“Darkness and misery are as much as a companion as happiness and pleasure, we need to embrace both the same way to move on with life”

-********, the creature who drowned in misery and madness

The darkness crept up to him. Its cold fingers felt like ice knives lightly cutting his skin, leaving thin lines of blood to appear on his pale skin. His sapphire eyes were barely open and his consciousness as hazy as the mist that surrounded this dark void he was in.

“Dulcis somnia, attra luna….”

A silvery disembodied voice softly whispered.

“Exspecta, nihil facere. Et veniunt ad te, puer”

The voice grew closer as a cloaked figure approached. The height of the figure reached up to fourteen meters tall, all its features were hidden under the long ancient cloak.

Then, an inhumanly long arm reached out from under the confines of the cloak.

The hand looked like it was a branch of a dead rotting tree, thin and black in color.

Fingers that were as grotesque looked sharp and pointed like daggers that glint into the cold night.

Those fingers lightly brushed the top of his dark hair. The creature seems to take pleasure in gently combing through his hair like a parent would to their child.

“Mox parvulum….”

◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊

When William woke up he was greeted with the sight of a straw ceiling held together by ropes and oversized leaves like that of a palm tree.

He pushed himself up to see outside of the window to see the unfamiliar night sky with twin moons radiating in the opposite colors. The stars were still glowing bright and scattered unto the black sky like raindrops during a cold November rainshower he was used to in New Oregon.

The boy sighed and let himself fall back unto the mattress made of soft straw. He pulled the blue silk blanket to cover his body more from the cold as he continued to stare at the ceiling.

He had hoped that maybe when he had woke up, he would be back at that pit in the cemetery or better yet, at his bedroom. William wished that he could just go back home and let everything be back the way he was used to.

He may not have any friends back at his school but at least he had his family. His loud but caring mother and his silent but an understanding father. William let himself curl into a ball and let out dry sobs. He couldn't cry now, not yet.

Time passed and soon he calmed himself again. His thoughts then passed by the memory of him eating together with the Sephiroths.

He had found out there that all Sephiroths have the same wing structure but just of different colors since William saw other Sephiroths having yellow, white and green feathers.

The boy had remembered asking Ignia once if anybody had black wings he practically saw every color except black.

He had received a look of horror from the normally easy-going Sephiroth and the girl had immediately covered his mouth and warned him not to pursue that matter anymore.

‘Maybe it was a taboo like the Abyss?’

William knew there were a lot of things that are forbidden to be said in this realm, especially when it concerns the Abyss.

When food was about to be placed on the table, he was first cautious of the foot since the people he was dining with weren't exactly humans.

But his fears were for nothing since the food presented was actually quite normal and tasty.

At first, the other Sephiroths were really curious about him, especially the younger children. He was nervous about being the center of attention. William had never really been good at any forms of social events and he always froze and stuttered whenever more than one person tried to approach him. So he was thankful when the Chief told them to leave him alone and that he would be leaving soon anyway.

After eating dinner, Ignia flew him back to his room and told him to be ready when he woke up because they would start their journey early so he could go home immediately.

He was extremely thankful so he again gave his thanks to Ignia and the Chief which in return he received warm smiles and a ruffle to his hair from Ignia.

‘Why is it the people here always like to play with my hair?’

His thoughts came to a halt after he had asked himself that question.

‘but…..wasn’t Ignia the only one who….? I’m confused. Who else would d-’

He was cut off from his thoughts when he heard a loud knock on the door.

“William, are you awake? I already packed our rations. We should start our journey to the Azure Lagoon as soon as possible”

Ignia’s voice echoed behind the wooden door. He immediately got out of bed and tried to fix his appearance.

“Wait a minute! I just woke up”

He replied hastily as he ran across the room to fetch the bag filled with sets of clothes and other basic necessities that the Chief had given him for the trip.

“Okay! I’ll wait for you at the terrace, hurry up!”

William heard her footsteps getting farther away from the door and he exhaled in relief. He had always been bad at dealing with time pressure. It was as if his mind always short circuits every time someone stands near him and counts down.

After changing into a clean pair of Sephiroth clothing and slinging the bag on his chest, William left the room to go to the terrace outside.

He soon found Igia perched at the railings of the terrace with wings spread open like a real bird.

The girl seemed to sense his presence and turned to face him.

“Took you long enough. Come on, I’ll help you down”

Ignia again took his hand and helped him fly down to the ground as gently as she could.

When they reached the ground, Ignia folded her wings behind her and began to walk north. Ignia seems confident in the direction she was walking to but he couldn't help but have some doubts.

“Um, do we have a map or something?”

Ignia looked at him like he had asked a stupid question but then she seems to have remembered that he wasn’t from here and explained to him the information that he was missing on.

“We get our silks from trading with the Cetos, so basically everyone who had their coming of age ceremony had gone there by themselves at least once. This is my second time going there without another Sephiroth but I already pretty much memorize the route so don’t worry”

William apologized for doubting the older teen but Ignia just shrugged it off and said that it was no big deal.

And now begins his journey through the Hollow Woods.