I already knew whom that voice belonged to. I didn't even bother turning around because I knew who'd I'd face.

"Sofia?" I asked callously, "What do you want?"

There was empty silence between us. The only response I got was the flapping of crowing pheasants and cooing pigeons above the velutinous clouds.

"Does it hurt?" Sofia faintly asked. The tone of her voice was perplexing as I heard none of the sternness nor the scathing remarks. I expected her to be more cross with me, to scold me and basically put me at fault for getting slapped in the first place.

"Oh, now you care?" I sneered, wincing slightly at the pain coursing through my jaw.

She didn't answer. Instead, she walked up to me delicately, positioning her hand mildly on my jaw to examine my cheek. She gasped shrillingly when she saw the redness.

"She really got you, did she?" She readjusted her hand directly on my cheek and pressed. Strangely, as she did so, I felt the throbbing of my cheek diminish. Even the taste of blood that previously saturated my mouth was gone- along with the ache in my jaw.

I was somewhat bewildered at the lack of pain. I didn't expect that to happen from merely Sofia's touch. It was true that she always had a gift for making the bruises and lacerations I'd get as a child better instantly. Wheather they were from a dangerous stunt I had attempted or from simply defending her at school when boys picked on her. Calix used to jokingly call her 'Guardian Angel' as a result. But this was unusual. It didn't heal so automatically like that.

Nonetheless, Sofia didn't notice because she immediately fished through the pocket of her apron and took out a tin of salve. "This should help with the soreness and redness." She told me, planting the salve steadily in my hand.

Now I knew why she went to the kitchen first. But I still wasn't quite sure how to react. I was still left bewildered by the fact that I wasn't hearing any scathing remarks or being given the stern look. In fact, I was sure I was in an alternate reality of some sort because there was no way the real Sofia would be this way with me.

I was trying to find the words to express gratitude for her help as she didn't have to do this. She could have simply turned a blind eye but she didn't. She went out of her way to do this so it was only fair I said something. But Sofia crossed her arms and kept gazing at me composedly. "Now, please answer my question. Are you really going to go in there?" She pointed at the archway for emphasize.

I nodded, handing her the rolled up piece of parchment which was attached to the book. She eyed the rolled up parchment like an old enemy but nonetheless took it from my hand.

"Sofia and Liselotte... help." She read, her eyes widened in alarm then narrowed with distrust. "When was this written? This note never existed beforehand." She glanced questionably at the note.

"Look listen, I sure as hell can't believe I'm actually confiding in you about this, but you have to trust me. I don't know who wrote it, much less where it even came from." I pleaded.

Surprisedly, Sofia merely nodded and encouraged me to continue.

"I only want to investigate. My instinct is telling me that somehow that note and archway are connected in some shape or form."

Sofia coaxed one eyebrow, "Liselotte Tatiana Mertans, I'm having second thoughts over this. You know the rules. Mrs. Harsbarry wouldn't allow us in there even if you politely asked. I'm staying out of this." She backed away hesitantly, probably believing I've gone insane. This was exactly what I never understood about Sofia, even when we were small children. Why did she care so much about what others thought? She could be such a stickler for rules when she was at it.

"Fine with me. I honestly could care less what Mrs. Harsbarry has to say. She's clearly hiding something, why else would she be so insistent on banishing us from going through it?" I retorted.

I put the salve in the left pocket of my apron and looked at her one last time. "I'm going in. With or without you." I pivoted away from her and entered the archway- by myself.

"Wait a minute! Come back here! Liselotte?! Liselotte?" She followed behind me.

"Liselotte, you need to think this though. What if-"

"Sofia, look..."

There were stepping stone stairs, lined with floral bushes and mushrooms. Throughout the rocky pathway, there were archways with plum shaded roses in its greenery, hanging bouquets of amaryllis, anthurium, baby's breath and marigolds.
On the right side of the steeping stone stairs, there was a small clear pond in which water lilies floated along in culminated harmony with the melodious golden light basking over the area.

As I explored, I noted how particularly peaceful the garden was. Especially considering the fact that Mrs. Harsbarry hasn't touched it since her husband died, meaning it's been seven years since anyone been in here.

Without warning, my hair proceeded to blow about wildly and the hanging bouquets wavered wildly in the breeze. Then, my body felt like feathers flying away. A wintry yet summery feeling draft across in my chest as the water lilies rocked more ardently in the water.

"Sofia, do you feel what I'm feeling?" I stepped back little by little, my heartbeat increasing rapidly. Sofia's hair, which was usually in its default messy bun, was now unbound as it beckoned wildly in the breeze.

"I hate to say this but I feel it too." She said, a look of pure anxiousness across her face.

The breeze abided for another moment then settled down slightly. In its place, shimmers of pink, gold, and green appeared. Sofia gasped at the shimmers that were promptly taking form into a girl. "What-"

I interrupted her abruptly before she could go hysterical. "Sofia, that's a person."

This was surreal. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. This also had to be an alternate reality of some sort. Magic doesn't exist in real life. This was just some cruel illusion of the mind. It had to be. Sofia trembled violently and her face went from normal to abnormally pale. "I recommend for the sake of our lives, we should leave now!" Sofia warned, retreating at once.

I proceeded to run the fastest I ever had in my life. "Behind you!" And in the spark of that moment, everything ceased. The wind, the shimmers, the wavering bouquets and water lilies became utterly still. Even the feathery feel of my body diminished.

Behind our retreating backs, a strange voice cried out, "Sofia, Liselotte! Wait, please! Don't go! We need you!"