"Mommy!" She screamed with all the air in her lungs. "Aaaaaaah!"
The man looked very confused and didn't know what to do. He quickly drew away from her and took a few steps backward to the foot of her bed, standing there. He looked around for a way to calm her down but found nothing. Before he knew it, the door to her room flung open and her mother rushed inside with the most perturbing look on her face. She switched on the lights in the room and met her immediate...
"What is it, darling?" Lilian scooped Lilith into her arms immediately, fear written all over her face.
"Mommy, look over there!" Lilith panicked as she pointed at the strange man who stood tall at the foot of her bed. "There is someone in my room."
Lilian was very confused because she could not see anyone in the room. Despite the lamps being switched on and the whole room illuminated, there was nothing—or no one—in sight. Who then was Lilith talking about?
"But baby, there is no one here," she said, certain of her words.
"No, Mommy, there was someone in my room, right over there," Lilith insisted, still pointing at the area at the foot of her bed, where she could still see the strange man standing without moving.
"Lilith, look at me," Lilian urged her daughter, cupping her face gently. "There is absolutely no one here. Okay, let me look around to make you more certain." She stood from the bed and walked to her wardrobe, passing right through where the strange man stood, as if he were vapor.
Lilith could hardly believe her eyes. She felt like everything happening was unreal—or maybe she was still asleep. Did her mom just pass through someone? Or was this all in her head? To make matters worse, the strange man disappeared immediately after her mom passed through him toward the wardrobe.
"There is no one in here," Lilian called from the wardrobe, then moved into the restroom and still found no one. "Nor here," she continued her search to the balcony of her room, and still found no one out there. Satisfied, she returned to meet a very scared Lilith wrapped tightly under the sheets of her bed.
"Come on, baby, there is no one here. I have looked everywhere and found no one. Come out now, honey—you are safe." She gently unwrapped her from the sheets and found her fidgeting in fear. Lilian hugged her tightly, trying to offer comfort. "It's alright now, love," she stroked her hair as they remained in the embrace. "Nothing will ever happen to you, as long as I am here."
"Hmm." Lilith heaved a sigh of relief, seemingly calming down. She began to believe that maybe there was no one in her room and that she was just imagining things—that none of it was real.
"You know, baby, you would never make a good ranger if you were always this scared," Lilian said, drawing away from the hug, staring into her daughter's purple eyes as she spoke. "Rangers are supposed to be brave and strong at all times—not scream like scared babies whenever they feel they are in danger."
"Really, Mommy?" Lilith's eyes became radiant. "And I believe my father is very strong and brave too."
"Of course, dear," Lilian replied with a sad smile. "Your father is very brave and faces any kind of danger by himself, without fear."
"From now henceforth, Mommy, I promise that I will never be scared and will act brave all the time, just like my daddy," she promised with a smile. "And I hope to see him soon, right, Mommy?"
"Of course, Lilith. Your father will be back very soon and will teach you more about becoming a good ranger of Triven."
"I can't wait, Mommy." She gave her mom a big hug and let out a yawn as well.
"Okay, now sleepyhead," Lilian teased. "Go back to sleep now—tomorrow is your big day."
"Okay, Mommy." Lilith lay back on her bed and let her mother tuck her in again. Lilian kissed her goodnight, turned off the lights, and left her to sleep once more.
Not long after Lilian left, the strange man came again. This time, he decided to talk to Lilith so as not to scare her like before. He walked up to her bed and turned on the bedside lamp on the left side of the bed. The light shone on Lilith, making her flash her eyes open to meet the strange man from earlier. So he was real, she thought, but she was not fully convinced. Without a word, she stretched forth her hand and touched his face to know if he was real—and indeed, he was. She sat up properly and looked into his strange multicolored eyes.
"Who are you?"...