Lies. Deception. 

17 years of my life. Gone. Just like that.

Was this what I was meant to do? This was what I was destined for?

I ran down the stairs and out one of the huge ornate doors. I didn't know which one.

Before I knew it, I was in the dark, in the middle of a forest. Covered in snow.

It was freezing. 

I must be in the winter biome. How could I be so careless? I let my emotions get the better of me.

I looked around me. I was lost.

It was so quiet here. The night air howled, sending a shiver down my spine. 

I guess a summery maxi dress with shorts and espadrilles wasn't the best outfit to have on in the middle of a winter forest. 

I hugged myself and rubbed my arms, desperate for warmth. Running away from my problems wasn't the best option, was it? I'll probably freeze to death before anyone finds me.

I miss my friends...

Are they thinking of me? Did Nature erase their memories of me after I left? I wouldn't be surprised if she did. It's to "protect" me, remember?

How could someone be so cruel? The mother of all seasons, nature itself. It's ironic, isn't it? My father, guardian of the dark? At least he didn't wipe out the memories of a part of his population and ship them off to another island.

I dropped to my knees and broke down. My fingers dug into the snow. 

I let everything out. All the pain and betrayal. I sobbed and cried like mad. It was so cold my tears were beginning to freeze.

"Summer."

A familiar voice startled me. 

I frantically wiped my tears away and turned around.

"Henry."

"You're freezing."

He produced a fluffy blanket and wrapped it around me.

"How did you know where to find me?" I asked.

"I have the ability to feel others' emotions and seek the truth. I felt your pain..." he said.

Of course, Henry had powers this whole time. I forgot everyone I knew weren't who I thought they were.

"Did you read my mind?" I asked.

"When?" 

"Back at the cliff with the Twinkling Sapphires. You said what I was thinking at that time."

He sighed in defeat.

"I can only read thoughts that are very strong. I don't intentionally do them unless necessary."

"What am I thinking about now, then?"

"You're scared."

I averted my gaze from him. Has he been doing this all these years?

"What about Ingrid and Hailey? Do they have the same abilities?" I asked.

"Ingrid has beauty abilities. She used to own a clothing store here..." said Henry as he stared out into the horizon.

Ah, so that explains their flawless genes.

"Hailey takes after both of us. She has beauty abilities, but is honest and empathetic as well." he continued.

"Where do you live? I keep being told people live here but I don't see any houses."  I asked.

Besides the huge tower in the middle, which I assume is where Nature and the Seasons live, I haven't seen any other people or houses. Do they live in the sky or something?

"I can show you." he said.

I tentatively took a step back.

Henry nodded as though he understood.

"You don't trust me." he said.

Avoid eye contact.

"I understand that you felt like Ingrid and I only took care of you because Nature told us to, but we both love you very much. You have been like a daughter to me. Our intentions may not have been true but our feelings weren't. I'm sorry, Summer." he said.

He extended his hand and offered it to me.

"How about I make it up to you with a nice meal? I don't think you've eaten much since you got here," he asked.

I finally looked at him and gave him a sad smile.

"That's a start."

I am hungry, after all. 

I took his hand and let him lead me out of the forest.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a few minutes of walking, we reached a clearing of the forest. The view was astonishing.

Cozy, little cottages were all over the place. There were people. 

A group of children played in the snow. A table full of grown ups clink their glasses of beer and laugh. I could smell the aroma of roast chicken.

We were still in the winter biome but it felt so different compared to the quiet forest from before.

This town was bustling with activity. It felt homey. I no longer felt cold.

"So this is where you live?" I asked Henry.

"No. We live in the autumn area." he replied.

"There's another town there?" 

"There are towns in all four of the seasons. The people living in Summer are your people." he smiled as he replied.

My people? I have subjects? Wait, like a queen?

Henry continued walking before I could ask more.

He stopped in front of what looked like a tavern, with the sign saying The Crackling Frost, and opened the door. As soon as we entered, everyone stopped whatever they were doing and gaped at us.

"By the light that has blessed us, it's Ms. Seasons!" shouted someone.

"Ms. Seasons, you have returned!" shouted another.

Soon, everyone bowed. I stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do, with the blanket Henry gave me earlier still draped over me. There was just silence as they waited for me to say something.

I looked at Henry and he avoided eye contact.

I cleared my throat and mustered the courage to say something.

"Tha-" shoot, my voice cracked.

I cleared my throat again.

"Thank you... You may continue with your... Activities..." I said awkwardly.

Everyone stood up and continued what they were doing. The tavern was lively again as if I never walked in.

Well, that could've gone worse.

We sat down at a table and Henry ordered our food.

"So they do have normal food here. I've missed seeing non-magical things," I said.

"We're not all weird and different here, you know. Corium wasn't exactly a non-magical place either," joked Henry.

"Corium was home to me..." I mumbled.

Our food arrived not long after. Creamy potato soup, roasted chicken legs, and buttered corn on the cob. It was delicious. Definitely satisfied my stomach after all that's happened today.

"Did you used to come here often?" I asked while I ate.

"It was one of my favourite places to grab a bite," he said.

"Is it normal for people to travel to other biomes?" I asked.

"It is since half of us are under the sun and half under the moon," he replied.

"I've been wondering, since it's constantly at night here, when do people eat breakfast? And when do people under the sun have dinner?" I asked.

Hey, food is very important to me. Don't judge.

"Mealtimes don't exist. You eat whenever you want," he said.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Back in Corium the sun would rise and set, so we would eat according to time. But here? You eat when you're hungry."

"Does time work differently here? How do you tell when it's day or night?"

"You don't. You just follow the clocks. They tell you when the next day comes."

What.

Henry pointed to an elaborate wall clock on the far side of the tavern. Instead of numbers, it was split into quarters and had little drawings of all the four biomes. Each quarter was a different biome - Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter in clockwise, just like what I saw on the island when I was riding the Twinkling Sapphires. There was only one clock hand and it was shaped in a seed, stopped right before where the number 12 was supposed to be. So I guess when this "clock" strikes 12, it's the next day? Oddly enough, it's not moving at all. 

"Henry, it's not moving," I said.

"Look away and look back at it," he said.

I looked at my chicken drumstick and back at the clock. He's right, the clock hand moved. The clock hand was now in the top-right quarter and what seemed to be a seed before has now sprouted into a seedling. I gasped in astonishment.

"It moves when you're not looking," he said.

"How weird..." I whispered.

We stepped out of the tavern into the cold night after our satisfying meal. There were tons of specks of dust floating in the air, glowing in various colours. They looked like little balls of light. 

"What are these?" I asked.

"Moon Dust," Henry replied.

"Dust? You mean to say that dust in this place actually glows in the dark?"

I stared at the Moon Dust in astonishment. They were all over the place! I reached out and touched one.

I immediately felt a sense of calmness and tranquility.

"Woah, what did I just do?" I exclaimed as I jerked my hand back.

"Moon Dust has calming properties. You can keep it by your bed and it'll give you sweet dreams," said Henry.

Henry fished out a small glass jar from his coat and handed it to me.

"You just happen to have a jar with you?" I asked as I took the jar from him.

He shrugged.

I scooped some of the floating dust with my hands and placed them into the jar, then shut the lid tight.

"Keep that next to you when you sleep," he said.

I hugged the jar tightly and looked down.

"I have to go back there, don't I?" I asked.

"You have to, Summer. Give them a chance. They were only trying to do what's best for you," he said.

I smiled and said, "Thanks, Henry,".

"For what?"

"For being here. And for the meal."

We walked back towards the tower together.