The kingdom of Xara sat in the center of the world, or that was how the story always began.

Xara seemed to hold the very essence of the world within its grasp. It was a realm that inspired intrigue and wonder, a place where towering mountains guarded ancient secrets and where the mighty rivers within it, flowed with untold stories. 

To the west, the rugged terrain gave birth to tribes of beastmen and dwarves, each with their own tales of valor and conquest. To the east, the mighty river Tafeis tumbled with a ferocity that sent shivers down the spines of even the most seasoned sailors. It was said that the depths of its waters held treasures beyond imagining, guarded fiercely by the merfolk and sirens who called it home.

A few miles from the river was a forest. Trees lined up and down the area and along the edge that faced the river was a village. The river village bustled with life, elderly women selling flowers to young lovers, men fishing along the docks, and women bartering in the market.

"Lisa? Lisa!" The anguished cry rang out, terror etched across her face as her baby cried in her arms and her husband ran out of their cottage home with two children in his arms. "Where is Elise!" She cried as flames danced hungrily amidst the wooden structures of the village. Panic seized the hearts of the villagers as they scrambled to escape the encroaching inferno, clutching loved ones close as they fled toward the safety of the river.

Her husband hesitated where he stood before shaking his head, "There's no time, we have to go!" Briefly, he looked back in hopes of finding long blond hair but when his daughter didn't come out he forced himself to look forward and bring his family towards safety.

The fire burned through the forest and their village, licking at their feet, as they and dozens of other families, ran towards the cold river in hopes of escaping the fire that threatened to eat them and their homes. 

Their feet hit the cold water and for a split second the freezing pain shot up their spine as they shivered but they trudged forward, wading through the water towards the flat holm sitting in the middle of the river. They forced themselves steady while walking along the slippery rocks on the river bed. The crashing waters beat on their back as they struggled to keep it from entering their nostrils.

Finally, they reached over, coughing and spitting out the water that had entered their noses and mouths as a group of people rushed over to help them up. Slowly, they lifted their shivering wet bodies onto the holm before sitting to catch their breath.

They looked back at their beautiful village, watching as the fire ate away at the docks, the market, and their homes. The screaming coming from the village was like the sound of a pained banshee, yowling in the wind as it burned alive.

The thought pricked at their hearts before they turned away, unwilling to remember those they had been forced to leave behind.

But in the middle of the village was a young girl who hid from the fearful people, falling deeper and deeper into the village. The fire licked at her skin, singeing it red as it ate away at her hair. Her body felt an unimaginable pain, the sort that you feel in dreams only to wake up in a cold sweat. 

She watched as the world around her lit up in hues of oranges and red, from behind her the fire had stretched into the beautiful forest that seemed to reach the sky. Only, it was bringing the sky down as the fire ate away at the trees and the trees hugged the earth. Fearful of what was happening, she slipped into an alleyway where the fire had not yet reached but the heat had touched.

She wanted to cry but the heat evaporated her tears instantly. She closed her eyes as the world grew hotter. 

Perhaps, if she hadn't snuck out to play, she would be safe with her family.

And then, in the corner of her eye, she saw her.

The brick wall, covered in vines and dirt and years of dust, slowly morphed as a white light seemed to crack outwards from the inside of the stones. The cracks expanded wider and wider before a hand reached out and tugged itself out of the wall.

Out walked a beautiful teenage girl with long black hair that fell to her waist and a mole in the corner of her left eye. She suddenly collapsed into a heap, motionless with her eyes screwed shut and head bowed uncomfortably low.

Lisa wanted to scream Watch out! as the fire flared around her but suddenly her eyes were open and the strange girl was looking right at her, her posture as rigid as a seasoned soldier, standing tall amidst the chaos.

"Hello Lisa," the girl spoke with a soft smile. Her eyes, bright blue like lightning that struck at night and lit up the river in an array of colors, glowed. "We can't let your world die just like that, can we?"

Lisa blinked, gasping as the young woman fiddled with a metal cuff on her wrist. 

"Commencing Code Red: Extinguish Fire, Return to Natural Order, Extract Fantasy Essence." The girl spoke in an authoritative tone as she faced the fire, her black hair whipping behind her like a cloak.

"Can you keep a secret, darling?" The teen asked with a wink as she raised a finger in front of her lips. Lisa nodded in awe. "Good."

The designs on her metal cuff lit up, glowing a dim blue before three whisps flew out from the cuff. They turned into orbs as they floated around her head, two blue and one red.

"Containing fire," An electronic voice spoke from the ornamental cuff. The red orb flew out of the alley quickly, zipping around as it sucked the fire like a mini black hole while bottling it all in itself. 

"Repairing damages."

The blue orbs descended, merging seamlessly with the earth below. Their radiant glow permeated the soil, weaving through the village and ascending the walls of buildings, meticulously correcting every imperfection in their path. The once-charred storefronts gleamed anew, with loaves of bread rising in ovens and garments swaying on racks as if untouched by the flames. Homes regained their former splendor, restored to their original state, while the trees, now standing tall and proud, flourished with renewed vitality as their leaves shimmered beneath the golden rays of the sun.

"Transporting patients."

Suddenly, the entire village was in front of them but their eyes were glazed over and they were dazed, staring off into nothingness as a fourth orb came out of her cuff- a white one this time.

"Returning to the natural order."

The white orb split off into dozens of orbs floating above the heads of the villagers. The orb turned blue as it sucked up a sting of blue from the minds before it turned pink, a shower of sparkles falling onto their heads. Lisa, the mysterious girl, and the four orbs watched as the villagers returned themselves to their original position about thirty seconds before the fire started.

"Searching for Fantasy Essence." The cold mechanical voice spoke again as the four orbs returned to the girl. They floated as she held up a hand, and a glowing blue screen appeared out of nowhere. They entered the screen before they and the screen disappeared. 

Her metal cuff dispelled a blue light that seemed to scan the area around them. A small pinging sound appeared and the girl looked back at her with a grin and an outstretched hand.

"Let's find that pesky essence, shall we Lisa?"

Lisa found herself standing up and reaching towards the comforting girl. As she touched the older girl, her singed hair and clothing returned to its original state. The burns on her body healed, not a single scar could be found, and the feeling of pain was gone. A blue light appeared in front of them, beckoning them to follow it.

She followed the girl, weaving around villagers frozen in position with their mouths mid-talk and their hands in mid-wave. They eventually walked towards the river that was frozen, not with ice but like it was paused.

The girl waved her hand and the water split. 

"Searching for Fantasy Essence." The pinging sound returned as a faint blue light appeared in front of her. It formed a line that led into the river where the water was split and under the flat holm where the villagers had rushed to. Unhesitatingly, the mysterious girl walked into the river and Lisa found herself following closely.

The ground was squishy underneath their shoes.

Lisa wore flip-flops that the squishy, frozen mud sucked in before spitting out with every step she took. The girl wore white tennis shoes that seemed to float barely a centimeter above the dirt. She didn't touch the ground, like a ghost, but she was too strange- too ethereal- to be a ghost.

Eventually, they reached the holm. She looked down at the dirt where the blue light pointed.

"Extracting Fantasy Essence." The mechanical voice spoke again. A net made of blue light that sparkled like the frozen water around them appeared in her hands. She shook it, straightening it out, before casting it with an outstretched hand. The net sunk into the dirt and rocks, almost immediately disappearing into the squishy mud. They stood there as if watching for the net to resurface before another pinging sounded.

She leaned down and sunk her clean hands, perfectly manicured, into the dirt. She furrowed her brows as if searching around, before grunting and standing back up. Her white clothes were tainted brown, a bit of mud staining the tip of her chin, but she didn't seem to mind as she pulled the net back up.

In the net was a stone the size of two fists. It glowed a warm yellow color, almost like amber, pulsing gently as the net coiled around the rock like a snake before the two snapped out of existence with a flash of light. The girl looked down at Lisa, a gentle smile on her face as she took her hand and led her back up the river bank and into the village. 

They walked through the village and this time Lisa kept her eyes on the ground as they did so. It felt like the villagers might wake up any second with the way their eyes seemed frozen in place, and in her gut, she knew neither she nor the villagers would remember anything, but the feeling of being watched never left. 

One step.

Her feet felt dirty from all the grime between her toes.

Two.

She looked up as the alley came into view. The girl sat her down where she had found her.

Three steps.

"Grow up strong, little Lisa." The girl said as she kissed her forehead, brushing Lisa's long blond bangs out of the way. "I have rid you of turmoil set in stone."

Four.

Her head hurt for a split second before she felt herself grow drowsy. The last thing she saw was the soft smile of the girl before she flashed out of existence. Her head drooped, a small voice in the back of her head singing a lullaby- the same tune the girl hummed as she disappeared.

But it wasn't like Lisa would remember a thing.