"Shiro, guard the house until I return," Celestia ordered, as she always did before leaving the house.

Shiro nodded and rose to his feet. His heavy figure reached all the way to Celestia’s chest, his massive frame blocking the doorway.

The laziness in his black eyes vanished. He sat firmly with his front legs straight at the door, his gaze fixed on the path ahead. Nothing would pass him unnoticed.

After giving him a few gentle pats, Celestia moved past the handful of wooden houses that made up the farm village. She followed the path flanked by modest farms on both sides. The weather was cloudy, the sun hidden behind a thick blanket of grey. A cozy wind whistled through the air, swaying the golden crops of wheat that stood ready for harvest.

After a few minutes of walking, she reached the high walls of the city. The chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves gave way to the loud chatter of people, the clang of metal striking stone, and the rumble of wheels spinning over cobblestone.

Celestia did not like the noisy life of the city. The only time she came here was for shopping. She passed the blacksmith’s shop, where sparks flew with every hammer fall. She passed the fruit vendors, where customers haggled with sellers over prices. She passed the clothing shop where Tristan had bought her a dress, the first dress she had ever worn in this world. She slowed there for a moment, reminiscing about those warm memories, a faint smile touching her lips before she moved forward.

She stopped only after reaching a provision store. There she bought sugar, salt, cooking oil, and other daily necessities.

"I should buy some candies and treats for Roland and Shiro," she murmured. Her eyes turned to the shoe vendor as she continued, "Tristan also needs a new pair of shoes."

She walked a couple of steps, but then came to a halt as she noticed something bizarre. All the noises had turned distant. She could barely hear the clatter of the blacksmith striking hot iron. The merchants and customers moved their lips, but their voices came through only as faint whispers, barely audible.

"Wh-what’s happening?" Celestia murmured, her eyes narrowing. "Is it an illusion spell, or perhaps poison?"

Aren’t you scared, Ezekiel?

An ominously deep voice echoed. Since I was connected to her memories, I also heard the voice clearly. It felt threatening and chilling at the same time, a voice that spoke like a human but felt far from it.

"Who is it?" Celestia demanded, her voice sharp.

How long are you going to keep lying to Tristan?

The voice rumbled again. It felt as though someone was speaking inside my head.

You do not belong to this world. Yet you dared to seek belonging here. Everything you have built is fake. Your love, your family, all of it is a lie.

Celestia’s expression hardened. Her fist clenched until her knuckles turned white. "My family is real! They love me as much as I love them. Who the hell are you to speak in my head? Come before me, coward!"

HAHAHAHAHA

The voice rippled, raw and unfiltered, echoing through her mind like thunder.

I am your deepest fear, Ezekiel Silverhart. I came to warn you about the wheel of fate.

Everything that you have filled inside the fragile glass bottle of lies is about to be shattered. The world rejects you, and so does everything created by you.

You will lose them.

You will lose everything!

Hahahahahaha

Hahahaha

Hahaha...

The voice slowly faded, and the loud rattling of the city returned. The clatter of carts, the shouts of merchants, the laughter of children, all of it rushed back like a flood.

Yet all of it was dimmed against the heartbeat of Celestia, which rumbled like war drums inside her chest. Her face had turned pale, her complexion darkened with dread, and her breathing came in short, heavy gasps.

"T-Tristan... Roland... Shiro..." She murmured, her lips trembling. She pivoted on her heel and broke into a sprint, her bag bumping against her hip as she raced back outside of the city.

Just as she reached the city gate, the vision blurred, the world twisting into a spiral of colours.

A thud of something falling echoed, and the vision went completely black.

Everything had turned utterly silent.

"What in the world is going on?" I murmured, both stunned and confused.

After a few seconds, the spiral of colours returned again. It spun in a circular pattern as it reformed the world.

It was midnight. The usual clean night sky was now filled with black clouds, heavy and low.

Towers of black smoke rose at irregular distances. Mighty flames swallowed the golden wheat that I had seen on the way earlier that day.

Celestia was lying at the centre of a field, the fire surrounding her from every direction.

"M-my head," she groaned, clutching her temples. "Where am... I?"

As she became fully conscious, she remembered the words of the strange voice.

"N-no! Tristan!" She muttered, jumping to her feet.

With a single sweep of her hand, a surge of blue energy along with a storming wind burst outward, forcing open a path through the flames.

She ran straight through the cleared path toward the dirt road that led to her village.

The farms on both sides were set ablaze, the flames rising high into the air like parallel walls of fire.

Her eyes burned with a bright blue glow as she covered the remaining distance in just a few seconds.

The peaceful farming village that she had left only a few hours ago had been turned into ruins of burning planks and broken houses. Trolls, goblins, orcs, direwolves, and every kind of monster she had fought until now were breaking havoc everywhere.

Her eyes widened, fear coursing through her very being. She did not question where the monsters had come from. She did not try to fight any of them.

She ran straight through them and past the corpses of the farmers she had known for the past five years.

None of them mattered at this point. There was only one thing her mind was filled with.

"Please be safe... please be safe..." She whispered continuously as she turned the corner and reached before her house.