...The moment I opened the book, everything in front of me changed. The store, the colors, my surroundings.. as if the whole world transformed in an instant.

I couldn't believe my eyes so I closed the book again and everything was back to normal.

My heart began beating rapidly. I have never felt so excited before. I looked around the store, everything was completely fine.

But I opened the book again..

It happened once more.

Everything changed.. the store in front of me now looks like an abandoned temple and no one was around me at all.

"What's going on..?" I questioned myself. I can't understand a thing.

My curiosity won't stop my legs from moving. I stood up from where I was sitting.. to look around. I left the book on the ground. It looks like an old, worn out book looking at it this way.

I stared at my hands to check if I still exist.. and yes, I do. I seem to be normal.

My breathing has turned heavy. I'm not sure what I've gotten myself into. So I turned back and picked up the book again. I opened the pages.. but I didn't go back to the normal bookstore.

"What's going on?" I asked myself, worried. What if I can't go back?

Am I dreaming?

I quickly slapped my face with my cheeks to check if I'm awake or just dreaming.. but I felt the solid pain. It's all real.. I'm in an unfamiliar place.

I stared back down on the book and it has nothing. Every single page I flipped was blank.

"How did that happen..?!" I screamed in panic.

Author's point of view

Meanwhile, the librarian girl whose hair was short and black realized something was off and ran into the corner where the mysterious boy was always reading.

"Sou?!" She screamed his name with an anxious look on her face. Strange enough, she knows his name after all this time. Her eyes widened as she saw the nameless book left on the floor.

She didn't think the boy would pick up her book and read it while she wasn't looking. She stood there with a blank face.

Sou's point of view

"I didn't even get a chance to know her name." I muttered as I despaired over the fact that I'm now in a different place.

"What are you crying about, human?" A little voice called out to me. I looked around to find where it was coming from. "I'm down here you fool!"

As the voice said, I looked down and saw a glowing fox in front of me.

"A talking fox..?!" I exclaimed and took a step back.

"Hmph.. you look lost. This is my home. Please leave." The sassy looking fox suddenly floated in air and walked freely, as if gravity doesn't affect him at all.

"Talking and flying..?!" I just couldn't believe it. I'm not terrified.. I'm honestly amazed. The thrill and excitement I've been seeking.. it's in front of me now? Have I found it? I smiled as I looked at the fox.

"Come. Let me guide you to your way back." The fox spoke elegantly. I can't help but respect its majestic existence.
Without a second thought, I followed the fox. My life was meaningless until now, this mysterious world is giving me a glimpse of hope.

Outside the wrecked temple, was the enchanting forest with tall trees. I bet they're over a thousand years old.. or maybe even more.

"What happened to that temple..? Where am I? I'm pretty sure that I was in a bookstore.. suddenly, I'm here." I asked the majestic fox as politely as I could.

"I'm the guardian of that temple. Nothing really happened to it. Only time.." The fox sounded sad.. it continued to dance midair as it guides me.

I couldn't understand exactly, but I kind of have an idea. I could hear nature's music through the woods.. chirping of the birds, buzzing of the insects, rustling of the leaves and the song of the wind. It's the most absolute level of tranquility I've never experienced before.

"Huh?" I heard a feminine voice gasp just now and I turned around to look, I caught glimpse of a girl wearing traditional clothes. She ran and hid behind the tree.

"Hey.. don't hide now that we saw you." The fox said while floating behind me.

The girl peeks and she had beautiful black hair. Like a princess in historical movies.

"Who.. Who is that with you?" She asked with a feminine voice. She seemed afraid.

I wanted to hear the fox's answer so I remained silent.

"Ah.. another lost human." For a second, I thought something was odd when the fox spoke.

The girl stepped out of hiding and revealed herself completely. "Really? Then there's nothing for me to be afraid of?" She asked innocently.

"I'm not here to hurt you.. I don't even know why I'm here, but I don't mind either" I spoke up and tried to reassure the nervous girl.

I guess a foreigner would be very suspicious to anybody..

"Lord Fox, it's fine now! You can leave him to me! You should go and find the others." The girl smiled cheerfully and the fox nodded calmly.

"Wait.. what's going to happen?" I asked them with my guard on. If anything, I should still be cautious.

"Follow me, stranger!" The girl walked away quickly and I realized she was actually barefooted.

"Hey, wait!" I tried to stop her, but it was futile. I looked back behind me, but the majestic fox was no longer there. I had no choice but to follow her.

I almost lost sight of her.. but thankfully, I was able to catch up. I was even more amazed with what I saw.

A beautiful lake surprised me with its sparkling blue water and the fairies flying around it.

"It's.. beautiful" I couldn't help but say it.

"Everyone, this is our new guest, Sou!" The girl happily yelled out and the magical creatures looked towards our direction.

Wait.. did she just say my name?

"A human.. it's been awhile" A talking deer spoke and I was so surprised, but I managed to keep it to myself.

"Hey.. is this real?" I tapped the girl's shoulder and she looked back to me. She smiled sweetly.. looks like a smile I've seen before. Instead of an answer, she placed her soft hands on my cheeks and gently bumped her forehead with mine.

The touch felt real enough to answer my own question. This feels familiar. I would ask a girl a question and she would respond with an action.

Suddenly, I can't remember what I want to say. Something in my head turns blurry when I think of something.

In fact, how did I get here again?

All I know is that my life felt completely dull and empty before I came here. All I know is that I wanted to find something to look forward to. Maybe I came here intentionally.

...Hours have passed, I was having a good time exploring this magical place. The girl is just walking beside me without saying anything.

"That tree looks pretty" I've been complimenting everything I see. "Where do you live? I'm curious about your home." I stopped and asked her out of curiosity.

She seemed a bit surprised by my sudden question directed at her. However, the surprise in her face quickly turned into a warm smile. "Right here. This forest is my home." She answered softly.

"Oh" I wasn't thinking. But I felt the sincerity in her answer.

"Sou, sometimes.. home is not a place where you go to and sleep in. Home is where your heart belongs." She said with her eyes sparkling.. they seemed real and passionate.

I admired it.

Author's point of view

Sou doesn't seem to notice the passing of time.. it's already been a few days since he arrived in this place. He has become accustomed to it quickly.

Sou's point of view

While laying on her lap and admiring the fish in the sky.. I enjoyed every moment. In this world, the sky can be the sea. There were whales swimming along the clouds.

"Won't they fall down on us?" I asked while staring at the sky.

"They won't. They've never fallen before." She replied while she continues to stroke my hair.

I don't know when have we gotten this close. But I don't mind it.

"How can you be so sure?" I asked her jokingly.

She smiled as usual and answered, "Trust me". I stopped and thought to myself for a while.

"Okay" I returned her gentle smile as I replied.

"Having faith in someone can be your strength." She said. "When all hope is lost, all you have left is faith."

"I always felt lost... not until I came here. I feel so welcomed.. like I don't have to pretend. I don't have to smile when I don't want to. I don't have to pretend I'm okay when I'm really not." I reached out my hand to her face and caressed her cheek.

She closed her eyes as if feeling the warmth of my touch relaxed her. "You're not alone. When you look for an escape, eventually you meet someone running away from the same fate. Both lost souls should support each other." She said, I can't get enough of her gentle voice. "But Sou," she opened her eyes and stared at me solemnly.

"Hmm?"

"If no one is there to save you or support you, are you just going to give up?" She asked with her water gathering around her eyes.

I paused. I thought about what she said deeply.

I've come this far by myself. I've been fighting all by myself. With or without someone, I managed to get this far.. how?

"No one is going to blame you if you live a little for yourself. If you become a little bit selfish sometimes. If you love yourself, that's all that matters. You came this far because you were strong enough." She smiled sweetly while I looked at her with a confused face.

Why are you saying this all of a sudden?

"But.. you can't be strong forever. I've reached my limit.. and that's why—"

Oh.

I know it now.

I looked at her smiling face once again. I couldn't finish my own sentence. So I let her take her turn.

"Yes. You deserve to rest.. free from all the pain and the heartache." She continued talking while I sat down, separating from her. "It's okay, Sou."

That voice, that's right.

I didn't want to think anymore. So instead I just asked her randomly.

"Hey.. can we be friends?" I asked while staring at her intensely.

She nodded in response. As she did that, an image of a short, black haired girl who looked just like her appeared in front of me for a second.

Maybe I was just seeing things.

"..What's your name?" I asked her.

She paused. It doesn't look she doesn't want to tell me.. but rather, there's no answer she can give me.

"Hey, there you are--"  A voice of a guy interrupted the silence between the two of us. We looked at the direction of the voice.

"Brother! You're back" Her eyes lit up at the sight of the black haired boy wearing traditional clothes like her.

Brother? Oh, how nice. I always wanted a sibling.

Wait.. Sibling?

Family..
Parents?

Where are my parents?

"Who's that??" With a slightly annoyed voice, her brother pointed at me.

"Oh, he's a human" She answered her brother casually.

"I see.. that means he's.." Her brother averted his gaze, as if he was disappointed about something he really can't say.

"Yes.." She smiled.. but it seemed different this time. I saw bitterness in her smile and melancholy in her eyes.