Serenity.

That's what engulfed Aera's conscience as she sat still, hair flowing slightly with the occasional breeze that the wind sent her way.

"Are you paying attention?"

A melodic voice tumbled out softly. She pivoted her head to where the sound came from.

"Grandma?" Aera whispered. Her grandmother sat there next to her, face aglow with the golden sunrays.

"I need you to pay attention."

"Okay." The girl let out sheepishly, looking around in confusion.

It seemed to her that they were in the middle of a garden, judging by the tall trees surrounding them, green leaves dangling slightly. Not a sound could be heard and even her own breath seemed to die as soon as it left her mouth.

There was an eerie sense of tranquility. Everything was still, utterly still.

Her gaze gravitating back to her grandmother, Aera noticed how bright and splendid her outfit was. She was dressed in a long golden dress reaching the soles of her shoes, resembling a medieval gown. Standing tall as usual, she exuded a sense of power and royalty. She looked like she had walked straight out of a Renaissance painting.

"Is this a dream?" Aera asked quietly, observing as her grandmother reached a tea cup to her lips. When she lowered it back down to place it in her lap, Aera noticed it had been empty.

Strange.

"Not really." The older woman said, a subtle smile playing on her lips.

What followed was even more silence. Oddly enough, Aera felt even more tranquil. Sitting there in the quietness next to her grandmother didn't feel so bad, after all.

"Did I die?" another question rang in the air as the girl swung her feet idly. She had no idea why she would ask this question, she just felt like she had to. Why would she be dead?

"No, baby, you didn't die." Adara let out a soft chuckle, her long ringed fingers wrapped around the tiny cup.

"Oh, okay." Aera replied. For some inexplicable reason, the stillness didn't scare her. It just brought her comfort. She was glad to have a chance to spend more time with her grandmother.

Slowly, her gaze drifted somewhere in the distance. She felt free, as if up until now something had been weighing her down. Now, she was as light as a feather, ready to be taken away by the gentle wind.

"The fox wears red." Her grandmother suddenly uttered.

"Huh?"

"The fox wears red." Adara twirled to the side, a brief smile flashing across her face as her long black hair flowed gracefully with the motion.

"I see." Aera nodded, perplexed as ever. Fox? What fox?

The questions brew in her mind one after another, but for some reason she decided she wouldn't grant them release.

"Red is a very important color." Adara stated bluntly.

"Yes, it is." Aera agreed, not even knowing why.

As they sank back into silence, she let her eyes wander her surroundings again. Her gaze halted abruptly when she laid eyes upon something rather peculiar.

Where it used to be empty grassy expanse, stood a tall iron gate.

"Grandma, what is that?" Aera questioned, brows furrowing together in a frown.

"Something that should not be here." Adara answered firmly, jaw clenching as her rich dark eyes flashed to the desolate threshold.

"Right." Aera breathed out, falling silent again as if that was all the information she needed to hear. Something was cloaking her mind and making her feel confused. "Are we supposed to go there?"

"Someday." Her grandmother said. "But not today."

"Oh. But where does it lead to?"

"Abaddon."

Aera felt as if she was drowning in her own chaotic thoughts.

"A... Abaddon?" she stammered, her eyes steady on the gate. Her ears had become so accustomed to the lack of sound that now as the faint wind brushed against the leaves, the rustling almost startled her. "What is that?"

Adara blinked slowly, tilting her head backwards slightly. She took another empty sip of her invisible drink, face empty and impassive.

"It's the place where the souls of supernatural beings like us wander off to after we die."

"So kind of like the afterlife?" Aera questioned curiously, finding herself grow increasingly anxious.

"In a sense." Her grandmother confirmed flatly.

"Oh," Aera nodded, drawing in a sharp breath. "What happens there?"

"Nothing. And everything." Adara was being vague, narrowed eyes pinned at the iron gate.

"Is it heaven? Or hell?"

"Both." Once again, her grandmother refused to offer her clarity, evoking a feeling of frustration in Aera.

Wait a minute. If it was true, didn't that mean that her parents' souls were on the other side of that gate? And her uncle's?

Were they actually there?

"Don't," Adara spat out harshly, fingers gripping around her granddaughter's wrist. "I know what you're thinking. That would be wrong. It goes against every law of nature."

"Can't I go in?" Aera breathed out. The thought of having one final glimpse of her loved ones made her tremble. "Only for a second. Please." She felt desperation seep into her bones and fog her mind.

"Many people have succumbed themselves to such unwise desires. Aera, once you enter Abaddon, you can't return. And believe me, it's not a nice place to be."

"Okay," she gave a brisk nod, still feeling torn on the inside. Her grandmother's warnings did little to extinguish the little spark of hopefulness that had awakened deep within.

If I can spend the rest of eternity with my mother and my father... then death doesn't sound so bad.

"It's not that easy," Adara cautioned as if she had read her mind. "You have friends, loved ones who are waiting for you. Your life isn't over yet, Ari. Don't you want to go back to them?"

"But if we're not supposed to pass through the portal, why is it here, grandma?" Aera asked, slowly being brought back to her senses.

All of a sudden, her grandmother's face darkened, a tight frown tugging at her mouth.

"Because someone has opened it." She mumbled.

A burst of movement caught Aera's attention, redirecting it to the grass a couple of feet away from them. A long tail was peeking out from the sea of green, a small creature tentatively staring right back at her.

"Is that a-" she gasped.

"I told you about the fox." Adara murmured as the stealthy animal watched them, sizing them up with its honey colored eyes.

Dumbfounded, Aera whirled around to stare at her grandmother whose face had gone back to radiating tranquility, her features soft as if in slumber. The shift had been so unnatural, one minute the elder woman sounded angry, the next she was calm.

This is a dream, after all.

"Watch out for that fox." Adara advised and Aera wondered why she was stressing so much on that random animal. It seemed pointless.

Aera reached out slowly towards the creature, and in a flash of copper, it was gone.

For the first time, she shifted her attention to the sky. Just some minutes ago it had been cloudless, and now it was dark and gray, like someone had put up a gigantic black umbrella over it.

Something soughed behind her, and she whipped around to see a branch hitting the ground. The wind had become stronger, spinning the leaves in a violent whirlwind. The sound grew in intensity, it wasn't just a low whistling but a sinister howl now.

Aera stiffened, overwhelmed by something else. It was something thick, tense and suffocating, some invisible power that was approaching, coming for her.

A threat.

She turned around abruptly, only to see that her grandmother was gone.

"Grandma!" she screamed, almost frantic. "Grandma, where are you?"

No reply could be drawn out. There was something... something very bad...

"No," Aera whispered. She couldn't see it with her own eyes, but she felt it as some shapeless evil, towering over and spilling all around her.

Evil. Hatred.

Animalistic rage.

Higher and higher. The wind was screeching, throwing her hair in every direction possible. Her surroundings swirled together, melting into a blur. Everything started shaking, like a violent earthquake. Escape. Run away! Run!

"Stop this!" Aera cried out, making a vain attempt at grabbing feebly onto something. Everything was hazy. And cold, so very cold.

It's thirsty for blood.

"Hyuk!" she shrieked, squeezing her eyes shut to protect them from the whirlwind. She had no idea why her brother would be here. "If this is you, stop this! What do you want from me?"

Her throat tightened as her lungs refused to inhale. Panic consumed every cell of her body.

"What do you want from me?" Aera shouted desperately against the roar of the fierce wind. Surrounded by absolute darkness, she was drowning in terror. Screaming but her words wouldn't make a sound.

Invisible hands swatted at her chest and she struggled to keep her balance. She couldn't breathe. She fought against it for as much as she could, her kicks wild and uncoordinated before transforming into weak and feeble movements.

Before they stopped.

And then...

There was only silence.