The strange sky stretched above me in swirling shades of violet and gold. I should've felt terrified- lost in a world I didn't recognize, separated from everything familiar
But then I saw her.
At first, I thought she was some kind of magical creature watching me from the tall grass-dangerous, wild, unpredictable. But then she stepped forward, and the light revealed her face.
Her eyes were silver, bright, reflective, glowing like moonlight trapped in human form.
She wasn't fully human.
But she wasn't a beast either.
She was something in between.
She moved slowly, cautiously, as if approaching a frightened animal. Her steps barely distributed the grass, and yet every movement she made felt intentional- delicate, controlled, graceful. The tall golden blades brushed gently against her leg and swayed in a rhythm that almost seemed to follow her.
I stood frozen, unable to decide whether I should run, hide, or take a step toward her.
But then something deep inside me whispered that she wasn't here to hurt me. something in her presence warm, steady, mysterious _ kept pulling me closer, little by little, without me even realizing it.
Her soft eyes shimmered with a glow so soft it almost didn't look real. The strange sky above reflected in them, painting ripples of gold and violet across the surface. I had never seen eyes like hers_ eyes that held both clam and chaos, danger and gentleness.
When she was only a few steps away, she stopped, maybe to give me space, maybe to not overwhelm me.
The wind carried her scent to me, subtle but comforting like pine, rain, and something faintly floral. Something wild.
"You look like you're about to faint", she said quietly, her voice surprisingly soft. "Are you hurt?"
I swallowed. My throat felt dry. "N _No. I'm just confused. And scared, I guess".
She nodded slowly, her expression softening even more. "that's normal. Anyone would be confused waking up here".
The way she said "here" made the place feel even more foreign, like this field wasn't just another piece of land it was something much larger, something with its own rules and secrets.
Then she took another step closer.
Not too bold.
Not too shy.
Just enough to show she meant no harm
Her gaze swept over me, not with suspicion but with a strange concern like she was looking for signs that I was injured, exhausted or about to collapse to collapse. Her silver eyes paused on my trembling hands
"breath", she said softly. "Just breathe. I promise, I'm not here to hurt you".
My chest loosened a little. I exhaled shakily, trying to steady myself. The air here felt different lighter, warmer and breathing It in slowly helped clam the frantic drumming in my chest.
"I'm Arres", she said after a pause. I should've introduced myself earlier. I didn't want to startle you".
Hearing her name felt strangely soothing. "Mikasa", I repeated quietly, tasting the sound of it. It felt right somehow. Familiar, even though I'd never heard it before.
A faint flush touched her cheeks. "Yes, And you?"
I _ I'm'…
I hesitated. For a moment, almost forgot my own name in the middle of all this.
I finally said it, and she nodded once as if committing it to memory very carefully, like it was something precious she didn't want to forget.
Arres reached up and brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, reveling a small symbol of her temple a faint marking shaped like three curved lines intersecting, glowing softly beneath her skin. It pushed for a heartbeat, reacting to something I couldn't see.
I stared unable to hide my curiosity.
She noticed.
"It reacts to fate" she explained gently. "To destinies crossing. To choices being made".
"What does that mean? "I asked, voice barely louder than the wind.
"It means meeting you wasn't accident".
My stomach flipped. I didn't know how to feel. But her voice her certainly wrapped around me like a warm blanket. I didn't feel threatened. I didn't feel judged. I felt seen.
Her gaze dropped to my hands again. She lifted hers; hesitated midair then slowly extended it towards me.
"I won't touch you unless you want me to", she said softly, almost shyly.
"But if you let me, you won't feel so scared anymore".
She didn't come closer. she didn't close the distance. she just held my hand there open, gentle patient.
I stared at her hand, my heart pounding.
Why did her offer feel like something much deeper?
Why did it feel like taking her hand meant stepping into a fate that wasn't mine just a few movements ago?
But I did it anyway.
Slowly, shakily, I reached forward and placed my hand in hers.
Warmth spread instantly through my fingers, up my arm, and into my chest. It wasn't magic but it felt like something bigger. A connection. An anchor in this strange world.
Arres exhaled softly, almost with relief. "You're trembling," she whispered. "Here..."
She gently squeezed my hand. Just once. But that one gesture sent a strange warmth flooding through me in a way nothing else could.
"You're safe with me", she said. "promise".
I didn't know her. I didn't know this world.
But I believed her.
She released my hand slowly but didn't step away. Instead, she nodded toward the horizon where distant mountain shimmered under the strange sky.
"This world is called Astrion", she said. "it's complicated. Beautiful. Dangerous. Different from everything you know".
"Why am I here?" I asked quietly, expecting her to say she didn't know.
But she held my gaze.
And her expression changed soft but serious warm but worried.
"You came through the ancient shrine's gate", she said. "A gate that connects Astrion to your world. But it never opens by accident". Her voice dropped even softer. 'It only opens for someone destined someone chosen
"Chosen for what?" I whispered.
Arres looked away, chewing her lip as if searching for the right words. The wind tugged at her dark hair, making the silver strands woven through it glint like moonlit threads.
"I shouldn't tell you everything yet", she said quietly. "It could overwhelm you. But I can tell you this much"
She turned back to me and her silver eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my breath hitch.
"you're connected to the wolf deity.
Somehow, some way".
My heart skipped painfully. "Ivy mentioned the wolf deity before I came here".
Arres stiffened. Her eyes widened. "You spoke of it? Before being pulled here?"
"yes".
She stepped closer not cautiously this time, but ungently.
"That confirms it", she whispered. "The shrine recognized you. The deity recognized you"
"Why me? "I asked my voice breaking despite my attempt to sound strong.
Arres looked at me with something like sadness. "Because destiny intertwines lives long before they meet".
Her word sank into my chest like warm honey. I hated how much hey affected me. How much she affected me.
Her expression softens again, shifting from serious to something tender almost protective.
"you're not alone", she said. "l will help you understand this world. I will help you find a way home if that's what you want".
Her voice trembled slightly on the last part as if she wasn't certain she wanted me to leave.
"Do you want me to go home?" I whispered. Arres froze.
The wind died.
Even the strange birds overhead seemed to pause their flight.
Her lips parted but she seemed to struggle for words.
"I "she began softly, "want you to be safe and happy. Whatever that means".
But that wasn't an answer.
Not the whole answer.
Her hand drifted toward mine again but this time she hesitated fingers brushing the air near mine but not quite touching.
"There's something about you", she said quietly. "Something that feels familiar. And I don't understand why I feel that way".
Her honesty made something inside me melt. For a moment we just stood there breathing the same warm air the field swaying gently around us like an ocean of gold.
Finally Arres stepped aside and gestured toward a narrow path leading through the tall grass.
"Come with me", she said. "we need to get you somewhere safe before night falls".
"what happens at night?" I asked.
Her eyes darkened slightly. "Asrion changes after sunset. It's beautiful but dangerous for someone new."
She held out her hand again.
Not careful this time.
Not shy.
But steady. Confident. Certain.
And I took it.
The movement our fingers intertwined, I felt that same warmth again almost like a plus a quite heartbeat between our palms.
Arres exhaled slowly as if relieved.
"Thank you"' she whispered.
"For what?" I asked, confused.
"For trusting me".
And then we walked.
Hand in hand.
Through the golden field under the strange sky, toward an unknown world and an unknown destiny that somehow didn't seem as terrifying anymore.
Not with her beside me.
The path narrowed as we walked deeper into the waving sea of gold. The grass grew taller here, brushing my arms like curious fingers, as if the world itself were studying me just as closely as Arin did. The strange sky above shifted from warm violet to a deeper shade of indigo, streaked with shimmering threads of silver that pulsed faintly like veins of light.
Arin noticed me staring.
"Astrion's sky responds to movement," she said quietly. "To life. Every step changes something."
I wasn't sure if that made me feel comforted or even more lost.
We walked a little farther, our joined hands swinging gently between us. Her grip wasn't tight—just firm enough that I could feel her warmth, steady and grounding. I kept stealing glances at her, trying to make sense of this girl who had appeared out of nowhere yet felt more familiar than faces I'd known for years.
"You're quiet," she murmured after a moment. "Too quiet."
"I'm trying to understand all this," I admitted. "It doesn't feel real."
A small smile tugged at her lips. "Most travelers say that. Astrion can be… overwhelming at first."
"Travelers?" I echoed. "So others have come here?"
Her smile faded almost instantly. "Not recently. And not like you."
Before I could ask what she meant, something rustled in the grass beside us. Arin's posture shifted shoulders tightening, steps slowing. Her hand in mine subtly pulled me closer, placing herself half a step ahead of me.
"What was that?" I whispered.
"Just stay behind me," she said, voice calm but firmer than before.
The rustling grew louder, closer, until a pair of luminous shapes darted through the grass. Two small creatures bounded across the path fox-like, with translucent bodies that glowed a soft blue from within. Their tails left streaks of light in the air as they scampered away.
I exhaled shakily. "They're… beautiful."
Arin nodded, but her eyes stayed sharp. "Moonlinks. Harmless. But where they roam, other things follow."
"Other things?"
She didn't answer.
The grass thinned ahead, giving way to a lone cluster of ancient stones arranged in a half-circle. Faint symbols etched into them shimmered with the same pale glow as Arin's temple marking. The air here felt thicker, humming slightly against my skin.
"This is a boundary," Arin said. "Once we cross, the village will be close. You'll be safe there."
"You keep saying 'safe' like I'm constantly one breath away from danger," I muttered.
Her brows knit. "Because you are. Astrion is not gentle to outsiders… especially chosen ones."
There it was again. That word. Chosen.
Before I could push further, Arin released my hand and stepped toward the stones. The symbol on her temple brightened, responding to the runes carved into the stone arcs. A soft vibration rippled through the ground, and the stones parted slightly, revealing a faintly glowing passage.
She looked back at me, expression softer than before.
"Stay close to me. Don't wander, no matter what you hear."
"What I hear?"
"Astrion whispers," she said simply. "It tests people."
A chill ran through me despite the warm air.
Arin extended her hand again.
And without hesitation this time without fear I took it.
Together, we stepped through the boundary toward whatever waited on the other side.