Arcturus felt a newfound determination within himself. The more he thought of his wish, the stronger he became. He knew it was something his heart long desired. When he made eye contact with Nova, Nova did not seem thrilled.

“Are you sure the wish you have deep within your heart is the one you want granted?” Nova’s serious visage caused Arcturus to have some hesitation.

“What do you mean by that?” Arcturus quipped.

“I just want to warn you about something: a granted wish is dangerous. Making one without much thought can lead to severe consequences. Making a vague wish can lead to confusion. Making a detailed wish brings nothing but pain.  If you want a wish granted, you must think carefully. Who does this wish apply to? Why do you want it granted? Have you given it extra thoughts before deciding that it’s the one?”

Nova’s warning made Arcturus realize Nova was the real deal. He was someone who can grant wishes. However, Arcturus wasn’t one to waver once he made a decision. The wish he had deep within his heart was the true ideal wish he wanted.

Arcturus could tell Nova was aware of this trait of his. Nova was not convinced about it. He turned around, rushed towards one of the bookshelves. He grabbed a book and rushed back towards Arcturus.

“Open this tome.” Nova commanded as he handed it to Arcturus. “This memory of yours will help you understand why wishes are terrifying.”

Listening to his serious tone caused Arcturus to gulp. Although he was scared, he was curious about why Nova was warning him. What sort of demonstration could this man show him? He opened the book. As soon as it opened, a beam of light blasted out of the first page. The sudden brightness caused him to drop the book as a sudden reaction.

When he managed to open his eyes after shielding them, he noticed the sudden change in scenery from the quaint library to a vast, dark forest. Nova was nowhere in sight. Worried, he rushed into the forest calling out for him.

The forest had obscured his vision. He wasn’t even sure where he was. He kept yelling, hoping to find some lead. He saw a speck of light from the corner of his eyes and proceeded to follow it. The faster he ran, the closer he was towards it. He quickly saw a silhouette of a person and noticed it was Nova walking in the same direction as he was. He reached out and grabbed Nova’s shoulder.

“I found you, Nova!”

Nova’s eyes widened. “You’re here…”

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Nova just stared at him befuddled. Arcturus was not sure why Nova was gawking at him. Nova’s face contorted into one of relief as he gave him a smile. “Sorry about that. I was following this speck of light.” He pointed towards the source of the light: a lantern held by a young boy and an even younger girl.

Although the area around the boy was dim, Arcturus could tell that the boy had familiar scarlet red hair. It all came back to him. This place was a part of his memory. Nostalgia poured onto him as he scanned the dark forest.

“This is the Forest of Passing Souls, the place where people go when they die. If you’re lucky enough, you can meet the soul of your late loved ones.”

“Is that so? How interesting.” Nova was about to continue following Arcturus’s childhood self, but Arcturus stopped him by grabbing onto his arm.

“However, it is risky to traverse if you’re not prepared. The forest is huge and there have been rumors about people disappearing when they enter—never returning. The government especially forbids children from entering. Given how Ariel and I were kids back then…we sort of rebelled and entered the forest.”

“You seem uptight, but you are rather rebellious. You’re quite the anomaly.”

Arcturus had been told he was an anomaly most of his life. Had he been younger, he would’ve denied it. However, he was mature enough to know that being different was fine. He even took it as a compliment. He gave Nova a smile and thanked him. Nova looked rather confused.

“As thanks for the compliment, I’ll help guide you through this forest.”

Nova looked as if he was going to say something, but clammed up. “Lead the way.”