《The Forgotten Illusion》
Prologue
On the biggest and most cushioned chair in the room, Anara was sat with a book in her lap.
There was nothing better than a good book. Daring adventures through desert and tundra - intricate mysteries set in the heart of the Victorian era - she enjoyed them all. Most of her summer holiday had been spent with her nose buried in new books, eager to accompany the protagonist on their journeys. She had just finished another one - and with a small thud, she slid out of the armchair and onto her feet. Walking across the room, she scanned the bookshelf for something she didn¡¯t recognize. She smiled at familiar spines and titles, recalling the time she had already spent with those books, but still searched for something that would take her fancy. She spotted a potential winner, but was called downstairs by her mother before she could even think to put the finished book back on the shelf.
¡°Coming!¡± she replied, bolting downstairs with the book to her chest. Her feet pattered across the cool floor before hopping into her chair at the kitchen table.
¡°Your lunch is ready.¡± Her mother said, placing a plate in front of her. Anara muttered a quick thank you, shoving her book onto the table, and a sandwich into her mouth.
¡°I¡¯ve got to clear out the upstairs today Ann.¡± Her mother started, occupied with the dishes. ¡°I want you out of this house and out of the way, do you understand? And don¡¯t be taking any books outside, I don¡¯t want them ruined.¡±
Anara groaned. This was the last thing she wanted to do. ¡°But mo-¡±
¡°No buts! I want you out. Lord knows you can find something to do in all of that woodland, Ann.¡±
Anara sighed and swallowed her food. ¡°Alright.¡± She replied, resigned. She scooped up the rest of her sandwich and made for the front door.
¡°Don¡¯t forget you have school again next week. Please don¡¯t hurt yourself before your first day of middle school. I¡¯ll call you inside for dinner later, so don¡¯t go far either.¡±
Anara was a little annoyed, but she knew better than to be vocal about it. After pulling on her boots, she opened the front door and waited as all five dogs inside the house bolted past her and went to play on the green outside. Only Prince stayed behind - her favorite. The German Shepherd whined, and nudged her out of the door with his nose. Standing out on the cobblestone driveway - she was forcibly reminded of her dislike for the sweltering heat, and found herself longing for the biggest and most cushioned chair - with her nose firmly planted in a new book.
There really wasn¡¯t much for her to do around the cottage. Around the house there were other buildings - stables, a barn, a tool shed and a large wood burning kiln on the very far end of the driveway. To the right side of the cottage was a large expanse of woodland that her family owned, which she was allowed to go and explore as long as she didn¡¯t go past a certain point. Anara often thought about going out beyond those points but she had always been deterred by stern words and scary stories. If there really were monsters in there, then she would have to go on a little adventure of her own to find out.
She set off across the green with purpose, cutting through the playing dogs and entering the woodlands. Prince broke away from the other dogs and tore past her - obviously wanting to come along for a walk. He trotted ahead of her, going along the usual route. Anara thought back to her books - what would her favorite characters be doing in this situation? What kind of adventure would it turn into? As she continued onward she thought about all the different stories and scenarios she had read, pushing past trees, brush and other obstacles absent-mindedly. When she approached the point where she would usually turn back, she simply carried on - a confused Prince now following at her side. The woodland grew thicker and thicker and after being assaulted repeatedly by branch, thorn and bush, she finally broke out into a clearing in the middle of the woods. Curious still, she wandered over to the center.
The first thing she noticed was how quiet it was.
It wasn¡¯t that it was quiet - but more like there was a distinct lack of sound altogether.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she turned around to look at the woodland that surrounded her. Standing still, she closed her eyes. Silence. Not even a gentle breeze, the rustling of leaves, or the slightest chittering from any woodland creatures could be heard. She opened her eyes and stepped backward, and her back met with something very cold. Prince growled.
''I¡¯m sure¡ There was nothing else here, other than me and Prince.'' She thought to herself. She felt anxiety grow inside her stomach. Slowly she made to turn around and look at what was behind her, half convinced that it was her mind playing tricks on her. As she saw something peek into the corner of her eye, she whipped around as fast as she could, and the world around her changed in an instant. She looked around - confused. She was in a place she didn¡¯t recognize, in the middle of the night. Her confusion turned into fear, she quickly decided that she had had enough of adventuring for a lifetime, and that she should leave these things to the characters in her books. All she wanted right now was to get home as fast as she possibly could.
¡°Prince?¡± she shouted into the darkness. ¡°Prince, c¡¯mere boy!¡±
She had hoped that wherever she had wound up, Prince would come running back up to her and lead her home. She kept shouting into the darkness, wiping the tears from her eyes. She sank onto her knees and sobbed without restraint.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Something tapped her on the shoulder. She desperately wanted to believe that it was her mother - standing there with a frown, ready to scold her. She wanted to believe that it was her imagination playing tricks on her, even. She didn¡¯t want to meet any monsters. With her head hung low, she stared into the grass. From behind her, someone cleared their throat. Startled she asked, ¡°M-mom¡?¡±
She turned to look around her, becoming increasingly aware that she was not alone. What she saw encroach into her vision was not something she could describe. Whatever it was that was standing in front of her now - towering above her with a curious look on its face, gave her an awkward smile and a wave before she screamed and blacked out.
When Anara finally came too, she quickly realized she was in another unfamiliar place. She sat up, and looked around at her surroundings. It looked like some kind of dwelling a witch would live in. It had a damp and earthy smell to it - a smell that she was well acquainted with. She figured that she must still be around the dark woodland area she passed out in. Around her there were lots of different objects and trinkets she didn¡¯t recognize dotted around the place - hung from the ceiling, placed on shelves and stuck onto the walls. Across the room was a small kitchen area - a bubbling stove, a keen fire and various plants and goods drying on a rack above it. Her stomach growled as she thought about food.
¡°Are you hungry?¡±
Anara jumped, and scuttled backward into the corner of the bed. She looked over to where she thought she heard the voice from, but all she could see was darkness.
¡°Please, calm down..¡± The voice pleaded. It was gentle, and soft-spoken. Anara was suspicious, but found herself relaxing slightly. She focused her attention on the large armchair that was placed just a foot away from the bed.
¡°W-where are you.¡± She said, stumbling on her words. ¡°I can¡¯t see you.¡±
The darkness in front of her moved, and slowly rose to the ceiling of the dwelling. It turned towards her and a fairly normal face greeted her. Whatever he was, he had prominent fangs, and strange markings all over his face. Against his ashen complexion, they almost looked like scars. Anara would have been none the wiser if they didn¡¯t seem to curl and dash across his face, as if an artist had carefully stroked his skin with a paintbrush. A pair of piercing silver eyes looked down at her. After a short while she was able to make out the shape of his body - an abnormally tall and slender one. Everything apart from his hands and face was such a deep shade of black that Anara was convinced she was looking at the complete absence of color, rather than a shade of black.
¡°You¡¯re... the one that found me earlier?¡± she asked tentatively.
He frowned, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. ¡°Yes.¡± He looked absolutely downcast. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that my form is such an abhorrent one.¡± He added apologetically.
Before Anara could stop herself from asking, she blurted out ¡°You¡¯re not human?¡±
¡°I am known as a Forgotten. We are usually invisible to those around us¡ it is in our nature to be forgotten and forget who we were.¡±
¡°That sounds terrible.¡± Anara sympathized. The Forgotten smiled a little.
¡°It¡¯s not so bad.¡±
The Forgotten seemed to pause for a moment, and then slowly sat himself down on the floor by the bed. At this level, he still towered over the young girl. Anara sat up, and shuffled forward a little. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±
The Forgotten seemed to consider the question for a moment before deciding on an answer. ¡°King,¡± He replied, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure someone used to call me that, at least. What about you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m Anara.¡±
¡°That¡¯s such a pretty name!¡± he exclaimed. Anara thanked him, blushing slightly. Her stomach growled once more, and she smiled at King awkwardly. ¡°Ah. I should get you some soup.¡±
King rose from his seat on the floor with the same care and speed as before. It seemed like he didn¡¯t want to accidentally spook Anara. He went over to the kitchen, and she watched as he went about serving whatever food was bubbling away on the fire. She couldn¡¯t tell what was in the cooking pot, but whatever it was, it did smell delicious. Soon enough, she had a bowl of it in her hands with a spoon at her side. King took his own serving and sat back down on the floor. She peered into the bowl curiously, and saw nothing that she immediately recognized. Her stomach growled once more, and her hunger quickly won out over her apprehension at eating the mystery soup. The pair of them ate in silence, and when they were done, King collected the dishes and placed them in the washbasin.
¡°So Anara, what would you like to do now?¡± King asked, smiling.
¡°Could you show me the way home, please?¡± she asked politely. ¡°I live in Horten, but I got lost wandering in the woods¡¡±
King¡¯s smile faltered. ¡°Is that what your home is called, back on your world?¡± he asked. Anara frowned.
¡°My world? What do you mean?¡±
¡°You wandered into this world, don¡¯t you remember? I found you outside, near the gate¡¡±
¡°Then take me back to the gate.¡± She said, stubbornly.
¡°I... I can¡¯t.¡± He replied sadly. Anara bounced on the bed, and sprung herself onto the floor. Before King could stop her, she had already bolted towards the door and opened it. He chased after her. ¡°Ana, wait!¡±
She didn''t get far.
As she flung the door open and took the first few steps outside, she soon stopped dead in her tracks. In the center of a swirling pattern of burnt grass was a tall, imposing stone structure. It was split into six different sections, with different carvings on each. The separate sections seemed to twitch and vibrate independently of themselves, and the carving on the stone face glowed, illuminating the darkness around it.
"What¡ is this?" Anara asked.
King, who was still behind her, moved past the small girl and laid a hand on one of the glowing sections of stone. "I''m not entirely sure¡" he said, sighing deeply. "It appeared shortly after you did. All I know for certain is that it sealed the gate that brought you here."
"Then unseal it." Anara retorted stubbornly.
"I already tried. I poured as much magic as I was able into this¡ Monolith, while you were asleep."
"But I want t-, wait, magic?"
"Do you not have magic in your world?" he asked, gently sitting himself upon the ground.
"It''s only make-believe. In books and stories."
"I would very much like to hear all about those stories. Ah! And your world too. It must be a peculiar world without magic."
Anara bit her lip. "Okay. But how will I get home?"
King scooped the little girl up in his arms, and raised her off of the floor. "I don''t know, Ana. But I will help you as much as I can."
Chapter One - Home
Anara was tired.
She didn¡¯t know how much longer she could keep living like this. She sat on a precipice - legs dangling over the edge - and watched the dying world that stretched before her eyes. She was lucky to have made it this far. The outskirts of Yucai still clung desperately to the bounties of life, and it had been a long time since she had seen green grass and farmland that remained untainted. She let nostalgia wash over her as she enjoyed the sight - it reminded her of her home in another world, surrounded by trees and wildflowers. She leaned backwards and looked up at the clouds. She had gotten used to the sight of gloomy gray skies over the years, but the sun shone down upon her and the rest of the green lands that remained.
She thought back to that day. The day she found herself stranded in Yucai. It had been such a long time ago that her body had reached maturity in that time, but even amongst all the fighting, the running and all the horrors that she had dealt with to this day - she still managed to remember what happened the day she came to Yucai. Summer holidays, sitting inside the library back home with her nose in a good book. All the while - ignoring the sunshine beaming down on her through a window. It was just an annoyance that hindered her reading, so she closed the blinds. Now, many years later - she was sat outside bathing in the sunshine, hoping to suck up every last drop she could. She chuckled, and reached for one of the apples in her backpack.
¡°It¡¯s a lovely sight, isn¡¯t it?¡±
Anara smiled. ¡°It sure is.¡± She replied without a thought. She swung her legs a little, and took a bite of her apple. It took her a few moments to realize she wasn¡¯t alone. She swung around quickly, her fists raised. With one apple in her right, and her backpack in her left - she was ready to take on whomever it was that had snuck up on her. A familiar sensation crawled over her skin. She strained her ears, and all she could confirm was the distinct absence of sound. She racked her brains - the many places she had seen, the phenomenon she had encountered - what kind of evil had taken her by surprise now? Further and further back she reached into the depths of her memories, only to be reminded once again of the day that she had arrived in Yucai. She searched her immediate surroundings. Did she just imagine what she heard? She took a step forward, and got her foot caught on a nearby tree root. She tumbled forward.
¡°A-Are you alright?¡± said the voice, meekly.
Anara swore. At least it was the wrong direction for tumbling head first off the cliff side. She rolled over onto her back and looked at the canopy overhead. In one of the trees, she saw a dark shape. She sighed. ¡°What are you, and what do you want from me?¡±
The darkness shifted uncomfortably. Anara squinted - she could definitely make out some resemblance of a human form, But couldn¡¯t be sure. It was weird - she didn¡¯t feel like she was looking at something that was dark, but rather something that resembled the complete absence of light. A deeper black than she could comprehend. An abyss she found herself getting lost inside.
¡°S-stop!¡± the voice cried. Jumping own from its perch in the upper branches. ¡°You mustn¡¯t think about it Ana!¡± it said, taking Anara by the collar and shaking her hard. The darkness raised a finger and drew a rune into the air. It glowed for a moment, and then Anara fell into a deep sleep.
She dreamt of her arrival in this world.
When she awoke, she was greeted by familiar sounds and smells. She turned her head in the direction of the kitchen, recognising the figure of King cooking dinner. She stretched, yawned and wiped her eyes as she sat up in bed. "I''m really sorry I didn''t recognise you back there." she apologised. "I guess travelling Yucai made me start thinking like Yucainians as well."
"I''m just glad you''re back." King replied softly. He turned towards her, smiling. "What did you see, Ana?"
Anara lifted herself out of bed and onto her feet. "There isn''t a lot to tell, in truth. This world is slowly dying, with The Dark Lord Rhazien''s Kingdom at the center of it all. It''s been slowly creeping outwards, sucking the life out of everything that it touches."
"That is¡ not good."
"Yeah. It doesn''t harm the people, but it''s slowly making the land inhabitable. Watching the colour slowly drain from all the plant life around you¡ is unnerving to say the least." She continued, making her way over to the kitchen. She continued talking as she reached into one of the cupboards. "And the skies too. The sun? Gray. Lifeless." she retrieved a couple of dishes and a set of utensils to eat with. "We''re lucky to be on the edge of the realm, here¡" she thought out loud. King looked at her, a puzzled look across his face. Anara looked as if she was troubled by something, but he did not want to press her for more information. He was just happy that his only friend had come back home after such a long time. He watched as she placed everything on the small table in front of the fire.
"Ah, you know, you look different, King." she continued, sitting down in her chair. "You look as if you''ve aged with me."
The Forgotten looked slightly taken aback. "I did not know that I could do that." he admitted. "There are many things about myself that remain a mystery." King turned his attention back to the food, and started dishing it out.
"I''m sorry about earlier, King." Anara said, her face downcast. "I don''t know why it has gotten harder for me to try and remember you." she admitted. King smiled gently at her.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
"It is okay Ana, really." he said softly. "Everything is fine now."
Anara pouted. "I suppose¡ but thinking about you being alone all over again." the girl sighed deeply, picking up her now dished food. "It really upsets me. You may have accepted being forgotten, but I haven''t."
"It is the natural way of things."
"Since when has anything about me been natural?" the girl hastily replied, still chewing her food. "I''m not from this world. I can see you when literally every other person in this realm doesn''t even know you exist."
"That is just the way things are."
"Yeah? Well, it sucks."
"This stupid curse better not kill me." The woman muttered under her breath. As she peered into the cauldron, she inspected the contents briefly before making additional adjustments. As she added the final drops of Elderwood sap, the doors to her chamber were flung open. For a moment a look of pure rage crossed her face, but when she saw who it was, she rolled her eyes and sighed.
"It''s getting closer, you know?" the newcomer smiled at her. "Did you finish it yet, Nao?" he let the doors slam behind them, and Nao tutted.
"Ceitra, is it beyond you to not be a boisterous ass?"
Ceitra approached Nao, a playful smirk on their face. "But I thought you liked my boisterous ass." they quipped, wrapping their arms around her. Nao closed her eyes and relaxed her shoulders. She enjoyed the feeling of Ceitra''s deep, rumbling voice against her back. She inhaled deeply, and opened her eyes once more.
"Feeling better, Nao?" Ceitra asked with a low voice, leaning into her ear. Nao shivered momentarily before getting annoyed again and shaking them off.
"Oh, fuck off with your nonsense. I need to concentrate right now."
Ceitra took a few steps backward, and bowed deeply out of her sight. A lover they may be, but they were still a subordinate nonetheless. Nao raised her hands above the cauldron, and focused her attention to the movements of mana around her.
This was only the first step. Slowly, she expanded her attention to the mana outside the room, then the castle. Then the Kingdom. And then the entire realm. Some parts were calm, others were hellish and chaotic. In its current state, she accepted what it was, and her place inside of it.
She paused and peered into the cauldron once more. She moved her hands and fingers in deliberate and practised motions, inhaling deeply once more. "Sublimate."
The concoction bubbled, and from those bubbles, vapor formed. Carefully, she directed the vapor to merge into the mana around her, and slowly worked outward. Through the entire room. Through the castle. And then finally, the rest of the Kingdom. Outside of the Kingdom, she felt disturbances throughout the rest of the realm. The mana was becoming unstable. Violent. She quickly shut herself off from it, and returned to her physical self.
"We''re safe again for a few more years, I''d say." she said, nonchalantly. There was a low rumble, and the ground shook for a few moments before settling. Ceitra raised an eyebrow and Nao turned her attention back to them.
"Oh, don''t give me that look. The rest of the realm can die off for all I care."
After the two playfully argued over dinner, they sat outside and watched the sun set. King didn''t seem all too thrilled - it was a normal occurrence for him - But it was rare for Anara, who travelled the realm frequently, to see it in such bright, vivid colours. The stars too, were different from those she knew from her own world, and she found herself asking King to tell her stories of the great heroes who ascended from the realm to overlook Yucai as stars in the sky. After some time, the two became drowsy, and went to sleep.
Anara and King lay together in bed. She had woken early, and didn''t want to move in case she woke King up as well. With her back pressed against his chest and his arms around her, she felt safe. Even the cold, which she had complained about as a child, comforted her. She closed her eyes slowly, hoping to sleep for a little while longer.
And then, a low rumble could be heard. Anara bolted upright, waking King in the process. "Ana¡?"
Before she could say or do anything however, the earthquake hit in full force. The dwelling shook violently around them, throwing all manner of objects out of cupboards and off of shelves. Bookcases toppled, furniture too. King held Anara close, shielding her entire body from anything that could hurt her. After a few moments, it died down, and everything settled.
Ana broke free of King, and bolted for the door, "It''s happened again?!" King followed after her as she flung the door wide open and ran into the clearing outside where the Monolith stood.
The sunlight slowly dimmed and the blue sky lost its colour. Anara looked up at this sight, completely dismayed. King looked nervous.
"A-ana lets just¡ go inside and have breakfast, okay?" He asked meekly, holding out a hand.
"Are you serious?" Anara spat, pushing his hand away from her. "The world is dying and you want breakfast?! I can''t actually believe you right now. You know if it wasn-"
"Ah," King interrupted, and pointing behind Anara. "Something is happening."
As Anara turned, she saw the Monolith was glowing. She had not seen this since she first arrived in this world, after King had found her. The topmost section of the monolith shone brightly, and after a short moment, the carving disappeared.
"The spider is gone?" Anara thought out loud, tilting her head.
King shuffled uncomfortably behind her. He could see that the carving was gone as well, however, he never saw a spider on that section of the Monolith at all. In the beginning when Anara has first arrived here, he saw that the rune for ''Emptiness'' was carved upon it instead. As the years passed, he watched as the carving slowly morphed into a depiction of Anara. He never shared this with her, because he was scared that it may frighten or upset her.
"Actually, wait." Anara stopped for a moment and inspected the Monolith in it entirety. "That was the last section! The one below it - the one with the beast - I noticed that has disappeared yesterday as well!"
Anara was bouncing excitedly on the balls of her feet. "I''ll grab my journal!" she exclaimed, dashing back into the dwelling.
King sighed. "And I suppose I will make breakfast."