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"Was that a dream?" she whispered to herself, her voice trembling.
Ariel sat up slowly, her teary eyes scanning the alien surroundings. The cave she found herself in wasn't of this earth—it shimmered with an ethereal glow. A gentle stream flowed nearby, the water reflecting silver light, and the chirping of unseen birds echoed like a celestial symphony.
Her gaze shifted, and she froze. A heart-shaped lake stretched before her, its surface glimmering with liquid starlight. Around it, glowing rose petals floated and scattered, bathing the cavern in a soft, otherworldly luminescence. Night ruled here, painting everything in shades of magic and allure.
A deep, resonant voice suddenly sliced through the serenity.
"You're finally awake."
Ariel's head whipped around. Standing before her was a man with piercing hazel eyes, arms crossed over a broad, muscular chest. He wore a long black hood that draped from head to toe, yet even in the shadows, his chiseled face glimmered with striking intensity.
He smirked, his voice laced with mockery.
"Look at you… such a frail thing. You look like you've been crying for years, tsk."
Ariel's chest tightened with fear, yet something in his presence demanded her attention. She managed to whisper,
"Wh—who are you? Where is this place? Where… where is my mother?"
He chuckled darkly, amused by her panic.
"Whoa, easy there. That's a lot of questions at once."
"Firstly, I'm Knox. Secondly, welcome to the Secret Valley of the Goddess' Tears. And thirdly…" He paused, letting the words hang in the air. "The woman you called 'mother'? She's dead. The hybrid beast… it didn't spare her."
Ariel's knees nearly buckled. Her voice trembled, rising into disbelief and anger.
"You're lying! How could you say that? My mother… dead?!"
Knox's expression softened just a fraction, though his tone remained calm.
"I didn't know her, I swear. I just… found you lying there, barely breathing. Lucky you survived."
Pain lanced through Ariel as she tried to rise. Her fingers dug into the rocky ground.
"Ahhh!" she cried, clutching her leg.
"What… what happened to me?" she stammered, panic mixing with pain.
"You injured yourself while running. It's quite deep," he said, his voice steady.
"I don't care about the injury! I want my mother!" Ariel yelled, beginning to crawl across the glowing ground.
Knox's laughter echoed softly in the cavern.
"What do you think you're doing?" he asked, though not unkindly.
Ignoring him, she dragged herself forward.
"Even if you go back… you won't find her. That's why I brought you here—I saw you breathing," Knox stated.
"STOP IT!" she shrieked, rising despite her throbbing leg.
"You don't know me! And you… you don't know my mother! The woman I saw… wasn't her!" Her voice cracked, echoing through the cave.
Knox closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. When he opened them, they flared with an almost predatory intensity.
"You're bold… rude, even. But I control my anger. No one has dared speak to me like that—and yet, I let you be."
Ariel's expression softened, the raw grief and pain making her almost childlike in its vulnerability. She shook her head, refusing his pity.
"You don't understand anything. You don't know what I feel," she whispered, her voice breaking.
"Maybe… you'll understand when you see what belongs to her," Knox replied cryptically.
Her heart raced as he raised his hand. A soft hum filled the cavern. A brown bag appeared, dropping gently at her feet. Her hands shook as she reached for it.
"Where… where did you find this?" she stammered.
"Beside her," he said simply.
Ariel opened the bag. Inside lay her mother's diary. Her chest tightened; tears streamed down as she clutched it.
"Thank you… and I'm sorry for what I said," she whispered.
"But I still have to see for myself," she added firmly.
Knox's brow furrowed.
"What if the creatures come back? Let me come with you… I'll protect you."
"No," she said firmly. "I have to do this alone." She bowed slightly in gratitude, then lifted her gaze.
Knox's lips pressed into a line. With a flick of his hand, a thread of magical light spiraled into a crystal staff.
"What… what is that?" Ariel breathed.
"You don't have magic?" he asked incredulously.
"No," she admitted.
He crouched, reaching toward her injured leg. Ariel instinctively stepped back, wincing.
"Don't touch me," she snapped.
"Oh, I'm not… well, technically I am," he said, rolling his eyes, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I'm just healing it. Trust me."
His hand glowed, warm and soothing. Pain evaporated. The wound sealed as if it had never existed.
"T-thank you," Ariel whispered.
He handed her the crystal staff.
"Use this for support. If you feel unsafe, it will help."
Ariel scanned it, mesmerized. Knox stood, eyes shifting to the sky. He murmured words older than time.
A wind whipped through the cave, carrying whispers of magic. Mist swirled, parting to reveal a creature of legend—a unicorn, ethereal and majestic, landing gracefully.
Ariel froze, overwhelmed.
"This… this is a… unicorn?" she stammered.
Knox's lips curved into a small smile.
"Of course it exists. Magic isn't just a story."
Her heart ached with sweet pain and longing.
"Am I… dreaming?" she whispered.
Knox gently brushed the unicorn's mane.
"How are you, Lizzy?" he asked. The unicorn neighed softly.
"Good girl."
"Meet Lizzy. My companion. My friend," Knox said.
Ariel's mouth fell open.
"You… you have a unicorn as a pet?"
"Yes," he replied firmly. "And we've been friends for a long time."
He mounted Lizzy, the unicorn's wings spreading, wind rustling through the cave. Ariel stood, conflicted, her heart torn between grief and wonder. Somewhere, out there, her mother awaited—and now, a new chapter of destiny was about to unfold.