173. Remembrance

173. Remembrance

I sat in the cave filled with dancing lights of iridescent colors. Red. Blue. Green. Yellow. Spheres of varying sizes flitted and floated around the chamber, giggling and laughing, like young adventurers who had just reached their first advancement into Gold rank.

Watching them still, I got to my feet. I took a step forward, and they came to a stop. One of the orbs that bore the color of the sun came down to me. Lily. My friend and mentor. Her jubilant smile vanished as she faced me.

“I’m sorry.”

There was nothing else to be said. I lowered my head, speaking only one word.

“Why?”

“My brothers and sisters have returned for me. They know not that I was alive, but now my Queen calls for me. For us all to return.”

“I see.”

If my companions— Daniel or Edithe— were here, they’d press Lily further; they were oftentimes engaged with matters that didn’t affect them. It was the same with Xidra. It was the same with Lucerna.

Me? I had my answer. Lily had to go back. A dozen other Fairies came back for her. They were each Level 100. One of them— the same blue one which accompanied her to fetch me— was far above my level. I couldn’t see her Subspecies or his level. She had to be above Level 156.

“What will you do now?”

Lily tilted her head, and I shrugged.

“I’m not really sure. I’d like to improve my space magic. Level it until I can travel to the Netherworld and back here, you know? I miss my first companion.”

I didn’t even know if Haec was alive or dead. All I knew was I had to at least try and find him.

“I think…”

My eyes turned towards my bag, resting against the stone wall. There was something inside of it that I had. Something I was piqued by for quite some time.

“I might go to a Human academy. One specialized in teaching magic. I have a friend who can help me get into one, I think.”

“Maybe that’s the wisest move for you to make.”

She placed her small hand on my shoulder, smiling reassuringly.

“As I’ve told you before, I am not the best teacher for you if you desire to travel through the planes of the Nexeus. I, myself, struggle with it. Theory is lost to me unlike with mortals who obsess over the intricacies of casting spells. If you do find yourself in one of these academies, maybe you might even find yourself able to cross planes by Level 70.”

I bowed my head.

“Thank you.”

“There is no need to thank me. All I did was make you do some chores for a few weeks. It’s something you can do yourself, even without me.”

She scoffed, but I shook my head.

“Your lessons have been invaluable to me. You’re really amazing— not just because you’re a Fairy, but because you’re Lily!”

I beamed brightly at her, only for her to lift her chin up high.

“Why, of course. You better remember to respect your elders even when you surpass me in total levels next time!”

“I will!”

And with that, it was over. Our short lessons came to an end.

“It’s time, Lily.”

The blue Fairy spoke with a voice of frosty rime. Lily glanced back.

“Yes, honored Rose.”

Flying back up to her brothers and sisters, Lily addressed me without once looking away.

“There are many things happening with this world right now. It moves in cogs and pieces. Even Bezlsu himself is only a part of a greater whole. These are things only my Queen understands. She is wise and ancient. Older than even the Spirit Lord or the Demon King. She was there when Worldwalkers roamed the Nexeus. She witnessed it all. And she was never idle.”

A portal opened up behind her, revealing a world of black beyond. It was odd to look at. Something about it just seemed off to me. Not in any physical sense, but the way its space seemed to contort and turn. And it wasn’t just blank either. There were smears across this dark canvas— glowing clouds of gold and violet and orange. Tiny dust particles, clustered together, glittering, sparkling like the stars.

At least, that was what they looked like. I squinted as I saw them move and shift. They weren’t just colorful clouds to watch from a distance. They were thousands and thousands of Fairies, flying about in this void of a world. I blinked, and Lily spread her arms wide.

“What you see here— it is the Celestial Palace of the Fairy Queen. It is the fruits of her labor. It is paradise itself. Perhaps, one day, depending on the path you choose to walk from here on out, you may be able to see me once again. Travel to the Spirit Plane. Scour its edges. And you will find all of Fairykind in this sanctuary.”

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“Goodbye, Lily.”

I waved at her, but she paused. Even as her brothers and sisters entered the portal. She floated right at the edge of it, the blue Fairy waiting patiently behind her.

Lily’s bright face darkened for the first time.

“And if we never meet again, Salvos, do not cry and do not weep. You are still young. You may treasure me now as your friend and your mentor. But you shall live a life so long that our time spent together is lost like a single grain of dust in the vast desert of Anis. Memories are a painful thing. It is best for you to simply forget when it hurts.”

I stared at her. The Fairy I have known for a short period of time. Even compared to Haec or Edithe or Daniel. She was a friend, not a companion. And yet, I spoke insistently.

“No.”

She blinked, and even the blue Fairy paused. Both were intrigued by my response.

“I will not forget you, even if this is the last time we speak. As long as I live— even if I never die— I will remember your name. Lily. Because memory is all that matters. Remembering the face of a person you meet. The way they speak. The way they act. The impact they’ve imparted on you. Your interactions with them. It is what makes them distinct. It is what separates them from all the others. Without memories, the world would be a sea of nothing but rocks.”