The book closed as though the universe itself had exiled its truth away. My eyes were soaked and inundated with tears. "Why did you close? Open! Open! What happened next?" I questioned and yelled, as if the book would once again open magically. As I begged and cried like a toddler, I placed my insignia again on the book, praying and hoping that the book would yield. To my surprise, it did open, but the pages were as blank as a painter's canvas untouched by inspiration. "Why is it blank? Why are you blank?" I questioned, fueled by desperation, sadness, anger, and basically most forms of emotion that depict annoyance. I coughed and buried my face in my palms as I sat at the corner of the dimensional room. I just couldn't take in all that I read. I couldn't believe that Claire went through all of that. "Humans, humans, you are all evil," my thoughts spiraled into confusion as one part of me took Claire's side and wanted vengeance for her, while the other side wanted peace to reign between the two beings. "It's the Ozyrks' fault, after all," I had concluded. "I can't let my emotions cloud my judgment," I said while wiping and sniffing. "I need to show Gabriel this book; he can do something about the inhumane persecutions." I didn't know why, but something drew me closer to him—not love, not hatred, but trust. His aura felt trustworthy. I left the room, still rocking the bewildered look I had while reading the book. "I need a stroll. I need a little walk," I said to myself.
The moon was beautiful. It had always been my comfort zone as I stared up at it. I loved it more because my late mothers nicknamed me Mona because my eyes reflected like the moonlight. I smiled as I remembered them. My amnesia was fading gradually. I looked up at the night sky as two stars winked at me. I could see my mothers faces in the constellations. It was beautiful and surreal. I waved at them while holding my chest. "I love you, Ma." I felt a rush of happiness emerge from within. "It's not Claire's fault. Neither is it the ignorant humans' fault totally. It's the Ozyrks' fault." I knew what I had to do. My deductions and convictions were on the same page. "Gabriel, huh," my inner voice said to me. "Yes, only he could help me out. It can only be Gabriel," I muttered with certitude.
The strolling session was cut short as I realized I had gone past the village outskirts. "Oof, I think this is the hunting ground. Hold on, I think the local gossiper Thierry said something about a beast lurking in this place. The hunters were supposed to go on a hunting expedition to bring it down. Oh no, I'd better start going home," I sighed. I was carried away while reading in the dimensional room, but I heard when Thierry made the announcement stating that no one should leave the village outskirts. The realization soon metamorphosed into fear as I started hearing loud growls and the sound of animals scampering. The moonlight couldn't pierce through the canopied forest as everything seemed to embrace the darkness. The weather morphed in no time; the moon became even less visible as the sky grew ripe with impending release. The gentle waft of wind that accompanied my stroll soon transitioned into a gust that ended up turning into a very powerful gale of wind coupled with a very heavy downpour. This happened so fast that my thoughts couldn't even catch up to the reality of what was becoming."
My flight-or-fight instincts kicked in. I wasn't planning on getting wet and lost in a dark forest that envelopes voracious said beasts, I ran as fast as I could. My heart thudded in my chest, heavy with panic, as my breath grew weary with every distance I covered. I couldn't find the exit. The realization made my heart pound more in anxiety and dread. I had reached a bitter conclusion: I was lost. My fear had reached its acme as it came into fruition. I was lost, wet, weary, and terrified, although my ears were at their best performance as I listened to every sound looming. Although it was silly, as the sound of the rain was indomitable, it literally consumed the whole forest with its cascading hum. I understood my situation. "At least there are no beasts here," I said, trying to calm my heart.
My one second of joy soon turned into trepidation as I picked up the pace. The moment I heard a deep and heart-churning bellow with assisted growls, so loud and guttural, so low it vibrated in the grounds like thunderclaps, my stomach was as frigid as ice. My chest tightened with fear and terror. I beat my feet despite the weariness that had accumulated. The heavy sounds of the paws or hooves of whatever was chasing me reverberated throughout the forest, so loud that it even managed to subjugate the sound of the rain. I was being followed. No, I was being hunted. I didn't know what was hunting me, but one thing was clear. One thing sprung into my mind as I kept scampering through the muddy and drenched earth: don't look back. Don't look back. You will fall, then you will get caught, then you will die. Don't look back. I kept telling myself this. The sounds became louder with each stride. Two outcomes were possible: either I escaped this challenge by the edge of my nails, or I succumb to it, and I wasn't willing to envisage the latter. A sudden burst of energy welled up within me as the thought of resolving my heritage boosted my courage and survival instinct. I kept pushing myself harder as the growls began to close in. My legs felt like they might give way, but I pushed harder, disregarding the pain. Branches kept hitting and clawing at my face; one branch even gripped onto me and tore off my tawdry tunic. I ignored it as a substantial piece of my tunic was torn off. "My fate isn't sealed," I said with pure determination. "Goddess Claire, please save me." I had already idolized Claire, referring to her as a goddess. I dare not slip now; the slippery earth was set on betraying me.
My prayers were answered. I was saved as I saw a cave ahead. I hurriedly dashed towards the cave as I whimpered gleefully. "Yes, take that, you beasts!" Although I couldn't see them, I heard the saddening grunts and growls as they reverberated in displeasure and annoyance. Hopefully, they hadn't picked up my scent. The darkness of the cave cloaked me, with the air thick with the smell of petrichor and iron. "The storm outside might subside soon," I thought to myself. I dried myself up with a first-tier magic I had learned. "Thank you, Goddess Claire," I said, elated. "Wait, hold on. Did I just dry myself up with magic?"
I felt utterly disgusted at how stupid I could possibly be. I was running, overexerting myself all this while, from creatures I could have easily wiped out with magic. "Why, why, you stupid dolt," I flicked my forehead repeatedly. "All right, these beasts are going to serve as my prey. Beware, guys, the table has turned." I braced myself and gnawed my teeth in anticipation of the frigid, icy rain needles and the amateur monsters. I jumped out of the cave with refreshed energy and mien. "Come out, you woodcocks!" I yelled as I began running in search of the same monsters that I was running from a few minutes ago.
I jogged through the woods with a fierce expression that screamed, "Bring it on, ninnies." I finally came across one. A red light beamed from the eye of the monster, piercing through the netted darkness. It was like a mix between a horse with a lion's paw and a dog's head. "It's a chimera, an abomination with teeth that draped over each other, blood dripping from its jaws, as it had an innocent hare cinched within its maw. It had claws that could slash down a tree. It was the most terrifying life form I had ever seen." It yelled an ear-deafening shriek as others of its kind but with different heads started to surround me out of nowhere. These chimeras, they were five. No, six. No, seven. They came from every angle, closing in on me. "I'm doomed," I thought. "That's what you woodcocks wanted to hear, huh?" I smirked sinisterly. Without thinking twice, I cast a lightning spell that I had learned while reading the book in the dimensional room. I must say, I'm a fast learner, a genius when it comes to magic.
I shot a lightning spell so fast it pierced through the thick hide of the supposed leader. Out boomed a vile amount of green blood and viscera, followed by a throaty scream. The leader dropped down dead like a puppet with its strings cut. I smiled and struck all the remaining chimeras with different variations of magic. "Take this and that. Crimson torrent, first inferno, hydro fang, tornado slash, lightning fang." I was beyond exhilarated as I was finally able to unleash my pent-up emotions and energy. Loud rasping cries and wails clanged through the forest, collateral damage I caused.
I turned back, feeling accomplished and overjoyed, as I saw a tall, dark, shadowy figure holding up a chimera's head in one hand and holding a long sword with blood dripping from it in the other. The mysterious man queried in anger, his tone whipping through the descending rain and air, "You, you can use magic?"