Was I any different from these children? Being unliving but still imprisoned in this world as a spirit. I wandered without purpose.

  “Rirthe, you can see them. If you aren’t aware, they were considered in the Cevandied State,” Philia said.

  “…I was aware all along.” I walked closer to Phoebe.

  The children immediately stared at me. They began to open a way towards Phoebe. She noticed it, her gaze fixing on me. The dust of the flower flew into the air.

  “Phoebe, what if the children want to stay with you?” I kneeled and stared at her eyes.

  She smiled and tilted her head.

  “If that’s the case, well… I’m happy about it. I’m glad that someone actually liked me, even though I never knew what they thought about me.” The children looked at her slightly tearful eyes.

  “But, I can’t abandon my wish for them. I believe that they will be at ease if they aren’t attached to me as an inescapable spirit.” Her hand slowly reached and patted my head.

  The children began to fade. One by one, they diminished into thin air. Phoebe raised her body and walked away. I looked around, seeing an empty room.

  “Congrats, you can’t see them now! I hope it doesn’t change!” She said excitedly.

  I was underestimating human emotion. She was hollow from inside, but she chose that way, she walked towards Philia

  “Hey, you should teach me your language! You promised, didn’t you?” Phoebe grabbed Philia’s shoulder and shook her.

  “Yea, yea, yea. I promise!” Philia tried to release it for Phoebe.

  I stood up and approached them. Phoebe noticed me. She patted my head again.

  “Be happy, don’t be sad. You can’t see them isn’t a bad thing. You haven’t even introduced yourself to me.” She emphasized.

  “Thank you, Lady Phoebe,” I smiled sincerely at her.

  “Didn’t I tell you to just say my name?” she said, upset.

  Suddenly, the dust of the broken flower stopped in the air. They slowly arranged their way back to the original place. We gazed at it. The dust began to accumulate on the floor. It structured the broken flower. The dust began to fill the gap in the structure, then it formed the original broken flower as it was before.

  Out of nowhere, Ethia emerged. He walked towards the broken flower. He picked it up and approached us. As he reached near me, he slowly put the flower down. But, it felt off. I sensed something from it.

  “Ethia, what kind of flower is this?” I took the flower.

  He just replied with his meow. The flower in my hand slowly took effect on me. I gazed at Ethia’s eyes. He stared deeply at me. Then, my view became shattered and blurred.

  “Meow…” He licked his paw.

  My head went heavy. The air was suffocating me. And I dropped the flower. Without warning, the sound emerged into my mind.

  “Swallow it,” the heavy voice echoed.

  Swallow… The flower?

  “Rirthe!” Philia rushed to me.

  She held onto my body to keep it upright. Phoebe approached us, kneeling, and picked up the flower. The effect diminished. My body felt lighter. I tried to stand upright.

  “Are you alright?” Philia asked me.

  “I’m… I’m fine,” I touched my head.

  I looked at the broken flower. The visual was a bit glitchy, yet the presence gradually became more vivid.

  “Did Ethia give this flower?” Phoebe gazed at me.

  “…Yes,” I looked at her.

  She handed the flower to me. The effect was weakened, I barely sensed it. I took it. Black obsidian rose, with the ivory stamens glowed the petals.

  “Have Ethia anything about it?” Phoebe asked.

  “He said…‘swallow it,’” I was investigating the flower.

  “Don’t!” Philia yelled at me.

  I turned my gaze at her. Philia’s eyes stared at me. Her breath was heavier than normal as she grabbed my hand.

  “Don’t… Don’t do it,” she begged.

  “Why?” I asked.

  The flower slipped off my hand. As the flower slowly fell, Ethia immediately jumped to catch it.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean you to get involved in this madness,” She held my hand tighter.

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  Then, I heard something cracking and a chain swinging. My eyes went up. I saw a chandelier move slightly unevenly. Suddenly, it dropped.

  I pushed Philia on the shoulder reflexively. We repelled each other from the falling chandelier.

  As it reached the surface, it crashed. The noise was bursting out, scattering the room’s silence.

  “I never realized that you are that fragile,” Philia’s voice cracked.

  Her tears slowly dripped over her cheeks. Phoebe caught Ethia with the flower. She stood between Philia and me. But Philia was caring for me.

  “Why? I’m just a stranger…” I asked.

  “I never thought of you as a stranger,” she kept yelling.

  “Why?”

  I never understood. Was it because of me? I never think about them. Philia treated me kindly, but I…

  “Why? I know you will…” She went silent.

  “Be a useless person?” I finished her sentence.

  Everyone’s mouths shut. Ethia jumped out of Phoebe’s hands. Ethia slowly walked towards me, bringing the flower. I looked at Ethia. I kneeled and took the flower.

  “At least I have to say something to you,” My eyes were staring at them.

  Philia stood still with her tears as Phoebe looked away from us.

  “I am grateful that I have met with you. But honestly, I can’t put myself along with you all,” I watched the flower.

  It became more static and glitchy. I sniffed it. Then, I gradually opened my mouth. And I put the flower all in. It was hard. Slowly, I swallowed the flower. My throat ached. But it finally went in.

  “Rirthe… I wish you to come back safely,” Philia from afar smiled.

  “What do you mean?” I barely spoke.

  When I finished my words, my heart beat intensely. My body weakened. My mind blacked out. I fell and couldn’t withstand the pain. The vision blurred. As the noise couldn’t be heard, I passed out.

  What was your meaning?

  The question echoed through the uncertainty. I already died… Am I? I could finally release Philia from taking care of me.

  “Hey, what’s your name? Where are you from?” Suddenly, I was able to hear a noise.

  The voice was familiar. It sounded playful yet gentle. I knew it. I remembered his grin. He was the one to give me “Rirthe Virtanous.” I was always thinking about what it means. I didn’t even know who I was.

  In the iridescence, something was drawing. A colorful crayon. It scrambled around the rift, visualizing a sketch.

  “Welcome home, Jetthezy,” the grown feminine echoed.

  She was welcoming of someone. Someone named “Jetthezy.” Who was he? Did he do something important to me? The sketch was messy. It drew a house with four people.

  “I’m home,” it sounded heavy.

  He seemed to be responding to her. The sketch revealed a lady, a man, and a teenager. But the other one was unclear. It was kind of short. It appeared dark alongside the other person.

  “Big brother, would you come to help me garden?” The voice was shrill.

  “Sure *******, would come for you,” the person replied.

  “Yay!” She was happy about it.

  The sketch slowly burned. It left the person with the unrevealed female holdings hand together. Even the name was interrupted by static noise. Left me with a dead curiosity.