1st Aon, Year 10017 of the Paragon's Calendar.

Dear Tanwen,

Finally, I breathe the air of another year at last...

Only after a close shave, of course. My clumsiness has not faded, and, sadly, I doubt it ever will.

But I remain hopeful. I do not want to jinx it since we are just a few hours in.

Diving into the bed, I was about to smother myself with Bonny and James after returning from my earlier outing when a thought crossed my mind. I realized it was inappropriate to not keep you in the loop, especially when I'd just experienced a mix of beautiful, painful, and bizarre in mere minutes.

I had to tell you. Although a part of me feels that you may already know. Maybe it is just speculation.

Moving on, tonight was different.

To others, adding an extra year to one's time of existence would have become an ordinary, yet celebratory, event for some people after a decade-plus, it had never been the same for me.

For us, if I may say.

Placing a finger on it, I'd say it was because of how we grew.

Every year brought with it the prospects of being able to try something new. Like slowly chipping an ice block to free a flower. Because of this, turning seventeen had excited me for quite a while, just like it did you, and indeed it proved marvelous.

Mostly...

To begin with, as you know, I was never allowed to go beyond a certain distance from our cottage without supervision. I'd tried sneaking out and going beyond, but every attempt proved a bust.

Somehow, Mom always caught me, no matter where, when, or how.

What would follow was the usual protest, then punishment, that had already become routine.

Till now, I still wonder how you did it. You were leagues above me in terms of stealth.

The distance I was allowed increased as the years passed, like with you. Not until tonight did I receive the permission to visit Lunarus, the village on the outskirts, by myself!

No supervision, nothing!

It felt like my entire seventeen years of existence boiled down to the very moment the go-ahead was given. Albeit I was only given until two hours after midnight to return, I took the offer with excitement.

Excitement, since the village had the most beautiful New Year tradition. Maybe, I had been biased, but who could blame me for my lack of exposure? We would always watch from afar, and that was the limit.

Although you tried to hide it, I knew you could've gone if you wanted to. But you always stayed behind for me.

Words cannot express how grateful I am.

I visited Goodfellow baker and enjoyed what the village had to offer with his twin daughters, Mira and Kira. It was nothing short of incredible. The girls turned sixteen a month ago, by the way.

The village of a hundred people, give or take, has seen little rise in population that it was negligible. Though, given the pace at which Headman Lucrum impregnated his wives and lived lavishly, winter had started fattening our purses.

I looked forward to all the supplies I could get with his money.

But, something about the beady look the man sports makes my skin crawl; I knew instinctively from the first time I saw him that he was the worst kind of person. I had also seen him behave like an abusive tyrant to the people of the village.

But he possesses money and influence, one of the reasons he's remained headman for so long. I dislike him, but our business does not. Money makes the world go round, apparently.

Well, enough of the distasteful man, and back to my experience tonight.

The village was beautiful.

People in robes strode by, their colors blending into the warmth.

The floating lanterns released into the sky swayed gently, their candlelight embracing the people that reminisced. The traditions were evident as families and individuals sent their lanterns off to their deceased, whom they believed now resided with the Moon Goddess in the sky.

Roof to roof, strings decorated with sunflower pearls, and pond jewels were strung across eaves adding more to the brilliance of the night. Fire pits were scattered around the cobblestone pathway, and some huddled around to bask in the warmth they provided. The fluorescent birds either danced and chirped gracefully in the air or perched atop chimneys along with their families. Their feathers- a beautiful shade of orange, green and red- rustled gently in the breeze.

The colors were almost blinding, vibrant, and in harmony with the bright blue crescent moon that hung silently overhead in the night sky. It all painted a seemingly illusory yet genuine brilliance in the mind of every witness.

I wished you had the fortune of being among them.

The moon has always been a mark of greatness and hope for a New Year in the village.

There is a legend I heard recently, concerning it, though I figured most of it was untrue. I am not sure if you heard of it, but I will tell you regardless.

Thousands of years ago, allegedly, when the Founding Emperor traveled the lands before establishing the Imperium, he stayed in this village through the new year. Apparently, he visited Old Nefica, the Lady of the Caeruleum Villa. The village shaman was a somewhat unhinged granny who seemed on the verge of death when I saw her once.

Back then, when I was none the wiser, I had assumed you were badmouthing her, now I know better, not just from hearsay.

According to 'eyewitnesses' when he parted with the woman, he seemed different; reborn or so the story goes.

And not more than a month after, the Imperium came to be. Rumors spread far and wide, exalting mysterious Gods and their blessings, particularly the Moon Goddess. According to gossip, many tried to claim this so-called blessing. Whether or not they failed remained a mystery.

Soon after, the Emperor passed a decree that exalted the village while also preserving its solemnity.

I wasn't one to believe legends and rumors. I always thought the cause of the Imperium's protection of the village, unlike the others, was because the most favored Imperial concubine of the current Emperor had family here.

The headman being her distant cousin, as was revealed recently, made his madness escalate. Maybe he spread false truths to bolster his image? No one could know. After all, who dared to investigate Her Excellency's cousin. On the same vein, who dared to approach the Shaman?

Either way, the village seemed to prosper today.

Families held hands and stood around the fire pits, chatting away, greeting their friends, and roasting meat. Some sat on their roofs or stayed on their balconies and marveled at the beauty of the night. Others were on their knees praying to the goddess, asking for safety in the New Year and a bountiful harvest, among other things.

Their actions seemed slightly unnecessary in my eyes, and I am confident some others were of like mind, but I would never voice out such thoughts. Everyone desires something they can have faith in. With the world being a confusing place, it was better to have a constant, no matter the era.

To preserve their sanity, if nothing else.

I have yet to find my faith, though. Or shall I say... I had lost it.

Anyway, everything was beautiful. But I had to return after midnight.

Soon, I bid my goodbyes to the twins and thanked them for being wonderful and, with promises to visit as often as my schedule and parents would allow, made my way from the village onto the forest path.

I was happy for the night spent, but I felt slightly dissatisfied and was filled with longing. Looking back and viewing the then blurred lights with the trees between me and the village, I wondered what I would see from a higher vantage point.

So I climbed the tallest tree I could find within the limited time I had left, just like we used to, to satisfy my curiosity.

I was breathless, chiefly due to exhaustion from scaling such a height, something I hadn't done in a long while, as I took in the unobstructed view of the village.

The night was strangely quiet even though the village seemed full of activity. I assumed that the trees probably blocked off the noise.

You see, the forest isn't your average type as I'd come to know, so I didn't put it past.

Mom and Dad never said anything, but I knew enough to understand that the forest was different.

Magical, if anything.

This was where things turned crazy.

My breaths had evened out, and the calmness of the night left me unprepared for the strong breeze that suddenly blew.

The breeze left me sputtering as locks of red hair fading into gold got into my mouth. I made sure to anchor myself to the sturdy branch, like you taught me, before removing the hair from my lips. The leaves swayed and rustled in the background, but the sounds soon subsided with the breeze.

Abruptly, familiar multicolored irises blocked off the entirety of my vision. They seemed to stare deep into my soul, freezing me on the spot. Control over my body was wrested away by an unknown force in that second.

Suddenly, a mix of brown, green, and orange assaulted my vision. Rustling sounds filled my ears and claw-like figures swiped at my face and skin. Before long, I was colliding with seemingly random structures as they sent me back and forth.

My heart started racing, while I yelped in every tone that existed, when I realized what had happened.

I had fallen off the tree!

I shut my eyes tightly on instinct and pulled my hands over my face to prevent myself from getting blinded by the branches.

Soon I was left free-falling without obstacles, and for a second, I relaxed.

'The ground is next.'

The thought kick-started my brain as I scrambled to regain control of myself.

I pulled my arms forward to clear my view, I was still about fifteen feet above, but I fell fast.

My eyes darted around, searching for anything I could use to break my fall.

Soon, I spotted a vine on my right, trailing the side of the tree. Without bothering to know whether it was anchored or not, I grabbed and pulled. It swayed violently, and I swung along with it.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my back as I collided with something altogether with a tingling sensation on my face. Then my grip loosened, and I fell face-first into the dirt.

It was then that the bizarre happened; only I didn't realize it sooner.

I heard a whisper, it was faint, but I was sure I heard it. The voice that called my name as elusive as the falling wind. My mind was groggy. It sounded anxious and concerned as it fretted over my safety.

Although I was reeling, I spat out the sand and germs, scrunching up my face in disgust. I didn't even need to see myself before I knew that I was doing that weird thing with my face.

Soon, I felt a pull, and was sitting with my back resting on the tree's bark the next second.

A groan tore out of me as I tried massaging the now enormous ache in my back.

After cleaning my mouth as best I could, I scoffed at the unnecessary worry the voice conveyed... just as I used to in the past.

'Always such a worrywart...' I thought, unconsciously.

Silence reigned for a moment...

Until it all plummeted.

'You don't have much time. Find the truth, find Anta! They are coming...' The voice trembled deeply.

The words echoed in my ears. It hasn't even stopped till now. I was instantly confused, leading me to reply impulsively, 'What are you talking about, Tanw-'

Just as the name nearly slipped off my tongue, I caught myself. Reality came crashing down as I whipped my head in the direction of the voice, the dizziness dissipating rapidly.

Straight red hair in a ponytail, highlighting the familiar birthmark on his chin; My heart rate instantly shot through the roof. It was worse than when I fell.

An anxiety attack suddenly started fighting its way out amidst heavy, shaky breaths. It felt like the terrors from a distant memory had come back to haunt me, and my first reaction was to clamp my eyes shut and will it away.

I chanted, hoping that it was all just an illusion. It had to be. I was there when the unfortunate happened. Nightmares had haunted me ever since, and this had to be one of them.

Regardless, the chanting failed. My voice was drowned out by his. He spoke of imminent danger and for me to find help, but at that moment, the only aid I needed was in escaping.

I had to escape before the illusion decided to turn for the worst, just like it always did. I feared I would be consumed.

Without hesitation, I picked myself up, stumbling across the sand and soil, using the numerous trees as support until I could finally stand on my own.

'I miss every-'

I steeled my eyes and blocked out the voice, pushing back the tears in the process. I could not let myself plunge into misery in the middle of nowhere.

Sending strength into my legs, I bolted through the trees, weaving and dodging a small portion of the obstacles in my way. I came out unhurt, largely; Just a few cuts and scratches, nothing too deep or fatal.

But that wasn't even the end of it.

Out of nowhere, a bang went off in my ear, like an explosive. I lost my footing a few times as I slowed down to a stumble.

Thankfully, I recovered quickly, resuming my earlier pace and running more than a full kilometer to get back; I didn't take a single break.

And here I am, after being shaken up so badly.

Now, I wonder.

What the hell was that?

And the last question; why would such an hallucination, or whatever that was, ask me to find 'anta?'

I so badly want to curse, but you hate it.

All I want is to sleep with as little on my mind as possible. And it is four years too early for my head to think it can scramble me with scares like that...

...

...

...Right?

Sigh...

Love,

D.

Shaking my head out of habit, I sighed before putting away the leather-bound note.

Something felt weird, but I was too sleepy to care, so I blew out the candle and tucked myself into bed.

I didn't realize I had fallen asleep amidst tears and gritted teeth until morning.