Chapter 3. The white abode

Every now and then he darted his attention to the flower that had glittered for quite some time. It does seem to react to something. “I guess this should be a time to not even think strange. However, this has become certainly an otherworldly problem.” Not that it's supposed to be surprising to him in this world full of strange creatures that don't burn in a fire but... “—Argh!”

“Oh! Now, you're being a creepy little one. Is it because of the irregularity of the temperature here? Or is it because there's someone out there…”  

“...coming?”

Flabbergasted, he started to curse. “God! Damn!” He collected his courage and started to move to the other side, trying to keep his emotions under control. He drew a surprisingly deep breath and clenched his hand. It's the human instinctive attack or run approach in the face of a completely unexpected stroke of an unfamiliar person.

Either be beaten and die or run and live. Of course one would choose the latter.

A door out of thin air materialized and someone is showing up. She's a white girl, literally. A transparent little girl. A girl with white hair, white eyes without the black spot in her eyes, it's as if she's looking into his soul, a transparent folded wings. Everything is white about her. 

‘Is she the owner of this cave? For god's sake, out of the rumours I heard about. Why does it have to be a ghost? Wait, she has wings! Is she an angel? This is the first time to see a wraith or a spirit walking towards me, grinning.’ Fighting the urge to panic and flee. After all, this could be a life-changing experience once in every lifetime and besides, he has nowhere to run. Not a lot of people have that privilege.

“But... Seriously! Is she... smiling?”

He sweats profusely agape. Anxiously waiting for the girl to stop walking while clenching his hands again preparing for a fight. Not that he can win a fight against a ghost or anything. That's probably the least he can do.

Although his heart might be pounding and his mind racing, he’s kept his position trying to be calm and still. Ghosts, for the most part, are harmless, they say. The spirit may be apparent for a short time, or a moment or more if he is fortunate that it’s not hostile.

Snickering deliberately, heading down the path towards him. “No, it's levitating! Ah, my good lord! Things just got worse. Dear Lord! How am I supposed to kill a ghost, huh? Think of it, Twig. Think about it!”

His mother told him that ghosts are the souls of dead people who, for whatever reason, are stuck between this plane of life and another, sometimes related to some sort of misfortune or tragedy, and to repel a ghost, you must have a lot of salt, pure iron, or holy magic! “God, the creator of the world! Damn it! Where can I get that stuff, especially the hardest one, magic!”

How tragic, that it could just damage them a little to drive them away for a few short minutes, it's not going to deter them, only slow them down.

 ...and it should be known that nothing will kill a spirit or a ghost, they're already gone!

“Oh! She's coming here anyway! I couldn't do less about the little things anymore. Well, I'm ready to fight! You may be a ghost, but I'm still alive. I'm going to resist.” This sense of burning frustration inside him is completely absurd! How do such a weak and impoverished child fight this kind of existence? That feeling of helplessness. He realized how insufficient he is now. Still, the little girl is walking, not minding him. Walking past right through him.

“No, didn't she walk through me? Through me! Not around me, right? Towards the flower, huh? The one that radiates?” Aghast, he immediately tries to change positions again and step back. “What else can I expect from me? It is a ghost!”

He used this time to stay away from her. He severed their distance and ran far away from her. Enough to witness her caressing the flower as if it's alive. She's like pouring light into the flower. Her mumbling added the level of pressure on him. For a moment, he doesn't understand any words she is saying. “You are freaking me out, lady! You are speaking with the flower without concerning me.” However, he didn't flinch. He stayed put looking at her. “Then, if you don't bring me harm, I must stay still. No matter, as long as I am alive, you can talk to that flower any time, you crazy ghost!”

Later, after the little girl finished talking to the flower, she bowed and another person came in. This time, he looked like a normal human living being. It’s just that, he looked different from a normal human being. His known friend and the squire, Sir Lyol was tall, but this person is tremendously tall! “He's like a tree. Imagine a tree! Huh. I think I am seeing absurd illusions now. How can a man be that tall!”

Walking elegantly, as if he were some kind of distinguished aristocrat. He had seen the Lord walking throughout the town in complicated and expensive clothing to help improve people's morale and elevate their willingness to work. Often he wore a highly impressive set of clothes. ‘It must have been great to live a noble life, huh. How enviable that is.’ In the very same way, but in a gloriously rich and luxurious way. The King in front of him is wearing a glamorous tunic with a gold thread as a straightforward cloth. A surcoat is worn on top of it, which represents the emblem of the lineage. What's more, his vibrant behaviour and posture.

"Is he the King?" He let out a quiet mumbling.

His outward behaviour, regal presence, appearance, and graciousness is befitting to a King. In addition to that, his presence suggests that the little winged girl is inferior to him. That distinctive atmosphere seems to swallow the whole place. That comforting feeling of the atmosphere he emits. There's also that translucent ring on his head that exudes a gentle golden ray of lights that shows like a crown.

“Wow! Is that some sort of magic? Uh.” Moreover, this person is moving at a slow, relaxed pace. A refined and graceful way of walking indicates how this man is like a person at the highest level of society he belongs to. Now he's heading to the white lady that is still bowing beside the ever glowing sheen of the multi-coloured flower.

Anxiously waiting for them to reunite and talk, he tried to move quietly so he could put a distance. ‘Engaging in battle with two unknown and powerful beings shall help me join the afterlife now, yes?’ As soon as he arrived in front of the other person, he waved his hands saying something Twig didn't understand or shall I say its inaudible pulses of high-frequency sound. It's like the transmission of their words were blocked. He continued watching them for a little while now and there hasn't been any unusual. After the King patted the little girl on the head, she does a little curtsy showing respect. Then he went out of the room using the same magical door that suddenly appeared out of thin air earlier.

The girl continues to stroke the alluring beauty of the petals after she sat down and then suddenly the glowing flower's petal shone brightly as it has never been radiating colours before covering the entire room. The colours that appear to be responding to the light the little girl is pouring in the beginning, has become more intense and lush and filled with vivacious energy. It's as if it's dancing with the light. The more the light the ardent the flower it seems. “I kind of feel she's growing the flower with just light magic. Is that how you take care of a plant?” It's eerie, yet astounding how magic can be used.

“Magic, huh?” How do you develop magic? Twig has never caught a glimpse of someone with magic. All his life he has been with his family or his playmates in the town without it. He never saw somebody practising magic. It never occurred to them that magic is this bewildering. Exhilarated and tense, he tried talking to the person that is manipulating the light magic.

Hoping that she can be affable. Surely she can be, given that she's not hostile since she entered the room. Twig also want to know if magic can easily be learned from her. He gasped while saying "Uhm, greetings to you, Lady". As it turns out, the lady in front of him is unresponsive and again, it's as if he is not in front of her. ‘Or am I not visible here?’ Deliberately, the anxiety that he is enduring seems to appease now.

"Uh, hello? Forgive me for being a trouble for you. This may sound obvious, but uh, could you tell me where am I and what are you doing? I mean, you seem very focused on what you are doing. Can you tell me what that flower is?" Twig gulped. "Lady?" He scratched his head and unknowingly raised his left brow. Twig moved slightly nearer to where she's been to provoke her to notice him but just when he almost tried reaching her, the room became black and the girl vanished as if she had never been there.

The glimmer of light that he can see now is from the flower's variety of colours. “Was it all an illusion? Was it you, flower? How about the elegant white lady? Is this truly the real cave? Are you trying to say something to me, little one? I have plenty of questions left unanswered. Not that I am expecting an answer from a flower, though.”