PHASE 0: AUDITIONS

Applicant #21: Chroma's Fidus Achates

APPLICANT #21: CHROMA'S FIDUS ACHATES

If I was gone, nobody would notice.

Grey painted the sky. It was gloomy and the wind touched my cheeks like icy spikes. It was pluvious and shame soaked me.

How half-hopeless, half-rage I was, that I chose to vanish forever in an isolated trials, the Monochromatic Woods.

I traveled the woods with all my sight could reached, I tasted the air, I rolled in the dirt and everything was monotonic.

The uneven trees, strangest flowers, gigantic beasts, suffocating smell, shallow grounds and thin clouds, like literally it was entirely grey.

Breathing or non-breathing things that were born, created and stayed for a long time in this dungeon would turn to grey.

It would be great if I turned grey too, but I was here long enough, and even this hell can't accept me.

Rejection, I got it all the time, and that pushed me to escape and hide here. I was a princess, but the kingdom never treated me like one. I have questioned the cosmos every night, why I was born like this, and I always got the same answer. It was silence.

I just managed to accept myself that I would eternity be autistic.

"Poor princess, my poor opulent girl, how could an innocent beauty be purged by such oblivion," said by a low tuned voice that came from no where.

I searched for where did it came from, but what I saw was a lone direwolf coming towards me. It's every step was soft and quiet, a true hunter's gait.

I have come to my end. This monster would devour me like a boneless supper.

But it just sniffed under my ears then licked my pale cheeks and it added, "Don't worry girl."

I reached for its calm face and suddenly, it returned to its colors.

I was breathless of what I just did.

From all grey, the direwolf's fur turned into milk, its eyes became shimmering blue.

I tried to touch the trees, it turned cocky. The floral turned into variety of chrome. Unbelievably, with my touch, I was painting the woods, back to its real hue.

The grateful direwolf gave me spare to eat. I would never survive.

"Where's your pack?" I asked. I knew direwolves always belonged to a pack.

"I'm a goner," the direwolf answered.

For once I felt belonged. We have the same wavelength.

"We can make our own pack now," I insisted.

It curved its lips upwardly. I never knew a direwolf can smile.

"Who undid the spell?" exclaimed by a witch that came out from thin air.

I can't see the witch's face but its illuminating lilac eyes impaled me, for I was the only human present there.

"Acceptance to once self can only break my curse, I can't imagine an autistic girl like you will sabotage me," the witch added then pointed its finger to me.

I was speechless, I wanted to flee but fear has frozen my feet.

"I'll make you a deal, I will permanently take away your autism, for exchange of these woods will become grey, including you," the witch offered, but I think I don't have much of a choice. It might kill me if I declined.

It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and the kingdom would finally accept me. I nodded by head, and in a split second, I was normal.

My autism was gone, it filled me with jubilant.

I look at the direwolf and the woods, its nothing but grey again. I look at myself in the nearby river. I was grey too. I didn't care.

I decided to leave the direwolf alone, and sprint back to my kingdom, hoping now they would accept me.

I missed the scent, the sky-high castles and the wide empty pavements. I missed my home. I returned to my kingdom, and I finally I would live the life of a real princess.

When I reached the gate the guard won't let me in. They said that my skin was grey, that a witch has cursed me, and that would cause misfortune to the kingdom.

I gave them order because I was still their princess, but it doesn't work. Nothing's changed, they treated me like an exiled, like always.

I walked away, feeling dead inside. I knew that people would only accept me in my second life, if that time, I would not bear with autism.

I was back again in the Monochromatic Woods, but this time, I just wanted to lay down to the ground and to stop breathing. I wanted to end this miserable existence. Why I was ever born?

"I missed you," the direwolf stressed. It has waited for me. "I thought you'll never return."

I realized that only this direwolf accept me truly. I touched it, but its color doesn't change. At least I got him beside me. I closed my eyes and hugged it real tight.

In that moment, I felt I was not alone. It accepted me for who I was. I thought that this beast would be forever in my side. I was impossibly in love.

I opened my eyes and the direwolf was gone. What was around my arms was a nude young guy.

Love breaks not heart, but curse.

"I knew you were the one who can save me," the guy whispered. His voice was soothing.

He shackled me with his warmth. The feeling was majestic.

Quick and quicker in every second, I watched how the woods returned to its colors. Suddenly, we were with our own colors too.

The best thing about these woods, was this very moment.

I don't need a kingdom, I just need one person to love me.

"We can make our own kingdom now," he insisted.

My lips could reach my ears. I never knew I could smile like this.

"This is our happily ever after," he swore.

"This is."