As Viora sprinted through the dense forest, her heart pounded in her chest. In the distance, she saw the familiar barricade—the same one she had encountered earlier that morning. She skidded to a halt before it, determination burning in her eyes.
"Mama Ipoh, don't worry—I'm coming!" she cried out, her voice resolute.
She pressed her hands against the barricade, pushing with all her strength, but it wouldn't budge. No matter how hard she tried, the barrier refused to yield. Frustrated, she clenched her fists, tears threatening to spill, when suddenly one of the orbs of plasma surrounding her sprang into action.
The orb glowed fiercely, its blue and yellow light flaring as it unleashed a stream of fire. The flames crashed into the barricade, hissing and crackling, until a small hole burned through it. Ash swirled in the air, a sign of the orb's resolve to help her.
Viora didn't hesitate. She stepped through the smoldering hole, her feet crunching softly against the ash-covered ground. Turning briefly, she glanced at the orb and whispered with gratitude, "Thanks."
Without wasting another second, she dashed forward, the forest swallowing her once more as she raced toward Mama Ipoh.
Viora only had to take a few steps before she found Mama Ipoh lying on the ground, blood staining her clothes and the earth beneath her. The sight froze Viora in place, her chest tightening.
"Mama Ipoh!" she cried, rushing forward.
Lowering herself, she gently turned Mama Ipoh onto her back. That's when she noticed it—on Mama Ipoh's neck, glowing faintly, was a red number: 23. Viora's breath hitched, but she pushed the thought aside, focusing on her instead. With trembling hands, she shook Mama Ipoh softly, tears spilling down her cheeks.
"Mama Ipoh… Mama Ipoh, wake up! Please wake up!"
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, to her relief, Mama Ipoh's eyes fluttered open, her hand rising weakly to hold Viora's. The touch made Viora jump slightly, but she didn't pull away.
"Who told you to leave the house, sugar?" Mama Ipoh rasped, her voice faint but steady. "And… how did you find me?"
Viora blinked back more tears, glancing behind her. One of the orbs of intense blue plasma hovered close by, its light flickering gently. Mama Ipoh followed her gaze and let out a soft sigh, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
"I see… it was you who told her everything," she muttered, addressing the orb.
"Mama Ipoh, you're hurt! You have blood everywhere!" Viora said, her voice trembling. "We need to go to the hospital!"
To Viora's surprise, Mama Ipoh let out a weak giggle, though it was cut short by a cough. "No need for that, sugar," she whispered, her tone strangely calm. "You have the talisman, right?"
Viora hesitated, then nodded quickly. She unzipped her coat slightly, revealing the talisman with its moon symbol hanging around her neck. Mama Ipoh's smile widened faintly.
"Good… you listened to me." She paused, then weakly gestured toward the hole in the barricade. "Go to the lake… find the water spirits. They'll help you."
Viora's heart pounded in her chest. "But… how do I do that? I don't know how to call them!"
"As long as you have the talisman… and pure intentions," Mama Ipoh murmured, her voice growing quieter, "they'll listen to you… Now go. I'll just take a little nap while you're gone."
Viora stared at her, panic bubbling up again. "Mama Ipoh…!"
But Mama Ipoh's eyes were already drifting shut, her breathing slowing. Viora bit her lip, wiping her tears as she clutched the talisman tightly.
"I'll be back," she whispered, more to herself than to Mama Ipoh.
With one last glance at her, Viora stood up and turned toward the hole in the barricade, her resolve hardening.
Viora ran as fast as her legs could carry her, faster than any child her age should ever be able to move. The world around her blurred—the trees, the grass, all a whirlwind of green and brown—until finally, she skidded to a stop at the edge of the lake. Her momentum nearly sent her tumbling forward, and her hands splashed into the cold water as she caught herself.
"Water spirits!" she cried, her voice trembling with desperation. "Can you please come help me? Someone I love is terribly hurt… and she needs your help!"
The lake remained still. The surface rippled softly, but no response came. Viora's breath hitched, her tears spilling freely now, mixing with the water on her hands.
"Please…" she whispered, pulling the talisman from around her neck. Clutching it tightly, she carefully laid it on the water's surface, though her hands continued to hold it in place. The cold seeped into her fingers, but she didn't care.
Her voice broke as she sobbed. "If you don't help us… if you don't help her… I'm afraid she's going to die!"
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, the talisman began to glow—softly at first, but quickly intensifying into a brilliant, almost blinding blue light. The glow spread across the entire lake, illuminating the water as though the very surface was alive.
Viora gasped, stumbling back slightly, her tear-streaked face lit by the radiant blue. From the water rose a host of spirits—elegant, ethereal beings whose bodies shimmered like liquid itself. They hovered above the lake, their forms translucent and glowing, their outlines shifting like flowing water.
Fairy-like spirits floated toward her, their delicate shapes composed entirely of the lake's essence. One of them moved closer, pausing before Viora. Though it had no face—no features at all—it radiated an undeniable kindness.
Gently, it reached out and absorbed one of her tears, the droplet dissolving seamlessly into its watery form.
Viora's breath caught in her throat. She didn't know how, but she could feel it—they understood.
Viora hurriedly stood up, determination flashing in her tear-streaked eyes. "Please follow me!" she called to the water spirits.
Without hesitation, she sprinted back toward the barricade, her feet pounding against the earth as the shimmering spirits followed. Their glowing forms trailed behind her like streams of light, fluid and graceful. In no time, they reached the broken barricade, where Viora slipped through the opening the orb had created earlier, the spirits gliding effortlessly after her.
When they reached Mama Ipoh, Viora froze. The old shaman still lay motionless, her eyes closed, blood staining the ground around her.
"Mama Ipoh!" Viora cried as she ran to her side. The sound of footsteps seemed to stir her. Mama Ipoh's eyes slowly fluttered open, and a faint, gentle smile appeared on her lips.
Viora dropped to her knees, clutching Mama Ipoh's hand tightly. "Mama Ipoh, I brought them! The spirits— they agreed to help us!"
Mama Ipoh's tired eyes softened with pride. She slowly raised a trembling hand and patted Viora's head, her touch warm and reassuring. "I knew you could do it, sugar…" she whispered, her voice weak but full of affection.
The water spirits began to gather above them, their individual forms merging into a single, larger entity. The massive spirit, now a serene and glowing figure, moved gracefully toward Mama Ipoh. Viora watched in awe as the spirit descended and seeped into Mama Ipoh's body, its light bathing her in a radiant, intense blue glow.
For a moment, there was silence—only the soft hum of the spirit's magic at work. Then Mama Ipoh let out a hearty laugh that seemed to shake off all the pain. "Ha ha ha! I feel so much better now!" she declared, her voice strong and full of life. "I'd almost forgotten how good water spirits are at healing."
Viora's face lit up, her tears finally giving way to a hopeful smile. "Really? You feel better?"
Mama Ipoh sighed with relief and nodded. "Yes, sugar. I feel much better… so much so that I might take a nap just for fun." She winked before leaning back slightly, her tone more playful. "Relax. Even if I hadn't gotten help right away, I was just a little exhausted. That fool couldn't lay a finger on me."
She gave Viora another reassuring pat on the head and smiled. "I'm not dying anytime soon, sugar. You'll need more than this to get rid of me."
Viora let out a small laugh, her heart finally settling. She stayed by Mama Ipoh's side, the weight of fear slowly lifting as the water spirit's light began to fade into the calm of the forest.
Mama Ipoh tilted her head back, staring at the leaves of the tree above her, their gentle rustling filling the quiet air. For a moment, she seemed lost in thought, but then her voice broke the silence, serious and low.
"You saw everything, didn't you?"
Viora tensed at the question, gripping her coat tightly. She hesitated, then nodded, her voice soft. "Yes…"
She paused, unsure if she should say more, but the weight of what she had witnessed gnawed at her. Taking a deep breath, she finally gathered the courage to ask, "Mama Ipoh… who was that guy?"
Mama Ipoh's gaze remained fixed on the canopy above, her expression unreadable.
"And you said…" Viora hesitated again but pushed forward. "You said you came from a country of shamans called Sylvanara. I didn't understand all of the conversation very well, but… he said hellfire is missing."
Her voice wavered as she continued. "Does that mean… guys like him can come here at any moment?"
The forest seemed to grow quieter, as if even nature was holding its breath. Mama Ipoh finally shifted her gaze back to Viora, her eyes sharp yet filled with a quiet weariness. The silence stretched, heavy and foreboding, as Viora waited for her answer.
Mama Ipoh let out a long, heavy sigh, her body still resting against the forest floor. She stared at the canopy above, her voice quiet but firm.
"I don't know," she admitted. "I also don't know if we can trust the information he gave. And I don't understand why the Wicked and his followers would target this place of all places. Seems pointless to me…"
Viora frowned, her voice tightening with frustration as she interrupted. "Mama Ipoh, would you stop keeping secrets and just answer my questions?!"
Mama Ipoh turned her head slightly, her gaze meeting Viora's with a mix of patience and sternness. "This is business no kid should learn about. It's dangerous, and it's not something you should concern yourself with. Besides, it's not like he'll target you or me again anytime soon. I just got unlucky running into him—that's all."
Viora's frustration flared, and her fists clenched at her sides. Her voice trembled with anger. "You almost got killed by that man! I need to know, Mama Ipoh! At least tell me something—anything!"
Mama Ipoh exhaled deeply, closing her eyes for a moment as if trying to gather her thoughts. When she opened them, they were softer, but still guarded.
"Alright," she said slowly. "You can ask your questions… but I'll decide how much I want to answer. That fair?"
Viora's voice dropped to a low murmur as she nodded, the frustration giving way to cautious hope. "Yes…"
Viora hesitated for only a moment before asking her first question.
"Sylvanara… I've never heard of a country with a name like that before. A country made of shamans—you said you come from there. Does a place like that really exist? Is it some sort of… secret country?"
Mama Ipoh, still lying back, turned her head slightly and gave a faint smile.
"The reason you've never heard of my homeland, sugar, is probably because it's not here. You can't find something that doesn't exist in your world."
Viora blinked, clearly puzzled. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Mama Ipoh let out a soft, amused giggle, shaking her head slightly. "That's as much as I'm willing to say for that question. Next question, please."
Viora pouted, puffing out her cheeks in frustration before conceding. "Fine…"
She moved quickly to her next thought. "What were all those strange… names you were mentioning during the fight?" She paused, searching her memory. "Like, I think they were called…"
Mama Ipoh cut her off with a light sigh. "Shōkanjutsu, the Kairei rank, Reikyō Yūgō, and the Shōrei rank… What caught your attention about those, sugar?"
Viora nodded eagerly. "Yes! Those words… they weren't English, right? And honestly, I think they sounded pretty cool."
Mama Ipoh let out a soft chuckle, nodding her agreement. "I think they're pretty cool too. And you're right—they're not English. Those words come from Japanese. But don't get the wrong idea." She raised a finger as if to emphasize her point. "My homeland is nowhere near Japan. Those are names for shamanic techniques that were developed in Sylvanara."
Viora furrowed her brows, her curiosity only growing. "You said your country isn't on Earth… so… are you some sort of alien?"
Mama Ipoh let out a hearty giggle, shaking her head. "Alien? No, sugar. My country is so far away that even if you crossed millions of galaxies, you still wouldn't reach it…" She paused, her smile softening as her gaze drifted upward toward the canopy of leaves. "But I don't think my people fit the description of aliens. We're just… something different."
Viora tilted her head, still clearly confused but trying to process the information. "Something different…" she echoed softly.
Mama Ipoh gave her a knowing smile, tapping Viora gently on the nose. "Exactly. Now don't let that head of yours get all tangled up in it. Some things are better learned when the time's right, you hear?"
Viora touched her nose where Mama Ipoh had tapped, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "Then I'll go with you one day to Sylvanara!" she declared, a bright smile spreading across her face.
Mama Ipoh's expression turned thoughtful as she gazed at Viora. "I don't think they'll let you into the country, sugar…"
Viora's smile faltered, her excitement quickly replaced by confusion. "Why not?" she asked in a small, disappointed voice.
Mama Ipoh let out a heavy sigh, as if recalling old troubles. "Well, my homeland doesn't really welcome outsiders. The only time a group from outside was allowed in…" She paused, her voice tinged with both understanding and exasperation. "It was because they claimed their ancestors came from Sylvanara. They wanted to return home after their own land was left in ruins. Their connection to us was thin—thousands of years old—but still, the elders debated and let them in. Even then, it caused a massive outrage across the country. It's not the sort of exception they'll make twice."
Viora frowned, clenching her fists in childish frustration. "But I can see spirits! I want to be a shaman!" she exclaimed, her voice rising with determination.
Mama Ipoh sighed, her gaze steady but gentle. "Just because you can see spirits doesn't mean they'll allow you in, sugar. Besides, you don't have to come from Sylvanara to be a shaman."
Viora pouted, frustration evident on her face. "It's obvious that no shaman from this world is as powerful as you…"
Mama Ipoh laughed, the sound warm and lighthearted. "You give me way too much credit. Sure, I'm stronger than most shamans here, but back in my homeland, I'm just a very good shaman—not some kind of elite." She then crossed her arms, giving Viora a playful smile. "Now, I'll answer one last question for you. So choose wisely."
Viora thought carefully, her face scrunching up as she deliberated. Finally, she asked, "That number tattoo on your neck…what is it about?"
Mama Ipoh's expression shifted, her smile softening into something faint and distant. She let out a deep sigh. "So you saw it too, huh? That's…a pretty sensitive topic, sugar. But I'll tell you this: when I got that tattoo, I was in a very, very dark time…a time I still dream about to this day."
Viora lowered her head, guilt creeping into her voice. "Sorry…"
Mama Ipoh smiled, reaching out to ruffle Viora's hair. "No need to be sorry about that."
Suddenly, her body began to glow with a radiant blue light. A massive water spirit—shaped like a fairy—emerged from her chest, its form shimmering with an ethereal beauty. The spirit hovered for a moment, then split apart into countless smaller water fairies, each twinkling like droplets of starlight.
Mama Ipoh stood up, stretching her arms as she watched the spirits. With a grateful smile, she said, "Thank you for helping me out. I'll make sure to protect your homes."
Viora beamed, looking at the spirits with admiration. "Thank you all for helping us!"
In response, the water fairies shot streams of water high into the air. The droplets caught the light, forming a small, shimmering rainbow before the spirits dashed off into the depths of the forest.
Mama Ipoh turned to Viora, a small but tired smile on her lips. "This day was terrible, wasn't it?"
Viora looked up at her, her voice small but resolute. "I want to go home now…"
She lifted her hand toward Mama Ipoh, her fingers small and trembling slightly. Mama Ipoh smiled warmly, taking Viora's hand without hesitation.
Hand in hand, they began walking toward the forest's exit, the weight of the day slowly lifting with each step.
"You know," Viora said, looking up at Mama Ipoh with tired eyes, "your clothes are covered in blood. People are going to look at us strangely."
Mama Ipoh blinked up at her, a playful glint in her eyes. "Well, there's nothing I can do about that, sugar."
The two of them walked on, the trees parting before them as they left the day's darkness behind, each step bringing them closer to the quiet comfort of home.