The forest was looking endless.
Majestic trees with silvery bark rose. Their leaves glowing faintly as sunlight flitered through.
Markil walked beside Melian.
Markil tired to walk.
His steps kept coming out too light... Or too heavy.
"Why is walking suddenly so complicated." Markil muttered.
Melian glanced at him.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Markil replied quickly. "Just relearning how to use my legs."
She blinked.
"Legs?"
"Long story."
They walked In silence for a few moments.
Birds flew overhead. While water flowed nearby. The forest smelled fresh in a way Markil had never experienced.
Markil suddenly stopped.
He inhaled deeply.
"Wow..."
Melian stopped too.
"What?"
"This place..." Markil said slowly. "It's insanely clean."
"Clean?" She repeated.
"No smoke.No trash. No weird chemical smell." He looked around in awe. "Not even noise pollution."
Melian tilted her head.
"...pollu... What?"
"Never mind," Markil sighed.
"Just some memories I want to forget."
She smiled softly.
"You humans are strange creatures."
"Hey!" Markil said defensively. "I resemble that remark."
She giggled.
They continued walking until.
The sound of flowing water grew louder.
Soon..., the trees splited slightly revealing a wide, clear A river sparkling in the sun Markil froze.
"No way..."
Melian looked at Markil's face.
Melian the looked proud.
"The river of lirien.Isn't it beautiful,This river gets from our kingdom."
Markil slowly approaches the water, crouching down.
"It's transparent," he whispered. "Like actually clean."
He dipped his fingers into it.
Cold refreshing.
"... I can see my hand clearly."
Melian laughed.
"Of course you can. It's water."
"You don't understand," Markil said seriously.
"Rivers like this only exist in my dreams."
She crouched beside him.
"That sounds sad."
"It is..." Markil said "it's very sad."
Markil splashed the water onto his hands.
"This feels illegal," he muttered. "Like I'm violating some environmental law."
Melian blinked.
"Hey! Are you okay? I'm not able to understand what are you trying to say."
"You will never understand."
Markil got tears in his eyes.
Melian got in shock.
"I'm sorry causing you pain was never mind intention."
"... No worries I was just wondering."
Markil wiped his tears.
"Are you a criminal?"
"Emotionally? Yes."
She laughed again.
Then Markil saw Melian staring at him.
Her ears twitched.
Her cheeks slowly turned pink.
"What?" Markil asked.
She flinched.
"Nothing!"
"You're staring."
"No, I am not!"
"You absolutely were."
She looked away quickly.
"I was just... thinking."
"Thinking... What?"
"That humans are strange."
"That again?"
"And that you look different in light."
Markil paused.
"Different...How?"
Her blush deepened.
"...Clean."
Silence.
Markil stared at her.
"...Is there something on my face?"
She panicked.
"No! I mean yes, I mean no!..."
She pressed her hands against his face.
"I-I ...embarrassed myself..."
Markil chuckled.
"It's Okay! I do that too..."
She peeped through her fingers.
"Really?"
"Yeah.Constantly."
She relaxed slightly.
Markil straightened and then froze.
The world shifted.
Light was everywhere.
Glowing threads of green,blue, and golden filled the air,the trees,the water, and the ground.Even the stones beneath Markil's feet.
"How the...Fuck?" Markil thought.
"I was not able to see it previously this much,Is this real what I am seeing, It's so glowy."
The forest wasn't just alive, It was breathing.
It was breathing Mana.
Markil's breath caught.
He raised his one hand.
Light wrapped around it like mist.
"I can see it." Markil thought.
Melian tilted her head.
"...See what?"
"The glowing stuff."
She looked around.
"There's nothing glowing..."
Markil frowned.
"What!?"
He pointed at a tree.
"That.The blue flow. It's coming out of the bark."
Melian stared at the bark.
"Markil, it's just a tree."
"No, it's full of energy." He said slowly.
She looked at him carefully.
"...Are you feeling,Okay?"
Markil scanned the whole surroundings around him.
Mana pulsed through the river like veins of light, it was flowing through leaves, stones, insects, even through air.
"I can see this,Is this what they call Mana?" Markil whispered.
"You can what?"
"You can't see it?"
"No, only mages can sense Mana, and even then vague."
Markil Swallowed.
"But I am not sensing it, I'm seeing it." Markil thought.
"Hey! Melian i'm seeing the Mana."
Silence fell between them.
Melian took a step back.
"What! Are you kidding me."
"That's not normal."
"Great," Markil muttered. "I'm now abnormal."
She studied carefully.
"...What does it look like?"
He hesitated.
"Like the whole world is made up of light."
Her breath caught.
"That's impossible...!"
Markil clenched his fist.
Mana reacted instantly, swirling faster.
"It response to me..."
Melian eyes got in shock.
"You're not just strong." She whispered.
"You're... Something else."
Markil exhaled slowly.
"Trust me," he said. "I am just confused as you are."
She nodded.
They started walking again.
He kept glancing at Melian.
She walked lightly, humming softly, occasionally tripping on roots and pretending it didn't happen.
At one point,She stumbled.
Markil caught her instinctively.
Their faces where suddenly very close.
"Oh."
"Ah!"
Her ears turned bright red.
"Thank... You."
"N No problem." Markil replied awkwardly.
They stood there a moment too long.
They continued walking.
Markil felt his heart beating strangely fast.
"This world is dangerous." Markil thought."But it's also beautiful."
The sun dippled lower, painting the forest in gold.
Melian looked ahead.
"We'll rest soon."
Markil nodded.
"Melian?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks."
"For what?"
"For not running away from me.Everybody leaved me in my bad time."
She smiled.
"...I think the forest would have chased me."
He laughed.
And for the first time since his death.
Markil felt something unfamiliar.
And that was...
HOPE
"I've first time seen a girl like her."
Markil remebers the girl whom he proposed.
"She didn't leave me, Because I lacked strength.But because I was... shattered. I-I learned that loneliness is the most Agonizing,When it wears the face of a person,Who you trusted the most in the world." Markil thought.
Melian looked at the face of Markil.
"Hey! Are you thinking something?"
"Nothing,Just I'm realising how beautiful life can be."
(Chapter 8 Finished)