The Oracle

Chapter 45: Childhood Memories

SORA

As the four of us make our way through the trials, the illusions form based around Isabella, but she simply ignores or calmly denies them as she keeps walking, making the rest of us watch in awe.

"You're not bothered by any of this?" I ask quietly as I walk beside Isabella.

"Just because I don't show it doesn't mean it doesn't bother me," Isabella says softly, her expression hard. "But if I show that it bothers me, then that means I'm letting it get to me. If I let it get to me, it'll just get worse."

As we go on, the images that attempt to haunt Isabella only seem to strengthen her resolve, which ultimately makes them turn to me instead. As we're walking, the world around me suddenly goes black and my eyes widen in surprise.

"Isabella?" I call out as I turn around, looking for the others. "Evory? Miroslava?"

The darkness suddenly lights up with scenery from my childhood, my breath hitching when I notice my mother is still around at this point in time. In the scene before me, I'm probably only two years old, sitting on the dining room floor and coloring in a sketch book with crayons while my mom wanders around the house, making dinner while tending to housework at the same time. My father comes through the front door just then, grinning as he sneaks up behind Asuna and wraps his arms around her waist, placing his chin on top of her head. Asuna grins and glances up before she laughs and he moves so that he twirls her around and spins her back into him, her right hand coming to rest on his chest as she gazes up into his eyes.

"How was hunting?" Asuna, my mother, asks.

"It was fine," Mikai, my father, replies, before he peers around to look at the kitchen stove. "What're you making?"

"Just some mac and cheese," Asuna replies. "You know how Sora loves it, so I figured I'd make that with some steak."

My father smiles in reply before the scene changes again, my frown deepening as I wonder why I'm not viewing anything necessarily negative like everyone else was. The scene changes to one of me and my dad fishing when I was older, him having noticed the night before that I saw him crying in the bedroom while staring at a photo of Mom on the nightstand, pinching the bridge of his nose while I stood in the doorway. In order to assure me he was fine, he promised to do something fun with me the next day, thus the fishing trip.

"Why are none of these negative?" I wonder quietly aloud, confusion taking over me as I go to walk forwards, but a hand on my shoulder stops me.

I jolt in surprise and turn back to see that Miroslava is standing behind me, her hand on my shoulder as darkness swarms around her.

"Because they're not from the runestone," Miroslava says, her eyes meeting mine. "They're from me."

"What're you talking about?" I furrow my eyebrows.

"You really don't remember?" Miroslava frowns. "You started freaking out about something before you clutched the sides of your head and exploded into flames, so I blocked whatever was bothering you from your sight and replaced it with fond memories."

"You can do that?" I raise my eyebrows in surprise.

"I can do many things," Miroslava says, her eyes flickering back to the scene before us. "Asuna and Mikai were good people at heart. Don't let what other people say about them ruin your perception of reality. Mikai may have done some terrible things, but he only did them to protect his family."

"You almost act as if you knew them," I frown slightly, my eyes scanning her expression for any hint of recognition.

"I did," Miroslava says after a few moments, "in a way."

"What are you?" I ask, taken completely taken aback.

"I'm everything that ever was," Miroslava smiles softly before her eyes flicker to the scenery in the background. "Come on, we should keep moving."

Miroslava slowly releases my shoulder and suddenly it's as if the world has come back into view, almost as if the things I just witnessed were never there. As I look around, I notice Evory and Isabella both standing ahead of us, concerned expressions on their faces.

"What?" I blink in confusion, looking between the two of them.

Isabella and Evory exchange a glance before Isabella speaks.

"You're kidding...right?" Isabella asks slowly. "Are you okay? You had a mental breakdown in front of us. You had all of us worried."

"Honestly, I'm fine," I say, holding up both of my hands and offering a sheepish smile.

It's then when I notice the remnants of flames swirling around me that finally fade away to nothing as I study my hands, looking over to Miroslava as she walks passed me and sends me a knowing sideways glance.

"We should keep moving," Miroslava says. "Aria will be here soon."

"Did neither of you see that?" I ask as Miroslava walks away, bewildered.

"See what?" Evory asks after her and Isabella exchange a confused glance.

"Nothing..." I trail off, my eyes flickering to Miroslava's back. "I guess it was just my imagination."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Evory frowns.

"Yeah," I nod and force a smile, swallowing thickly. "I'm fine. Let's catch up to Miroslava."

Evory and Isabella nod before we finally start walking to catch up to Miroslava. In the distance, we notice her having stopped by what seems to be a floating orb, half of the orb silver and the other half dark blue to represent Humility and Pride. The orb spins in the air before it glows with a flash of white light, the silver half of the orb transforming into a completely silver colored girl with a bow and the blue half of the orb transforming into a completely dark blue colored girl with a switch axe.

"Your trial has arrived," the voices whisper, swirling in the air. "If you can put the orb back together by overcoming your Pride and your Humility, you will pass. If you fail, it will be your downfall."

"Understood," Miroslava says, and with that the two figures take off in sprints in separate directions. Miroslava turns around on her heel as she summons her chain scythe back and locks eyes with me. "You and I will chase after Pride. Evory and Isabella will take Humility."

"Is that really a good idea?" I shout as I run after her.

"It doesn't have to be a good idea," Miroslava says as she glances over her shoulder at me as she runs. "It's the only one that will work."

"And why is that?" I ask as I run up beside her.

"Because," she says as she looks straight ahead, sneaking one glance over at me as we run together. "It's what we have to do."