even before she could decide, a person, dressed all white appeared before them. They shrieked in surprise. The white-clad lady''s hair is long, covering her face. She''s floating too. Instinctively, they turned their backs and tried to run. But when they did, the while lady mysteriously re-appeared blocking their path. Wherever they go, she''s there and she''s getting closer and closer.


    "Go to hell!" Scarlet in a haste, summoned her bright red aura arrows. She tried to fire arrows at the white lady, but Aya grabbed her hands and stopped her. "Stop Scar! Don''t"


    "She''ll kill us! Let go of me!" Scarlet shoved Aya off in panic, and summoned her arrows again. But it''s too late. Before her arrows formed, the white-clad lady already charged at her so fast, she tried to evade but is still hit by her head-butt. Scarlet was thrown to one side, unconscious.


    "Oh my God, Scar!" Aya''s tears rolled down her cheeks, taking steps back. The white-clad lady turned to her and attacked her this time. "NO!" Aya crouched in terror, but with her luck, Van and Freyja came rushing in front of her. Van kicked the white-clad lady, while Freyja stood in front of Aya and deflected the attack with her aura blade.


    In a short while, the white lady fell onto the ground, and the sinister presence weakened. Slowly, the white lady turned back to a human they know: the school''s lunch lady.


    "Scar! Hey!" Freyja ran to the unconscious girl. She hit her head, but her aura looks fine. Even so, Freyja and Van lifted Scar up and carried her to the nearest bench. They did so too with the lunch lady. She''s fine too, just unconscious. It would be problematic if they are seen with her, so they hurriedly carried Scarlet back to camp and called for the teacher.


    "This is what happens when you try to sneak out!" The teacher was furious. They can''t say what really happened, but more importantly, Scar is brought to the hospital on time. Aside from her furious parents, she''s okay.


    Van went back to camp to secure their belongings. After doing some explanations, Freyja is about to follow Van but instead met Aya standing at the hospital room''s door. "Aya, what happened?"


    "It''s my fault." Aya sobbed. "I stopped Scar from burning her."


    "Why did you do that?"


    "Because, she was the school lunch lady!"


    "WHAT!?" Freyja shook her shoulders. "We didn''t know it was the lunch lady until she''s unconscious! You mean you saw right through it?" Aya nodded. "Well, yeah."


    Freyja had a ''eureka moment,'' but wanted to verify it first. She tapped Aya''s shoulders. "Don''t worry. I''m sure she will thank you for that when she wakes up. She''s okay. Don''t worry. Now, let''s go back." Freyja smiled and grabbed Aya''s hand. Being minors, they can''t stay in the hospital room for much longer. They headed back to the camp.


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 11：Stage TEN: The Tiger

    Aya woke up at four, but had to do some chores first before she could prepare for school. She left the house at 6 o''clock, and walked to the school, hopefully to arrive before 7 o''clock. Her strides were slower and smaller than usual. She almost never looked in front of her. She could still remember what happened a few days ago at the school grounds. She stopped Scarlet from injuring someone, but ended up causing her injury instead. After that night, she never got to see Scarlet. Freyja reassured her that she''ll be alright. Van too. But it''s not just the issue, the issue is herself. She''s feeling so horrible about herself since that night. Aya was about to turn her back to skip classes, but the guard at the school gates called her to come in. She did.


    On the way to the classroom, she had to pass through the hallway filled with students. The part of the day she hated the most. Sitting there are the bully boys that makes fun of her whenever she passes by. "Sc¡ª" Out of habit, she tried to grab someone in front of her, but there''s no one. Scarlet, unlike before, is not there to walk with her. "That''s right¡­ is she still at the hospital?"


    "Hey, she''s here look! Haha!" As expected, the boys noticed her, and are louder than usual seeing her alone. Aya looked down and walked faster, trying to ignore them. But one tall boy blocked her path and pulled her hair up.


    "Hey! The hell are you doing jackass!?" Van roared from behind Aya. She came running to them as fast as she could. Of course, the moment the boys saw her face, they hysterically ran away. "What a bunch of losers. Hey, are you okay?" Van was like her usual self. She''s always been like this, strong and cheerful and brave. But for some reason she looked special today. "Hey Aya, you okay?" Van noticed she''s unusually quiet. Though she''s always been quiet, but she''s more quiet than normal!


    "N... nothing! Thanks. I''ll go to class now!" She hurriedly ran to her classroom. She barely made it in time. The teacher though, looked especially scary. When he asked for their homework, Aya panicked, rummaging through her belongings.


    "Those who don''t have homework, get the hell out!" Yes, he was especially moody, though he was never someone she liked in the first place. Aya was taking a long time. "Aya, where''s your homework!?" Sweat rolled down her forehead. "Um, no. I¡­." She can''t find it. Of course she won''t. Because she had to do housework last night, she barely slept much less do her homework. "I''m sorry sir, I¡­"


    "GET THE HELL OUT!" The teacher threw a blackboard eraser at her, hitting her on the head. Aya felt tears form at the corner of her eyes. She sobbed, but no one dared look at her. Else, they might get scolded too. Seeing this, Freyja who''s sitting on the front row stood up all of a sudden. She grabbed her backpack and without batting an eye, she walked out of the classroom.


    "HEY! Where do you think you''re going!?" The teacher threw a small bamboo stick at her, but she caught it with ease. "I have no homework too. So, I should go out, right, teacher?" She threw the bamboo stick right back at him, making him even more furious. "Let''s go Aya. Not like we can do anything about it now." Freyja left the room without a single care for the world. Aya followed her.


    Aya walked two meters behind Freyja. She looked so relaxed. Looking at her walk confidently, reminded her of Van who''s so strong-willed and Scarlet who won''t budge no matter what''s thrown at her. Aya felt a pain in her chest.


    "Aya, can you feel that!?" All of a sudden, Freyja stopped and looked to her side. Shoving her thoughts aside, Aya closed her eyes and heightened her senses. She did feel a slight sinister presence. But this not uncommon. Unless it felt really strong, normally these kinds of aura won''t manifest itself. Freyja should know that, but she looked worried. "Frey?"


    "We can''t slack off after all." Freyja felt strange. The aura is faint, but it''s not the same as the usual. It''s like, it''s hiding itself on purpose. That, is a reason to worry.


    ~ o 0 o ~


    Holding a book each in front of them, Freyja and Aya vigilantly watched out for the sinister presence. Nothing special came about, until a senior student approached Freyja with a strange look on her face. She''s smiling, but her eyes are wide open and looks like the smile is forced on her face¡ªby someone else. The senior student suddenly grabbed Freyja''s arm and pulled her with inhuman strength.


    "Freyja!" Aya stood up and tried to pull her back, but they''re too strong she didn''t even hold a candle to them. Not for long, all students inside the library stood up and closed in on Freyja, pinning her against a wall. Normally, she can push them all away with a tiny bit of aura. But right now, they are, without a doubt, being controlled and reinforced by a really strong sinister aura. Aya could only watch as twelve people all at once try to restrain her friend. Freyja winced, gathered he strength, and pushed them all away. She managed to push them, but they just keep coming at her. "Aya! Get Van! Hurry!" She shouted.


    Aya nodded and ran outside as fast as she can. Her nightmare came true. Every single person in the high school building was engulfed in a strange dark aura, with strange, seemingly forced expressions on their faces. They reminded her of lifeless puppets being pulled by a string, towards Freyja. Aya panicked.


    The moment Aya came to Van''s classroom, her jaw dropped. The person she thought can rescue Freyja is herself, pinned down by at least six of her own classmates. Van struggled, but like Freyja, she couldn''t. They are all inhumanly strong. Van punched one classmate on the face, but he didn''t flinch, though his cheek got red. "Goddammit! They don''t feel pain at all!" Van kicked one on the groin, but like all others, he didn''t bat an eye.


    "Stop it Van! You''ll kill them!" Aya shouted. Hearing her own words reminded her of what happened to Scarlet. She ran to Van and tried to pull her out, but she was pushed so easily by one of them.


    "These things¡­" Van said, "¡­are drawn to strong aura sources¡­ AND EATS THEM LIKE MAD!"


    In front of her, Van is being restrained. Her aura is being forcefully sipped out by her classmates. Freyja too. And Scarlet? She''s still in the hospital. Fortunately for Aya, her aura is not strong enough to attract these controlled puppets. Aya fell on her knees. "Am I really that useless? You won''t even come for me? Nothing?" She laughed. She''s starting to feel her consciousness drift away.


    "Hey Aya! What''s wrong with you? Run away! Get Freyja!" Van''s words won''t even reach her ears.


    Aya, found herself trapped in an oblivion. There''s nothing there. It''s all black. But isn''t it great? No one will find her there. No one will see her there. She can sleep, she can rest without a care. Does she even need to go out? No. Nothing will change anyway.


    She stretched her hands out, they looked smaller than normal. Has she turned back to a child? The black oblivion turned to small room with wooden walls, and lots of boxes it''s so cramped. The door is locked. It''s dark. She''s scared. She wanted to go out! But she can''t. No matter how much she calls for help, no one will come to rescue her. Slowly, her limbs grew. She turned back to a teenager. But did things change? Not a bit. Every time she walks on roads with people, they all look faceless and scary to her.


    In front her, is Freyja''s back. She''s facing forward, her white aura is strong and grand. Then, there is Van. She''s strong and smiling all the time. And then, Scarlet. No matter what, she keeps standing strong. Her red aura too, is so beautiful. The three of them started running forward. Aya chased after them. But they''re too fast! So fast!


    "How about me?" Aya asked. "Will the world even matter without me? Will they even notice I''m gone? No one. I won''t even notice. So maybe, it''s better if I sleep here¡­ forever." The darkness came closing in on her, engulfing her entire body, her entire consciousness.


    "Aya! Aya! Don''t tell me they got you too! AYA!" Van could clearly see a thick dark aura engulf Aya. She desperately shouted. She can''t move, she''s getting weaker and weaker as her controlled classmates absorbed aura out of her. Van felt groggy, she can barely move her limbs. "A¡­y¡­." She can''t even call Aya anymore. Van collapsed.


    "SO BRIGHT!" One voice, only one voice reached Aya''s ears. It''s a familiar voice, a kid so cheerful and energetic. The kid is slim, had dark brown wavy hair and slit eyes. She''s running carefree, with a wide smile on her face. "Someday, I''ll be bright as the sun!" The kid said.


    "The sun, eh?"


    The kid, then looked to her. "Someday!" She said, holding her little hand out to her. "I will be."


    Tears fell from Aya''s eyes. She recognized who that kid was. "That''s right," Aya said, wiping her tears off. "I did say that." Aya opened her eyes.


    "VAN!" Seeing a collapsed Van, she instinctively reached out to her. When she did, all of a sudden, a long silk fabric materialized in her hands, and stretched out to Van. Like a whip, the fabric, covered in bright yellow aura, shoved Van''s classmates away. She stretched her other hand out, and the same thing happened. Mysteriously, two whip-like fabric covered in bright yellow aura materialized in her hands. Saving the wonder for later, she used them as whips, and driven the possessed people away from the two of them. Her fabrics wrapped one of them, and slowly sucked the dark aura out. After that, the person collapsed on the floor, asleep. "I know!" Seeing this, Aya had an idea. She used her fabrics to wrap every single one of them, sucking out their dark auras, making them collapse one by one.


    Not for long, all of Van''s classmates are asleep on the floor.


    "Van, you okay? Van?" She noticed that Van''s color is returning. Van opened her eyes and stood up. "Aya, are you okay? What happened?"


    "I''m okay. You?"


    Van did a bit of stretching. "No problem. Not in my top condition, but I can manage. Let''s go get Freyja!" They nodded and ran out to her.


    On the way, they met Scarlet, who''s surrounded by the possessed people as well. She was about to attend the afternoon classes, but ended up cornered in the hallway instead. "Scar! You okay now?" Van shouted.


    "Do I look okay!?" She is very much tempted to burn all of them, but she knows she can''t. All of a sudden, all of them jumped onto her, restraining her the same way they did to Freyja and Van. Scarlet was about to release her fire arrows by instinct, when Aya rushed in the middle and used her whip fabrics to shield Scarlet. Like the others, she caught each and every single one of them, sucking their dark auras out, making them collapse onto the floor..


    "Amazing! How did you do that Aya!?"


    "No time! Let''s go get Freyja!" Aya ran straight to the library. "Freyja, please, stay alive." She prayed.


    The moment they reached the library, they found Freyja surrounded by even more possessed students and teachers. Freyja is pale, panting, and could barely stand. But she''s trying her best to ward them off with her fists, with minimal aura. Just in time, Freyja fell onto her knees, covered in scratches and bruises. She still didn''t want to use her aura, otherwise she will kill their bodies off. But if she didn''t, she''ll be the one to die. Freyja is so frustrated, Like Scarlet, in her frustration, she finally summoned her white aura, and aura blade.


    "DON''T!" Aya ran to her, and used her fabrics to shield Freyja. Aya took a deep breath. Then, her whip fabrics grew longer and larger and encircled all the possessed students and teachers in the library in one wrap. She started sucking off their dark aura, making them fall on the ground one by one. When they are all asleep, her fabrics stretched out so long, and released all the accumulated dark aura, dissipating them to the skies.


    The presence, is now gone. And everyone in the high school building, except for the four of them, are deeply asleep.


    "Awesome Aya! Your aura is awake now!" Freyja ran to her excitedly. "How did you do that? That was sick!" Van slapped her back too in glee. Scarlet smiled at her. And Aya, took a deep breath and went to Scarlet.


    "Scarlet¡­" She said, gathering her courage. "I''m sorry for what happened. I stopped you and you were injured. And I couldn''t do anything back then."


    Scarlet smiled, shaking her head. "No, thank you Aya. You saved us. You saved us from doing something we know we''ll regret. Thank you." She lowered her head.


    Freyja and Van looked at each other and smiled.


    Aya took a deep breath and smiled. Then, she laughed. She burst into laughter, in relief, in happiness, in ease. "You''re welcome!"


    The next morning, Aya was running late again. She was running on the hallway, to her classroom when the same group of bully boys blocked her.


    "Hey look. It''s her again!" They started laughing. "What? Are you gonna call your brute friends again? Haha!"


    Van, Freyja and Scarlet, from not so far away heard it, Van was about to interrupt when Freyja stopped her. Freyja shook her head and smiled.


    "So, what do we¡ª" One of the boys is about to grab Aya''s bag when Aya grabbed his wrist and twisted it. "OW!" Glaring at them, she said. "What''s your problem?"


    They were all shocked. No one could say anything at all. The boys, had to wonder if it''s really Aya they''re seeing. "Are you sure you''re not possessed or anything?" One of them mumbled. Hearing that, Aya burst into laughter. She tapped his back and went ahead. "Trust me, you don''t want to know about that."


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 12：Stage ELEVEN: In The Dark

    Van was normally the most enthusiastic, reckless even. But most unusually, she was quiet. "Van, you sure you''re feeling okay?" Freyja felt her forehead. She doesn''t have a fever.


    "Of course I am!" She exclaimed, a grin on her face. "Come on, let''s go beat the hell outta them!" She went into the pitch black pathway first, surprising her companions. "Don''t you think there''s something strange with Van?" Aya whispered. "Yeah, she isn''t forcing that energy, is she???


    "Hey Van! Wait for us!" Freyja rushed after her. She too, disappeared in the darkness. Scarlet and Aya looked at each other, nodded, and ran after them.


    Van didn''t have a light, except for her phone''s LCD screen. Holding her phone up, she managed to navigate her way into the dark tunnel, though very slowly and carefully. But all of a sudden, Van stopped.


    "Yeah. I must be sick." Van has been feeling sluggish since this morning. And the reason, is because of a dream she had last night. She pulled out the crystal pendant from under her blouse, as she recalled what happened in that dream.


    In her dream, she saw Kirin. It has always been like that. Whenever she''s sad or scared or feeling uncertain, Kirin would always appear in her dreams as if to comfort her. His smile, his sarcastic expression, even his blank face, everything about him never fails to make her heart pound.


    But last night was different. Kirin in that dream, was holding a tiny, crystallized feather so lovingly. He??s been looking at it intensely with lonely eyes. Kirin gently rubbed the crystal feather against his pale cheek. And then, tears fell from his eyes. Kirin was crying.


    It was the first time Van saw him in such pain. She felt her heart constrict, looking at him in that state. Van trembled in frustration. She shouted, called him over and over. She wrapped her arms around him. But, she won''t reach him. Kirin couldn''t see her. He couldn''t sense her.


    Van never felt so frustrated before. She didn''t mind that Kirin couldn''t see her before. But this time, her inability to do something, to reach him, hurts her more than anything. Van fell onto her knees, shouting, crying, calling him over and over.


    No matter how much she tried to reach for him, she couldn''t. What is that crystal feather? The moment she asked, all of a sudden, the darkness wiped away all image of Kirin. Once again, Van is left all alone.


    Van found herself in the middle of darkness. She was in a dark room, she can''t see anything, but she can hear bickering outside the room. Bangs, crashes, glass shattered. "Yes, it''s better not to go out," She thought.


    Van couldn''t remember how the dream ended.


    Taking a deep breath, Van continued walking along the dark path. The darkness has always been very comforting. A part of her is deeply wishing that this long, dark tunnel will go on forever.


    ~ o 0 o ~


    "Van! Where are you!?" Freyja could hear her voice echo loudly. It''s impossible for Van not hear her, so why isn''t she answering? Freyja started to get nervous. "Hey Scar, can you summon a stronger light or fire or something?" Scarlet shook her head. "Sorry Frey, this is all that I can manage right now. Maybe she ran off somewhere again?"


    "This is bad." Aya interrupted, "I can''t feel her presence at all!"


    "WHAT!?" Freyja is about to run ahead, but Scarlet grabbed her hand. "Listen, we can''t get separated! Relax, we''ll find her together!" Though hesitant, Freyja agreed.


    Thirty minutes passed and they are still walking through the dark tunnel. It''s supposed to be a 15-minute walk. But right now, it seems endless. As they went further, the faint sinister aura they were feeling started getting stronger and stronger. Now they are positive that they are in the middle of something ugly again. "Van¡­ where the hell are you!?" Freyja''s strides got faster.


    All of a sudden, a strong wind blew, putting out Scarlet''s torch. It was pitch black for a minute. Then, they heard a familiar giggle. "Van!" Freyja felt someone run in front of her. She tried to grab that person, but only touched the shoulder. When Aya lit a small flash light, they saw the silhouette of someone run further and then turned left.


    "It might be Van, let''s go!" Freyja, though already reckless, was even more reckless than usual. Without second thoughts, she ran after the silhouette. Worried Scarlet and Aya couldn''t stop her for a second.


    "Van, wait! Why are you running!?" Van has always been the fastest runner. She couldn''t even close in the distance, not even for a bit. The silhouette took turns after turns, which they followed. The tunnel looked way bigger than they imagined it to be. It was a labyrinth!


    Freyja was about to disappear front of Aya and Scar, when Aya''s whip fabric wrapped around her waist and pulled her back to them. Scarlet and Aya finally managed to catch up, though out of breath. "Why did you do that!? She''s getting away!" Freyja violently reacted, but Scarlet shook her hard. "Listen! Can''t you see we''re lost and all!? And do you really think that person is Van!?"


    "But¡­"


    "That thing isn''t her! I''m sure you know that!"


    Freyja looked down. "I know. But, what should I do? She''s missing!?"


    Freyja felt tears form on her eyes. She isn''t sure why she''s feeling this way either. For some reason, she''s afraid. She''s afraid that Van won''t return. Her heart was pounding so hard, remembering the first time she saw Van at her home. She looked happy and alright, but she was suffering by herself unknown to anyone. Van was the first person who approached her in her ugliest. She was the first person whom she showed her true self to. She was the first person who didn''t judge her for being what she is. For some reason, the thought of leaving Van alone in the dark was most unbearable. Freyja trembled. "Fine! If you don''t care about her, then I will go by myself!" Freyja shouted at Scarlet.


    SLAP! Suddenly, she felt a stinging pain on her cheek. "CALM THE HELL DOWN, WILL YOU!?" Scarlet''s slap silenced Freyja instantly. Scarlet held her shoulders, looking at her in the eyes. "Frey, relax. She''s not weak and you know it."


    "That''s right. Maybe it''s the weird presence that''s influencing both your brains right now. It happened to me before. Don''t lose to it Frey!" Aya sounded harsh, but sincere.


    The calm didn''t last long. Freyja''s eyes widened in surprise. All of a sudden, they all felt a sinister presence so strong, so very strong, it felt like they are in the belly of a demon. Instinctively, they stood on guard. The presence they are feeling is by far, the strongest they have ever encountered. The three of them couldn''t help but tremble in fear.


    Scarlet made the first move. She summoned her firey-red aura arrows while Aya followed by conjuring her silk whips. They tried to attack the tunnel''s walls, the air, randomly, but nothing happened. "What the hell¡­" Scarlet is sweating. Her hands trembling. Aya too, could barely keep her knees steady.


    "ARGH!" All of a sudden, Freyja felt tentacle-like things grip her ankles from the ground. She fell down face-flat. The tentacles started dragging her deeper into the dark tunnel. "Freyja!" Scarlet shot the tentacles while Aya wrapped Freyja with her silk whip and pulled her back fast. Luckily for Freyja, she escaped thanks to them.


    "Freyja, snap out of it!" Noticing Freyja is all of a sudden, caught in a daze. Again, Scarlet slapped her cheek. "Wake up dammit! And here I thought you calmed down already!"


    Freyja opened her eyes, but crouched, squeezing her head tight. She''s suddenly having a splitting headache. When those tentacles dragged her, flashes of images came rushing into her mind. "I can see something!" She shouted, trying her best to endure the headache.


    She saw a fragment of her lost memory, of dark aura covered tentacles pulling her in the same way. In that memory, she''s with someone¡­ two of them too. One a child, and one a blonde boy. More memories flashed in her mind. More and more. Though she can''t still make sense of them entirely, like puzzle pieces they''re coming together little by little. Scarlet and Aya guarded her as she tried to remember more.


    Then, one clear shot of memory came to her. It was so vivid, it''s almost she''s taken back in time:


    "LENFIARE! It''s the Phreins!"


    Someone, whose face is blurry, pulled her hand. The young man holding her hand disappeared in thin air, but the moment he did, she felt her body light all of a sudden. Then, she levitated. And then, she fled as if she had her own pair of wings. She fled high up into the sky! So high, she could see the entire palace, its gardens, and... it stopped there.


    Freyja opened her eyes. The headache subsided. "Frey, you okay now?" Aya held her forehead.


    Freyja stood up. "Aya, Skar, this thing is not an ordinary sinister aura!" Freyja''s face all pale. "This thing shouldn''t be here in the first place! How did it¡ª"


    "Freyja!" Aya felt more tentacles wrap around her waist all of a sudden, dragging her to somewhere. "Get down Aya!" Freyja called her white aura blade and slashed the tentacles off freeing Aya in an instant.


    The three of them stood back to back. Saving the explanations for later, they fended the growing number of dark tentacles attacking them, while thinking of a way to find Van.


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 13：Stage TWELVE: The Raven

    "It''s true! I really saw it! There''s something glowing on the ground!" Little Van explained the best she could, teary eyed. "Please believe in me!" She squeezed the little crystal she just picked up.


    SLAP! It left a sting on her cheek. She was silenced, instantly.


    "That''s what you get from watching those stupid shows on TV!" And then, she''s by herself. Again and again and again. Ever since she can remember, things has always been like this. Why does it feel like she''s a stranger in this world? She always felt so different.


    Explaining, being honest, and reaching out to people. These never worked. So why bother? The things that she can see, as long as others can''t, they will never be ''real.'' Her tears dried up, so as her words.


    Van could clearly remember the day she''s standing in a room, with a sharp knife in front of her. "I wonder¡­" She whispered, with a voice devoid of emotions. "What is it like to cross the world? Maybe, there''s a world somewhere out there who can see the same things as I do." The tip of the knife pierced her finger, a blood droplet formed. Staring at it intensely, she wondered and wondered.


    Then, the crystal she picked up when she was just a small child, grew scorching hot. She had to pull it out of her pocket. It was covered in a strange white gas. That white gas, only she can see. She had always wanted to throw it far away, but she couldn''t.


    Then, for the first time, she saw an image above that crystal, formed by the ''smoke''. As if a memory she never knew, it showed her a lush garden, with giant flowers and strange creatures she has never seen before. She saw something like a fluffy rabbit with wings hovering like a butterfly above the flowers. And then, she saw a young man with long silky silver hair and emerald green eyes. He''s wearing what looked to her like a soldier''s uniform. He had a light breastplate and shoulder pads. He looked at her, and smiled so enchantingly. It captivated her heart in an instant. The tears that have dried up, started falling again. She smiled.


    Van''s eyes are tightly shut. She laid down the ground, defenseless. Then, something walked to her and lifted her up. It carried her far deeper into the dark tunnel carefully, gently, not to wake the sleeping girl.


    ~ o 0 o ~


    Aya used both of her silk whips to restrain a number of dark tentacles while Scarlet fired six arrows each on her both hands. It paved a way for them to advance. Freyja used her aura blade and started slashing the left over tentacles as she ran through the opening Scar and Aya created. The two of them followed her as fast as they could.


    "I guess we have to fight it out after all!" Scarlet shouted, running with all of her might.


    "Yeah! We can''t run forever! These things are endless!" Aya added, feeling her legs start to hurt.


    "Frey, can you sense the source of this?"


    "I think so. Follow me!"


    While running, Freyja recalled the vision she just saw. She''s not sure whose memory it was, but she had to gamble and trust on it: Creatures called Phreins can also traverse worlds. They''re fierce and extremely adept at using their Aura. The vision also showed Phreins being master concealers of aura, which is bad news for them. However, the vision also talked about how Phrein aura has a strange trait: Once their aura core is in contact with Celestials, beings with pure white aura, it fluctuates violently. This allows Celestials to locate them far easier than anyone could. "My aura is white. Am I a Celestial? Is that where I came from? Do these memories belong to me? Are they the memories I forgot?" Freyja thought, looking at her white aura. "Who knows. But if ever that I am a Celestial, and that this thing is a Phrein, then there''s this possibility that I can detect it." She clenched her fists and trusted her instincts. Then, something came to her.


    "What''s wrong? Why did you stop?" Aya and Scarlet almost tripped when Freyja suddenly stopped running and blocked them off. "Van! There''s something else with the same white aura aside from me. Van''s crystal has pure white aura too!"


    With a smirk she continued running forward. "I''m sure of it. We can find Van." Freyja bit her lip, forcing her aching feet to go on. Trusting this feeling, she rushed straight to where her instincts led her, deeper and deeper and way deeper into the tunnel.


    She was right. Freyja stopped, so did Aya and Scar. And there, she found a giant blob spurting hundreds of dark tentacles. Right in the middle of the blob, she can see Van sleeping in a fetal position. Freyja''s vision grew red. "VAN!" She rushed to her first thing, her white aura blade ready to slice the blob open. However, before she could come close, a man with dark skin and silver hair, about 6 foot tall, with pointy ears, appeared in between them. He parried Freyja''s attack, but Freyja manage to block his counter. Freyja jumped back.


    "What on earth is that!?" Scarlet tried to fire an arrow at him, but he quickly evaded it. Aya too, attacked, but was deflected. Freyja glared at him fiercely. "You are a Phrein. You''re not supposed to be in this world!"


    "Why don''t you try asking yourself the same thing?"


    ???Listen guys, this thing is a Phrein. Be careful! It''s not human." Scar and Aya were taken aback with Freyja''s warning. Freyja herself, was shaking. But looking at Van behind him, she grit her teeth. And attacked him again.


    But the Phrein was too fast, and skilled with a kind of swordsmanship she''s never seen before. Freyja was on the losing side. She left an opening and was hit by the Phrein''s attack. Though she blocked his strike, it is only enough to prevent fatal damages. Freyja was sent flying against a wall.


    "Freyja!" Good thing, Aya''s silk whips caught her just in time, cushioning her back. Freyja still had a few bruises, but can still fight.


    "Where are your guardians?" The Phrein looked around, looking surprised. It appeared to them that the Phrein was expecting something else. "You did take a human vessel, did you? But you look celestial to me through and through. Did you get your vessel killed?" His words surprised Freyja. "I look¡­ celestial? Human vessel?" She repeated, unsure if she heard him right. Freyja had so much to ask this creature. But shoving the curiosity aside, she reminded herself that the priority at the moment is to save Van. She stood up again and called for more aura to reinforce her blade.


    When Scarlet attacked with a rain of arrows, burning some of the tentacles, Aya at the same time launched both her silk whips. When the Phrein deflected their attacks, Freyja charged at him, not giving him time to parry. He was lucky enough, he managed to evade her strike. But it was Freyja''s plan all along. The moment he jumped away From Freyja, she quickly headed to Van. She will slice the blob off and pull her out!


    Unfortunately, before she could do so, the Phrein shouted "If you want her to die, do it!" Freyja stopped. It''s true, she can see Van''s aura around the blob, and in her body, basically nothing. Her hesitation was her biggest opening. The Phrein launched another attack, sending Freyja flying against the tunnel''s wall. This time, Aya couldn''t catch her. Feeling a broken rib. She can''t move.


    "Your friend is sleeping peacefully. Be merciful and don''t wake her." The Phrein attacked Scarlet and Aya next. All they could do was block and cushion their hit, so as not to end up like Freyja. They can''t land a single hit all.


    Still on the ground, Freyja glared at the Phrein and demanded for answers. "You''re after me, aren''t you? Let them go!"


    "You''re the one who awakened me in the first place!" The creature shouted, "I was sent to pursue you but I was sealed by your guardian. And now, after long centuries of slumber something dispelled my seal." The creature then looked at her from head to toe, wondering. "But I''m surprised that you''re a full Celestial. I''m pretty sure you took a human vessel. Then that must mean that you''ve found a way back to Celestia!?"


    Freyja could tell that he''s genuinely curious. "Freyja Lenfiare, I need to know something¡­ How do I go back to our world? If you tell me, I''ll spare your friends. Otherwise¡­"


    Things are turning out worse for Freyja. She wants to know what the creature was talking about. But she can''t tell him she doesn''t have her end of the bargain. Freyja smirked. "I see, you''re still incomplete then. Too bad, you can''t go home." She looked confident and so sure of herself, the Phrein was visibly startled with her words, and started hitting her in panic. "Shut up and talk, Celestial!"


    "Wake the hell up, dumbass!" Freyja shouted, looking at the sleeping Van, ignoring the Phrein hitting her left and right. "Van!"


    Van is surrounded by gigantic flowers in full bloom, with rabbit like creatures with wings, hovering above them. Behind her is the man with long silver hair and emerald eyes. He smiled sweetly at her. "It''s so nice here." Van said, smiling ear to ear. The silver haired man held her shoulders from behind. "Then stay here with me, forever."


    Kirin''s touch is so comforting, it''s making her sleepy. She leaned on him, eyes closed. Just then, she heard a faint voice. Someone is shouting, but she chose to ignore it. After all, what could be better than having Kirin, the man he''s been longing to reach for so many years, beside her? Nothing. Nothing at all.


    "Van! Wake up goddammit!" That annoying voice she''s hearing, it sounded desperate. Though faint, it won''t stop. Van had it. She stood up all of a sudden and shouted. "What the hell is your problem!?" Kirin then, covered her ears with his big hands. "Then don''t listen."


    Van fell silent and looked down. Now that Kirin is covering her ears, she can''t hear the voice anymore. But, it bothered her even more now that she can''t hear it. Van caught glimpse of a tree, and a concrete bench. It was nothing special, but looking at it, she''s reminded of something important that happened. "That''s right." Van thought, recalling the day when she saw a gloomy girl sitting by herself, drawing something on her sketchpad. Back then, she was so surprised to see her draw the man in her dreams. A part of her was annoyed, that she even showed off by saying his full name to the girl. But at the same time, she felt a burst of energy rush through her body. She never thought there will be someone who will see the ''real things'' she sees as ''real'' too. For the first time in her life, she wanted to know more, to live more, to explore more.


    And then, Van remembered something. Kirin crying. Clenching her fists, she finally said out loud, what she''s been so afraid to say for quite a long time now. "The owner of that feather, its Freyja, right?" Tears fell from her eyes, feeling her heart squeeze in pain again.


    "Stay with me." The silver haired man wrapped his arms around her. He hugged her tight, making all the painful thoughts go away with his warmth. "Stay with me here, forever." He repeated.


    Van took a deep breath and faced him. Then, she threw herself in his arms and tightly wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you. Thank you Kirin." She whispered.


    A black dagger materialized in her right hand. Without hesitations, Van pierced it right through the silver haired man''s stomach. "I would love to stay, but she won''t shut up if I did." She pulled the dagger and stabbed him another time, this time, right through his heart. "I have three troublesome mates who needs rescuing, dammit!" She pulled her knife out again. Another dagger materialized in her other hand. With both daggers she kept on piercing him over and over leaving his body full of holes.


    Then, his body evaporated. The beautiful garden vanished.


    Van''s muscles twitched. Much to their surprise, her entire body is covered by a strong dark grey aura. Her aura was so overwhelming, the blob around her burst into tiny pieces of gooey blobs. "That was yucky!" She complained first thing. "Yo guys! Looks like you are in a pinch!" She grinned, looking at Scarlet and Aya who are now bound by tentacles and held up against a wall.


    "Damn you! Whose fault do you think this is!?" Scarlet shouted.


    "Whatever!" Van''s dark grey aura materialized into two, pitch black daggers one on each hand. With amazing speed, she slashed the tentacles binding Scarlet and Aya off, freeing them instantly. This time, no more hesitations. Aya restrained the annoying tentacles with both her silk whips. Scarlet conjured a shower of scorching red aura-arrows and made it rain at the Phrein.


    Freyja closed her eyes and called all the aura she could gather. As she did, more images from her lost memories flashed before her. But this time, her head didn''t hurt at all. She felt the broken rib''s pain fade, and she stood up, with an aura blade bigger than before.


    Aya restrained the Phrein with her whips, while Scarlet burned him with his fire arrows. "Go!" They shouted.


    Van grabbed Freyja''s hand and pulled her up. They grinned at each other, and nodded. Together, they positioned their blades, reinforcing it further with even more aura. They ran to the Phrein, and with all of their might, slashed him as fiercely as they could. Literally, he was cut into pieces.


    The blob, the tentacles, and the Phrein''s corpse started to evaporate into nothingness. Even the traces of his black aura dissipated. The four of them watched quietly as the surroundings returned to the normal tunnel they were expecting to see.


    "Oh boy, that black aura will be troublesome still." Seeing it''s not gone completely, Scarlet sighed knowing it will someday cause trouble for them. But at least for now, or the next years, it will be harmless. They sighed in relief.


    Freyja fell onto the ground, limbs outstretched. All sweaty and dirty, she laughed out loud. "Damn I thought I''d die!" She was expecting Van to rebut with her usual insults, but instead, she stared at her quietly, with a smile on her face. Freyja blushed and jumped up. "You''re creeping me out man!"


    "But I had to slap Freyja back to her senses because she''s panicking, looking for you!" Scarlet teased with a grin. "I didn''t!" Freyja looked away, crossed arms.


    "That''s for ruining my dream!" Van stuck her tongue out.


    "Anyway, what happened in that blob, Van? Were you able to breathe?" Aya asked.


    "Yeah," Scar joined in, "When you whooped yourself out of that blob thing, he suddenly became weak. Turned out he''s using you as power source!"


    "Scar''s right. That thing said he expected me to be still in my ''human vessel'' and looked pretty confused too. So, it possible that it''s also using something as a source of energy to fight us, which is you." Freyja added, but omitted the more disturbing things he said on purpose.


    Together, they headed out of the tunnel. It''s so windy and bright, it''s like they''ve suddenly grown to appreciate the sun a hundred times more than they did before. Van closed her eyes, looking so peaceful and refreshed. "Well, it''s not really that bad." Van said. "It was pretty good in there actually. I had a beautiful dream." Then, she looked at Freyja. "But someone ruined it. I just had to wake up." She giggled, and ran ahead. "Hurry! Let''s go and eat something I''m hungry!"


    Van looked strangely energetic all of a sudden. The three looked at each other and laughed it off. "Yeah, I''m hungry too." Freyja agreed. "We''re all dirty! We''ll be scolded when we get home!" Aya just noticed.


    "Let''s worry about that later, kay? Noodles for me!"


    Van looked behind her. Freyja, Aya and Scar running after her. Then, she looked at the crystal pendant hanging around her neck. Van couldn''t help but laugh. "Yeah. What a troublesome bunch indeed." She murmured, feeling light, warm, satisfied. This time, with her eyes wide open.


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 14：Stage THIRTEEN: The Truth Behind the Crystal

    Intensely staring at the little white crystal on Van''s neck, Aya, Scar and Freyja could really not believe the aura it is emitting. "Yeah, I know. It''s exactly like Freyja''s aura." Van said.


    "Well, why don''t you tell us EXACTLY how you got this thing?" Scarlet asked, taking a sip of bottled cola.


    "I already told Freyja this, actually. I was six years old that time. I ran away from home because of some kind of trouble." Van had a sad smile on her face, prompting the three not to ask any further about the ''trouble.'' "You''ve been there, right Freyja? That woods near our house has always been my ''home.'' It''s a lot more relaxing there. And there on the ground, I saw this weird crystal. I don''t know why but it appealed so much to me. Before I knew it, I just ended up taking it with me. I told my mom that I saw it releasing some kind of ''magic.'' But come on, as if anyone would believe that." She laughed.


    "And? Anything strange that happened after that?" Skar asked.


    Van shook her head. "I had vivid dreams of ''another world'' but that''s just about it. Except from being strangely relaxing to look at, it didn''t do anything much until recently."


    "So, when did you start seeing this Kirin guy?" Aya asked next.


    Van paused. "Actually, just a year ago. One night, I had this strange vivid dream about me chasing after him. At first, I can only see small scenes in dreams. It''s like watching TV though, I was there and I could see them and all, but I can''t do anything at all. I can''t speak, even my movements and points of view are pre-determined. Yeah, like watching a movie." Remembering the latest fight they were in, Van continued, "That''s why I immediately knew it, what that Phrein controlled my dreams. Because in that fake dream, I can actually do something. Not consistent."


    "How did you know his name is Kirin?" Aya added.


    "Well, somewhere along the way, he was called Kirin. Kirin Aethelmaer."


    "But it still won''t explain why it has the same white aura!" Scarlet shouted, rather loudly. "Could it be that there''s another celestial here than Frey? I mean, if there''s a Phrein, don''t you think it''s possible to also have another celestial here?"


    Freyja got it. She remembered the Phreins'' disturbing words, along with the vivid dreams she had about ''Celestia''. She felt that now is the time to voice it all out. "That Phrein asked me something weird. He asked me where my ''guardians'' are? He also said that he thought I took a human vessel, but I look Celestial enough to him. And¡­ called me Freyja Lenfiare too."


    "Which means¡­"


    "Which means that I am most likely a Celestial, whatever that is, and that is why this universe is kicking me out. That''s probably where I came from, and what''s missing in my memories."


    There was a brief silence, until Van broke it. "But if you are a Celestial, then what does ''human vessel'' mean? Do you mean to say that you are reincarnated into this world as a human?"


    "I am not sure about that. But based on what we know so far, it looks like I did take a human body once. But that Phrein said I look Celestial to him. Meaning, this body is probably my original celestial body." There was a long silence again, which prompted Freyja to continue. "If these visions¡­ no, fragments of ''memories'' I have are correct, then I remember something about Celestials having an ''aura core''."


    "Aura core?" The three chorused.


    "Yeah. I think its more like, our ''soul'' or the very thing that keeps us alive. Unlike humans whose life forces are highly dependent on their physical body, Celestials are more detached with their bodies and can survive brief moments without it¡ª"


    "So, it is possible that your aura core is the one that travelled into this world?" Scarlet continued.


    Freyja nodded. "And most likely when I first arrived here, I did take the body of a human being."


    "I see now." Scar joined in. "But Frey, we are all unaware of what a real celestial looks like, right? So, that Phrein guy''s words sounds pretty reliable to me. He looked genuinely surprised and was even asking for your help to get him out of this world."


    "The question is, if you did take a human body to host your celestial aura core, and NOW, you are using your original celestial body, then what happened to the human body you used?" Aya added.


    Aya''s question triggered a splitting headache. "ARGH!" Freyja crouched, the three of them alarmed. "Frey, you'' okay!?"


    All of a sudden, flashes of memories came to her. This time, it''s a gruesome memory. A big, muscular man in a cloak is holding a sword pointed at her neck. She was on the ground, unable to move. His eyes are pitch black, looking down on her, in full resolve. Then, the sword pierced right through her heart.


    Freyja was sweating heavily as she remembered this scene. The headache subsided, but her heart won''t stop racing, and her hands trembling. "I¡­ I know Aya." She said. "That body¡­. died."


    They''re all speechless.


    "Then how did you get your original celestial body back after that human body died?" No one knows.


    "Anyway, I guess it''s enough for now. Let''s go home. Let''s just think about this ourselves and meet tomorrow." They left the eatery and headed home to rest.


    However, Aya and Scarlet, secretly met at the park late that afternoon.


    "Something''s bugging me Aya."


    "It''s about what Frey said before, right?"


    "Here''s what we know so far:


    Freyja''s original body was destroyed in her travel to this world. And for her ''aura core'' to survive, she had to take the body of a human. Sometime a year ago, she went to somewhere¡ªI assume, another world, where that that human body died. So, Freyja was sent back here and somehow got her celestial body back."


    "But Scar, she said that celestials have the power to regenerate their bodies as long as their aura core is strong, right? And she has a strong aura core. Assuming her human body died in that other world, she could have awakened fair enough aura to regenerate her original celestial body. It shouldn''t be surprising."


    "No. Not that. I mean, if Freyja displaced the body of someone as a child, and now that that body is dead¡­ what happened to the original person occupying that body? She USED a human vessel, right? So there has to be an original owner of that human body!"


    Aya felt her hairs rise. "But Scar, if ever she''s displaced or died, the original owner of her human body is still human right? She shouldn''t have much of an influence in this dimension leak problem."


    Scarlet was feeling extremely uneasy for some reason. The moment she heard what the Phrein said to Freyja, it''s like she realized something important but can''t articulate well yet. But at least based on what they''ve been through so far, she is sure that there is something that still ties Freyja into this world, that''s why she can''t leave. Assuming she really went to another world with that human body, died, and was sent back with her memories erased, then why does she have to be sent HERE and not in some other world? She is almost so sure that the reason Freyja can''t go back to Celestia, lies in this world and not anywhere else.


    "Yes, you''re right. Buy you know Aya, I have a feeling that we need to know more about it, to solve the mystery of Van''s crystal. Van was born fifteen months after Freyja. And I don''t think it''s a coincidence that she got the crystal instead of others. Plus, she can also see visions about some mysterious place and this Kirin guy."


    "So what are you suggesting Scar?"


    "The best place to look, is the place where Freyja grew up in."


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 15：Stage FOURTEEN: To Where it All Started

    In the middle of the night, Scarlet got up. She can''t sleep with her mind full of thoughts about Freyja and Van''s case. Very carefully, she got out of bed, not a single sound so as not to awaken her elder sister sleeping on the other bed. Quietly, she walked out of the house, and to the yard where she ''time-travelled'' the first time her aura awakened.


    Looking at the round moon up the sky, she recalled Freyja''s words earlier. The Phrein looked surprised when she''s not with her ''dragons.'' "Meaning, there has to be something who''d stick like glue to Freyja, so much its surprising not to see her with them." She mumbled. But where are these dragons? And why won''t they look for Freyja? Are they even alive? Scarlet is extremely frustrated, she knows there is something more to that. Then, looking at the yard, she remembered something.


    "Van, Aya and I¡­ we were ''awakened'' to balance out Freyja''s aura in this universe. Is it possible that in the absence of these ''guardians'' we are the ones doing the job?" What is binding Freyja to this world? Scarlet have two guesses. One, a crucial part of Freya''s identity as a celestial is keeping her from leaving. This can be the dragon thing the Phrein is talking about. Her second guess is more of a gut feeling. Two, she has unfinished business with the person she displaced, the real person who owned the body she took as a baby.


    Feeling the cold breeze calm her down a bit, Scarlet went back in.


    The next morning, Freyja didn''t come to school. While classes haven''t started yet, Scarlet and Aya spotted a rather hysterical Van running to the back of the school. It''s their usual route when skipping classes. "Van, where are you going?" Aya asked, running after her. "I don''t know something might have happened to Freyja!" Van pulled her crystal necklace out and showed it to the two. "See? It''s emitting more aura than ever!" They hurried.


    Scar, Van and Aya found Freyja on her school uniform, but is walking to the opposite direction of the school. "How dare you skip class without telling us!?" Van jumped at her from behind. "Hey! Cut it out it hurts!" Her chokehold sure can kill. But seeing she''s in one piece, Van sighed in relief. "Don''t go scaring us you moron."


    "Frey! We thought something happened!" Aya said in between breaths. "Yeah! And where are you going now?"


    Freyja is acting like her usual self. But, she is obviously paler, and worried, just like the three of them. "I dunno, I just had the urge to go home all of a sudden."


    "Which home? The one near our house?" Van asked. Freyja shook her head. "That''s far. I''m planning to stop by my grandma''s house. Wanna chill?"


    Scarlet''s eyes sparkled. "YES!" She''s sounding unusually enthusiastic. "I mean, it''s the house you grew up in, right?"


    "Yeah. I told you that before didn''t I? We only moved out a couple of years ago. Anyway, Let''s go." The four of them headed to Freyja''s old home, her grandmother''s ancestral home.


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 16：Stage FIFTEEN: Written on the Wall

    "I''m HUNGRY!" Van whined. "Zip it, we''re almost there!" Frey smiled, finally seeing the gates to her family''s old house. "We''re here!"


    Van threw herself on the ever-familiar red sofa, relaxed as ever. Scarlet and Aya on the other hand, looked more uneasy than usual. They''ve been fidgeting, looking around, especially at the old black-and-white pictures hanging on the wall. "Hey Frey, who are these people again?" She asked.


    "Oh. That one''s my great grand mother, father side. This one is my great grandfather. I think these people are my uncles and aunts. This one is dad." She replied, though curious of Scarlet''s sudden interest. "Why, is there something wrong?"


    Scar didn''t hear her question. She continued staring at the pictures. "You mean, HER great grand mother¡­" She thought.


    "Well," Aya replied, "We''ve been thinking that, we haven''t explored this place yet. It''s the place where you grew up in, so we''re thinking it might be helpful to investigate."


    "Yeah. Remember when this place caught fire? It''s unscathed. And it''s disturbing. All buildings that caught fire were burned to the ground except for this place." Scarlet joined in.


    "But we don''t feel anything special about this place. I mean, there isn''t a trace of sinister aura, is there?" Van stood up. "Frey?"


    "You''re right." Freyja felt her heart pound in excitement. What they said makes sense and she can''t believe she overlooked that fact. She''s been busy hunting Phreins and aggressive aura somewhere else that she forgot to look at her own house. "It is worth the try. Let''s go!" An energetic smile on her face.


    For starters, they quietly went around. They browsed every room, every single wall, furniture, decorations. Freyja''s grandmother, who''s the only one living in that house, is deeply asleep. The house was awfully quiet, it creeped them out. First, they entered a room in the far back of the house. It used to be Freyja''s parents'' room, which she also shared with them at one point. But now, it''s covered in thick sheets of dust, piles of unused furniture and other things stocked inside. Inside, there is an old, faded mirror. Van looked at her reflection, and suddenly felt a chill run through her spine.


    "What''s the matter Van?" They all rushed to her side. "Oh!" Freyja saw the mirror and laughed. "I remember this. When I was young, I loved staring at myself here. Pretty vain, no? Haha!" She''s the only one who is relaxed. "Frey, stand back." Scarlet pulled a small, pink talisman and stuck it on the mirror, much to Freyja''s confusion. "Huh? What''s that for?"


    "This mirror, is definitely strange." All agreed, but Freyja. "What''s that anyway? Are you even sure that''s going to work?" Freyja''s light heartedness made them even more worried. Usually, Freyja is the first one to sense an unusual presence. But at least inside the house, she''s the most insensitive and oblivious. They couldn''t help but think that Freyja''s gotten so used to the presence, it appears normal to her. It''s a different story for the three of them. The more they explored, the stronger the uneasiness grew.


    "Shut up you powerless kid, you can''t even use your celestial power now so don''t complain!" Van stuck a tongue out, starting their usual comical fight. "What''s that you monkey!?"


    While Van and Freyja kept the mood light, Scarlet placed talismans in every suspicious corner as they walked around. They went to the house''s basement floor, the unused rooms, dark corners. Finally, they returned to the living room to take a quick rest.


    "Freyja, I''ll ask you a question¡­" Van mumbled while pointing to a huge black spider by the window. Freyja jumped away, trembling in fear. "We both hate spiders right?"


    Freyja nodded. "Hell yeah."


    "What if¡­ killing the spider with your bare hands and eating it is the only way to go to Kirin, will you do it?" Freyja is so mystified by Van''s randomness. First Scar''s interest in her ancestors, and now, Van. Nevertheless, she seriously thought about it. She felt tingly just by looking at it. But if the situation really turns out to be like what Van suggested, Freyja has a firm decision. She clenched her fists. Facing Van with all seriousness, she answered. "Of course, do you really have to ask? How about you, will you?"


    Van looked at the spider once more. "Yes, no doubt."


    "That time, when I saw him¡­ I was down and sad. I almost lost hope. Mom, Dad, I don''t know¡­ then, when I saw him smile, I felt very relieved. It''s as if he''s telling me not to give up, I don''t know¡­ that''s why I want to be with him¡­ I want to see him¡­" Van continued.


    Scarlet, and Aya both looked down hearing this. They felt the same. Scarlet also feels different and was always made fun of because of her dreams and visions. The same with Aya.


    SLAM! Freyja slammed the table so hard it hurt their ears for a second. "What''s with all the faces guys!? We''re here to find something, not get all emo!" Freyja optimistically shouted. "Come on!!!"


    The three of them smiled, feeling refreshed as well. "Anyway, the key to this is you Freyja." Scarlet pointed out to her, "When you were little, did you have strange experiences in this place?"


    Freyja sat down while cupping her chin, "Hmmm¡­ lets'' see¡­. Well, I did experience a lot, but I''m not sure if it''ll help."


    "That''s fine!"


    "You see," Freyja started, "When I was little, I remember seeing a lady singing over there." She pointed out to a nearby chair by the living room''s window. "Also, I once heard a little boy calling me while inside that room." She pointed next to her grandmother''s old room. "And since I was so scared, I ran off to my brothers. There was also an instance where in that mirror, I saw a lady standing and looking at me¡­ I don''t know¡­" Freyja pointed to the old mirror that caught Van, Scarlet and Aya''s eyes in her parents'' old room. She tried to think harder and harder.


    "A lady¡­ singing, and in that mirror too¡­ also, there was a boy calling out to you¡­." Aya shriveled at the thought of that. "A GHOST!"


    "No." Freyja thought, "They might be manifestation of my old memories? At least judging from what I''ve been remembering so far, maybe those are actually images from the memories I lost."


    Van stood up, seeing something on the wall. It is covered by a wood cabinet, but she saw some scribbles which she thought, contains a bit of aura. "What''s this?" Van went inside Freyja''s grandmother''s bedroom, quietly so as not to wake her grandmother. "There''s something written here¡­" Van called all of them, to push the cabinet covering the rest of the drawings.


    When they did, a wall filled with faded scribbles and drawings was revealed to them. "They are like drawings of a pre-schooler¡­" Van peered closer. Freyja smiled in nostalgia. Of course she recognized whose drawings those are. She did them all back when she was around five. "Oh, I loved to draw in this wall when I was yo¡ª" Freyja suddenly fell speechless upon seeing one, eerie drawing.


    "What''s the matter Freyja?" They all examined it. Van fell onto her knees upon seeing one small doodle. "This¡­ this looks so much like Kirin!!!" She wiped the dust off the wall, only to find it even more resembling to the young man. There was a drawing of a boy with white spikey hair and sharp eyes. Though drawn in cartoon-fashion, the notable features were spot-on.


    "This is creepy Frey, you were a pre-schooler and yet you already knew his face! Didn''t you meet him when we were in first year or so?" Scarlet felt her hairs rise.


    The four of them wiped the dust off the wall together. They tried to piece Freyja''s doodles together. And not for long, they saw a nerve wrecking connection.


    "This¡­ a drawing of a girl with wings¡­ a lady with long hair wearing a gown¡­ a man with long black hair and a sword¡­" Scarlet narrated, "Freyja, these resemble your description of those people in Celestia."


    "Five flying things, a small castle and a huge orb¡­ Hey is it possible the ''guardians'' thing are these?" Aya added.


    "And Kirin''s face? But if these were Freyja''s memories how come Kirin''s face is here? It''s not like she met him when she was still in Celestia or so¡­" Van found it the most intriguing. "Just who exactly is Kirin?"


    "This has to lead to something. Freyja, think, come on, think hard!" Scarlet urged, believing that the one to confirm their interpretations is her and her alone. They knew that it''ll only be her who''ll unlock the mystery.


    "I remember a bit about focusing aura on your eyes. While we can all see aura, powering-up the eyes is another story. I''m sorry, I can''t do that yet." Freyja sighed in disappointment. She cannot even control yet her white aura, much less do an advanced technique.


    While feeling uncertain, Van took her hand. Scarlet took the other. Aya nodded and grabbed Van and Scarlet''s other hands. "Freyja, let''s do this together. Let''s try."


    Freyja''s eyes widened in surprise.


    "Who are you?" Van squeezed her hand. "Who are you!?"


    "FREYJA!" She shouted.


    "And who is Freyja!?"


    Freyja fell speechless for a while.


    "I''m a Celestial! Mind you!" Van''s words were like a huge slap on her face. Scarlet and Aya smiled. She squeezed their hands back and fixed her eyes at the doodle-covered wall. "Let''s do this."


    Freyja closed her eyes and slowly, her white aura started to leak out. She normally wraps it around her body, but this time, she let it flow all out. The white aura flowed into Scarlet, to Aya and to Van. The four of them, tried to control such enormous white aura by wrapping parts of it around their bodies. "O¡ªouch¡­" They could feel the burning pain, but they didn''t let go. "It''s burning hot!" Van exclaimed, feeling the hot aura flowing through her. To them, it''s as if they''re being submerged in boiling hot liquid. They squeezed each other''s hands tighter and never let a single finger go. Then, Freyja carefully directed the now-stabilized flow of white aura into her eyes.


    Little by little, Freyja opened her eyes and carefully looked at the doodles. The entire wall, is covered in a very very thin white aura. One you cannot detect without focusing your aura into your eyes. She looked around, and it''s the same everywhere. However, Freyja suddenly gasped and jumped away, letting go of Scarlet and Van''s hands, breaking the aura loop in an instant. Heavily sweating, she chased after her breath before facing her friends.


    "Frey, what''s the matter?" Scarlet asked. "This entire house¡­" Freyja said, with a trembling voice. "...is covered in white aura! And¡­" She swallowed before continuing. "In the wall something is written in aura. It says:


    ''IN MIRROR HELP."


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 17：Stage SIXTEEN: Inside the Mirror

    "My name is Freyja!" For a moment, Freyja thought she heard the voice of a little girl. "How about you? What is your name?" She asked. The answer of the other little girl sounded gibberish. And then, she was back to reality. Van is shaking her shoulders roughly, Scarlet and Aya looking at her worriedly.


    "Are you alright Freyja? What did you see?"


    "I¡­" Freyja took a deep breath to calm herself. "I saw something written in aura. It says ''IN MIRROR HELP.'' You guys were right, there is something in that mirror after all. How couldn''t I sense it!?" She punched the floor before standing up.


    "I think it''s because you''ve grown so used to it. That''s normal, no need to be hard on yourself Frey." Scarlet tapped her shoulder. "Anyway, are we really sure it''s THAT mirror? We have a LOT of mirrors here." Aya asked. "Hell yeah we are. It''s the only weird mirror in this place, come on!" Van didn''t let them finish talking. She ran straight to the dusty old room where the strange mirror is. "Let''s get going!"


    Freyja, Scarlet and Aya sighed and chuckled, before running after the hothead.


    But, when they entered the room, Van''s usual energy is all gone. She stood there, as if paralyzed. "Hey, what''s wro¡ª" Scarlet shrieked all of a sudden. "Look! The talisman I just stuck to it is gone!"


    "You mean that pink sticker thing? Are you sure it didn''t fall off or something?" Aya looked around the floor, but no trace of a pink sticker.


    Freyja stared at the mirror quite intensely. The words written on that wall, it''s an SOS call. Her heart thumped faster and faster. She has this strong feeling that all her questions will soon be answered. For one last time, she looked at her reflection on the mirror. And for a second, she remembered her seven year old self looking at the same mirror with the same curiosity. "Whoever you are," She whispered, "Wait for me. I''m coming to get you." Freyja clenched her fists and closed her eyes. She concentrated her aura on her hand, forming a white aura blade.


    "Guys, Listen. I think I know what''s happening. A bit." She faced them with serious eyes. "I told you before that when I was young, I kept on dreaming about an ''angel'' and a ''demon'' fighting, right?" The three nodded. "Those writings, the dreams I had¡­ It is possible that someone is guiding me after all these years. There is someone waiting for me, locked in this house all along. And I need to find out who that person is. Then, maybe, I can return to Celestia."


    "What are you going to do?" Van asked.


    Freyja smiled. "I''m going to see that person." In one swing, she smashed the mirror into pieces. Much to their amazement, it revealed a swirling vortex of pure energy. The air around the room swirled, grew violent. She dispelled her white rune blade and without second thoughts, jumped straight into the vortex.


    Before Van, Scarlet and Aya''s eyes, the vortex started swallowing Freyja whole. Van felt a tingle on her spine. The moment Freyja vanished completely, she jumped into the vortex herself, with a wide smile on her face. "You are NOT gonna hog the fun alone!"


    "You hotheads!" Scarlet growled, but jumped in as well. Aya, though hesitant at first, sighed and jumped after. "Don''t leave me! Hey!" Soon, the vortex closed and the room''s air returned to normal.


    ~ o 0 o ~


    "AHHHHHH!" Freyja landed onto the floor pretty hard. She rubbed her back as she tried to stand. Her limbs and her entire body are in sore, though tolerable. Jumping into that vortex had an effect in her body, that''s for sure.


    Even before she could get up, Van, Aya and Scarlet fell right above her, almost crushing her face flat. "GET THE HELL OFF ME!"


    "You are heavy Scar! Get off!" Van kicked Scar off, who retaliated with a punch. "WAIT! This is no time to fight! Look around you!" Aya broke it off rather effectively. They looked around in silence. After jumping through that strange vortex, they found themselves right at the same room in Freyja''s old house EXCEPT that the mirror is not there. But everything, every single furniture is there, unmoved. No dust, as if everything is new and unused.


    "I''m pretty sure I jumped through that vortex." Freyja mumbled. "Yeah, so am I. But GREAT. We''re back. I thought we''d end up in a cool palace or dungeon or something!" Van sighed. Scarlet looked around some more. "Guys, I think we ARE in a completely different place after all." She walked out of the room, and peered into the windows. The scenery is exactly the same. But there is no one there. Not the caretaker, not even Freyja''s grandmother. The house is completely empty.


    They headed straight to the living room, and then for the door. It''s exactly the same, looking at the windows, but there are no cars passing by the usually busy road. Van opened the doors, the bell rang. But, the moment they stepped outside, they just found themselves back to the old room where the mirror Freyja shattered is supposed to be in.


    Aya and Scar instinctively clung to each other, creeped out. Van too, got closer to them and so did Freyja. "Frey, I think we''re trapped here." She had to say the obvious.


    "Shhh! Can you hear it?" Aya''s sensitive ears are telling her something. "Can you hear it? Someone is crying¡­." Her words creeped the three of them even more. "Don''t scare us like that!"


    "I''m NOT scaring you! Isn''t this situation scary enough?"


    "What the hell, good thing I didn''t go here alone!" Freyja thought. Extremely thankful her friends followed.


    Carefully, slowly, they walked out of the room again, looking for the crying person. They looked around, still no one in sight. Freyja, knowing the house well, led the way. They climbed down the stairs, browsed room after room but found no trace of life. There''s no electricity either. Thank goodness it''s still noon.


    The group headed back up, finding nothing downstairs. However, as they went back up to the dining room, where a huge blackboard was hanging, the voice of the crying girl became louder and louder and louder. Freyja''s chest was pierced with a strange feeling all of a sudden the moment she looked at the black board. She suddenly felt heavy and a blend of loneliness and anger enveloped her heart. Soon, Freyja just found herself dashing towards the crying girl''s sound.


    "Frey wait!" Van tried to stop her, but before she could, Freyja disappeared right before their eyes! She disappeared right after she passed through the arch leading to the kitchen. "What are we going to do!? Frey is gone!?" Aya shrieked.


    "Hey¡­ hey you¡­."


    Scarlet, this time, heard the voice of a little girl. "What?" She looked at her friends, who gave her an equally confused look. She looked back, and saw what appears to her, the shadow of a child. She saw the shadow ran to the living room. "Guys, look at that!" She took just a few steps towards the shadow, but when she looked back, her friends are no longer behind her. Scarlet gasped, feeling her hairs rise and her heart pound in fear. "Van! Aya!" She called, now afraid to take another step. But they won''t answer.


    ~ o 0 o ~


    Aya and Van instinctively held each other''s hands the moment they saw Scarlet vanish too. "Van, stick to me! We have to find them!" Aya felt tears form at the corner of her eyes while Van tried her very best to remain strong. "A-alright, they must be around here somewhere¡­."


    Very carefully, they searched for Scarlet and Freyja. There''s no trace of them. Just then, Van saw something in her peripheral vision. She quickly turned her head and saw a young man with silver hair and emerald eyes. "Kirin! It''s Kirin!" She gasped, letting go of Aya''s hand. "Van, wait!" Aya tried to stop her, but Van suddenly ran to Freyja''s grandmother''s room in full urgency. Then, just like what happened to Scarlet and Freyja, Van disappeared.


    "VAN! VAN Where are you!?" Aya is now trembling in fear, she is all alone without a single clue. Her hairs raised, her heart thumping in fear and panic, tears rolled down her cheeks. And then, she heard footsteps.


    "There''s a lot of magical stuff here! Let''s go!!!" All of a sudden, a shadow of a child appeared before her. Just the shadow, as it appeared to be hiding from her. Aya jumped away instinctively. She shouted, but the shadow won''t leave. It''s just stood there, as if waiting for her. When she finally calmed down a bit, the shadow ran towards the stairs leading to the basement. Aya is trembling all over, but left with no choice, she followed.


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 18：Stage SEVENTEEN: The Girl Hidden From the World

    Freyja saw a little girl, around eight years old, with short black hair and brown eyes crouching in front of the black board, crying. She''s wearing a big white shirt, short shorts and a pair of pink flip flops. She doesn''t appear to notice her so she crouched beside her. Before she knew it, she''s already speaking to the girl. "Hey, what''s the matter?" She held the little girl''s ice-cold shoulder. It is so cold, as if she''s touching a corpse. Freyja instinctively pulled her hand away. The girl at last, turned to her.


    "I¡­ I can''t solve this problem¡­" The little girl pointed to an unfinished problem written on the board. Freyja reflexively chuckled and took the chalk. "This one is easy. It''s just multiplication!" She wrote her answer on the board. The little girl could only look at her in amazement. Though cheery, Freyja carefully observed the little girl''s every move.


    "What is your name?" The little girl asked.


    "I am Freyja." She replied, almost out of instinct. The girl fell silent.


    "F¡ªFreyja?" The little girl''s voice sounded constricted. Noticing this, Freyja had a serious face on, on guard. "Yes. I am Freyja."


    The little girl glared at her and grabbed a bread knife on the table. Freyja jumped back and grabbed a nearby stick. The little girl cried as she threw the bread knife straight to Freyja. Thanks to her quick reflexes, she was able to deflect the knife. "What are you doing?" She can''t tell if the girl is a Phrein or something else. She has never seen her kind before. Worse, she can''t even see aura from her. Freyja observed further, before making her move.


    "I don''t like it here¡­" The little girl said, "I hate this world¡­." She sounded more and more like in terrible pain, sorrow. Tears gushed from her eyes as she clumsily tried to attack Freyja over and over with a bread knife that mysteriously re-appears in her hand every time she throws it.


    "I want to go away¡­ I want to die¡­"


    While Freyja focused on reading her movements, the more the little girl cried and spoke, the more she''s losing focus. A sharp pain in her chest, whenever the girl speaks. "No! I must concentrate!" She told herself, but the heavy emotions of the girl were disturbingly strong, it started affecting her too. Freyja felt her feet wobble all of a sudden. She fell on her knees. To buy time, she asked. "Who are you? What is your name?"


    The little girl appeared to calm down for a while. She slowly walked to Freyja and gently held her hand. Freyja can''t escape. Her feet won''t move. "Guess my name!" The little girl said, with a naughty smile. Freyja peered into her small round face, trying her best to recognize her. She feels that she knows this girl somewhere, but for some reason, it''s like her memory won''t allow her to recall. Just like what happened with the suppressed memories of Celestia and Kirin.


    The little girl was getting impatient. She couldn''t answer. She squeezed Freyja''s hand so tight, it hurt. "Hey, you know me, don''t you?" She asked, her face now warped with a mix of grief and anger. "TELL ME MY NAME!" She demanded.


    Still, Freyja can''t answer.


    ~ o 0 o ~


    "Hey wait! Where are you going!? Stop running!!!" Scarlet has been running after the shadow for quite a while. It''s not as fast as Van, but whenever Scarlet is about to catch it in a corner, the shadow disappears and re-appears behind her. Scarlet is getting more annoyed than afraid.


    Finally, she saw the shadow stop, and it calmly walked into a room. Scarlet followed.


    The room, much to her surprise, was bright, filled with dolls and plush toys. Scarlet almost did not recognize the room except that it looked so much like the one of the rooms in Freyja''s house.


    On the floor, Scarlet found a little girl with short black hair wearing a pair of pink pajamas and pink flip flops. She was busy playing with her dolls, on a rubber mat. "Millie is sleepy¡­" The little girl hummed a familiar tune while holding a doll in her arms. "Sleep now baby Millie¡­"


    Scarlet raised an eyebrow, "Hey, do you know where I am? Have you seen my friends?" She asked. The little girl pouted. "Shhh! You''ll wake Millie up!" She scolded her before carefully laying the doll down on the mat.


    "Do you live here by yourself?" Scarlet asked, almost a whisper.


    The little girl shook her head. "No, I have a lot of friends! Millie, Daisy, Nokita¡­" She pointed to her dolls and stuffed animals one by one.


    "I see. What is your name? May I ask?" She crouched and held the little girl''s hand, but just like a ghost, her hand passed through her. She quickly pulled her hand back, careful not to show her fear.


    The little girl smiled and said her name.


    When she did, Scarlet jumped away, her eyes narrowed. "What did you just say!? "Scarlet can''t hide her surprise and fear this time. Her entire body trembled, her face pale as a ghost. Scarlet closed her eyes and focused her aura hard.


    "This is crazy!" Scarlet thought while sweating heavily, "That is Freyja''s given name in this world¡­ what on earth is happening!?" She can''t help but remember the question that has been bugging her for days. She never wanted to get the answer she''s looking for this way. But now she is more than certain she was right. The creepy little girl in front of her, is the real owner of the body that Freyja took to survive. "So she was trapped in here all along? Who trapped her? Was it Freyja? Is she the one who trapped us here now?" Questions after questions piled up in Scarlet''s mind. As the little girl walked closer and closer to her, fear got the best of her. She called her firey-red arrows¡­ but they won''t appear. "Hey! Phoenix! Hey!" She tried over and over, but it was as if she''s back to being a normal human being. Scarlet dashed out of the room, desperately searching for an exit. "Freyja! Van! Aya!" She shouted, but heard nothing except her own voice, and tiny footsteps getting closer and closer. "Freyja!" Scarlet desperately called on to her aura over and over. But it won''t appear.


    ~ o 0 o ~


    "Please, I''m begging you. I have to see my friends." Aya pleaded. She is getting tired of following the little girl in move in circles. For hours, they''ve been walking around the house, and now in circles. The little girl appeared to be searching for something, but she realized she may just be walking around for fun. "Hey, can you hear me?"


    The little girl stomped and glared at her. Aya thought her heart would stop, seeing her creepy pale face warped in wrath. Immediately, she regretted provoking her. "BE QUIET!"


    Then, in an instant, her face changed back to a sweet, smiling one, "We have to look properly. There could be an angel hiding behind the bed!" The little girl instructed so innocently.


    "Listen, I have to go back to them. I want to go back, I''m scared. Please." Aya mumbled.


    "Aren''t you happy in this adventure? It''s fun, isn''t it?" The little girl giggled. "Let''s go look for the angel!" Seeing she can''t get through the girl, Aya had no choice but to keep following. She hummed while skipping her way through the halls of the house.


    But, something caught Aya''s eye. On one of the walls in the living room she saw a familiar pink sticker. Her eyes wide open, hope filled her heart. "Scar!" She cried, running towards it. "This is her talisman! How did it get here? She must be here somewhere!" Aya remembered doubting if it will work. But right now, she''s most thankful to see something from the ''real world.''


    "What''s that?" The little girl''s constricted voice shattered her happiness. When she turned back, the little girl jumped to her and bit her hand. "ARGH!" She shoved her away, scraping her hand in the process. Aya never wanted to be on the aggressive side. But this time, she is fed up. She focused all her aura into her hands fiercer than ever. She called upon her whips.


    But, they won''t appear.


    Her aura won''t even show itself. Nothing. "Hey! What''s happening! Come on! Whips! Why won''t you appear!?" She desperately tried to summon them, but she can''t.


    "You''re not going to quit this adventure! No!" The little girl ran to her, and Aya could only desperately run away. She was too fast, and like a shadow, she could not escape her. Still, she ran and ran, calling their names out desperately, "Scarlet! Van! Freyja!"


    In desperation, Aya closed her eyes and gave off a loud screech. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    ~ o 0 o ~


    "Kirin! Kirin!" Van ran and ran, following the silver haired young man, when suddenly¡ª


    "Kirin!" The voice of a little girl overlapped hers.


    "Kirin¡­ is it really you, Kirin?" The young man stopped running. Van carefully reached her hand out to him. But before she could reach him, he looked back at her. She is positive. It really is Kirin''s face. But because of her experience with the Phrein in the tunnel, Van had her doubts.


    All of a sudden, a little girl, with short, pitch black hair and round brown eyes ran past her, and jumped onto Kirin with open arms. She''s wearing a white blouse, dark blue skirt, white socks and black school shoes. Unlike the Phrein''s illusion, Kirin just stood there as if the two of them didn''t exist.


    A few seconds more and the silver haired boy vanished, leaving the little girl shocked and speechless.


    "I knew it." Van thought. "I''m not gonna fall for the same stupid trick again. Now tell me who you are!?" She punched the wall beside her, making the little girl look at her.


    The little girl fiercely glared at her. "I see. You''re trying to take him away from me!" She shouted, surprising Van. "Easy there, kid. Mind the age gap!"


    The little girl''s eyes narrowed. Van felt a strong sinister presence as the girl held her hand out. A short but sharp fruit knife materialized in her hand. "H-how did she get that?" Van subtly looked around for an escape. The little girl slowly stepped closer and closer to her. Van felt she''s in danger. She dashed out of the room, but the girl appeared on the door before she could get out.


    "GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" Van kicked the little girl, but, like a ghost, her foot just passed right through her body. The kick threw her off-balance. The girl saw the chance and threw the fruit knife to her. She dodged, but it grazed her arm. "Dammit, the knife was real!" She cursed. Every time the girl holds her empty hands out, fruit knives materialized. Van ran for her life.


    "Hey! Who the hell are you and why are you attacking me!?" Van tried to get clues out of her while avoiding her knives the best she can. The little girl didn''t answer. She only stared at Van with dark murderous eyes.


    "Fine! If that''s how you want it!" Van stopped running and summoned her aura. She focused hard, and called her aura daggers out.


    But, not even a glimmer of aura would appear.


    "Goddammit!" She cursed and cursed, but the aura won''t come out no matter what.


    Van ran again, but the little girl kept on appearing before her wherever she went. Van ran and ran until she reached a dead end. In the room of Freyja''s grandmother, and the creepy little girl behind her.


    "Van, Kirin belongs to me, okay?" She chuckled, getting closer and closer with a knife on her hand. "No way in hell. Even Freyja won''t do such crappy things to get Kirin!"


    The girl stopped, wide eyed.


    Van knew she said something that hit a nerve. She smirked. "That''s right. My only rival with Kirin is Freyja! You are nothing but a jealous brat!" She shouted.


    The little girl''s eyes widened. She trembled. She lost it. "ARGHHHHH!" She shouted so loud, Van had to cover her ears. Red with fury, she rushed to Van, with every intent to kill her. Van dodged and dodged, she can''t even get enough time to think. She''s starting to regret infuriating her.


    "Just DIE! You and Freyja! DIE!" With nowhere left to run to, and no aura protecting her, Van could only watch as the little girl jumped at her, and stabbed the knife into her flesh. Blood dripped on the ground. "Fre¡­y¡­" Van fell down, her vision darker and darker. The last thing she saw was the little girl''s crying face looking down on her, a blood stained knife on her hands.


    "Bye bye, Van." She said.


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 19：Stage EIGHTEEN: I Found You!

    "What''s your name?" A little girl, around five years old, pale, round-faced asked with twinkling eyes while looking up in the air. She had a transparent tube connected to her wrist, and looks very weak and skinny. But still, she won''t stop smiling. "I am Freyja." Freyja remembered giving an answer. The little girl''s eyes grew wider in amazement. "I am from Celestia."


    "Huh? Where is that?"


    "Celestia." Freyja didn''t know how to respond either. She didn''t know the strange place she''s in, in the first place. There are people in different beds who looked weaker than normal, there are people walking around in white clothing, and machines she''s never seen before in the floating capital.


    What''s more, she doesn''t appear to have limbs, or a body. "I am going to die." Freyja said.


    "Huh!? Why!?" The little girl shed tears. "Don''t go! I''ll help you!" She held her hand out to her.


    "You will? Really?" Freyja felt a warm feeling envelop her entire self as she reached for that hand.


    And that is all she can remember.


    Freyja''s mind went back to many years in the past, when she was still in elementary school. She''s always spaced out, and never really fitted in school no matter how much she tried. She''s always having headaches, always getting suddenly groggy from time to time. She often collapsed from time to time for apparently no reason at all. But, she had always been so fascinated with mirrors, and flying angels, and mysterious things. Always.


    Whenever she would feel really depressed and down, whenever she would cry by herself, she remembered going near a certain mirror. There was a girl in there, who shared her every single emotion, thoughts, everything. That girl looked exactly like her. And that''s because, the body that is reflected in the mirror, is originally hers.


    Freyja opened her eyes all of a sudden, breaking in cold sweat. The little girl in front of her, full of hatred and pain, she recognized her right away. "You¡­ you are her." She finally remembered. The little girl stopped crying, and looked at her with blank eyes. "Freyja, where is my body?" She asked, in a very childish tone. Freyja can''t answer. "I want my body back. I want to walk outside too. I want to go on an adventure too. Come on, give me back my body, okay?" She said, walking closer and closer to Freyja. "You got your body back, Freyja. Can I have mine back too?" Freyja''s silence irritated the little girl. "FREYJA!" She summoned five knives out of nowhere and sent them flying towards Freyja. She dodged, but a couple grazed her arms, and legs. "FREYJA! GIVE IT BACK!" The little girl screamed.


    "Listen to me! Calm down!" Freyja can''t do anything but run, and dodge her knives. "You left me! You left me here all alone! And you ran away with Kirin! You left me!" The girl got more and more hysterical by the second. Freyja couldn''t run forever. She reached a dead end, and the moment she turned around, six flying knives came flying towards her. They didn''t hit her, but it had an aura net that pinned Freyja against a wall. She was held up and can''t move. "DAMMIT! LET ME GO!" She struggled, but the aura net is too strong. Apparently, it is also suppressing her aura.


    "I know. I will kill your friends first!" She said with a wide smile. Then, pointing at the door, Freyja saw Van being cornered by another little girl who looks exactly like the one in front of her. "VAN! Get away! VAN!" She shouted, but Van won''t hear her.


    ~ o 0 o ~


    Van opened her eyes. Aside from a couple of grazes and bruises, she''s alive. Feeling a familiar aura behind her, she looked back and found a pink sticker stuck to the wall. "Scar!" She sighed in relief, recognizing it. Scarlet''s talisman, apparently, protected her. The little girl could not go to a certain distance around it. More than that, it''s a solid link to the ''real world'' and to her friends. Van regretted making fun of Scarlet for doing that. "My loss alright." She chuckled.


    Van turned her attention back to the little girl, now in deep shock. Van peered into her face, and thought she looked familiar. But more importantly, she felt her chest heat up. Her crystal pendant, started giving off white aura! She pulled it out. Much to her surprise, while her own aura won''t come out, the white aura can. White aura is the only thing working in that dimension!


    Seeing her crystal, the little girl suddenly looked afraid. Van had an idea. She clenched her fists, with the pendant inside her right hand. Slowly, it covered her entire hand.


    "It''s payback time!"


    Van rushed to the girl and punched her without holding back. She was hit, hard. The girl was sent flying across the room. "Stop being a brat and say it to my face! What the hell do you really want!?"


    For a second, Van remembered saying the exactly the same thing to Freyja before, when they were in an argument not so long ago. "This girl reminds me of Freyja." She laughed.


    As the little girl got up, Van felt the room collapsing. "Listen, I won''t understand if you don''t tell me. So, what do you really want? No one can help you if you keep being like that you know!" She looked at Van with surprised eyes. "Listen, if it''s Kirin that you want, then you have to fight us fair and square!"


    "What are you waiting for?" The girl asked. "Huh?"


    "You already know how to kill me, don''t you?"


    "Oh. Yeah I do."


    "Why are you hesitating?"


    "I''m not hesitating. I just want to hear you out first."


    "Why?"


    "I dunno. Maybe, because¡­ I kind of feel you. I was like that too. I was once keeping all my feelings and hate to myself. Not just me. Scarlet, Aya and Freyja. Yup. We were once like you. So, I can''t bring myself to kill you without hearing what you have to say first. But it better be worth it!" Van hit her fists together, with every intention to scare the little girl.


    The little girl stared at her silently. Then, the ground started shaking and the walls collapsed. "You''re dumb." The little girl said before vanishing, leaving Van by herself in the collapsing room. "WHAT THE HELL!? COME BACK AND I''LL REALLY KILL YOU!" But Van had no more time left to spare. The ceiling started to collapse with big chunks of wooden debris falling. She can''t risk whether they''re illusions or real. Van ran from the collapsing room with all of her might.


    The moment Van got out of the room, she found herself on an exactly similar room but intact. "I see. Every time I enter a room, it''s like I''m being transported to a different dimension. I''m sure that''s what happened to the three of them too." With this, she entered every single room, in random hopes to find any of her friends.


    ~ o 0 o ~


    Aya opened her eyes. "Aya! Hey Aya! Are you okay?" Still out of it, she thought it''s her fear that''s making her hear voices in her head. "AYA! You''re there aren''t you!?" The voice was so loud, it won''t stop, and she had to shout back. "Yeah! I''m here! Is that you, Van?"


    Aya stood up and looked around. She can hear Van, that''s for sure. But she can''t see her anywhere! Then, just behind her, she felt something warm. Scarlet''s pink sticker was glowing. "Don''t tell me this thing saved me!" She jumped in relief, almost forgetting that the little girl trying to kill her is still in the room.


    "Now¡­ you''re going to leave me too, aren''t you?" The little girl started crying again. But this time, Aya felt more positive. "I''m sorry, I can''t stay here. I have to go to Scar, Van and Freyja."


    "WHY? Why is it always Freyja!?" The little girl''s eyes grew fierce and murderous again. Aya stood on guard. "That thief! I will kill you all!"


    The girl''s rage is so strong, that all of a sudden, a cloud of thick black aura emerged from behind her. Aya took steps back, closer to Scarlet''s pink sticker but much to her surprise, the dark aura is too strong that Scarlet''s talisman stopped glowing and tore apart. "WHAT!? VAN! SCARLET!" Aya panicked.


    Aya still can''t summon her whips, but she''s starting to feel that the room is not as isolated as it first appeared to be. She was sure that something happened while she is unconscious. She''s guessing either Scarlet, Van or Freyja broke a wall in this sub-dimension trapping them. And she''s right. Van made a ''pillar'' collapse.


    This is enough hope for her. She dashed out of the room, running from the little girl chasing her with knives floating around her. "DIE! DIE DIIIIE!" She sent her knives flying to Aya, but she managed to dodge them fast enough to avoid getting seriously hurt. "Van! Can you hear me!?" She shouted, keeping her senses as sharp as possible. "AYA! I can hear you!" Her eyes glimmered.


    Then, Aya caught sight of another pink Talisman Scarlet stuck on the wall. She ran towards it. And just as soon as she touched it, she felt the wall crack. "What the¡ª" She jumped back, surprising even the little girl. The wall cracked, and from the cracks, bright rays of light appeared. Aya felt energized. Her aura starting to awaken once again. "It''s back!" In joy, she summoned her whips first thing, deflecting the little girl''s knives with ease.


    "Aya!" One more smash and the wall crumbled, revealing a sweaty Van with cuts and bruises all over her body. "Van! You''re back!" Aya couldn''t help but jump and hug her in relief. "Save it for later, she''s getting away!" Van and Aya chased after the little girl, who is now escaping in a hurry. Aya used her whips to catch her, but the little girl escaped. She disappeared. "Van, how did you break that wall?"


    "Apparently, only the white aura works inside this sub-dimension."


    "So, you noticed it too? Every room leads to a different world, I thought."


    "Seems like it. We''re trapped in many small dimensions with almost impossibly hard to find links."


    "But Scar''s pink talismans, I saw them!"


    "Me too. Who could have guessed sticking those pink stickers can actually save us! Gotta treat her some yummy snacks after this!"


    Aya chuckled. "Yeah. Seems like she made the links for us. We owe her a pretty expensive snack, don''t you think?"


    "Anyway, let''s go get them and kick that creepy girl''s ass." Van and Aya dashed forward. "I agree!"


    ~ o 0 o ~


    Scarlet reached a dead end. The little girl standing behind her, furious. Her running away made her angrier, she summoned even more knives and threw it all at her. Scarlet managed to dodge some, but a good number wounded her limbs. Good thing they were only grazes and minor cuts. But if this continues, she''s not sure if she can dodge serious wounds any more.


    Still, her aura won''t appear. Scarlet doesn''t have a choice, but to do what she''s long wanted to do. She stopped running and turned around to face the little girl.


    "Freyja once told us a story about her childhood¡­" She started speaking in a soft, gentle voice. The little girl, surprisingly, appeared interested that the floating knives around her dropped to the ground. "¡­she had always loved those dolls. Millie, right? Yep. She was her favorite." She started walking closer to the little girl who just stared at her silently, without blinking.


    She called her Freyja''s given name in the world. The girl smiled. "I knew it. You are her. You are the girl who saved my friend, Freyja." Scarlet crouched, leveling her eyes to hers. "Because of your body, your life, Freyja survived. Because Freyja survived, I also am here right now. So, I owe my life to you." She smiled sweetly at the girl. "Now tell me, why do you want us to die?"


    The little girl looked down, unable to speak another word. Scarlet confirmed her hunch. The girl is not violent in nature. She actually is very kind. She is not the type to hurt others. But, something is causing her to be aggressive. "It''s okay, I am Scarlet, I won''t hurt¡ª" Just as when she was about to touch her, the girl''s eyes met her, and the little girl smiled creepily. She''s suddenly covered in a cloud of dark, sinister aura. "Then, stay here with me!" She suddenly grabbed Scarlet''s wrist, gripping it tighter and tighter. She didn''t have enough time to escape. Her grip was so strong, her hand felt as if it''s going to come off. Just as when she thought she''d lose a hand, something cut the little girl''s hands, which grew back anyway after a few seconds.


    Van and Aya jumped in front of her, shielding her from the little girl. Van is with her grey aura daggers while Aya has her whips out. Soon, she also felt her aura back. Scarlet summoned her flame arrows fast, and this time, it appeared.


    "Van! Aya! How did you find me!?" She fought the urge to hug them both.


    "Because I am awesome." Van laughed, chasing after the girl. "Don''t let her escape!" Aya and Scarlet followed.


    ~ o 0 o ~


    Freyja smiled in relief, seeing that her friends are alright. "They''re not easy to kill, I tell you. Hell won''t like them there." She even managed to crack a joke despite being tightly bound. The little girl looked dejected more than ever. She''s speechless. The rooms, the entire sub-dimension is starting to crumble and they can all feel it. Freyja looked at the little girl, still fascinated with their resemblance.


    Just then, Freyja remembered another memory. She remembered hearing a voice when she was thirteen years old. It was a voice that urged her, that kept on asking her who she is and saved her many, many times. It was a voice that is desperately keeping her alive. That voice, is her own voice. It was ''Freyja''s'' voice. Living in this little girl''s body for a long time made her hurt both this little girl and Freyja. In the end, she chose to be the Freyja who chases after Celestia. But in the process, she almost forgot about the little girl who lent her the body ''Freyja'' needed to survive in the first place. "No matter how you look at it, I was on the wrong." She murmured. She took her body, displaced her, left her in this mirror world and even forgot about her. And worse, after taking her life away from her, she even hated it. She hated school, she hated living, she hated that she was isolated and felt different.


    Freyja gave her nothing but sad and painful thoughts while in her body. Coupled with the dimension aura leak problem, this little girl''s aura turned aggressive, piled more and more, and finally, she had enough. Freyja couldn''t bring herself to blame this little girl. Should she be in her place, she isn''t confident to say she wouldn''t do the same.


    "If I die, would she be happy?" Freyja, started losing the drive to fight her. "It was my fault anyway. I should know more than anyone who it feels to be left by yourself."


    Just as when she''s having these thoughts, she heard a rather loud voice. It was so loud, it''s annoying. "FREYJA!!! ARE YOU STILL ALIVE YOU DUMBASS!?"


    "WHAT THE HELL!? YOU''RE SO LOUD!" She shouted back, almost instinctively. Realizing that for a sec she forgot the severity of her situation, she chuckled. The walls of the room started cracking. "NO!" The little girl panicked. "NO! DON''T!" She''s getting more and more hysterical. Not for long, the walls crumbled completely, the entire room turned so bright, it''s like they''re high up in the sky.


    Van, Scarlet and Aya ran to Freyja. "HEY YOW! Nice pose!" Van is as annoying as ever. "Frey, you okay?" Scarlet is being like her usual worried self. "Come on, let''s get out of here!" And Aya, she may look scared but she''s actually pretty badass with those whips. Freyja sighed in relief, at the same time, feeling the white aura getting stronger and stronger. In a few seconds, the dark aura nets binding her crumbled, freeing her. Freyja stretched her wound and bruise-covered limbs, hopping and even punching the air. "Yup, I think I''ll be okay."


    "Freyja, you have to dispel her." Van reminded with all seriousness. The four of them looked at the crying little girl on the floor, covered in thick dark aura. She''s rolling in pain, she''s calling for help. "Frey, you''re the only one who can save her." Scarlet urged.


    "She''s been waiting for you." Aya gave her a push.


    Freyja closed her eyes, letting her aura flow freely, slowly filling the space with the celestial presence. She called out her aura, without hesitations, without minding if it will hurt her body or if it will run out. She called it all out. The air around them whirled violently, like a storm clearing everything in its path.


    Freyja concentrated her aura, as well as her most sincere feelings, on her right hand, forming the biggest white aura sword the three of them has ever seen. Van gaped in surprise. Scarlet and Aya wide-eyed.


    Slowly, Freyja walked towards the girl, and called her name. The little looked at Freyja with teary eyes. And so did she, to the girl.


    Freyja knelt down and wrapped her arms around the girl. She hugged her ice-cold body tight. She was trembling, tears gushing out of her eyes. "Thank you for everything. I''m sorry I left you. But I''m here now." She whispered, before piercing the white aura sword right through the girl''s body. The little girl''s feet wobbled and fell down on Freyja with her little arms flung on Freyja''s shoulders.


    The dark aura surrounding her started dissipating, little by little.


    Much to Freyja''s surprise, the little girl weakly wrapped her arms around her neck and lovingly sank her face in her shoulder. "Do you remember?" She weakly asked. "I was in the hospital. They said I was going to die, but I saw an angel." The little girl narrated.


    "I knew it was an angel. She said she''d be with me. Always. And she''d save me. And we''d go on adventures!" Freyja felt the girl smile as she continued with her story. "The angel went inside me. She taught me how to fly! And we went on an adventure together! I was so scared, but not anymore¡­" Freyja tightened her hug. The little girl''s body is starting to get lighter and lighter, as if dissipating with the vanishing aura.


    "I''ve always¡­ wished to see an angel. I''m so happy." The girl''s limbs disappeared. Her torso, and her head.


    "I love you Freyja!" She heard her happy voice, getting farther and father. Finally, it sounded so peaceful, so sweet, just like the first time they met.


    "Me too. I love you. I love you."


    "When I get my body back, take me to Celestia okay?"


    "Of course!"


    "And let''s play there."


    "As much as you like!"


    "You have to find¡­ your way back."


    "Who do you think you''re talking to? Of course, I will."


    "Good night."


    "Until you wake up."


    Not for long, the dark aura completely disappeared, along with the girl, along with the sub-dimension. Finally, they are back to the old, dusty, room where a shattered mirror is standing.


    "Thank you, for everything. Until we meet again." Freyja whispered for one last time, wiping tears from her eyes.


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 20：Stage NINETEEN: The Celestial Guardian Avice

    As soon as the little girl and the dark aura surrounding her dissipated into nothingness, the dimension too, completely shattered. Soon, they found themselves back to the old, dusty room with the broken mirror right in front of them. However, their emotional moments were short lived. As soon as they got back, they felt ANOTHER overwhelming presence. This time, it''s much stronger than any presence they have ever felt in their lives. All were worried except for Freyja, who had a peaceful, nostalgic smile on her face. "Frey?"


    She stepped closer and touched the broken mirror gently, lovingly. "It''s alright. You can come out."


    As if heeding Freyja''s command, the mirror shone so bright, they were blinded for a few seconds. The light subsided soon, and revealed a young man, around 5''11 in height with shining blonde hair and golden eyes. His hair tied in a long, messy ponytail reaching up to the back of his knees. He is wearing a white, knee-length sleeveless robe with knee-high boots and elbow-high fingerless gloves.


    "Lenfi! It''s you Lenfi!" As soon as he saw Freyja, he jumped to her like an overly excited little boy. "You''re back! You''re back! You came to get Avice, didn''t you?" He hugged her tight and rubbed his cheek on her head. Seeing Aya, Van and Scarlet speechless, Freyja gently pushed the young man away, but held his hand firmly.


    "I sort of remember him." She explained, "I remember being with him back in Celestia. Though only a little bit."


    "The name is Avice!" He introduced himself with a toothy grin. "I am a guardian of the Lenfiare!" Avice pulled Aya''s hand, grabbed her and levitated. Soon after, dizzy Aya found herself flying with Avice around the house. "Yay! I''m free!" Avice shouted in glee, Scarlet pale as she watched.


    "Um¡­ hi?" Van greeted, not sure how to take this hyperactive guy.


    "Alright Avice, you have a lot to tell us." Freyja called him back. Instantly, he dropped the almost fainted Aya on Van, and returned to Freyja''s side as fast as he could. "Yes Lenfi, I do have a lot to tell you." His face and voice turned serious.


    "Before anything, can you explain why you are trapped in that mirror and how is that little girl related to all this?" Freyja asked, all four of them are all ears.


    Avice'' carefree face shifted to a serious one. "I see that you haven''t fully regained your memories." He smiled and continued, "You were sent out of Celestia, with nothing but the celestial core fused with yours, and the five celestial guardians to protect you. But¡­" Avice clenched his fists. "¡­ Someone followed you and sealed all of the guardians off. Because of my wings, I was the only one who escaped and got you way further, to this world. While he wasn''t able to follow us here, the long dimension travel weakened your already unstable core and your physical celestial body was destroyed."


    "Who chased after you? Is he a celestial too?" Scarlet joined in.


    "Unfortunately, I wasn''t able to see his face or recognize him. But, he is most definitely a Celestial." Avice sadly replied.


    "And then, I took that little girl''s body, right?" Freyja urged him to continue.


    Avice nodded. "Actually, we arrived in this world the moment that little girl was born. Back then, I had to search for a stronger and more compatible body to house your aura core but I couldn''t find any. It took me a couple of years to find that little girl again and confirmed that her body is the only one fit to be your temporary vessel.


    But that time, that little girl was dying. Her life force was getting weaker and weaker. Your aura is already sealed by the Consort anyway, so her body alone was sufficient to sustain you, and so you used her body as a vessel."


    "And then she died soon after." Van joined in. Avice nodded.


    "Instead of passing on, the child wanted to stay and watch you. So, I helped her and hid her in that sub-dimension."


    "Why didn''t you appear before me back then, Avice? Why didn''t you tell me about Celestia early on!?" Freyja sounded agitated, Van tapped her shoulder to calm her down.


    "The very reason why you were sent to this world, is for you to survive the rebellion. If I appeared before you, it will surely awaken your aura. If it did, we will be giving off our location. Not to mention, we will be destroying this universe'' balance. And in your state that time, I doubt you will have enough strength and control to do your job as a celestial." Avice'' words made sense, Freyja couldn''t say another word. "So, I stayed with that girl in that mirror, watching you, and helping you as much as I could without revealing myself."


    "But of course, it is impossible to keep you hidden forever. Little by little, your aura awakened on its own and that is something I cannot really stop. Until one day, you left this universe, on your own, while still in the body of that little girl. I couldn''t stop you in time. I''m sorry." Avice continued his explanation, walking towards Freyja. He knelt before her, and wrapped his arms around her waist, sinking his face on her belly. "You must already know that, that little girl was left with mostly your negative feelings of living her life. You did share the body briefly too. Then, you left to that other world, and got her body killed. When you returned, your aura is fully awake and it caused a disturbance in this world''s balance. She is one of those affected, and turned like that. The animosity in her grew so strong, that even I was imprisoned. After all, that girl has already been a part of you. She knows how to stop me, and you, and this house."


    Freyja hugged Avice back, stroking his long golden hair. "Thank you Avice. Really. And I''m sorry for taking such a long time. I''m sorry for leaving the two of you for so long."


    "No Lenfi, I''m so happy¡­ you came back for me." Freyja felt Avice'' hug tighten. She could tell, despite his cheerful appearance, how hard things had been for him. Freyja tightened her hug. "It''s okay Avice, we''re together now. And we''re going back to Celestia." Avice let go and touched Freyja''s cheeks with his cold hands. He touched Freyja''s forehead with his. Closing his eyes, he whispered: "Lenfi, you can have these back..."


    Freyja nodded and closed her eyes, feeling a warm surge of aura flow from her forehead, through her entire body. Memories, one after another, started flowing in Freyja''s mind, so vivid, so clear.


    ~ o 0 o ~


    "Freyja¡­" She heard a voice. A very warm and familiar voice. She opened her eyes, and saw the face she''s been longing for. A pale, silver haired young man, with emerald green eyes. When she first woke up in an unknown world, she was thirteen years old. In her confusion, men clad in black robes suddenly appeared and tried to kill her. She couldn''t understand, she was so scared. But this young man saved her. His name was "Kirin¡­" Freyja whispered.


    She followed the young man stubbornly. At first, he was cold to her. But gradually, he opened up to her. She too, felt the same. He was first a means of survival to her, but eventually grew to be an irreplaceable existence in her life.


    Together, they travelled, trained, faced dangers, hardships, and shared happy moments together.


    Together they met friends, a blonde rune-master named Alaric, and Kirin''s younger brother, Keon.


    They uncovered the secret behind Freyja''s celestial ancestry, and all together, journeyed to find her two ''celestial guardians'', Astrid and Aria.


    Astrid, is quiet, serious and extremely protective. He turns to a rune blade, far grander and stronger than the white aura blade Freyja summons by herself. Aria is gentle and has a woman''s face. He can heal wounds fast and quickly dispel auras.


    With Astrid and Aria''s help, Freyja remembered the face of her Father, Kinju Alfiore Leafen of Celestia and her mother, Reyrah Fiega of Serleira. She remembered both the good and bad memories of Celestia, how she used to be so naughty and spoiled, how the Alfiore loved her so much, how brilliant Lady Reyrah was in both war and court, how Celestia was razed by rebels who wanted to take the throne from the Leafen clan. Though still unable to remember his face, a man killed the Alfiore right before Freyja''s eyes. In terror, she fled, with her guardian Astrid. Reyrah then, fused the celestial core, the main power and source of life of all Celestia, into Freyja''s own aura core. It was painful, it was as if she''s being ripped into tiny pieces. Then, she pushed her into a vortex, and sent her on a far, far, far away world.


    Freyja cried, laughed, sighed, as she remembered all these.


    Avice, the guardian right before her, is called ''Celestia''s wings.'' Except for the monarch herself, he has the best and strongest wings in all of Celestia. He can fly the highest, furthest, and fastest. In Freya''s childhood, she would always ride Avice and escape to other parts of the floating capital. He was once her closest playmate and partner-in-crime. Both Freyja and Avice couldn''t help but chuckle, remembering those times.


    And then, just before Freyja was sent back to this world, she was killed by Kirin''s father, Aneurin Aethelmaer. But when her corpse was thrown into the ocean, someone helped her. He powered her aura core, so she can regenerate her physical body. She''s still unsure who that person is, but she''s definitely in his debt.


    Freyja opened her eyes, and saw her friends, Aya, Scarlet and Van staring at her. Obviously, they have a ton of questions for her. She gave them a reassuring smile.


    "I remember everything."


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 21：Stage TWENTY: From Here On

    Van, Scarlet and Aya were speechless. After hearing from Freyja and Avice, it was hard for them to digest everything. Although they were making speculations and to some extent, expecting such revelations, hearing it with their own ears felt a lot different than what they prepared for.


    "Apparently, the celestial guardians are also called ''dragons'' by non-celestials because of their shape-shifting characteristics that often resemble that of the humans'' dragons. The five of them, and me share the same memory." Freyja explained. "But really, you can''t remember anything before I was born?" She turned to Avice in disbelief.


    Avice shook his head. "It is our nature. We, guardians are different from normal celestials. Our sole purpose is to serve the ruling monarch. That''s why the moment our master dies, our memories too, dissipate. This is to assure that we will be loyal to our current master. That''s why right now, we only remember what you once saw and experienced yourself, Lenfi. You already got Astrid and Aria''s memories. And now, mine."


    Hearing that fact bothered Freyja to no end. Although she can tell that the Avice and the other guardians have no qualms about it, she found it extremely depressing if she were in their place. After all, her memories are what kept her strong and alive to this day. Having them forcefully taken away from you for the sake of loyalty is incomprehensibly sad to Freyja, especially after she herself experienced how it feels losing important experiences in your life. Sensing her feelings, Avice placed a hand on her head. He smiled brightly, as if to reassure her that it''s alright.


    "Anyway," Van cut off, "Let''s make this clear once and for all. You said you were ''killed'' by Kirin''s father. And then someone helped you from under the ocean. He empowered your aura, speeding up the regeneration of your physical body. But who is that person and why is he living underwater? Heck, how can he do such thing if Celestial aura is so rare and special?"


    "Wait! ''Back there'' in Astrid''s world right?" Avice interrupted, "Lenfi, if that person saved your life with his power, and since I really don''t smell anything human from you right now, then¡­ that person could only be a celestial guardian."


    "WHAT!? But¡­ why¡­. He¡­" Freyja was confused. If that really was a celestial guardian, how come he didn''t even introduce himself to her, his master? And how come he can freely use his powers if Avice is the only one who escaped from the ''seal.''


    "I still find it hard to picture this regenerate thing. It''s really hard to imagine it in human terms." Aya sighed.


    "Do you want to know how celestials are born?" Avice suddenly had a huge grin on his face as he playfully sat in front of Aya, Van and Scar. "YEP! I sure do!" Scarlet enthusiastically answered with a raised hand.


    "We, celestials, develop flesh from our aura core. Unlike humans, who already have physical bodies upon birth, celestials were first born as aura cores¡ªan orb of pure compressed aura. After Lenfi was delivered by the lady Reyrah, in a minute or two, the orb slowly took its shape, resembling more of a human baby. The shape will depend on the environment too. Our lifespan however, is extremely different from humans, of course. They live such a short life, yes they do." Avice nodded at his own words.


    "So basically, you hatched from an egg? Hahaha!" Van teased while Aya and Scarlet laughed along with her. "So does it mean that even if you cut her arm, it will grow again? Let''s try it!" Van held out Freyja''s hand, earning her a hit on the head. "OUCH!"


    "BINGO! Yes, that''s true. If your aura is strong enough it will!" Avice winked at Freyja, "But the regeneration would depend on the strength of one''s aura core. Normal celestials don''t grow back cut limbs for at least 30 years. And for the most parts, we have healers who assist, ensuring the limb regenerates properly." The four nodded in amazement at Avice''s explanations. "It may be possible for Lenfi to speed it up, but seeing that she isn''t a healer with knowledge how to do it right, the regeneration may go wrong."


    Avice suddenly grabbed Freyja''s shoulders and sternly looked at her. "Also! It doesn''t mean that you can die over and over again, mind you! Just to help you recuperate, that person who helped you must have lost his own life and core in the process. If it were me, it''d take another 5000 years for my aura to replenish. Bear in mind that your case is special, that''s why you survived. That''s only because the Celestial core is fused in your own aura core. NORMAL CELESTIALS ONLY HAVE ONE BODY! Don''t get me wrong, okay? We are not immortals. So don''t be reckless, Lenfi."


    "Excuse me!" Aya joined, "How about you? How are you born? And the other celestial guardians too!"


    Avice sighed, "You see, we aren''t really born like Lenfi. We are ''created'' by monarchs of Celestia. We are accumulated celestial energy and with the ruler''s own power, they create synthetic celestials that possess much much much much much longer lifespans, and even our personalities are all up to the creators. Aria for example, was created by Alfiore Kinju, fashioned after Lady Reyrah Fiega."


    "AH! So that explains why they look so alike!" Freyja exclaimed.


    "Good, you understand." Avice grinned.


    Now that everything is all cleared up, all of them suddenly ran out of words. Freyja already got her answers about that little girl. Avice gave Freyja''s memories back to her too. They''re only left with one last thing to do. But, no one had the courage to say it out loud.


    Tension filled the air. The cheerful atmosphere turned glum. Freyja, decided to break the silence. She knows that someone has to say it and she decided she will. "Avice, now that you are with me, I want you to take me back to Kirin''s world. I still need the medallion, the crest of the king, to return to Celestia. I can''t sustain your form like this for more than a week and you know that. I''ll run out of aura and die." Avice nodded. "That''s true, Lenfi."


    Though she tried to sound confident, there is obviously tension in her voice. Van stood up, and stretched and yawned loudly. "I''m really HUNGRY! All the fighting exhausted me! Guess I''ll go out for some snack! Later!" Her tone was like usual, brash and cheerful. But she talked fast, and dashed out of the house in a hurry, without even looking back at them.


    "Van, wait!" Aya grabbed her hand, but she shoved her aside and left. "I''ll go after her. You guys stay here." Scarlet stood up and ran after Van, with an equally unsettling, forced smile on her face.


    "Frey¡­" Aya turned to her, but Freyja just looked away. She can tell what she''s about to say and for some reason, it pains her heart to even think about it. Nevertheless, Aya said it. "Frey, we all know this will happen sooner or later. In fact, the reason why we worked so hard is for you to go back safely, right?" She is smiling, but her voice breaking. "I will follow them after all. We''ll see you!" She dashed out of the house, leaving Freyja and Avice behind.


    "Aren''t you going after them?" Avice asked, keeping his default cheerful tone. Freyja stayed put. "No. We have a lot to talk about, and prepare to leave this world."


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 22：Stage TWENTY-ONE: Facing the Future

    Van found herself standing in the middle of the forest near her house. Her feet just took her there without thinking. It is quiet, no one is around except for the trees and plants. She''s so used to be in this place by herself, but right now, it feels especially, disturbingly, quiet.


    As Van walked, her eyes to the ground, she ended up in the exact same place where she picked up her white-aura emitting crystal. Back then, it was just lying there, one might not even notice it. For some weird reason, she picked it up. It grew more and more important to her that she''s already unable to part with it no matter how much ridicule she''s gotten for keeping it. Van took the crystal out of her pocket, and watched it closely, as it showed her yet another scene of a smiling Kirin. Squeezing it tight, she then recalled the first time Freyja stalked her and found her there.


    Back then, she had just been scolded and wanted to be left alone. But much to her surprise, someone was nosy enough to go as far as stalk her to her home, even up to that forest where not even the locals would dare go. Van chuckled.


    The crystal was glowing brightler than ever. She knows all too well what it means. The crystal was never hers to begin with, not even the memories kept with it. Right now, she''s angry. She''s so angry she wants to beat the hell out of Freyja. But, unlike usual, she can''t bring herself to shout at her, to punch her and then laugh like how it has always been.


    ~ o 0 o ~


    Scarlet couldn''t catch up to Van. She has always been the fastest, and she, the slowest. She''s wondering why she even volunteered to run after her. Now, she lost her whereabouts completely.


    Somehow, she ended up running through the woods, the shortcut at the back of their school. "Goddammit." She cursed, sitting down, in the middle of a bridge. It is so quiet, you can only hear the sound of the wind hitting leaves and birds chirping. Suddenly, Scarlet remembered something.


    The four of them, since they met, would always cut classes and escape through that short cut. It was there when they first encountered aggressive auras. Back then, she was so scared she immediately regretted following Freyja and Van. But looking at it now, she is glad she did after all. Scarlet looked at her hand, it is covered with warm scarlet aura. Realizing how much she improved since the first time she discovered she had it, made her feel proud. No one knows about her aura. No one knows about their mission. Heck, it doesn''t even excuse them from cutting class. But it''s okay. She never really felt bad about it. She enjoyed every minute of danger and thrill, felt proud being able to protect her world and experience things no one else could. No matter how dangerous, she would always move forward with the three of them. But right now, for some reason, it felt the scariest. Scarlet''s hands trembled. It was like she''s being dragged back to the way she used to be.


    "The way I used to be¡­" Scarlet suddenly remembered the first time she met the three of them. She remembered that car driver who cursed her. She remembered every single word Freyja shouted at her back then. She was so angry. Back then, Freyja was uninjured despite getting hit by a speeding car. Scarlet was so mystified, she suddenly forgot her current problem and ended up using all her time re-searching how such a thing is possible. Freyja even called herself a warrior of justice. Scarlet broke out in laughter remembering those times.


    She remembered seeing the fearless Van whom she''s actually afraid of at the start. She used to think Van was a delinquent and troublemaker. But actually, she''s the softest of them all. She would feel sad for a trapped mouse, though she would rather die than admit it.


    Then, she remembered the timid Aya. She''s always so quiet and never fights back no matter what was thrown at her. So, she wanted to protect her. Aya may be the first one to cry in many situations, but she''s actually the last one to break down. She''s compassionate, and always so hardworking.


    Scarlet herself, became someone she never thought she would be. From wanting to die and leave the world, to someone who actually fights to protect it. It made her smile proudly. Scarlet took a deep breath and stood up. She clenched her fists, turned around and continued running.


    ~ o 0 o ~


    Aya is lost. She did promise to follow Scarlet and Van, but she ended up not being able to follow any of them. Scarlet isn''t even a good runner, and yet she lost her too. Aya ended up walking home instead, almost dragging her feet. It was the same familiar route she''s going through every single day. It used to appear all the same, monotonous, black and white to her. But lately, it was different.


    Though she often gets nervous and afraid of some aggressive aura or Phrein attacking her from nowhere, it did keep her senses alive. The black and white life she''s been living, started to get more and more colorful.


    She never realized it until now, that it''s starting to drift back to how it used to be.


    Aya used to be timid, she used to be someone who takes in all insults and just covers her ears. It''s safer like that. But, for some reason, she changed. Looking at her hands, all of a sudden, she is surprised at how much of a different person she became. It isn''t just about the aura or the powerful whips that she can summon. The reason why she can stand proud like now, no matter what is thrown at her, is not because of her awakened aura at all. Looking forward, she can see the images of the smiling Van, Scarlet and Freyja.


    Yes, she''s scared to get scolded by her parents. Yes, she''s scared to get scolded by the teachers. She''s scared that if she doesn''t work hard enough, she will never get any better in life. She''s scared that she will just be trapped in that house, with no will of her own. That''s why she has always wanted to be the good girl. If she''s good, if she''s not hostile, then people will just ignore her. She won''t get any more hurt than she already is. And maybe someday, a miracle will happen and she will end up being another person.


    BUT, being with Van, Scarlet and Freyja, she was able to overcome those fears. Before she knew it, she''s stopped waiting for a miracle and started carving her own life. Before she knew it, she was looking forward to coming to school, having more mysterious encounters, seeing something that normal people could not. It was as if a whole new world was opened to her. It''s a world where she can be herself, without fears of what will happen or how people will see her.


    Aya, wanted to stay in that bright world. She wanted to stay with Freyja, Van and Scarlet. That''s how she really feels.


    So why are they all feeling depressed now? What did change? Is it Freyja''s awakening? Does it really have that much of an impact? "So what!?" Aya blurted out loud, without a care of the people looking at her. She slapped her cheeks hard and turned around, and she ran. She ran fast.


    ~ o 0 o ~


    "Avice, how long can we make the portal? We are running out of time after all." Avice is silent. "We have to hurry. I am worried about Astrid and¡­"


    "Lenfi." Avice interrupted, in a low, deep voice. "You don''t have to force it."


    "I''m not forcing it! I really am worried!" Freyja raised her voice all of a sudden. "See? It''s okay to feel that way." Avice said, patting her head. "I said it before, didn''t I? I''ve seen you grow up. I''ve been watching you from afar. So, I can definitely tell that you are forcing it." He smiled gently, which reminded Freyja of Kirin. "Lenfi, it''s okay. Go to them. I''m sure they''ll listen. After all, they are your friends, right?"


    Avice'' words struck her deep and hard. "In my whole service to you Lenfi, this is the first time I''ve seen you make those genuine expressions so easily. I''ve never seen you so alive before. That''s why I don''t want you to have regrets. They are precious to you, just like how Celestia and Kirin are."


    Freyja clenched her fists and nodded. "Thanks Avice. Please wait for me, kay?" She said with a refreshed smile, and rushed out of the house.


    It''s already past nine in the evening, she turned off her phone. Freyja ran as fast as she could. She ran past crowds, dangerously crossed streets, she ran and ran like her life depended on it. She ended up right in front of the locked school gates, but climbed over it without second thoughts.


    Freyja ran, and ended up at a circular bench around a tree near their high school campus.


    It is their favorite hangout in school. They would always meet there, play with their small plush toys like kids, tell stories, and talk about anything under the sun. Sitting on that bench, they exchanged dreams, and felt not a single trace of fear of judgment or ridicule. They freely became themselves, sitting on that bench.


    Freyja remembered the first time she met Van. She was extremely down back then, she can''t even tell why. She had no friends, nothing. She was drawing on her sketchpad, when this girl, Van, approached her. For the first time in her life, she had someone who shared the same dreams with her. She may not be so vocal about it, she may be extremely proud in front of her, but deep inside she knows how much Van means to her. Scarlet, that superstitious girl she once thought to be batshit crazy, and Aya, the timid girl she first treated as a wimp. Freyja never thought how wrong she was and how much they all meant to her now. She wants to return to Celestia. She wants to see her friends. She wants to see Astrid and Aria as soon as possible. Above all, she longs for Kirin more than anything. She''s been working hard for this moment, and yet, the mere thought of leaving Aya, Scarlet and Van is causing her so much pain.


    Tears fell from Freyja''s eyes. She wished time would stop. She sobbed and she sobbed, she cried like she''s never cried before. Until, she heard a voice.


    "Hey wimpy crybaby. The hell are you doing here?" The voice said, in a mocking tone. Freyja looked back, and saw Van, with her usual arrogant smug. "I''m not crying, asshole!" She wiped her tears in a hurry and sent a fist flying at her. She hit Van''s face hard. "Damn you!" Van in return, punched her. "The hell is that for!?" She kicked her. "You asked for it!" Van gave her a round house kick.


    They hit each other, full force, actually. Not for long, they both fell down the ground, panting, bruises on their bodies. Then, Van laughed. Freyja too, laughed out loud. "God, you''re a brute." Freyja stood up, dusting off her skirt. Then, she walked over to Van and held her hand out.


    "Look who''s talking, crybaby. Come to think of it, you were also crying when I first met you here" Van smirked and took her hand, standing up. "I can''t remember, that''s so long ago." Freyja pouted.


    "The pot is calling the kettle black, right?" Scarlet appeared from behind a tree, much to their surprise.


    "Well, birds of the same feather flock together!" Aya, behind a bush.


    The four of them, laughed. Together, they sat on the bench, joked, talked about everything under the sun, without a care for the world, they freely became themselves.


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 23：Stage TWENTY-TWO: A New Beginning

    Freyja, Van, Scarlet and Aya are back in Freyja''s old house, with Avice.


    "Avice, let''s go." Freyja said, with a confident smile on her face. Avice had the same look as he nodded. Avice and Freyja closed their eyes. They concentrated their auras hard, soon creating a small whirlwind right in the middle of the room. Aya, Van and Scarlet held hands, used their auras to stabilize the room, ensuring that there will be no negative aggressive aura that will be born from that sudden surge of white aura.


    The summoning ritual was unlike what they expected.


    The winds grew more and more violent. The air grew hotter and hotter, it felt like their bodies are submerged in hot water. They felt a strong tingling sensation run through their muscles, as if they are being electrocuted by low but constantly flowing pulses of electricity. "URGH!" Aya groaned in pain. Van started sweating buckets while Scarlet felt her vision swirl. But they tightened their hold and kept their stance.


    They endured for about ten minutes, almost draining their energies to the core. But the more they felt like giving up, the more they stood firmly.


    Soon, a portal appeared in between Avice and Freyja. It started off as a tiny point. It grew larger and larger by the second until it is big enough to occupy half of the room. Freyja and Avice nodded at each other. The portal, is finally complete.


    "Unbelievable¡­ It really is a portal to another world¡­" Scarlet instinctively took a step closer, but Aya pulled her hand. "No, you can''t." As much as they wanted to see what lies beyond, the portal to another world is something that a human will find difficult surviving.


    "Lenfi, let''s go." Avice said, before jumping into the portal first. Freyja looked at the familiar looking portal. Soon, pretty soon, she will see Kirin. He''s right behind that portal, waiting for her. Freyja clenched her fists, her mind set. But before that, she turned to Van, Aya and Scarlet.


    "Guys, I''ll go ahead." A sad, but peaceful smile on her face.


    Scar started getting teary eyed, she turned aside to hide it. Aya too. They can''t bear hold her back because of sentimentality.


    Van smiled cheekily as ever. So did Freyja.


    "Hey, I''ll tell you something." Freyja said, turning to Van. "Avice said the crystal, is actually something I subconsciously did to contain my loneliness. Then, it materialized. It''s like a message in a bottle." She winked.


    "And I found it." Van said, the memory of her finding it for the first time flashing in her mind.


    "Only because you''re gifted in auras!" Freyja laughed. "No one else could have found it. I know."


    "And let me tell you something too."


    Freyja''s eyebrow rose in curiosity.


    "I''ve always hated the fact that I am gifted in auras." Van revealed.


    "YOU DO? But you''re so cheeky about it." Freyja stuck her tongue out.


    Van laughed. "But, now I''m thankful that I am."


    Her face smiling, but tears streaming down her cheeks. Freyja too, couldn''t hold it much longer. She cried and jumped to her, wrapping her arms around her so tightly. "Van you jerk! You better see me soon! You jerk! Damn it!" Freyja shouted. Van understood her language more than anyone in the world. It means ''Thank you for finding my message. I''ll miss you. See you.'' Van squeezed Freyja for one last time. "You asshole." She replied, meaning exactly the same thing.


    Then, Van let go and pushed Freyja forcefully to the portal. Van, Scarlet and Aya re-joined hands, and released more of their auras making the portal stronger and bigger. The portal engulfed Freyja whole.


    Little by little, Freyja started to disappear.


    "We will be saviors of this universe you know!" Scarlet shouted. "There may still be Phreins around, but leave them to us!"


    "Of course, they won''t hold a candle to you guys." Freyja''s feet disappeared.


    "You take care, okay? And someday, come back! Promise us, okay? Come back and see us! And we''ll have an adventure again!"


    "Yeah. Next time, we''ll go to more exciting places!" Her arms too, vanished.


    "Make sure you invite us to Celestia when you find your way back!" Van said.


    "Guests of honor!" Her torso, her shoulders, they''re gone.


    "Make sure you take care of Kirin! Or I''ll go there and seduce him!" Van shouted.


    "Like hell I''d let that happen!" Freyja is angry at the last minute. They laughed.


    "We''ll take care of the mess your aura made here Freyja. So, go do your best out there." The three of them, for one last time, gave their best smiles to Freyja. And Freyja too, parted with her usual cheerful, energetic smile. "See you!"


    The portal vanished. Freyja, Avice, and the white aura in Van''s crystal too, completely disappeared. Not a trace is left. Gripping her crystal tight, Van smiled.


    "Yeah. See you, Freyja."


    ~ o 0 o ~

 Chapter 24：END

    Freyja opened her eyes, and found herself in the arms of a familiar face.


    He has long silver hair, and green eyes that sparkled like a pair of emeralds.


    Around his neck is a circular medallion etched with a winged crest, and three white gems embedded.


    Tears are gushing out of his pale face as he held her with trembling hands.


    Freyja gently held his cheeks, to calm him down.


    With the happiest smile she has ever made in her life, she said:


    "Kirin, I''m back."