In another world, I was called as, Bandage Witch.

A promise between the goddess and a child.

Serena's POV

Merida and mother went to visit me again after a few days, I had a puzzled thought by their sudden visit. Usually, they will be visiting me once in double weeks due to their daily life, and here they are waiting before my small cottage house, I greet them with Ao in my arms as both of us just finish in making pickle fruits. Lately, Ao seems to be less active than before but his cheerfulness remains the same. For the first time ever, I can feel Ao's wave of his soul, it's beating with a small thump like a weakened heart and it worried me a lot since it was the first time to see Ao falling into this state. Hopefully, it's not some kind of disease but fatigue only.

"Mother, Merida-san, welcome." I greet them with a smile that secretly hiding my worries. "It's rare for both of you pay visit earlier than usual."

"There's no time pleasantry, Selena my child."

The colors of her feathers' irises abruptly changing into many colors that I thought I was a seeing a disco light, sound funny but the view of it are making me feel uncomfortable too. Everyone rather looks strange recently, the wave of living things stutter as if something choking their life out and chilliness dancing in the air even though the wind stay still. Something tells me it has something to do with Goddess of Fate, but it may be something other than her, who knows if there is another magnanimous living being beside that goddess.

"Today Deity of Darkness is going to visit the Lost Forest, little spice."  "It's been a few decades but the point is. His existance will also invite the eclipse."

The eclipse. it rings my mind.

I will take him back after the ninth eclipse.

The first eclipse is coming after all these years, I still yet did not tell him the truth. How could I dare to say that painful truth? The guiltiness burdens my heart that I forgot to listen to what were they trying to explain to me. The air again distorted but with this time, wind fan into my face with some of the colorful glitter shoot toward me in fast speed. 

"Selena-chan!!" Many small squeaky voices called me as the fear seep in their glowing soul. Ah, the fairies.

"What's wrong?" I feel them clinging on my shoulders and behind my hair.  They are smaller than my palm so their weight did not bother me that much, even magical being is flustered today, then indeed eclipse it's a scary event. Quite different than my previous life though.

"Deity of Darkness certainly often scared many living things, but he only did his own responsibility," Merida said awkwardly. 

"Responsibility?"

"To balance everything around the world. Where darkness is too much reside in this world, he was blessed with the strength to consume the blackness within." Mother said. 

He sounds like a nice and reliable person despite his name, the eclipse occurrence are quite rare in this world. At least it should appear once a year in my previous world, seem this world did not entirely apply the same principle as mine. 

"Hey, I never ask this before, but what does eclipse meaning to Ao? Does Deity of Darkness has anything to do with him?" I ask worriedly, I don't want anything hurt him without my notice.

"If his darkness keeps inside him for way too long, misfortune shall set in his future as heart tainted." 

So this is like cleansing, I thought as I cradle Ao in my arm. His getting sluggish as the time pass by, mother told me I have to be somewhere farther from any natural resources and suggest me to go deserted forest which there are no a single living things except dead trees. The fairy kindly leads me to the direction of my destination, as I continue walking with guidance, the flickering light of living things around me is slowly disappearing as if I enter another world.  The next thing I knew...I am back to the dark world, it's a bit scary but the light in my embrace reminds me that I'm not alone. I coil my arms around him, feeling the warmness from his belly.