Goodnight, sweetheart, well, it's time to go.

***

CHAPTER 12:

THE VOID

Ursa and Diego rushed in like the first responders at a crime scene. One had my arm, the other my wrist, whisking me away from the pool like it was a bomb about to detonate. Lark and Helene were waiting just outside, ready to envelop me as soon as we emerged. They closed in around me instantly. Lola, with supportive intent, hopped from Ursa's shoulder to mine, Meer wound around my feet, Spook drew circles in the air above us with wide wings, and Glace stuck out her tongue towards me.

I didn't know why they were helping someone they had just met. Maybe I looked as pitiful as I felt. Regardless... I was grateful. Because moments later, I had left Mars, the pool, and the Dorm behind and ascended to the garden. The wind greeted me with a rush, tousling my hair. The scent of flowers tickled my nose. Colors dazzled my eyes. The daytime sky was a sweet lilac hue. Despite the clouds, the sun shone gloriously.

But I couldn't keep my eyes fixed on the sky for long. Because before me stretched the most beautiful garden I had ever seen in my life. Beyond the pink, fluttering petals was paradise. The view from my room now seemed like a two-dimensional postcard compared to the beauty I witnessed up close. Various flowers, trees, plants, meticulously arranged, sprawled across the garden. Water danced in the fountains, sparkling under the sun. Marble statues, pergolas, pebble-stone paths, ponds...

My admiration escaped in an audible breath. "Wow..." I exclaimed with excitement.

"It's gorgeous, isn't it?" Ursa said with delight.

"And so romantic..." Diego added with a sigh.

It truly was. For once, not even Helene and Lark could muster a comment to dampen morale. Well, even if they did, they couldn't affect me right now. I was looking at a canvas of flowers, and flowers were the things that made me happiest in this world. Their indescribable, singular effect on me breathed life into my soul, soothing unseen wounds. It was why I dared to buy myself a bouquet, risking my mom's disapproval. Or why I adorned my window with pots.

Since awakening on that train, it felt as though my soul had been enveloped in suffocating darkness. But now, for the first time, those clouds seemed to be dispersing. I wasn't alone in this shift of emotions. The spirits around me were buoyed, and the animals brimmed with vitality. Meer and Lola swiftly vanished into the underbrush, while Spook gracefully glided amidst the trees. I'm certain that if Glace weren't a chameleon, she'd have mirrored their exuberance.

Chasing after the animals, we plunged into the maze. Without the experienced souls by my side, I would undoubtedly have been lost in no time. Luckily, this quartet knew what they were doing. Guided by Ursa, we progressed through different sections of the garden. Just like on the administrative floor, the garden was bustling with attendant souls, all clad in purple overalls. Some waved as we passed, others remained engrossed in their tasks, a few hummed tunes to themselves, and others whispered quietly, lost in thought.

"It's calm now because of the classes, but the garden is usually bustling," Ursa remarked.

We were passing by a fishpond with benches around it. I could imagine it teeming with young souls. Thinking of myself as one of them... strangely, it didn't feel too bad. To curl up under these trees, read a book I got from the library, maybe listen to a nice cassette on my Walkman... Under the lilac sky, the scent of flowers in my nose...

When I realized what I was doing, chasing a false fantasy, I snapped back to the present moment. Fortunately, there was a wealth of eccentricity surrounding me, enough to captivate my attention. For instance, the Dorm had fashioned a colossal chessboard for one of the souls, which remained untouched even after their departure due to its popularity. There was an outdoor library, with rows of pink umbrellas suspended in the sky, evidently shielding the books from potential rain. Further along, a designated area for afternoon tea awaited, alongside a secluded spot for picnics. Not to mention, we also passed by a grand amphitheater.

After a while, my sense of time and space had completely disappeared. Whenever I turned around, the Dorm was still there, at the same distance. Despite this illusion, fatigue began to weigh heavily on my legs, yet my companions showed no inclination to pause. Transitioning from the flower garden, we ventured into a field abundant with fruit trees. In contrast to the rest of the garden, this area buzzed with the energy of youthful souls. Clad in purple overalls, they were planting, harvesting, watering, working diligently.

"This is the only mandatory class for all souls," Ursa explained. "Living Essentials."

"To connect with the earth, produce, and witness the magic of creation..." Diego completed. Judging by the appreciative smile he received from his soulmate, Ursa had drilled the words into him.

I smiled. I really liked the idea. Once again, my imagination recklessly placed me among the souls in class. The image of me picking fruit with my overalls, basket hanging from my arm, flickered in my mind. Apart from watering a couple of pots, I had no experience with soil. I couldn't even pass such a class, let alone be successful. Yet... After exploring so many hobby rooms full of alternatives, for the first time, my heart was racing for a class.

"Kids?"

Lost in my daydream, I jumped at the voice from my left. It didn't belong to any of my friends.

"Hello, Angel Ria!" they chimed together, acknowledging the woman who suddenly appeared beside us.

I... couldn't move. My brain short-circuited. An angel? She was an... angel? An angel... That explained why I was squinting my eyes involuntarily as if staring at the sun. I swallowed hard. Angel Ria looked like a beautiful woman in her forties. Freckles adorned her porcelain skin, her waist-length red hair, and eyes at least a few shades lighter than mine, a pale green. Like everyone else, she wore overalls, but the same overalls looked different on her. My head instinctively tilted sideways, wishing to see her wings. There were none.

"Shouldn't you all be in class?" the angel raised a single eyebrow. There was not a hint of reprimand but a playful tone in her voice.

Ursa stepped forward like a model student. "Today, we're helping our friend Olive with orientation, Angel Ria. That's why we couldn't attend classes. Of course, we'll make up for what we missed."

When the angel's eyes turned to me, I felt a warm breeze licking my face. Of course, she would ask why I was doing orientation with four people instead of my soulmate. There was such power in her gaze that even before she spoke, I was ready to confess all my sins. But before I could list my excuses...

"Pleasure to meet you, Olive," she said. "Welcome among us. I'm looking forward to seeing you working in these fields. You seem very talented. I'm sure you'll be a wonderful student."

Me? I was about to say. Not only had I never harvested anything before, but I also didn't have a soulmate to attend class with. But you know, you didn't argue with an angel, especially when you were caught in limbo. I tried to mask my surprise with a grin, but it probably came off more like a grimace. Why Angel Ria bothered to acknowledge me, I wasn't quite sure. Maybe it was part of her celestial job description to spread kindness to all souls, even the bewildered ones like me.

Leaving her with her students, we continued on our way. The end of the fields had led us to the forest. Once again, I found myself amid those pink trees I had watched from the train. From afar, they might have looked like cotton balls, but up close, each was a mesmerizing tree adorned with pink flowers. The leaves touched by the sun sparkled as if covered in frost. Lanterns hung from the branches must have been for the night. Each one had a different design, and just imagining how they looked when lit up excited me. I was so engrossed in the beauty before me that I only realized we had stopped when I bumped into Lark. But as she stepped aside, I saw we had reached a fork in the road.

"This side leads to the lake," Ursa pointed to her left.

At the heart of the forked path, a statue rested. Two marble figures stood back-to-back, each cradling a bowl in their hands. The woman, gazing towards the lake, held her bowl aloft, while the other's was cast downward. Their heads mirrored the bowls' orientations, one turned skyward and the other earthward. It seemed to symbolize contrast: sky and earth, birth and death, existence and nothingness... Both figures bore closed eyes and impassive expressions, yet a chill ran down my spine as I beheld the one on the right. None of the symbols she represented evoked a sense of comfort.

"Where does the other side lead?" I asked curiously.

When Helene opened her mouth to answer, Ursa intervened. "I think we should leave that for another day," she said. "It's already quite late. We can explore the lake and then head back."

Her panic only fueled my curiosity. But the universe, the Dorm, the gods, or whoever was running this realm didn't allow me to ask questions. A scream had risen from the direction Ursa was carefully trying to move away from. We all froze. Lola had perched herself on one of the trees, Meer stood on its hind legs on the ground. Before anyone could say anything, another scream came.

"What's happening?" I asked when no one else spoke up. Now their faces were as white as Helene's natural skin tone.

"The Void," Lark squinted his eyes. "The sounds are coming from there."

As if to prove her right, we heard new screams from that direction. In a moment, the owl appeared out of nowhere and perched on her arm. It opened its beak and screeched. We might not have understood, but I think Lark did. Without explanation, she headed towards the direction of the sounds. Despite Ursa's protests and Diego's concern, soon we were all following her. The soft ground beneath our feet hardened with each step, rocks multiplied. Before long, the trees thinned out, and eventually, they disappeared altogether.

I stood there gaping at the expanse in front of us. Somehow, we had ended up at the cliff I had seen from the balcony. The change from the flowery garden and the pink forest was jarring. It was as if life hadn't touched this corner of the terrain. The wind was icy cold. The sky was darker. Stacked rocks extended all the way to the edge. But the most terrifying sight was the two girls on those rocks. The screams we heard must have belonged to the one standing behind. She continued to cry and plead with her friend because she was right at the edge of the cliff.

"Please, Mira, it doesn't have to be like this. I'm your soulmate, I'm still here. We can do this together. Please. Please don't do it!"

The girl's voice cracked. Ursa rushed to their side without a second thought, starting to talk to Mira to convince her. Life might not always be easy, but there was always a way out. Which soul wasn't struggling? But we could all reach victory by being patient. Diego joined her immediately. He talked about love. He talked about friendship. He talked about living. Helene was a step behind them. She, too, had something to say to persuade Mira to change her mind.

Meanwhile, Lark hadn't moved at all. There was a dark expression in her eyes, as if she knew what was going to happen. I was frozen beside her. I didn't understand what was happening. I couldn't figure out what Mira was trying to do, why everyone was so scared. All I knew was that something terrible was about to happen, and like everyone else, my eyes were moist with tears.

"Please, Mira," the girl behind her pleaded once again. "Don't go, please."

The girl at the edge of the cliff swallowed her sob. "I can't take it anymore," she murmured. "It's not working, Eli. It's not... working. I can't live like this anymore." A final tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm sorry."

And then she took a step into the Void.

***

Well, it can't be all rainbows and sunshines, can it? You've just scratched the surface of what the Dorm has in store for you. Brace yourselves for more, this author got a whole bag of surprises waiting.

There is still one main character itching the join the party. And let me tell you, this one will be a game-changer. Keep your eyes on the next couple of chapters.

Catch you on the flip side, and remember to treat yo'selft. and your soul right until then ☘️

Kisses, EC.