VIOLET'S ZILON

~Arga~

As the golden rays of the sun filtered through the dense canopy, casting dappled patterns on the ground, I moved effortlessly through the meadow, the smile playing on my lips widening with each step I took.

I watched a colony of ants make their way up a tree as I walked by a field of sweet scent of wildflowers. Sooner than expected, I finally arrived at my destination─ Home.

I spotted my beautiful wife, Elara, sitting on a blanket under the shade of a towering tree. Her eyes sparkled with affection as she waved to me. My daughter, Lyra, who was nestled in her lap, giggling at the stories immediately turned to see me approaching.

"Papa! Come join us!" Lyra's high-pitched voice called out filled with pure joy.

My heart swelled with pride and contentment as I made my way over to them. Sitting beside Elara, I wrapped my arms around her before placing a tender kiss on Lyra's forehead.

"What stories are you telling this time, mirô?" I asked, my voice a soothing rumble.

Elara smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Just the tale of the brave warrior who protects his family and brings peace to the land," she said with a knowing smirk.

Lyra's eyes widened in admiration. "I know is talking about you, Papa. I want to be a brave warrior like you, Papa!"

I chuckled softly, ruffling her hair. "You already are dulā... my little star. You already are."

The happy smiles and laughter soon faded away as the sky began to darken, clouds gathering ominously. The once vibrant color faded to grey, and a chill settled over us.

My smile faltered, unease creeping into his heart.

Suddenly, the meadow vanished, replaced by a cold, lifeless settlement. The laughter of my family was replaced by an eerie silence. My mind went into a crazed frenzy as I looked around for them. My breath hitched in my throat as I turned around to find Elara and Lyra standing before me. Their faces were pale and their empty eyes stared into mine— hollow and soulless.

"Why couldn't you save us, Arga?" Elara's voice was a haunting whisper, filled with accusation and sorrow.

Lyra reached out a ghostly hand, her expression one of longing. "Papa, why did you have to go?"

My heart wrenched and pounded in my chest as I watched them. Reaching out my trembling, I tried to reach out to them. "No. Please... I am sorry," I pleaded, my voice breaking as tears trailed down my face.

The moment I got close enough to touch them their forms began to fade, disappearing into the void.

Panic seized me.

"NO... no," I tried screaming as I was left alone in the darkness. I tried calling their names, but no sound escaped my lips.

I was left in nothingness.

With a jolt, I woke up, my breath ragged and my body drenched in cold sweat. The wooden beams of my cabin's ceiling loomed above me and brought me back to the present.

It happened again...

I wiped the single tear that had escaped my eyes before sinking back into the plimps. I lay there for a moment, the remnants of the nightmare clinging to my mind like shadows.

Grumpily, I swung my legs over the edge of the plimps and stood up, the cold floorboards sending a shiver up my spine. My morning routine was a boring ritual, just as I liked it. A series of tasks I could perform without thought.
I fetched water from the pipes I had connected to a close by stream not too far off from my home before steeling myself to take a bath with the icy liquid. I really didn't have the will to light up the cooking furnace for some warm water. The conditions were a far cry from the luxuries I had enjoyed much earlier in my life but I didn't mind it... in fact, I deserved it.