KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK
A young girl around 10-12 years pushed open the door as hard as she could with bright colorful flowers on her left hand and entered with a bright smile.
" Mother look what I brought? Your favorite sunflower."
"Aria show some manners in front of the guest. Please forgive her for her rude behavior, she is still learning. This is my only daughter Aria. Aria introduce yourself."
Aria straightened immediately, her bright smile shrinking into something shy and polite. She clutched the sunflower to her chest like a shield.
"S‑Sorry, Mother…" She turned toward Scarlet, cheeks pink. "My name is Aria. It's nice to meet you!"
Scarlet blinked.
The girl's energy hit her like a warm breeze — unexpected, disarming, and painfully innocent. Scarlet managed a small smile.
"It's nice to meet you too, Aria."
Aria beamed again, bouncing on her toes. "Mother said we have a guest, but she didn't tell me you were so pretty!"
Scarlet choked on her own breath. "P‑Pretty?!"
Aria nodded vigorously. "Uh‑huh! Like a princess from the storybooks!"
Scarlet's face heated. "I—I'm not—"
"Aria," her mother warned gently.
Aria froze, then bowed stiffly. "I apologize for my rudeness!"
Scarlet waved her hands quickly. "No, no, it's fine! Really!"
Aria peeked up, relieved. "So… um… are you staying with us? Mother said you were hurt."
Scarlet hesitated.
The truth was… she didn't got hurt anywhere, she was just mentally shocked and didn't know what was happing. Not where she was. Not how she got here. Not why she woke up in the middle of some village with half her memories scrambled.
She forced a small smile.
"I… suppose I am. At least until I am figure out everything."
Aria's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Everything? Like what?"
Scarlet opened her mouth… then closed it again.
How was she supposed to explain that?
That she woke up in a place she didn't recognize. That she didn't know how she got there.
"…A lot of things," Scarlet said softly.
Aria nodded very seriously, as if Scarlet had just confessed to a great cosmic burden. "I understand. I forget things too! Like where I put my shoes. Or my homework. Or my—"
"Aria," Mira cut in gently.
Aria straightened. "Right. Sorry."
Scarlet couldn't help a small laugh. "It's alright. I… appreciate the honesty."
Aria brightened again. "Then you can stay! At least until you remember everything. Or until Mother says you're better. Or until—"
"Aria."
Aria clamped her mouth shut, cheeks puffing like a pouting squirrel.
Mrs. Wynn stepped forward, smoothing her daughter's hair. "What Aria means is… you're welcome here. For as long as you need."
Scarlet nodded, grateful. "Thank you. Truly."
Mrs. Wynn smiled warmly — a little too warmly for a stranger, Scarlet realized now that she was paying attention.
"You're safe with us," she said.
Scarlet wanted to believe that. She really did.
But something in Mrs. Wynn's eyes flickered — a shadow of guilt, quickly hidden behind kindness.
"It's for you," she said proudly. "Sunflowers always look toward the light. So… maybe it'll help you find yours."
Scarlet's breath caught.
It was such a simple gesture. So pure. So painfully sincere.
She took the flower gently. "Thank you, Aria. It's beautiful."
Aria beamed. "Just like you!"
Scarlet nearly dropped the sunflower. "W‑What?!"
Mrs. Wynn sighed. "Aria…"
"What? It's true!"
Scarlet's face warmed. "I… uh… thank you."
Aria giggled and ran off toward the kitchen. "I'll get the basket to pluck some charryapples near the forest!"
Mrs. Wynn watched her go, then turned back to Scarlet with a worried .
"What am I gonna do with her, always in a hurry... but she is a good girl. Scarlet if you don't mind can you go with her to pluck some charryapples and bring her back before evening and if she doesn't listen to you, just grab her ears and drag all the way to home."
Scarlet blinked at the request.
"G‑Grab her ears…?" she echoed, unsure if she'd heard correctly.
Mrs. Wynn sighed dramatically, rubbing her temples. "Yes. Her ears. It's the only thing that works. She's stubborn as a mule and twice as fast. If you don't keep an eye on her, she'll wander halfway to the river before you can blink."
Scarlet stared toward the kitchen doorway where Aria had vanished, sunflower petals still scattered on the floor.
"…She seems energetic," Scarlet said carefully.
"Energetic?" Mrs. Wynn snorted. "That girl has the soul of a hurricane. If she were born with wings, she'd be terrorizing the skies."
Scarlet couldn't help a small laugh. "I'll… keep that in mind."
Mrs. Wynn softened, placing a gentle hand on Scarlet's shoulder. "Please. I know you're still recovering, but Aria listens better to strangers than to me. And she adores you already. Just make sure she doesn't go too close to the forest edge."
Scarlet tilted her head. "Is it dangerous?"
Mrs. Wynn's smile faltered for a split second — barely noticeable, but Scarlet caught it.
"…Only if she wanders too far," she said quickly. "The charryapple grove is safe. Just stay on the path."
Scarlet nodded slowly. "Alright. I'll go with her."
Mrs. Wynn exhaled in relief. "Thank you. Truly."
A moment later, Aria burst back into the room with a woven basket nearly half her size.
"Scarlet! Let's go! The charryapples are ripest today!" She grabbed Scarlet's hand with surprising strength. "Come on, come on!"
Scarlet stumbled after her. "O‑Okay! I'm coming!"
Mrs. Wynn called after them, voice sweet but strained.
"Be back before evening!"
Aria waved without looking back. "We will!"
Scarlet glanced over her shoulder.
Mrs. Wynn stood in the doorway, smiling.
But her eyes…
Her eyes weren't watching Aria.
They were watching Scarlet.
And the look wasn't relief.
It was guilty eyes.
"I am sorry, Scarlet," Mira whispered to herself, voice barely audible. "As I told you… Aria is my only daughter."
Scarlet barely had time to steady herself before Aria grabbed her hand and took off down the dirt path.
"Come on, Scarlet! The charryapples are gonna be gone if we're slow!"
"Aria—! Slow down!" Scarlet stumbled after her, nearly tripping over her own feet.
Aria didn't slow down.
If anything, she sped up.
Her laughter echoed through the quiet village road, bright and carefree, the woven basket bouncing wildly at her side.
Scarlet couldn't help a breathless laugh. "You're going to pull my arm off at this rate!"
"That means you're too slow!" Aria declared proudly.
Scarlet groaned. "You're impossible."
Aria grinned up at her. "Mother says the same thing!"
"I believe her."
They ran past the last row of houses, the village fading behind them as the path opened into a field dotted with tall grass and scattered wildflowers. The air smelled sweet — a mix of earth, sunlight, and the faint fruity scent of charryapples carried on the breeze.
Aria finally slowed, letting go of Scarlet's hand only to skip ahead.
"See? Not far at all!" she said, pointing toward a cluster of trees with bright red fruit hanging low.
Scarlet caught her breath, hands on her knees. "You… have too much energy."
Aria puffed out her chest. "I'm growing!"
"Into what? A tornado?"
"A very cute tornado!"
Scarlet laughed despite herself. "I'll give you that. But I have been wandering about these charryapples. What exactly are they?"
Aria gasped as if Scarlet had just confessed to not knowing what water was.
"You don't know what charryapples are?!"
Scarlet raised her hands defensively. "I'm… not from around here, I've come from a very far place."
"Oh! I see!" Aria nodded with a hand on her chin, her expression exaggeratedly thoughtful — like a tiny scholar trying to solve a great mystery.
Then her eyes sparkled.
"Is it farther than the capital?"
Scarlet smiled awkwardly. "Much farther."
"Farther than the mountains?"
"Much, much farther."
Aria gasped. "Farther than the ocean?!"
Scarlet laughed softly. "Yes. You could say… it's a whole different world."
Aria froze.
Her mouth dropped open.
Her basket slipped from her hands and hit the ground with a soft thump.
"A… a different world?" she whispered, eyes wide as saucers.
Scarlet winced. "Ah—well, I didn't mean to say it like that, but—"
"That's AMAZING!" Aria suddenly exploded with excitement, grabbing Scarlet's hands and bouncing up and down. "You're like a hero from the storybooks! Or a chosen one! Or a lost princess! Or—"
"Aria, Aria—slow down!" Scarlet laughed, trying not to fall over.
Aria didn't slow down.
"You came from another world! That's so cool! Do you have dragons there? Or magic? Or glowing fruit? Or—"
"No dragons," Scarlet said quickly. "No magic. Definitely no glowing fruit."
Aria gasped dramatically. "Your world sounds so boring!"
Scarlet snorted. "Compared to this place… yeah, it kind of is."
Aria nodded sagely, as if she were a wise elder. "Well! Since you're new here, I'll teach you everything! Starting with charryapples!"
She marched toward the nearest tree with the confidence of a general leading an army.
Scarlet followed, amused. "Alright, Professor Aria. What are charryapples?"
Aria plucked a bright red fruit which was the size of her palm and held it up proudly.
"These are charryapples! They're sweet, juicy, and when you cut them open, you see a translucent jelly type of thing inside!"
Scarlet blinked. "? That's… basically lychee, isn't it," she whispered to herself.
Before she could think any further, Aria shoved the charryapple straight into her mouth.
"Here! Try it! Do you like it?!"
Scarlet made a muffled noise of surprise, eyes wide as she tried not to choke on the sudden explosion of sweetness.
"Mmph—Aria—!"
Aria leaned in eagerly, practically vibrating with anticipation. "Well? WELL?!"
Scarlet finally managed to chew and swallow, wiping juice from her lips.
"…It's good," she admitted. "Really good, actually."
Aria pumped her fist triumphantly. "HA! I knew it! Charryapples never lose!"
Scarlet raised an eyebrow. "Lose… to what?"
Aria crossed her arms, dead serious. "To any other fruit. Obviously."
Scarlet snorted. "You're very passionate about fruit."
"Fruit is important!" Aria declared. "Especially charryapples! They're the best snack, the best dessert, the best emergency food, the best—"
"Okay, okay," Scarlet laughed. "I get it."
Aria grinned proudly, hands on her hips. "Good! Now that you know it, let's fill-up this basket until it can no longer hold anymore."
Aria and Scarlet wandered through the forest, gathering as many charryapples as they could find. Sunlight streamed through the gaps between the trees and leaves, casting warm patches of gold across the ground. The air was crisp and fresh, like morning dew, and the songs of countless birds filled the forest—a gentle chorus that felt like pure bliss. Everything around them seemed beautiful and alive.
"It's not so bad… it actually feels safe," Scarlet whispered to herself as she gazed at the morning sun.
"Scarlet! Over here! Hurry, come on! Honestly… you walk so slow!"
Aria grabbed Scarlet's hand and pulled her along, running toward a wide field of flowers—sunflowers, tall and bright.
"Scarlet, let's pick some sunflowers before we head home."
As they gathered the blossoms, Scarlet noticed a lake shimmering at the far edge of the sunflower field.
Scarlet slipped away from the sunflower field, following a faint shimmer she'd noticed between the stalks. The moment she stepped past the last row of flowers, a cool breeze brushed against her face.
Whoa… this place feels totally different. Aria I'm going over that lake for a minute.
A quiet lake stretched out before her, its surface so smooth it looked like someone had polished it on purpose. The water reflected the sky perfectly—almost too perfectly. Scarlet crouched down, half expecting something magical to jump out.
That's when she saw it.
Floating near the shore was a single blue lily, glowing softly as if it had absorbed the morning light and decided to keep it for itself. Its petals shimmered with a faint, almost mystical aura.
Scarlet blinked. "… That is so beautiful."
She leaned closer, and the lily drifted toward her, almost like it was greeting her. When she dipped her fingers into the water, a gentle pulse of light rippled across the surface.
"Scarlet! Hey—Scarlet! Don't wander off without saying anything!" Aria burst through the sunflowers, panting lightly as she skidded to a stop beside her.
But instead of scolding her further, Aria brightened suddenly. "Oh! Before I forget—here."
She lifted something from behind her back: a handmade sunflower crown. The petals were bright and warm, woven together with surprising skill. It looked almost too perfect to be made on the spot.
Scarlet blinked. "You… made this?"
Aria puffed out her chest a little. "Of course! I'm not just good at gathering charryapples, you know. I figured it'd suit you."
Scarlet hesitated, then let Aria gently place the sunflower crown on her head. The flowers felt warm from Aria's hands, and the scent was sweet and comforting.
Aria stepped back, grinning. "See? Totally fits you. Very 'mysterious forest girl who wanders off without warning.'"
Scarlet rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "Thanks… it's really pretty. Thank you Aria."
Your welcome Scarlet and thank you-thank you very much for coming here. Scarlet I really like you. So would you be my friend?
But the way Aria said it… something in her voice shifted. It wasn't her usual bright, teasing tone. It was softer. Lower. Almost trembling.
"And... Scarlet... Even if something happens between us, promise me that you will always forgive me. PROMISE ME."
Scarlet blinked, surprised by the sudden seriousness in Aria's voice. The sunflower crown felt warm on her head, almost grounding her as she looked at Aria's trembling expression.
"Aria… hey," Scarlet said softly, stepping a little closer. "What are you talking about? Aren't we already friends and friends always forgive each other."
Then Scarlet gently touched Aria's arm. "Aria, I don't know what you're worried about… but I'm not going anywhere atleast for now. You see I have a friend, a very good who is missing right now and I must find her. And when I know that she is safe, I will come back with her and I will introduce both of you to each other. And I know for sure that you two will become very good friends."