CHAPTER 13: THE MEADOW AND THE GUIDE

Anna stood between a meadow of vibrant flowers of different shapes and sizes, flowers she had never seen, heard of, or read about before, illuminated by the soft warmth of the blazing sun.

She stood there gazing at the distinct flowers of the meadow. Some of them looked like stars, some looked like complex geometric shapes, and some she couldn’t make sense of. However, she still had a smile on her face, even though she should be worried, scared, even though she didn’t feel those emotions at that moment.

It was like such emotions didn’t even exist for her at the moment.

Anna, who was standing within a field of flowers, heard a youthful and gentle voice.

"It’s beautiful, isn’t it?"

"It is..."

"Where am I?" Anna asked as she turned her head towards the direction of the voice, there stood a teenage boy, he had short deep blue hair, honey topaz like eyes, He donned a three-piece black suit with white shirt, a neatly folded red handkerchief with golden embroidery rested in his suit’s pocket square, he had a small smile on his face as he looked towards Anna.

"Guess?" the teenage boy asked, his eyes sparkling with mischievousness.

"I... have never been to any place like this," Anna replied as she turned and looked all around her.

"Of course you haven’t! Haha! Spirit realm is not your average backwater place after all," the teenage boy said as he puffed his chest with pride.

"Spirit realm?" Anna tilted her head and asked the teenage boy.

"Hah?! You don’t even know about the spirit realm?!" The teenage boy looked at her with a shocked expression.

"I don’t," Anna replied.

"Well... you’ll find out soon enough."

Anna nodded at his words as she asked.

"Ah... by the way, who are you?"

"Ah, silly me! Hmm.. Who am I? Who am I?" the teenage boy replied as he soon fell into contemplation.

"I don’t remember..." the teenage boy said, his voice being merely a whisper.

"Hmm?" Anna tilted her head as she couldn’t hear him correctly.

"You can just call me The Guide," the teenage boy said with a small smile as he moved his right hand towards Anna.

"The Guide..." Anna moved forward and grabbed his hand.

The Guide smiled at her and waved his other free hand, and as soon as he did so, various animals, beasts, and birds came into view.

Horses with their manes made of fire, water, light, thunder, etc.

Rabbits with diamond-like fur.

Elephants with white bodies covered in golden runic marks.

Birds with wings as wide as an aeroplane.

They all looked ancient, mysterious, and glorious.

A "Wow.." escaped Anna’s lips as she saw them running around in the field of flowers, seemingly free from all bonds and enjoying themselves.

"Don’t stare at them for too long, lest your gaze make them uncomfortable," The Guide said as he looked at Anna with a mysterious gaze.

Anna nodded at his words.

*Snap*

The Guide snapped his fingers, and the scene before them changed.

Once a meadow of fantastical flowers turned into a dreadful place filled with withered flowers, dead trees and coarse land filled the place, this place wasn’t illuminated with the soft glow of sun instead a cold moon took its place illuminating the place with its cold yet calm moonlight, skeletons of various shapes and sizes could be seen littered throughout the place.

When Anna looked at the horrifying and dreadful place, however, instead of feeling horrified, she felt calm, like she had finally earned the rest she always wanted. like she had reached the end.

"W-why am I feeling like this?" Anna questioned The Guide as she couldn’t understand anything at this point.

"You were at the -Meadow of Fulfillness- before which made you feel fulfilled. Now you stand at the -Land of Eternal Rest- which makes you feel at rest." The Guide spoke as he looked at the cold moon hanging above them.

"That is the -Eternal Moon- it always exists, illuminating this realm, wherever it’s wanted with its cold yet calm moonlight." The Guide spoke as he pointed at the moon.

"Similarly, the -Meadow of Fulfillness- basks under the soft warmth of the -Eternal Sun- at all times," The Guide concluded.

"H-how is that possible?" Anna asked, and she was stunned by what she had heard.

"Why not? What you believe becomes possible, and what you don’t, stays impossible."

Anna looked at the Guide with a solemn look. Even though she didn’t fully understand his words, she just knew that he was right, and that thought confused her even more.

"Let’s go," The Guide once again offered his hand to Anna, which she soon grabbed.

*Snap*

Once again, The Guide snapped his fingers, and the scene before them changed.

Now they stood inside? Outside? She couldn’t say for sure, various objects or living beings? floated near her. She looked at them, but she couldn’t understand what they were, nor could she make sense of the place they were in. Was there a sun or a moon? Was she flying or falling? She just knew that she was somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be

"This is -Zone of uncertainty- Here nothing is certain, be it time, space, living, dead, day or night, this whole place is just a mashup of CHAOS," The Guide said as he continued to look towards something which Anna couldn’t see.

Soon, however, she asked him.

"Why?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you showing all of this to me?"

"Because... That’s how it’s meant to be." The Guide said as he looked at her with a playful smile.

"Meant to be?"

"Destiny is a peculiar thing. Even those who believe that they are above it simply follow it without knowing how pitiful their resistance is."

Anna stayed silent as she stared at The Guide.

"What is my destiny then?"

"Hmm? How would I know?" The Guide said as he looked at Anna like he was looking at a stupid kid asking stupid questions.

"What?..." Now Anna was more confused.