???

Every now and then I darted my eyes at the flower that glowed quite sometime now. It appears to be responding to something. I figure this should be the time not think odd. This is definitely a supernatural phenomenon. Not that it should be shocking for me in this world full of odd creatures that don't burn in a fire. Huh! Now, you're being a creepy little one. Is it because of the irregularity of the temperature here? Is it because there is something..., coming? Startled, I began swearing. Damn! I mustered my strength and started moving on the opposite side and tried to keep control of my emotions. I took a deep breath and steeled my fist. It's our instinctive fight-or-flight response in the face of the unknown kicking in.

A door out of thin air materialized and someone is showing up. She's a white girl, literally. A transparent little girl. A girl with white hair, white eyes without the black spot in her eyes, it's as if she's looking into my soul, a transparent folded wings. Everything is white about her! Is she the owner of this cave? For god's sake, out of the rumours I heard about. Why does it have to be a ghost? Wait, she has wings! Is she an angel? This is the first time to see a wraith or a spirit walking towards me, grinning. Fighting the urge to panic and flee. After all, this might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and besides, I have nowhere to run. Not many people have this privilege. But! Seriously! Is she..., smiling? I sweat profusely agape. I anxiously wait for the girl to stop walking while I clenched my hands again preparing for a fight. Not that I can win a fight against a ghost or anything. That's the least I can do, you know. Although my heart might be pounding and my mind racing, I will try to remain calm and still. Ghosts, for the most part, are harmless, they say. The spirit might be visible for just a few seconds or, if I am lucky, for a minute or more.

Smirking while slowly walking towards me. No, she's levitating! Oh god! This is getting worse. Dear Lord! How can I kill a ghost? Think, Twig. Think! Mother told me that ghosts are the spirits of deceased people that for some reason are "stuck" between this plane of existence and the next, often as a result of some misfortune or trauma and to repel a ghost, you must have a lot of salt, pure iron, or holy magic! God damn it! How can I get these things especially the difficult one, magic! How regrettable, because it could only damage them a little and send them away for a few moments, it isn't going to stop them, only to slow them..., Cause you know nothing could destroy a spirit or ghosts, they are already dead! Oh! She's coming now! I couldn't care less about the small things anymore. I am ready to fight! You might be a ghost but I am alive. I will resist. This feeling of tension boiling inside of me is preposterous! How can I fight such existence? This feeling of powerlessness. I realized how weak I am. Still, the little girl is walking, not minding me. Walking past right through me. Wait, she walked not around me but right through me? Towards the flower? The glowing flower? Horrified, I hurriedly try to change positions again and step aside. What else can I expect? It's a ghost!

I used this time to stay away from her. I sever our distance and ran far away from her. Enough to witness her caressing the flower as if its alive. She's like pouring light into the flower. Her mumbling added the level of pressure on me. I don't understand any words you are saying! You are freaking me out, lady! You are speaking with the flower without concerning me. However, I didn't flinch. I stayed put looking at her. If you don't bring me harm, I must stay still. No matter, as long as I am alive, you can talk to that flower any time, you crazy ghost!

Later, after the little girl finished talking to the flower, she bowed and another person came in. This time, he looked like a normal human "living" being. However, he looked different from us. I mean, Sir Lyol was tall, but this guy is tremendously tall! He's like a tree. Imagine a tree! Huh. I think I am seeing absurd illusions now. How can a man be that tall!

Walking elegantly as if he's some kind of a distinguished aristocrat. I have seen the Lord walking with expensive types of clothes in the town to help increase peoples morale. He often wore an impressive set of clothes. It must have been great to live the life of a noble, huh. How enviable. In the same way, but in an ostentatiously rich and luxurious way. He's wearing a well-embellished tunic with goldwork thread as a basic dress. On top of it, a surcoat is worn which represented the emblem of a lineage. Moreover, his vibrant demeanour and posture.

"Is he... a King?"

His outward behaviour, regal presence, appearance, and graciousness is befitting to a King. In addition to that, his presence suggests that the little girl is inferior to him. That distinctive atmosphere that seems to swallow the whole place. That comforting feeling of the atmosphere he emits. There's also that translucent ring on his head that exudes gentle golden ray of lights that shows like a crown. Wow! Is that magic? Uh. Moreover, this person is moving at a slow, relaxed pace. A refined and graceful way of walking indicates how this man is like a person at the highest level of society he belongs to. Now he's heading to the white lady that is still bowing beside the ever glowing sheen of the multi-coloured flower.

Anxiously waiting for them to reunite and talk, I tried to move quietly so I can put a distance. Engaging in battle with two unknown and powerful beings shall help me join the afterlife now, yes? As soon as he arrived in front of the other person, he waved his hands saying something I don't understand or shall I say its inaudible pulses of high-frequency sound. It's like the transmission of their words were blocked. I continued watching them in a little while now and there hasn't been any unusual. After the King patted the little girl on the head, she does a little curtsy showing respect. Then he went out of the room using the same magical door that suddenly appeared out of thin air earlier.

The girl continues to stroke the alluring beauty of the petals after she sat down and then suddenly the glowing flower's petal shone brightly as it has never been radiating colours before covering the entire room. The colours that appear to be responding to the light the little girl is pouring in the beginning, has become more intense and lush and filled with vivacious energy. Its as if it's dancing with the light. The more the light the ardent the flower it seems. I kind of feel she's growing the flower with just light magic. Is that how you take care of a plant? It's eerie, yet astounding how magic can be used.

Magic, huh? How do you develop magic? I have never caught a glimpse of someone with magic. All my life I have been with my family or my playmates in the town without it. I never saw somebody practising with magic. It never occurred to me that magic is this bewildering. Exhilarated and tense, I tried talking to the person that is manipulating the light magic. Hoping that she can be affable. I mean, she's not hostile since she entered the room. Also, I want to know if I can learn magic from her. I gasped while saying "Hey!". As it turns out, the lady in front of me is unresponsive and again, its as if I am not here. Or am I not visible here? Deliberately, the anxiety that I am enduring seems to appease now.

"Uh, hello? Forgive me for being a trouble for you. This may sound obvious, but uh, could you tell me where am I and what are you doing? I mean, you seem very focus to what you are doing. Can you tell me what is that flower as well?" I gulped. "Hey?" I scratched my head and unknowingly raised my left brow. I moved slightly nearer to where she's been to provoke her to notice me. I almost tried reaching her when the room became black and the girl vanished as if she had never been there.

The glimmer of light that I can see now is from the flower's variety of colours. Was it all an illusion? Was it you, flower? How about the elegant white lady? Is this truly the real cave? Are you trying to say something to me, little one? I have plenty of questions left unanswered. Not that I am expecting an answer from a flower.

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#IntoTheUnknownWorld

MakulotNaBuhok x Einvee

?2020