At that moment, Asahi and Aletha gasped and jumped in shock.
"Huh?"
Kali's hands trembled in fear-- awfully startled by the situation. Deep within her frozen green eyes was the sight of pure disbelief and grief. It was because her mask slipped out of her reach and revealed itself to the others.
"I'm sorry… for showing this. I shouldn't have come here in the first place." Kali said as she pulled the mask back to her pocket.
Asahi walked up to her and almost pushed Kali. While he made that action, it felt as if a heavy force was within his mind-- painfully crushing his sanity limb from limb.
"Are you the same girl who helped us reach Pladtioa city that other night? The girl who fought those guards…?"
Kali turned her head and refused to reply. It seemed she was a lot angrier than she was previously. Despite her kind actions, she began to act more like a phony, rather than her usual angelic self. Aletha watched them--- almost clueless about the conflict itself.
She started to whisper in her mind.
"It seems there is some sort of pattern revolving around everybody inside this forest. I got affected by the enticing fog, my brother got affected, and now… Drimi, Kali, and the rest are now getting corrupted by whatever's within this forest. Is there some sort of curse lingering within Dreamtoe?"
She had no clue what was happening; she felt an unnerving feeling wriggle inside her soul, like the movement of a long snake. As Aletha began to question the truth about this forest, Phthonus hurried toward Asahi and yelled.
"You two had HELP entering Pladtioa city? Back when I tried to enter Pladtioa, my lover and I had to go through an entire prison process and sign a contract before we even entered the city. How did you two enter Pladtioa without going through that affair?"
Drimi shook her head and covered her mouth. Even the most confident could be surprised.
"Like Phthonus said, back in my early years, I had to go through the same process as well. However, they weren't as hostile to me since I came from Wraileza. They were already afraid that if any of their visitors were to have problems with Pladtioa, their nation would be threatened under the Queen of Wraileza. I never thought anyone could enter without undergoing the process, nor would I ever think that anyone could never get caught."
She patted both the wanderers' backs and chuckled.
"Well, I do have to say. You should be proud of managing to pull that off. Heh heh."
Kali pivoted her toes against the ground as the wind blew and nervously smiled. She was shrouded in nervousness and almost lost her train of thought. She shyly tried to avoid the situation; however, as she was about to flee, Aletha ran up to Kali Leila and asked.
"Can you answer us?"
While the birds chirped and her body quivered, Kali Leila took a deep breath and finally broke her silence.
"Yes, I… am the one that you are mentioning. This… n-nevermind. What I'm going to say goes against the oath with my faction."
The wanderers leaped up in shock.
"WHAT FACTION?!"
Kali Leila crossed her arms and then ran toward the abandoned blacksmith shop. She hid behind a table and almost tripped over a twig in the long run. She tossed the rusty weapons away from the corner and pulled her hood up to hide her head.
Unfortunately for her, though, that action was seen by both the wanderers. Immediately, they raced through the scattered debris and yelled at Kali.
"Why are you hiding?! We know the secret already."
Her face glowed red like apples. She cowered away toward a corner and hid underneath a pile of scrap metals, pans, and anvils. The glistening sun peeked through the holes in the walls, like the rays of a spotlight. It's mellow yellow blossoming light shrouded the majority of the ground.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry…." Kali Leila cutly muttered as she shuddered in fear.
In her eyes, she saw many goblins standing and preparing their swords, weaponry, and shields. But to the wanderers, it was nothing but a wrecked, abandoned, deteriorated building with the remains of the blacksmith's items scattered across the ground.
Asahi neared Kali and asked.
"Please, just answer the question."
As the wind blew through the holes in the walls, Kali crossed her arms and rudely replied.
"I am not obliged to speak of that, nor will I reveal my rank. That goes against the oath of my faction."
"Oath?!" Asahi and Aletha confusedly yelled.
"Yes… oath. I was never supposed to reveal my identity, nor was I supposed to remove my mask. It's just… this feeling; this force I have with that white-haired boy-- I don't know, I never had this feeling before. But…"
Asahi's face glowed red, undoubtedly knowing that it was his appearance that made her this way. A moment later, they hear a crunching sound out from the opening of the wall. They turned their head to it and saw Phthonus squinting his eyes.
"So… you're saying that Asahi's appearance made you break an important oath?"
He covered his smile with his scarf.
"Haha! Are you even aware what an oath means? You can't just abandon one because of someone's looks. That's surely a poor reason."
Drimi bumped her shoulder against Phthonus and slapped him on the back of his head.
"Don't be rude. Let the girl speak! We haven't had as much experience with her, unlike Asahi. We have a fight tomorrow, remember that…."
Phthonus released a sigh and then tossed wooden planks into the air. He was furious, almost envious of Asahi's features. The warm sunlight doesn't seem to accurately reflect the situation. So, he ran to Asahi and stared at him with his magical sight.
"Would you be happy if you knew what you have? Likewise, you shouldn't take advantage… but that doesn't mean that-- no, you shouldn't have been here. You're a god, right? Then what are you doing here?! Shouldn't you and your sister be praised somewhere else?"
Asahi remained silent. Phthonus gritted his teeth and pushed Asahi toward the wall. He yelled at Asahi straight in the face in a much more aggressive tone.
"Answer me! How long have you been alive?!"
As Asahi turned his head away from Phthonus, he saw the sight of the goblin villagers flicker over the ground. It seemed that his vision was restored, despite the town's utter emptiness. He didn't have the time for thought. Kali already blurted out her answer while she pushed Aletha to the ground.
"I… have been stalking you among the shadows. Ever since I met you when I was battling with those knights, I've felt this weird feeling. I have essentially followed you around Pladtioa without even knowing."
Both the wanderers lifted their bodies up from the wall. They were just as confused as Phthonus and the others. Asahi walked up to Kali and, with a dominant attitude, pushed her against the wall. He never knew what he was doing. The goblins and even Aletha were shocked. Kali Leila's breath pressed on his face, and the clouds blocked the sun. Asahi leaned his head toward the trembling face of Kali, then whispered.
"You have been stalking us? How does that make sense?"
"I-I….. I…"
She was speechless. Kali couldn't bear to respond to such a dominant figure. However, she was almost flattered by him. Just seeing the way he does things almost aroused and frightened her, but the confidence that lay in her unrevealed past is what pushed the emotions aside.
"I-I'm…. I'm…"
She tilted her head to the ground and heard Phthonus stomping on the floor.
"Just say it!"
"I'm…"
She averted her eyes toward the patch of green clovers and took a deep, relaxed sigh. After two silent seconds, she walked up to Asahi and mumbled.
"I'm Clover."
Asahi reacted by holding his ear. It seems he couldn't hear the situation.
"Huh? Can you speak louder?!"
Kali Leila bit her lips, then confidently stomped her foot on the ground. With her sweet, high-pitched voice, she screamed with all the might she had.
"I'M CLOVER!"
Asahi slowly stepped back. His eyes widened in absolute shock, unable to comprehend that the girl he had met back in the village of Milmoor was the exact lavender-haired girl who stood in front of him now. He placed his hand against his forehead and whispered to Aletha.
"Is… she telling the truth?"
Aletha's eyelids shut, revealing her glorious black eyelashes. Just by looking at her face, it was enough to say that she had unimaginable amounts of knowledge. In one solemn and stern voice, Aletha replied with a nod.
"Yes, she is indeed telling the truth."
Asahi slowly tilted his head toward Kali and took a moment to think. It grew apparent to him. The personality, her actions, and her appearance, she almost resembled the active, lime-haired girl who taught him the magic of their world. To not stray up a tangent, Asahi walked up to Clover and pulled out a four-leaf clover.
"So, are you saying that you are the same girl I met when we were strolling in that forest?"
Kali Leila scratched Asahi's head and smiled.
"Goodness, Asahi, you can be quite inquisitive sometimes. You are fortunate for what you possess. Now I understand why those members and followers built statues, structures, and rituals in your honor. You truly are… one forgiving angel."
Unfortunately for Asahi, he couldn't hear most of her whispers. There was a commotion outside that completely disrupted the situation. They had no time to talk, so they ran out of the blacksmith building to see what was happening.
Behind the rays of sunlight was a sight that Asahi and Aletha couldn't believe.
It was… a little girl with long silver hair, amethyst eyes, and a white dress, standing at the epicenter of the village.
It was…
"Aiyana…?!" Asahi and Aletha screamed.
When they stepped closer to Aiyana, the figure was blurry, almost unrecognizable. They swiftly turned their heads behind and saw that not a single individual but Aiyana was there.
Aletha took a deep breath and whispered to Asahi, her gray eyes still averted toward the blurry figure.
"That could be some illusion. I say we shouldn't get close to it. You never know what could be there within the forest."
"I guess you're right… but--
Just as he was about to speak, another vision flashed in Asahi's eyes.
* * * * * * * *
He was near a waterfall —a towering, tall waterfall that almost pierced the clouds. The same village and forests were visible, but the landscape's form was vastly different.
As he stepped through the foggy memory, he saw a younger version of Aletha playing with children. Her gray eyes were bigger-- rounder, her hair only touched halfway down her back, and her attire was much longer than it was now.
Aiyana was still seen dangling her legs over a cliff. She looked a little pressured but was still patient with her siblings.
What was next to her was a slightly small kitsune with brown fur and violet eyes. Asahi couldn't recognize the kitsune, but Present Aletha clearly knew who it was.
"It's her…." Present, Aletha said as she knelt toward a patch of silver flowers.
The kitsune looked to be a friend of Aiyana. If not, the only friend she had compared to the dozens of friends Asahi and Aletha made. The kitsune's voice sounded more pleasant and friendly in comparison to the rough and dominant sound she presently had. Her fur was softer, her eyes were brighter, and her patience was considerably stronger.
The kitsune rested against Aiyana's lap, pressing its fluffy fur against her legs. It was almost as if she were a blanket for the adorable silver-haired girl. As the kitsune peacefully rested on Aiyana, the kitsune whispered to her.
"Aiyana, it doesn't matter if you can't make any friends. As long as you're friends with yourself, as long as you understand who you truly are, perhaps then you can find new allies? Maybe you could be happy, too?"
Aiyana slowly wiped a tear from her pale cheek.
"R… Really? Rulers… don't have emotions. My mommy, daddy, Asahi, and Aletha do. But not… me."
As Aiyana tilted her head toward the ground, the kitsune smiled. She wagged her tail and snuggled closer toward the silver-haired child.
"Yes… I believe you can make emotions. As long as you try…"
As the memory faded into a swallowing white fog, Asahi and Aletha saw another friend standing at the same spot where the blurry figure had stood.
She had long, cyan hair with gorgeous crimson eyes. Asahi hardly remembered the girl; however, Aletha could vividly recognize who she was.
Just as she was about to speak, the memory flashed back into the present.