Nera's eyes opened, and immediately she knew something was amiss. Her heart felt empty, her mind completely lost in a daze. She rose from her bed, swinging open her bedroom door. Nobody, not a single soul within the orphanage.80Please respect copyright.PENANA4Qo35eVSri
"Ms. Melody? Nurse Chiaka?" Neither of the adults answered her. She ran into the nurse's office, and the old man was gone as well. She heard a sound, footsteps, small footsteps, likely another orphan.80Please respect copyright.PENANAOkZPPdozfu
"What are you shouting about, Nera?" Eri yawned, rubbing her eyes out. "Where is everyone?"80Please respect copyright.PENANAI0bmMg89g8
Eri now realized the situation. "Are we alone here?"80Please respect copyright.PENANAtd7ZTqNoHj
"I think so. We should probably check outside."80Please respect copyright.PENANAsOC1z9jtbv
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."
Exiting the orphanage, the two girls noticed all the other orphans staring across the hill. "Oh, you two are still here as well? I guess all the orphans were left behind as usual."80Please respect copyright.PENANA1rxp7gSzGo
"What are you talking about, Winter?"80Please respect copyright.PENANAraNbzqgcKe
She pointed towards the city, and every vehicle in the road was either crashed or fully stopped. "W-What in the-"80Please respect copyright.PENANAnZTkwcl1Hg
"Did your dreams tell you anything?"
Nera hesitantly answered. "No. I don't think I could've ever predicted something like this. Do you think some sort of apocalypse happened?"80Please respect copyright.PENANAUikwLk0n4J
"You mean like zombies?" Dud butted in, trying to hide his fear. "If it was that, we would of heard it, right? Zombies would've ate us already."80Please respect copyright.PENANAlNCE6mT0xi
"I was thinking, maybe some sort of mass abduction?"80Please respect copyright.PENANAympmLkzL8f
Winter sighed. "Why would we be left behind? It doesn't make any sense, unless they only wanted the adults for some reason."
"Should we go down there and check?" Delta suggested.80Please respect copyright.PENANAST4BQRbfcR
The children were all hesitant. After all, every person they ever known or wished to know, disappeared from the face of the world. They were a group who barely understood the necessary measures to take to stay alive.80Please respect copyright.PENANAR1w2GoarnJ
"We should explore in two groups. Winter, I trust that you can lead the first one."80Please respect copyright.PENANARH5vcDzanU
"Nera, you know I'm not a good leader."80Please respect copyright.PENANAON5a8mv9BD
"Winter, this will be the time to change that. I'll go with you, and we can take Eri as well."80Please respect copyright.PENANA36WB0DQ4go
"I'll lead the other group." Nester decided. "Delta should come with me, along with Dud."80Please respect copyright.PENANAx7oKgXpyy6
"What about the twins?"
Sage and Nova looked at each other, and split between the two groups. "Well, this is the best option." Delta commented. "These two are kind of like radios. If something bad happens, we might be able to alert each other."80Please respect copyright.PENANAVN6z4FdfyO
"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now." Nester said softly. "Just... be careful, all of you."80Please respect copyright.PENANA9Ibj5P3fOB
It was a surprise to see him being the team leader, but in this situation, it was the only thing keeping them alive. In the silent ghost town they now lived in, any further silence would drive them to insanity.
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"Where to first, Winter?"
"I was going to ask you the same thing."
"Well, I was thinking about searching the hill."
"Up here? For what reason?"
"The others are searching the city, but I feel like answers might be here. Let's explore the playground, then the forest. I have a strange feeling about that forest."80Please respect copyright.PENANAxQt1Zv6v87
"Now that you mention it, Nera, the old man said something was chasing him."80Please respect copyright.PENANAHmfASeyc1N
"Alright then, it's decided."80Please respect copyright.PENANA0wPyApZ4Wk
In the playground, the swing moved without life. The only thing guiding it back and forth was the wind blowing behind it. Like a metronome, the sound of squeaking was constant from the chains. A playground without children was nothing but haunting.
"What do you expect to find here?" Eri asked Nera politely. "If the nurse or our caretaker left out the back door, we might be able to find a trace of them."
They searched for an hour, digging through the sand, traveling beyond the fence surrounding the area, but there was nothing. Eri got worn out easily. Whether it was from the stress or the lack of communication from her sisters, she just continued to swing gently with Nova.80Please respect copyright.PENANAcT7oTPOl8t
"I'm scared, Eri."80Please respect copyright.PENANA1mbf4sb6A8
"I'm sure we'll figure things out, just like that puzzle we did together."80Please respect copyright.PENANAj0xG3qHiXy
"This isn't the same thing. The whole world might be dead and we might all die alone."80Please respect copyright.PENANAzks02C1Mxp
"Now, I'm scared."
They laughed together, but it was short lived. With their head towards the ground, Eri continued the conversation. "Well, if you think about it, we have a lifetime supply of food in the city..."80Please respect copyright.PENANA7CpjpwZq3Z
"...and we don't need to worry about being homeless! We can also travel anywhere. Like the carnival, the aquarium, the-"80Please respect copyright.PENANAZpruBInzbY
"Yeah, it can't be all that bad... but I miss Nurse Chiaka and Ms. Melody."80Please respect copyright.PENANAk9hfI1hXLI
"I'm sad about that too, but we would've lost them someday anyway."80Please respect copyright.PENANAvBVe5RpvJW
"What place do you want to go, Nova?"80Please respect copyright.PENANASuLt6cEhz9
"A museum."
"That's boring."
"I like learning, and so does Sage... it's the only thing we really have in common. I thought if we could see sculptures of dinosaurs or something, we might be able to share a hobby together."80Please respect copyright.PENANANIbCfG2bJV
"That hobby being?"80Please respect copyright.PENANA9wvFuieqEQ
"Paleontology."80Please respect copyright.PENANArhEjR8qf6A
"That word is too big for me, let's stop talking about it." They shared another laugh together, and like a metronome, they stared at the ground once again. This time they remained silent, waiting for their sisters to return.80Please respect copyright.PENANANWp3U12B6R
"Eri, Sage, why are you just sitting here?"80Please respect copyright.PENANAq4XnR1Tevh
"We got tired of searching." Eri answered. "We're sorry."80Please respect copyright.PENANA5MIsEl901t
"It's fine, we're not mad. I just want to make sure you're keeping an eye out for anything. I don't want you two getting hurt."80Please respect copyright.PENANAKZW3rONhIx
"Are we checking the forest now?"80Please respect copyright.PENANAa6CI8oLBuG
"Yeah, we better hurry before the others get back. I just hope they packed enough food."80Please respect copyright.PENANALNko6KnFex
"Whose going to cook it though?"
A good question, and nobody in their group had an answer. At this point, their only hope was for someone to learn. "If nobody else volunteers, I'll do it." Winter decided. "I have watched Ms. Melody prepare meals, so at the very least, I should be able to handle the basics."80Please respect copyright.PENANAbpSB2cJi2l
"Alright, and we'll all try our best to help."80Please respect copyright.PENANAaNLj33jnHK
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The crunching of the leaves under their feet caused every creature to flee. "Hey Nera, do you think we'll ever need to hunt for our food?"80Please respect copyright.PENANA0ZzACyrC6q
"Hunting? I'm not sure. It depends on whether the food we find can be preserved. If not, then I'd rather try building a farm instead."80Please respect copyright.PENANAYl6KjTHnl4
"I guess I forgot about that option."
Eri stopped in place, her face lighting up with joy. "Hey, I think I found something." The other girls rush over, finding nothing but a stream. "We could probably purify this if we need to, right?"80Please respect copyright.PENANAJ9gCfdd8NA
"It would be quite challenging, but possible. I think I read that boiling water will kill bacteria."80Please respect copyright.PENANAYD7SjVURjC
"But do you know how to boil water?"
"Like I said, I'm willing to learn how to cook." Winter answered. A white rabbit in the distance stared directly at her. Its beady red eyes, seemed almost surprised to see human life.80Please respect copyright.PENANAw9S9QgfGiQ
The rabbit fled, as the sound nearby was a common predator. "Did I just hear something growling?"80Please respect copyright.PENANANNpj5xRkW2
Dashing through the trees was a red fox, scaring Eri enough to make her fall over. "Are you alright?" Sage asked. "It don't think they are harmful, unless they have rabies."80Please respect copyright.PENANARexj1pBuik
"Well, does it?"80Please respect copyright.PENANA5c41Of1RxM
Nera stared at the fox, not really knowing what to look for. "No, I don't think so, or it would've attacked us on sight."80Please respect copyright.PENANA44eA4zYUUK
"I don't like this place." Eri whined. "It's cold, there are rabies, and now my leg hurts."80Please respect copyright.PENANADet9fpPD8I
"You'll be okay, Eri, just stay close to us."80Please respect copyright.PENANAzHqZ5Qy6KD
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"Eri." A voice called out to the youngest child. "Follow me, Eri. Don't let them know where we're going."80Please respect copyright.PENANAQwWm4TJ5OM
"Eri, is everything okay?" Winter asked. "Yeah, let's just keep moving."80Please respect copyright.PENANAn7FkAD7Wmy
As the group followed the stream in one direction, Eri explored the opposite direction on her own. "This will take some getting used to, but I should be fine." Navigating rough foliage and unmarked paths, Eri found a cave that seemed to lead deep underground.80Please respect copyright.PENANA5bmc9K9Rfz
"Good job, Eri. Now, let me guide you through." A sparkle of light ignited, and the creature was revealed to be a fairy. "You're so pretty!" Eri cheered. "Why thank you! You are quite pretty yourself."80Please respect copyright.PENANAayV1mRK9j1
While seeing such a mythical creature would naturally be a warning sign, Eri was too hypnotized by its friendly charm to ignore it. With no further hesitation, she entered the cave.80Please respect copyright.PENANAxnNEi9pKGq
Water dripped from the top of the cave, along with stone icicles that hoped to pierce an unaware passerby. "What is down here exactly?" Eri asked. "A kingdom full of fairies of course! I know this cave looks quite grim, but if we stayed in the open, something would kill us without question."80Please respect copyright.PENANA7neaLZxCBf
"Will I even be able to fit? Fairies are quite small, so wouldn't there homes be as well."80Please respect copyright.PENANAxMbUwSlT38
"We have made them human size, just in case we got any visitors."80Please respect copyright.PENANABJVS44N2zu
"That's quite bizarre."80Please respect copyright.PENANAvlU0PkuiV7
In the deepest part of the cave was a bridge, brightly lit from the hanging lanterns nearby. "What is lighting those?"80Please respect copyright.PENANA8whR9GdvAu
"Stardust."80Please respect copyright.PENANAoehLOQb5pO
"How do you obtain something that's all the way in space?"80Please respect copyright.PENANApt82UsLz4q
"There is another place you can get stardust, child."80Please respect copyright.PENANAwVSQIZuE78
"Where?"80Please respect copyright.PENANAZHm3fJTZ6r
"You will see soon enough."80Please respect copyright.PENANAIiGOHGhNyg
The gates of the fairy kingdom opened before them. There were crystalized buildings of plenty, various shapes and sizes, all connected together with wooden bridges. "So pretty!" Eri cheered once again. "Yes, it took us so long to build this place. That stardust you saw on the way in, was used in the kingdom's development."80Please respect copyright.PENANATo426souOE
"It does more than light lanterns?"80Please respect copyright.PENANAE7RzLlmHY1
"Much more. It gives us energy; the energy to build, cast spells, and it's a necessary food source."80Please respect copyright.PENANAEcoJVIlrJz
"You eat stardust?"80Please respect copyright.PENANAgpsMDskXxV
"All living things need something to eat, child."80Please respect copyright.PENANAQ1tyrewQs1
"What sort of spells can you cast?"80Please respect copyright.PENANAMPjZAqVGep
"Why don't you take a guess."80Please respect copyright.PENANA9H5FeQaoRm
"Well, fairies are sometimes associated with dreaming, so they should have a sleeping spell."80Please respect copyright.PENANAFIFmMAO3ht
"Yep, we have a spell like that. We also have a charming spell, a transmutation spell, a stardust extraction spell.80Please respect copyright.PENANAkU6Fx2mHwr
"You still never told me where you are getting it from."80Please respect copyright.PENANAZPBYibhxHH
"Patience, child."80Please respect copyright.PENANA3ZQkifVEcG
"Sorry, miss fairy. Oh right, do you have a name?"80Please respect copyright.PENANAIGnd0DZYj9
"I'm Rosaline, the queen of the kingdom."80Please respect copyright.PENANAktq0nhkXJc
"I already got to meet the queen!"80Please respect copyright.PENANAcWgndCuyVn
"Yep, and our next stop is the castle. I have a large banquet prepared just for our human guests."80Please respect copyright.PENANAmQQ1qfAEoj
"Really? Then let me go get my brothers and sisters."80Please respect copyright.PENANAStNNn5qIdN
"Actually, that's not possible. I have a feeling they wouldn't be as accepting as you, my dear child. Fairies have a good intuition for things like that."80Please respect copyright.PENANArKxQBSOeMY
"Dud and the twins might be fine with it."80Please respect copyright.PENANAx90gtI69Um
"I'm sure they would, but getting them here would require causing quite a commotion. For now, just stuff your belly, and we will discuss this later."80Please respect copyright.PENANAtL8khZLxlN
Eri did just that. Once she arrived at the queen's castle, a group of fairies with chef hats laid down plate after plate. After she had her fill, the queen guided her to a room where she could rest.80Please respect copyright.PENANACBIZTEGaWs
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Nera and the others, finally stopped and realized something amiss. "Where is Eri? Eri! Come back to us, Eri!" Nera shouted. There was no response. "S-She was just behind us a moment ago! S-She couldn't have gone far, we should be able to find her if we backtrack!"80Please respect copyright.PENANAjYwj6oICrS
"Winter, calm down. You're starting to panic. We'll find her, I'm sure of it."80Please respect copyright.PENANAPYv4pDV8p3
Nova remained silent, remembering the voice that she heard only a while ago. She thought it was her imagination, but maybe deciding so soon, was a grave mistake on her part. In the cave, a place they never could imagine existed, an unintelligible scream went silent.80Please respect copyright.PENANAsVyEtaGO9z