Felix was met with a piercing bright light when he awoke, shielding his eyes as he sat up. He found himself in a soft, green field of tall grass, accompanied by a herd of deer grazing across. The warmth of the sun felt soothing on his skin, reminding him of how he missed its presence since winter season began. The clouded skies were finally removed, revealing a bright blue sky with a faint presence of three moons on the far side of the pne. However, when he looked around, he found himself alone in this field with no sign of shelter or people around.

  He blinked, then raised his hands. The pain in his arm was absent, along with his injuries and even his clothes seemed as new as the day Auguste purchased them for him. Gradually, he stood on his feet and gnced around, finding nothing but trees surrounding him like a dense circur forest.

  Breathing in deep, he cupped his mouth and shouted, "KuliKuli! Reta! Janette! Where are you!?" His voice bounced from tree to tree, drifting off until it was met with a gentle breeze flowing through him.

  A hand fell on his shoulder with a delicate touch, being careful not to arm him. "They are not here yet, sweet child."

  Felix turned, his eyes climbing up until he met this figure's eyes. Behind him stood a beautiful woman, dressed elegantly in a silky white dress that clung to her hourgss waist before spreading out like a type of hoop skirt of ankle length. It was decorated with curvy symbols that resembled hearts made of glimmering gold colored fabric. She wore a gold headband with a ruby firmly pced at her forehead, her blonde wavy hair bouncing atop her exposed shoulders, and her arms decorated with bell sleeves that hugged her biceps down to her palms.

  She leaned forward, pnting her hands on her knees and gazing deeply into him with her oceanic blue eyes, and her arms inadvertently jutting out her bosom forward. Her lips glistened with red lipstick, and her face was absolutely fwless of any freckle, mole, or scratch. The way she smiled at him drew him in and inexplicably left him in a rexed state, his muscles softened and he felt as light as a feather under her presence. A quick gnce downward and he was met with the realization that this gorgeous beauty was well-equipped with a chest that would make men from a mile away turn their heads in her direction.

  He blushed and quickly looked back up, feeling guilty as she smirked in response. He was caught red-handed, and yet this woman didn't seem to mind him peaking. She stood upright, brushing her soft hands down her dress as her shadow engulfed him from her ridiculous height. He believed she had to be some sort of giant, he had never been in the presence of one before. The way she looked down on him from where she stood with the sun behind her head, it resembled a sort of halo hovering above, giving her this angelic presence.

  "Wh-Who um... who are uuhh." He felt tongue-tied, his hands cmmy with sweat as she stepped forward and caressed his cheek.

  "Don't be nervous. It's a natural reaction, and one that I've seen every time." She giggled, reaching down and wrapping her hands around his. "I've been watching you Felix, waiting until the moment I could hold your hands and speak to you myself. And here you are, although this was not how I expected it to occur."

  "Where... where is my family?" He asked.

  "They are not here, but they will be when the time comes." She noticed him squinting his eyes at her, scanning her figure up and down. "You know it's rude to stare at a dy like that."

  "Forgive me, but you resemble a sort of decoration my friend Janette had in her home." He expined, noticing the simirities of her appearance.

  She beamed and ran her fingers through his brown hair. "Yes, I remember. Her parents had that statue made as a way to express their gratitude. Her mother prayed often until their little miracle was conceived, their smiles were enough of a reward for me, it fills my heart with warmth to see a new life begin."

  "Who are you?" He managed to form the words, looking up at her.

  "Oh Felix, I am called many things. Ask your friend, she knows me by one name."

  "Where are we- Uhnn!" He hunched over, clutching his breast. A sharp pain jutted out from within, as if something pierced his heart from the inside.

  She looked saddened by his reaction, kneeling down as her hand ran down his arm. "Oh Felix, our time is cut short. In a moment you will return, but I want to thank you in person for taking care of my daughters."

  "Your daughters?" He staggered and looked at her with wide eyes. "I-I thought Emyri was their mother? Agh!"

  "She is, but they are all my little babies. It's all so confusing but you will know in time." She pressed her hand over his heart, relieving him of the pain. "It hurts because you are going back. Don't be afraid, go to them."

  He looked into her eyes one st time. "W-Will I see you again?"

  Hearing those words brought a smile to her face, like a mother bringing comfort to her child before urging him to be on his own for the first time without her. "You will, Felix. But it is not this day. They need you, more than you think. Be strong, be brave. Go to the dark, be their light."

  With those parting words, she surprised him with an abrupt kiss. Her lips sent tingles through his form, bringing life to his heart and warmth into his skin. He closed his eyes and accepted her love, slipping through the ground and falling into nothingness. The light disappeared and now her embrace was met with an icy cold grasp wrapped around his body. He squeezed his eyes shut as the back of his body felt wet. He tapped his fingers, sending ripples through the bck waters he was trapped in. When he opened his eyes, he saw nothing. It was bck, darker than dark, with no source of light or color in the world.

  He wasn't in the field anymore, nor was he back home or at the woods where he st remembered. He was just... nothing.

  And yet, he found a sense of comfort in his stillborn heart. He pressed his hand to his breast, his half-open eyes recognizing the absence of a heartbeat inside. No warmth in his skin either, just a growing sense of... there was no feeling there either. He was lifeless, devoid of sight, sound, any of his senses were removed in this abstract state he was in.

  But still, there was a light. Was it there all along, or did he discover it just now? His lungs began to fill with air; his lips met with a warm touch. He heard voices growing louder, he could feel his body grow warmer. His heart pumped once more, then twice, slowly regaining its rhythm. He remembered that women's words and began to concentrate on the voices, drawing them out. The light drew closer now, expanding and filling the void with its presence. In a moment, he felt warm again.

  He felt alive.

  Felix gasped, turning to his side and expelling blood and fluids on the floor. His lungs burned as he drew breath, and he winced with a raging migraine pulsating from the right. His vision cleared until he was met with Reta wiping her lips after giving him mouth-to-mouth. He gasped, eyes dancing around from face to face as he was surrounded with looks of relief from everyone.

  "Reta?" He asked in a raspy voice. "Janette?"

  He looked down as a glistening ball of yellow light hovered above his chest, nding her delicate green feet on him before revealing herself as the familiar pixie that accompanied them back home. "Tootsie?"

  "Dearest me, we thought you passed! Our hope was waning rather fast. But Reta wouldn't hear it none, she carried on when we thought you were done and persisted 'till your cough begun!"

  He gasped and licked his lips, looking to Reta in shock. She scowled and waved her hand in dismissal, folding her arms. "It was nothing."

  "You sa-" He was interrupted as Janette swept in and hugged him tight, her tears flowing down her cheeks and onto his shoulder. "Whoa, good to see you too, Jay."

  She nodded and gave him a squeeze, pulling back and sniffling as she wiped her face. "Gods, I prayed and hoped... never mind. Just... it's so good to see you again."

  "I would be happier if it didn't hurt so bad." He rubbed his temple, hunching over as all the pain came at him at once. He opened his eyes as he was offered a leather bag containing green powder. It was Nihja who offered it to him, she dropped the mixture into a wooden bowl and poured a cup of water inside, stirring up the contents until it became a sticky green paste. Rubbing it between her fingers, she guided Felix to y down before rubbing the paste into his wounds. He flinched but held strong, watching as another women entered the room and began wrapping his wounds.

  "Thanks, Quil." Nihja patted her arm, dismissing her friend as she took the bowl with her, giving them privacy in this bedroom he was in. "You gave us quite the scare, Felix. You were out cold when your friends arrived, we feared the worst. In your state, it's nothing short of a miracle that you're here. You lot owe me fifteen hundred in gold."

  "Fifteen- You said it was five hundred!" Janette frowned.

  Nihja scowled back. "It was five hundred for the supplies, care and room. An extra thousand was added for taking my friend without asking or warning me first!"

  "Oh." Janette sat back down on her stool, keeping her head low. "My apologies."

  Felix rubbed his head and pulled back, staring at the green residue that stained his fingertips from touching the paste.

  "Don't touch it. That stuff is doing its best to numb the pain while pushing your body to heal at a fast rate." Nihja expined, adjusting the wrap around his head. "Fortunate that your friend brought it with her or else you'd be bedridden with a pot to shit in and a dy to spoon-feed you your meals for the next month or two."

  Felix looked down, remembering who dropped that bag to his feet. "Leone."

  Nihja adjusted her bck hair before turning to him. "You can stay for tonight, after that you're on your own. There's too much trouble thanks to your mate's friends fucking up the whole city after that escape."

  "Huh?" He looked over to Janette for help, only to catch her looking down at her p with a pained expression. "What do you mean, what are you talking about?"

  Nihja raised her brow. "Your cat girls, they made a mess of the city the day after we rescued you two from the trial."

  "Oh no," He looked to Janette once more.

  Reluctantly, she stood up and walked toward them. "Nihja, those girls... were they wearing colrs? That night after we rescued Felix and Reta, we didn't stay. Perdilius discovered us and we ran back home. We were ter attacked by a pair of cat girls with colrs around their necks, it's some sort of device that leaves them devoid of thought. Perdilius, he controls them somehow."

  Felix turned to face Nihja. "When his men found us that night at Kershin, Zena came to help us and brought Tootsie with her. That's how we took Tootsie on our way out, it wasn't on purpose."

  He paused, noting the twisted look on her face halfway through his expnation. A feeling of dread fell on his shoulders as a haunting thought came to mind. "Zena stayed back to fight them off... is she okay?"

  Nihja didn't say anything, her blue eyes dancing left to right as her red lips pursed together and her stomach tied into knots. "Get some rest, we can talk after. Sleep."

  He watched her swiftly walk out the door with Tootsie following behind. This room they were in was missing a window, surrounded by tan painted walls with a rge painting facing the bed. It was a modest bedroom, fulfilling its purpose for sleep and offering nothing more but a few stools and a small table. A few candles hung around the walls to illuminate the space, with only Reta and Janette left with him.

  Janette held his hand and gave him a small smile. "Sleep well, okay? I'll talk to her and see what's going on."

  "But KuliKuli-"

  "Later." She pressed a finger to his lips. "A moment ago, I thought we lost you. Don't scare me like that again please. Get some sleep, we'll talk after. I promise."

  He smiled back, watching her leave and shut the door behind her. He turned to his right and found Reta stayed behind, sat at the corner watching him.

  "Hey, you're not... you're you again. Well, sort of." He chuckled, wincing as it hurt to ugh.

  Reta didn't seem amused. "The form is at its weakest in the st night. Lie still and do not express concern or share words of encouragement to me."

  "I-okay?"

  "Good." She huffed, standing upright and approaching him. She pnted her paw on his chest, feeling his heartbeat and looking relieved. Without further words, she climbed up in bed and curled up to his healthy left side, cuddling him. His lips opened to speak but she gred back with a silent warning. He sighed and nodded back, offering his hand on her back as she pced her paw on his chest directly over his heart. Her tail swept up under her butt as she held him tight, waiting until she heard him snore lightly.

  When she confirmed that he was asleep, she kissed his arm and closed her eyes to join him.