"My heart is gold, my hands are cold."
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From a distance, Kai believed they could hear singing from the other side of the wall as they stood alongside it, running their fingers along the smooth metal. The steel barrier was supposed to be sound-proof, supposedly so large that not so much as a whisper could be heard on the other side. It was made to keep them out, to ensure the balance of their perfect society was not to be plagued by what was claimed to be magic.

Perhaps Kai was hearing something, or maybe just daydreaming. But the sound was so vivid to them, it filled them with joy and made their lips twitch upward in a smile. Strands of platinum hair blew in Kai's face as a swift breeze blew past them. They shivered, glancing up to find a gray, clouded sky, hovering over the city. Fog danced around the barrier, making the wall seem to stretch upwards forever.

It was an optical illusion, Kai knew. It was a simple trick of the eye, since the human sight was not keen enough to see through the fog, one could not distinguish fantasy from reality. Kai smirked a little, their eyes flicking back towards the city.

From inside the wall, Kai could hear several voices drawing near.

Probably a patrol, Kai thought, a little worriedly. They needed to go. Now.

Kai tiptoed along the edge of the barrier, eyes darting through the fog for any signs of life. The paved floor beneath them clicked under each one of their steps, and they mentally hushed themselves.

The voices were growing nearer, and Kai broke into a run. They ducked into a nearby alleyway between two apartment complexes, trying to pull their hood over their head so no one would recognize them. As they approached a clearing in the maze of buildings, Kai's gaze darted upwards to check the time. It was surprising when they saw nobody in the roads, but even more shock came over them when they noticed what time it was.

22:18

They were 18 minutes past Amare's required curfew. Kai's slight jog immediately turned into a sprint through the streets. Their apartment was in sight.

Kai raced inside the building, slamming the steel door behind them. The room wasn't that large, only a neatly made bed and a nightstand, as well as a small kitchenette, table, and bathroom. Enough to meet one's basic needs, and nothing more. The nightstand lamp flickered to life as Kai climbed into bed, stretching out their sore legs and burying themselves in the sheets.

The lamp automatically gave a soft click, and turned off without hesitation. Kai laid there in the dark, staring at the ceiling. They knew there would be punishment tomorrow for missing curfew. The cameras caught everything.

But as they closed their eyes and drifted into a dreamless sleep, Kai realized they didn't care anymore.

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The stars were bright. Twinkling over Ren's castle, shining onto the large stone walls. The song of nearby dryads floated into her ears. Magical melodies were sang to strengthen the barrier, and it was pretty. The barrier, the only thing stopping Ren from exploring the other side.

The princess messed with the twig crown atop her head. The branches had once again tangled in her white-blonde hair. Sighing, she took the crown off of her head and threw it onto the dresser, a few strands of hair falling along with it.

Ren grabbed her makeshift telescope, her mother hadn't noticed this invention yet. The girl ran down the spiral staircase, putting her hair in a messy ponytail on the way down.

She carefully made her way to the barrier, hoping to see something tonight. Ren stood behind a nearby tree and looked through the wooden telescope.

The barrier was misty as always. Ren was lucky to see through this mist. She pulled a wand out of her bag.

"Imíonn." Ren mumbled, flicking her wand at the mist that was blinding her.

It retreated into the unopened blue flowers, as though it was being sucked up. Ren blinked, the spell had worked, that was a first. She made her way to the barrier, telescope forgotten on the floor.

She brushed her fingers across part of the invisible wall, looking at the ripple that it caused. A strange feeling ran through her body, but she ignored it. Ren swore that she could she a large metal wall in the distance, but she couldn't be sure.

The melodies of the dryads had stopped, causing Ren to snap her head up. Mist started to wrap around her legs. Ren coughed, and ran back into the safety of the forest, grabbing her telescope.

The barrier was covered in mist again, covering whatever Ren thought she had seen. She cursed under her breath as she ran, quickly dropping her telescope into her hallowed out tree and undoing her hair.

Ren was gasping for breath as she fell onto her bed, processing what she had saw.

She had seen the wall. The wall that separated Farina from Amare. Most importantly, how had Ren controlled the mist? Only mother could do that, right?

Ren pulled the thin willow wand out of her bag, studying it. It was just a piece of wood that a fairy had given her.

She held it close to her chest as she fell into a deep sleep.