The only reason why I recognised her was because of her super-light blonde hair, now tied in a loose ponytail. I could see fear in her pale blue eyes as she looked at me, then Aura. “Um, hi?” I asked. …

It wasn’t a someone, really. It was just like a beam of light, except at around the end, it refracted into all the colours of the rainbow. And at the very last part, it bent up into the same light-coloured blonde hair I had seen at the caves. It was…

Needless to say, Aura was nowhere to be found. I could hear nothing but my footsteps as I walked on the barren ground. Aura, I thought bitterly. How did you disappear all over again? Suddenly, light flashed somewhere ahead. I sprinted over, wondering what it was. The portal. …

I looked at the girl in front of me. I had never known what it felt like to be speechless with happiness — until that moment, of course. Words were burning at the back of my tongue, words of regret, of apology, but they refused to come out. I had…

I wasn’t dead. That was my first thought. My second thought was, “Maybe Aura is here?” Then my third thought was, “Oh wait where am I exactly?” I was spinning through a vortex of colours that might’ve been even more dizzying than the number of Emerald’s books. After a few…

“Aura!” I shouted. Bubbles gurgled out from my mouth. She didn’t reply. I had a sinking feeling that she couldn’t. But of course that wasn’t true. …

I gathered up all my strength. The wave was coming. Closer, closer, closer… I extended my arms, pushing with all my force at the wave. It rippled backwards for a while, being pulled back. But before I could be relieved, the push I had exerted on the wave came tumbling…

“Now? Then… we should go, right?” Aura looked reluctant. I didn’t know why she didn’t want to go so much. “Are you absolutely sure you can — ” “Yes, I can! Now can we stop wasting time and go already?” I was sure Aura was going to say no, but…

For a moment, I didn’t know where I was. Then I looked around, and everything that had happened the night before registered in my brain. “You’re alive?” Aura asked in a voice of feigned shock. “What time is it?” I asked, rolling my eyes. Aura simply pointed at the sun. …