The Unified Soul

Mysteries

The night was dark and silent, the snow falling down outside while keeping the cold air still. But there was something else in that silent darkness, a pair of blue eyes that stared at the sleeping little girl inside the lodge.

"Dear sweet child." A voice whispered through the glass. Suddenly, a figure came up to the window and pressed their nose on the glass. Just then, their body phased through the wood and glass, and silently they made their way to Aaron and Airis, staring down at the little girl sleeping peacefully with her father.

The stranger lay down next to the little girl and pressed their nose against Airis' cheek, enjoying the warmth of the sweet child they missed so dearly. All of a sudden, Airis turned in her sleep and slowly cracked her eyes open. Airis thought for a moment that she was dreaming, but as she sat up in the sleeping bag, she noticed that the stranger was truly there.

"Are you real?" She whispered reaching out her hand to touch the stranger's face to see it they were truly real. The stranger leaned their face into the girl's hand and smiled.

"I am real, child." They said, "And I have been longing to see you again. I am so glad to see that you are well."

Airis smiled brightly and slowly came out of the sleeping bag before wrapping her arms around the stranger and hugging them tight. She pulled back just a moment later and continued to smile at the stranger, but then looked back at Aaron who continued to sleep.

"We don't have to speak here." The stranger said. Airis nodded in agreement and the two walked away from the group, heading to the second floor to talk in private. They went to a vacant room and closed the door behind them so no one could hear them.

"What are you doing out here?" Airis asked and hugged the stranger again.

"I have been searching for you for son long, child. I was afraid I had lost you like I did your mother and father."

"Don't worry, I'm okay." Airis pulled away from the stranger and smiled at them, "I escaped from them, and I found a new family."

"You mean that man you were sleeping with?" The stranger asked.

Airis nodded happily, "That man is my new Papa. His name is Aaron, and he's really nice. He reminds me a lot of my old Papa, and his girlfriend is named Aphmau. She's my new Mama and she's really funny and nice."

The stranger smiled at the little girl, "They sound wonderful, child. I hope to meet them in person one day."

Airis chuckled sheepishly, "That might take a while. I don't know how Mama and Papa will react to you. You aren't exactly something.... natural..."

"I suppose you are right, but your new Papa isn't exactly natural either."

Airis looked down at her feet, "Papa doesn't know anything, not even that I know his secret."

"I see. Then I won't say another word on the matter." The stranger looked down at their feet, their body slowly fading from view, "I don't have enough strength to stay here for much longer. I must go back to rest."

Airis looked back up at the stranger and gave them a soft smile, "I understand the limits. I won't keep you. But can you just tell me one thing?"

"Any question you ask, I shall answer."

"From what Mama said, you being here shouldn't be possible without it being here."

The stranger sighed and nodded, "It is close, child. But in darker hands."

Airis' eyes went wide, but before she could ask another question, the stranger had already disappeared. With no other way to ask the stranger about what they meant, Airis walked back towards the stairs to return to bed. However, before she got to the first step, Airis felt a cold chill run down her spine. She turned around only to catch a glimpse of a color she couldn't identify. Thinking it was a trick of her sight, she went down stairs, snuck back into Aaron's sleeping bag and went back to sleep.