The high screech burst out from Gala's throat that resounded across the room. The entirety of the room was engulfed in flames. Her sobs and screams blended into the air along with the buzzing cackles of fire. All of her hopes had incrementally crumbled into crumbs, and the idea of being alive had become a far-fetched illusion.
'Is this where it all ends?'
'Is this where I will meet the end of the line?'
Gala sobbed uncontrollably, her shoulders shook violently; every ounce of unfathomable grief consumed her completely as she fell to the floor, rendering her numb to the raging fire's scorching heat.
Gala doesn't know what to feel about the fact that she was in the middle of a raging fire, with no one to rescue her and most probably end up dead, and her family back home did not even have any bits of memories of her.
Should she be relieved that her family would not feel the grief of losing her forever while she was in another dimension, or sad that she was deprived of love from her family for the last time in her life?
For a split-second, her misery was replaced with anguish. "Dylareia!", she screamed at the top of her lungs as she called for the land's sacred-faye. "How dare you bring me here to die in the place of your people! Don't be a coward and show yourself to me." Gala hissed angrily, the flames licking at her skin. "Aren't you a divine being for this land? Aren't you an image of justice and mercy to the fayes? Then, save me. I don't want to die". She begged, hot tears steaming down her face.
Gala wailed out in pain as her flesh started to fall off of her. Gala lifted her hands to her face and howled in abysmal terror when she felt the raw flesh against her palms. Her body writhed in pain as the blazing flames devoured her body completely.
--
"Khäremluash..."
A soft, melodic voice sprang out of nowhere. She slowly fluttered her eyes open and snapped them shut when her eyes were almost blinded by the brightness.
'Am I dead? Is this heaven?' Gala thought.
Her hand, spread in front of her, veiled the blinding light. She opened her eyes again, gradually adjusting to the glaring brightness. When her eyes had finally adjusted, she slowly got up and was surprised that her body was unscathed and her skin was still intact. She must have been really in heaven right now.
But she remembered hearing a familiar phrase that the Aeylfrey's beings usually called her. Could she be in heaven but only in Aelfrey's version? She couldn't believe that she could still crack a joke despite what had happened to her.
'Am I really dead?', she thought.
The light-blue orbs of her eyes darted around, riveted by the infinite hue of white that surrounded her. The place she was in seemed to have no beginning and end. Her unsure steps clattered against the hard floor that she could not quite distinguish what material it was made of. All she knew was that it was hard as her steps produced heavy thuds that reverberated around the area.
"Hello? Is anyone here?", she cried out, her shaky voice bounces back.
"Gala..."
There goes that voice she was certain she had heard before waking up in this place. She vigorously swerved her head in all directions, trying to find if someone was with her in this place. "Who are you? Why did you know me?"
"Khäremluash..."
Gala came to a halt as she realized she was just going in circles. "Where are you? Do you know who I am? Are you another being of Aelfrey?" Gala asked the mysterious voice in Aeyalafreyn.
"You do not need to see me, my child, as this is not yet the time."
That only left her more perplexed than before as the voice spoke inexplicably about timing that she did not comprehend.
"What do you mean about this not yet being the time? And why do you talk to me like you know me?" Gala shoots the owner of the voice with more questions. She stood fixatedly where she was standing, puzzled at the turn of events.
"Where exactly am I? What is this place? Am I dead?" Before she could get a response, she posed more questions to the mysterious voice.
"Apologies, khäremluash, but I can't answer your questions as fate forbids, except that I assure you that you're not yet dead. You're alive, Gala, very much alive."
Gala's lips curled into a genuine grin when she heard that she wasn't dead yet. However, that only made her more confused as hell. If she wasn't dead, then why is she here? This is not the palace. Even so, she did not ask the voice another question as she could sense that she could not get a proper answer, apparently because of this 'fate forbids' excuse.
"Gala, most of the things that happened to you were orchestrated by your destiny. My child, your journey does not end today. Aelfrey needs you. Now, go, my child, and fulfill your destiny."
Gala's head ached from the onslaught of information. Her other hand was on her waist as she massaged her temples. "How can I fulfill this so-called destiny that you all are talking about when I have so many questions that you refuse to answer?"
"I am in no position to tell you these things, khäremluash. It must be you that should seek the answers to your questions. My time is running out, my child. I must depart, but I will leave you with this at least. Things will be different, a great deal, from this day forward. When you go back to your body, a new Galatea will be reborn."
--
Gala's eyes snapped open, and a pair of light-blue orbs glimmered in another level of certitude. A lopsided grin appeared out of the corner of her mouth. Her whole aura imposes a great deal of fortitude that she, herself, had no idea where it came from.
She hoisted herself up gracefully, her posture so refined that one would mistake her as a celestial being. She held her chin up; she looked up at the flames pathetically. The scorching heat did not affect her.
"I beseech thee, kayöu elemento." Gala whispered, a satisfied smile plastered on her face.
It was a strange sight. Gala extended her arms in front of the blazing fire as the flames flickered rhythmically. Then, the flames started to crawl towards her. It touched first the tips of her fingers, then the flames slowly snaked into her arms, until her whole body was on fire.
However, not quite literally when a satisfied expression was planted on Gala's face. Instead, it was as if she was enjoying 'being on fire'. The scorching heat did not burn her, nor did the smoke choke her.
Cliché as it sounds, Gala greeted the sensation like an old friend. The flames continued to prance around her. She sophisticatedly raised her arms in the air. She chanted a few inaudible chants and, in a swift move, snapped her fingers.
A bolt of lightning struck the four towers of the palace. Dark clouds hovered above her. The constant flicker of the flames paused, and in a brief moment, Gala absorbed the raging fire all at once, leaving no trace that was evident of the fire that slaughtered the kingdom just a while ago.
--
Alvaro, along with all the fayes, flew towards the kingdom right away after the massive fire had mysteriously vanished in a snap. The king and queen went with them as well to check the destruction the fire had caused, and to see if the young whisperer had miraculously survived, although they doubted it.
When the courtyard came into view, a loud applause erupted from the fayes as they saw the silhouette of Gala, whose back was turned away from them.
Alvaro and Elderifrey dove off speedily towards Gala to check if she was alright and, of course, to ask her if she was in any way involved with the fire that had disappeared so suddenly. The two fayes' strides were long and quick, eventually breaking into a sprint when they were a few centimeters away from the young girl.
"Bless Dylareia, you are alright." Alvaro spurted out. His usual strict tone was gone, and instead his voice was laced with pure concern.
When the young girl finally turned towards them, they both came to a halt, seeing as they sensed something different about her.
The young girl looked at them with a whole lot of certitude, the expression on her face displaying a precarious aura and conviction, something that the young girl, or so they thought, do not possess.
But what astonished them both was the dashing symbol tattooed on the center of Gala's forehead.
It was the symbol of the fire element.
"Greetings, Elderifrey and Alvaro."
If Alvaro wasn't facing Gala right now, he would definitely have mistaken Gala for someone else. It didn't feel like it was Gala who was talking to them. The one that was standing before them encompassed an aura of fortitude.
Alvaro and Elderifrey exchanged knowing looks; clearly, something had happened in connection with Gala's sudden change in energy, as well as the symbol that sits in the center of her forehead. How did she get it?