"Mavis." Yuri took a step forward. "I cannot see Zera."

My eyes widened. What?

"Nor can I hear her voice. No one can see Zera. She is an existence only you can perceive. Zera is an illusion of your own creation."

A gentle breeze pulled at my long hair, pushing a blonde strand in front of my eyes. I pushed it away and stared at him. He stared back, his gaze unflinching. Zera stood next to me, and didn't deny the statement.

"Zera is... an illusion I created?" I whispered, staring at my lifelong friend. She didn't meet my gaze, but looked at the ground instead, her brown ponytails hiding her face. "Wh... what are you talking about, Yuri? She's right here! Don't you see her? Look! Right here... Right in front of me." My hands slipped into hers, and she looked up at me with a sad smile.

"I... cannot see her."

I looked to Zera for answers. "Zera, what is Yuri talking about? You're right here."

"Mavis," she said quietly. "I'm sorry. I could never bring myself to say it."

I couldn't believe it. She was- she was agreeing with Yuri. Zera herself didn't believe she was real. She finally met my gaze. "Seven years ago on Tenrou Island, I died."

My breath caught in my throat, and a lump formed as I fought back tears. No. I don't believe it. I won't.

"At that moment," Zera continued, "your brand of incomparable illusion magic blossomed into existence. You unconsciously created the illusion known as Zera."

"No. That can't be," I protested. "You're wrong! You're both wrong. You're real, Zera. You have to be real. I need you."

"Because I was created unconsciously, you yourself didn't realize that I didn't exist. An illusion its creator does not think as such is not visible to anyone else." She held her arm out. "Look! Just with you becoming aware of the fact that I'm an illusion, I'm starting to become more and more illusory."

"I'm not becoming aware of anything!" I wailed. "I... I don't think for a second you're an illusion!" More tears ran down my face as I tried to deny the truth. But I couldn't. Zera and Yuri were right, and I was losing my best friend.

Zera threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly. "Yuri wants you to move forward," she told me. "And I want the same. And in order for you to move forward, I have to disappear."

"No..." My sobs became louder, and I moved away. Slipping my hands into hers, I tried to stop the tears. Fairies don't associate with crybabies, I reminded myself. But it didn't stop the tears from coming, and at that moment, I didn't care about the fairies anymore. What was the point in meeting them if Zera wasn't there?

She squeezed my hands. "Continuously manifesting me is taking a toll on your body. The price incurred by casting Law isn't the only thing holding back your growth."

"I don't care about that! Illusion or not, Zera will always be Zera!" I cried. My legs shook as she pulled away gently. Stop being so calm about this Zera! Please... I can't...

"Mavis," she whispered.

"I don't want you to leave, Zera!"

"We've always been together, haven't we?" Her head tilted, and she smiled.

So many memories flashed through my mind. Us cleaning the library, playing games, fixing our hair. Being together. I didn't want to lose that. I couldn't lose that. Couldn't live without her

"If you disappear I'll just create you again! I'll bring you back with my illusion powers! That way we can always be..."

She laid a hand on my arm, stopping my rant. "That won't be possible," she said gently. "I exist only because you birthed me unconsciously. Once you are conscious of my existence, I'll never appear again."

"I don't care! Please... please don't go Zera. I don't want to be all alone. I can't be alone."

"You aren't alone. From now on, you'll be with your real world friends," she told me.

"No! I want to be with you forever, Zera!" I stepped towards her, and my legs gave way beneath me.

She caught me in another hug. "Mavis, do you know where fairies live?" she whispered in my ear.

"In... my... heart."

"So then what must I be? This isn't goodbye. I'm just returning to where I came from- inside of you. Be brave. Make me disappear."

I can't make you disappear, Zera. I don't want to live in a world without you.

"I'm sorry for always being such a mean brat," she whispered. "I'm thankful for every moment we had together, Mavis. I had a blast."

"I... had fun too." I had to let her go. No matter how much I protested, no matter how much I hated the idea of living without her, I had to. "Promise you'll still be my friend, Zera."

Tears gathered in her brown eyes, and she smiled again. "You betcha. It's a promise."

I gave her one last hug. Yuri stood behind us, watching the scene unfold. "Zera?" he gasped.

She's becoming visible, I realized. She's leaving me.

Zera looked back at Yuri. "Thank you for everything. I'm leaving Mavis in your hands. Watch over her."

He nodded. "You got it."

Light glowed around us for a moment, and I clutched Zera, desperate to keep her from leaving. Seconds later, my arms were empty. Goodbye, Zera...

"Mavis?" Yuri asked.

I looked up at him, wiping away the tears. "Zera will always be in my heart. And that's why I'm going to move ever forward." It was a promise. Not just to him, but to Zera as well. I wouldn't let her last wish go unfulfilled.

I will always go from nothing to something. From zero to A. Thank you for everything, Zera.