Chapter 6. The Guardian
Nora's eyes snapped open, her heart already racing before her mind could grasp why. The glade lay bathed in the pearly light of dawn, dew glistening on spider webs strung between blades of grass. Birds trilled their morning songs overhead, too peaceful for the unease knotting in her stomach. Nora stretched, goosebumps rising as cool air kissed her skin.
She marveled at how she'd slept through the night under an open sky without shivering from cold or aching from the hard ground—as if the forest itself had cradled her through the darkness. Back home, even camping with the best gear had never felt this comfortable.
Nora's hand reached out instinctively for Sumi, fingers finding only the hollow depression in the moss where the foxkin's warmth should have been. The indent was still warm, the ghost of Sumi's body heat lingering like a cruel taunt. Nora's throat constricted as her gaze darted around the glade, searching for that familiar flash of black and white fur.
Nothing.
Only the faint musk of foxkin still hanging in the air—proof that Sumi had been real, that Nora hadn't dreamed her into existence.
Nora cupped her hands around her mouth. "Sumi!" she shouted, her voice shattering the morning stillness. Birds scattered at the sudden noise, their wings flapping in protest. She scrambled to her feet, scanning the clearing with increasingly desperate eyes. Nothing—no discarded clothing, no backpack, not even footprints leading away from their sleeping spot. Just the blanket wrapped around her own shoulders, the only evidence that Sumi had ever existed.
She dropped to her knees beside the moss where they'd slept, fingers probing the soft ground for clues. The indentation of Sumi's body remained perfect, undisturbed—as if the foxkin had simply... dematerialized.
As panic crept in, Nora's thoughts raced. Had Sumi left her? Was this some kind of test? A trap? A cruel joke?
Her mind churned with questions, each one more distressing than the last. She couldn't shake off the feeling that something was terribly wrong.
Nora's feet pounded against the ground as she paced the clearing, her frustration building to a boiling rage.
"How could you do this to me?" The words tore from her throat, scraping it raw. Her fists clenched so tight her nails bit half-moons into her palms. "After everything we promised each other—after you helped me get the basic understanding of this world—you just... vanish?" Her voice cracked, betrayal and rage warring for dominance. She kicked at the moss where they'd lain together, sending clumps flying. "Was I just some novelty to you? A strange human toy you got bored with?" The forest swallowed her accusations, offering no answers, no defense.
As minutes passed without sign of Sumi, Nora's anger turned inward. She felt foolish for letting her guard down, for trusting so easily. The feeling was exaggerated even more when she remembered how foolishly she presented herself nude to the fox-like young woman.
"What was I thinking acting like that!" exclaimed Nora. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! "
Her shouts disturbed the serene forest. It had felt like a sanctuary the previous day, but now it seemed cold and indifferent.
Nora sat down to analyze her surroundings. Somehow, when she paid closer attention, the glade felt wrong. It didn't seem possible, but it wasn't the same place she laid down to sleep on the previous day's evening.
"What do I know about possible and impossible? "asked Nora aloud. "Before that I fell asleep in a forest on Earth and woke up in a different world. I can't be sure that wouldn't happen again. "
Nora's eyes darted around the tranquil glade, and her hands trembled as she spoke. It was a different place.
"Right… It happened once... it could happen again," Nora said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Her gaze shifted towards the forest. Nora's heart raced at the thought of Sumi searching for her somewhere in this strange new world. Or was it another world all over again?
"Maybe it wasn't Sumi who left me..." Nora said, analyzing the situation." Maybe she's out there right now, looking for a lost redhead who disappeared in the dead of night."
That thought, even if disturbing, aroused new hope in Nora.
There still was a chance. Nothing seemed impossible anymore.
***
Unable to sit in one place, Nora stepped into the dense forest, her eyes scanning the trees and underbrush for any sign of her missing companion. The weight of Sumi's absence bore down on Nora's heart, and she felt disoriented, surrounded by unfamiliar flora and fauna.
The reality of her situation hit Nora like a physical blow. No food. No water. No shelter. Just herself and a borrowed blanket in an alien forest that seemed to be actively reshaping itself around her. Her stomach clenched with hunger, her throat already parched. If she didn't find water soon, the question of Sumi's whereabouts would become moot. Survival first—then answers.
But that wasn't all. The sense of betrayal gnawed at her, threatening to undermine the resolve she had begun to build. But then, she wasn't sure where to target her anger.
As she moved deeper into the forest, the air grew colder, and the light dimmed even more. Trees seemed to close around her, their branches twisting at unnatural angles. Nora shivered as if in the presence of something powerful and foreboding.
She stopped for a moment to explore her feelings. It was a sensation she recognized—the same force that had barred her entry into the dream world before.
Determined not to be intimidated, Nora pressed on. Now, she just had to face that mysterious force. She had to figure out who was preventing her from being with Sumi.
The path ahead was obscured by shadows, but soon, she could make out a faint glow in the distance. Nora followed the light, her steps cautious yet resolute.
The otherworldly glow pulsed ahead—beckoning, retreating, beckoning again—leading Nora through the mist that clung to her skin like cold silk. The vapor parted reluctantly, revealing a small clearing where reality itself seemed to bend. At its center stood a figure that violated the logic of her eyes. Tall—impossibly so—its form shifting between solid and vapor, darkness folding into itself like smoke caught in contrary winds. It seemed to both absorb the ambient light and emanate its own anti-luminescence, a presence defined as much by what it wasn't as what it was.
Despite her racing heart and heightened senses, Nora couldn't help but move closer, her steps tentative yet determined. "Who are you?" she demanded, her voice steady despite the fear that gripped her. "And what do you want from me?"
The figure turned, their eyes glowing with an eerie light. Their voice boomed through the darkness like a haunting echo: "Most who perceive me call me the Guardian," the voice resonated not just in her ears but in the hollow of her chest, in the spaces between her thoughts. "I maintain the equilibrium between realms when forces would destabilize them." The figure seemed to look through her rather than at her. "And you, Nora Foxgrove, are a fundamental disruption to patterns woven since before your world had air for creatures to breathe."
Nora squared her shoulders and took a step forward. She balled her fists at her sides, ready for a fight. "I'm not a disruptor," she retorted. "I just want to understand what's happening and find my friend."
The Guardian's form flickered, their expression unreadable.
"Your presence here has put in motion a sequence of events that cannot be undone," the Guardian said." The Goddess of Love has chosen you, and her plans for you are crucial to the fate of many worlds."
Nora's eyes narrowed. "Chosen for what?," she asked." And where is Sumi? Or… Where am I?"
The Guardian seemed to hesitate, their form wavering.
"I can tell you this: you were right to think that Sumi wasn't the one to leave you," the Guardian said." I prevented you from connecting to this world before and I brought you to this construct now. As I said, you may be the one who breaks the fragile balance that is already shifting."
"So, you are just one more force that tries to coerce me into doing something I may not even want to do!" exclaimed Nora angrily, balling her fists once again and stomping her foot.
"I'm not going to give you a direct answer to that," said the Guardian." It may infringe on the plans of the other forces. And it isn't my place to uncover their secrets. However, I can say that I've been following your actions closely over long time. You've demonstrated consistency, experimentation, and will to find balance."
The Guardian seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. Then, the shape shifted once again, changing form.
"And as you've probably heard from me already," the Guardian said," balance is something I care about the most."
There was a noticeable shift in the figure's demeanor. It was slight, but still quite present. The once cold voice now carried a hint of warmth. The shadowy form leaned in closer, the Guardian's movements less menacing and… more gentle.
Momentarily, Nora couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope that this could be the beginning of a new understanding between them.
"I have to say, that I won't be a pawn in your games," Nora said. "I'll find Sumi, and I'll decide my own path."
The Guardian's form solidified, their eyes locking onto Nora's with an intensity that made her breath catch. "Well, that's exactly what I wanted to offer you."
Nora took a deep breath, her determination unwavering. "So, what do I have to do?"
As the Guardian's hand reached out, a thick mist swirled around them. Slowly, it started to disperse, following the direction pointed out by the mysterious figure. A path that was hidden moments before suddenly cleared. A dark, winding road.
"Follow this path," the Guardian instructed, their voice echoing between the surrounding trees. "Face the trials that await you. That is how you can prove you are ready to begin your quest."
Nora took the first step towards the path. Then she stopped and turned to face the Guardian. She felt a sudden surge of determination as she looked at the strange figure.
"I will," she said confidently. "And I will find Sumi."
As the Guardian's presence slowly faded away, the weight of the conversation settled in Nora's chest. More trials, more tests—as if being ripped from her world hadn't been trial enough. Yet beneath her frustration burned a spark of hope. If these cosmic forces could separate her from Sumi, perhaps they could reunite them too. With renewed purpose, she stepped forward on the path, only to freeze as glowing text materialized before her eyes.
========== Quests ==========
Main: Unite the world with Love
Main: Overcome the Five Trials
Continue for more info [Y/N]?
"Yes!"
========== Quest: Unite the world with Love ==========
The Goddess of Love has made you the Chosen One.
To ??? you need to ??? and ???.
Rewards: ???
========== Quest: Overcome the Five Trials ==========
The Guardian has set you on the Path of Five Trials.
Each trial will help you to ???.
To pass each of the trials, you will have to find a balance between ???.
Rewards: A mate???
"Well, thanks for nothing!" Nora exclaimed, glaring at the floating text as if she could intimidate it into revealing more. "Your divine system seems to be glitching! And what's this about a 'mate' as a reward?" Her face flushed hot. "I'm not some medieval damsel being bartered off in a cosmic arrangement! I can find my own partners when I want them." She crossed her arms, muttering, "Even if dating apps back home were a wasteland of disappointment lately."
Shouting into the darkness wasn't very efficient. Nora realized that well enough. But still, after blowing off steam, she felt much more confident.
Nora returned to the path, the shadows closing in around her. As she walked, the forest seemed to shift and change, and the landscape morphed into a labyrinth of dark hedges and hidden dangers as if it was being formed around her even while she was moving forward.
Her senses were on high alert; each sound and shadowy movement caught her attention. The path ahead was still not fully visible, but Nora pressed on, her determination guiding her.
***
The Guardian's presence evaporated like morning mist under a harsh sun, leaving Nora standing before an imposing stone arch that dominated the clearing. Beyond its curve lay not forest, but a shimmering wall of iridescent nothing—like oil slicked across reality itself. 'Trial Grounds,' her mind supplied helpfully as if this were just another level in one of those fantasy RPGs she'd binged during her last vacation. She gave a bitter laugh. Of course, her programmer's brain would try to categorize the incomprehensible into familiar patterns, to force cosmic mystery into neat data structures she could parse.
The square before the arch was surrounded by several small cabins. There was a well in the center and a few trees and bushes between the buildings. It didn't look like a village; it was more like a place that was envisioned for some different purpose. The place felt a bit artificial. But then, it didn't look menacing if you forgot about the grand entrance looming above her. That was a plus.
Contemplating the ominous structure, Nora suddenly felt a new presence behind her. It was a bizarre feeling, knowing that someone was moving in her direction. She hadn't heard the person yet, and it was too early to see them. But she knew.
Nora's senses improved during her recent transformation. More than improved, they changed, expanded, and became more subtle.
Her instinct proved true. The underbrush rustled, and a figure emerged from the dappled shadows. Where Sumi was all sleek lines and fox-like grace, this newcomer was solid power wrapped in silver-gray fur. The word 'wolfkin' surfaced in Nora's mind—a term she'd stumbled across during those late-night internet searches when she'd first tried to understand what 'kitsune' might be.
This was unmistakably one of those wolf-human hybrids she'd seen in illustrations—broad-shouldered and standing a head taller than her, with piercing green eyes that assessed her from a face that balanced human intelligence with lupine features. His tail, thicker and less agile than Sumi's, swayed slightly as he approached with the measured caution of someone encountering the unexpected.
The arrival seemed almost orchestrated. So Nora started with the greatest opening of all time: "Hey! You alright?"
As she had promptly learned, the person's name was Lukan, and he was a wolfkin. Interestingly, he wasn't even sure what he was doing at the entrance of the trial grounds with Nora. Just a few moments before, he was minding his business, traveling through the forest when the area started shifting into something unfamiliar. Bit by bit, the trees changed around him, pushing Lukan to follow a path that led him here, to meet Nora.
Though their meeting was serendipitous, Nora couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Lukan's presence than mere chance. His easy charm and natural confidence felt like something that could support her during the unknown trials ahead.
After some small talk, Nora and Lukan exchanged introductions and shared a few laughs. But somehow, Nora had a strong sense that they would have to explore a lot together. Much more than this strange place.
"A journey of a thousand li begins with a single step," she muttered, the ancient Earth proverb feeling strangely appropriate in this realm of myths come to life.
Lukan's ears flicked forward, catching her words with their enhanced sensitivity. "Sorry, what was that?" he asked, genuine curiosity warming his voice. "It sounds like something the wandering sages would carve on waymarkers in the northern mountains."
Nora looked up, surprised by the connection. "It's a saying from my homeland. I didn't expect it to sound familiar here."
"Different places, same wisdom, perhaps," Lukan offered with a slight tilt of his head. "The old ones say wisdom circles through all landslike water through all rivers." He gestured toward the imposing arch. "Though I doubt much wisdom awaits us through there."
Nora's lips quirked into a half-smile despite herself. "Well, we won't know until we try, will we?"