Misake, First Half of Part One

Part One- Realm of Earth

“Misake,” the woman in front of me said with a smile on her tanned face. I forced a smile back while I reflected on that word. My name was Misake, but all I see or hear when it is written or spoken is the word, ‘mistake.’ That’s all I am- a mistake. My real mom and dad abandoned me to a life of intruding on other people’s homes until they found a permanent place for me to live or I reached adulthood. By the looks of it, I would turn eighteen before they ever found a family willing to take me for long.

And it wasn’t because I was a bad kid. I did everything that was asked of me, and kept a neutral attitude through everything that went on in whatever house I lived at. The problem was my age and my luck. At seventeen, I was no longer a cute little kid that every family wanted. My luck prevented any last chance of finding a home; something always happened to prevent me from staying until I reached eighteen. Now I had been shipped to a new family due to circumstances beyond my control, again.

They didn’t look that bad, though. The mother seemed nice and smart, which was good because she was going to be homeschooling me during my stay here. The father seemed tall and sporty, which was probably a plus for the two boys that were also staying with this family for awhile. Of course, they were only a foster home and couldn’t keep any of us for long, but at least it was a place to stay. There were only five months until I turned eighteen and could begin whatever journey waited for me outside. Five months and I would have to learn how to survive on my own. “Are you excited to be staying with us?” The mother asked me, and I nodded my head.

“Of course.”

The father spoke now. “Get your things, Misake, we have to drive about forty minutes to reach your new home for the time being.” Even he knew it wasn't a permanent place, even for just five months. We loaded up the car and I leaned back in my seat as my new, temporary father figure drove me to my new, temporary home.

The scenery was beautiful. Completely normal, but beautiful. There were tall oak trees lining the streets, along with little kids playing with each other. Everything seemed purely mundane. Everything seemed to be perfect for now, and I cherished that. Knowing my luck, things were going to change soon enough. In a few days, there was no doubt something that was going to prevent me from staying here. I exhaled deeply and closed my eyes. No matter what, I would try to enjoy my time here while it lasted.

The only thing I could complain about was how average and mundane everything appeared to be. There were children playing and dogs barking and families sitting with each other but there was no excitement. Nothing noteworthy. Was it so wrong that I longed for something more? Maybe I would find that when I turned eighteen, and I hoped so. Something inside me always longed for a little excitement, and I was sure I wasn't going to find it here.

When we finally reached the house, I was introduced to my two foster brothers. They seemed to be average guys who, just like me, wanted a family. We walked around the little house and my new mother pointed out various things I was going to need to know. “Here’s the bathroom, and this is where you can put your toothbrush... This is the living room, where we spend time together as a family, I am sure you’ll like that... And here is your room.”

I liked it. There were dark purple curtains on the windows that gave a violet light to the otherwise white walls. The door was a dark red wood, and the floor matched it. The bed was much bigger than I expected, with dark purple covers on it to match the curtains. I turned to my new mother figure and smiled. “Thank you, I love it.”

“You should probably unpack your things now, Misake. Dinner will be at six thirty. I’ll leave you alone now so you have some time by yourself.” She smiled a knowing smile at me, and this time it was a little easier to force a smile back. I did like being alone; it was always easiest for me. However, I still was not happy. It was always so hard for me to be happy. I couldn’t actually recall the last time I had smiled an easy smile at someone. Life was just so hard, and we ultimately achieve nothing before we die. Everything just seems so pointless. We fight all of these hard battles, live our miserable little lives and nothing is ever really changed by it.

I placed my suitcase on the purple covers and unlatched it. A black abyss gazed back, because about ninety percent of my clothes were black. Black was just the color I preferred. Black keeps people away.

There was a drawer for my clothes, and I folded them and put them away neatly. There was nothing I loved more than having a neat room. Granted, there was never really enough time to make a room messy before I had to leave again but I still always tried my best. The only other items in my suitcase were books. Reading was one of my passions, especially books that took place somewhere other than Earth. Fantasy worlds were there were dragons and elves and fairies. Fantasy worlds I could escape to when life was just too boring.

There were still three hours until dinner, so I flopped down on the bed and curled up with one of my books. Eventually I drifted off into a half sleep, but something woke me. A voice, a man’s voice. He was asking me to rescue him. Confused, I traipsed around the house and found my father and two brothers to make sure it hadn’t been them asking for my help. They were all in the backyard, playing baseball. I stared out the window and watched them serenely, happy to see them all having fun even if I didn’t know them. For a moment, I pretended they were my real family. “Are you okay, Misake? You can join them if you want.”

“Oh, I don't want to join them,” I answered quietly, a small smile on my lips as I faced my foster mother. She was smiling too. Maybe things weren't going to be so bad this time around.

When night fell and dinner had been finished and cleaned, I ended up back in my room and laying on my bed. The bed was so soft, it was almost impossible to not fall immediately asleep. There were thoughts on my mind, though. Something about that voice, even though I must have dreamed it, bothered me. He had sounded so sad and desperate. I wanted to rescue him. Then I shook my head and told myself it was only a dream, and to just fall asleep. Dreams were nothing in this world. Absolutely nothing.

The dream was dark. There was blackness everywhere, except for a man. He was far away, so I walked toward him. Although the floor was inky black, my steps echoed as if they were stepping on a stone floor. The man was asleep when I found him, so I studied him intently. He had black hair that look as if it had been gelled back before, but was now messy and framed his face. He had a sturdy jaw, pointed ears and an aristocratic nose. He was shirtless, and all I could see of him were his chest and arms, and his... wings. Both of his wrists were chained to the black wall behind him. There was a bruise on his high cheekbone, and I reached out impulsively to stroke it. This was only a dream.

The man woke up. “You’re here,” he breathed, and I took a step back. “You’re actually here...” and I could tell now that he studied me with the same intensity. My milky skin and dark, curly brown hair were nothing compared to his own aristocratic beauty, and I felt shy. I took another step backwards. “No, please don’t go... I need you.”

“You’re just a dream.” I spoke. The man actually looked hurt by what I had just said.

“I assure you I am not. I am Prince Celyn of Silevon, realm of Kaiserin.”

“Those places don't exist.” But I sat down, interested in this dream man. He was so enchanting, especially when he spoke with that slightly arrogant edge in his voice. “Why are you in my dream?” I asked him curiously. Normally my dreams were just fragments and memories. There was never anything so realistic or in-depth as this dream.

“I’m here to tell you of a prophecy.” The man, Celyn, said. I leaned forward, interested. This was just like one of my fantasy novels. Prophecies always gave way to quests and adventure. “Your name is Misake.” The man asked, but he didn’t really pose it as a question. I nodded regardless. "This prophecy speaks of a girl named Misake, who has never had a real home or family before." That sounded a lot like me. Why was this dream so intense? "Misake is to rescue the prince from his own... foolishness."

"What did you do?" I chided with a small smile. The prince flipped his hair out of his eyes and his wings fluttered.

"You see these chains?" I nodded. "I'm basically the one who got myself into this mess. You are the only one who can get me out of it." I sighed, wishing desperately that this was real. I would love to rescue a prince, even though it was supposed to be the prince rescuing the princess. I wasn't exactly a princess, though. This sounded like so much adventure. "This Misake would rescue me, then destroy the three dark princes and the dark king that ruled over the realm Minasdess." All of these names were so beautiful, I couldn't help but want to be a part of them.

"How do I do all of this?" I asked breathlessly, getting caught up in the prophecy and forgetting that this was only a dream.

"I have to go now." Celyn said suddenly, his deep blue eyes wide.

"No..." I whispered, not wanting this to ever end.

"I'll be back tomorrow night, and maybe then you won't think of it as only a dream. Goodbye, Misake. Please save me soon..."

And then I woke up. Sunlight streamed through the cracks of the deep purple curtains and I sighed wistfully. Celyn was a handsome prince, and I had almost touched him. I had escaped this planet for just a few minutes, but it had been so wonderful. Although I knew it was just a dream, I hoped Celyn would come back tonight. I wanted to talk to him, even if I couldn't visit this Minasdess. Besides, how would I rescue him? I wasn't strong, or good with weapons.

I sighed and shook my head. There were no adventures to go on and dreams were only dreams. There are no princes to rescue, just home school to go to and a life to live. I got dressed slowly, then made my bed and sat on the edge. Everyone else appeared to be asleep, and I didn't want to wake them up by getting breakfast. New houses were always a mystery, and a mystery was enough to keep me going. As long as there was something for me to figure out, I wouldn't mind living my life of bad luck.

I got up and moved the curtains of one window aside so I could peer into the backyard; it was spacious but not shaded by any trees. I probably wouldn't be able to read outside without getting a sunburn. There was no way my pale white skin could withstand the sun for the duration of a few pages, let alone and entire book. All I wanted to do now though was read, and escape more than ever. That dream had been a small escape, but I wanted more, so I curled up into a little ball on my bed and read a book about a prince saving his princess. That was the way things were supposed to be, but only in books. There was no adventure in the real world.

Eventually, my foster mother cooked breakfast for everyone and when we were done eating, I cleaned it all up. The house was quiet and everyone seemed to be in a good mood. After awhile, my new mother figure and I sat down at the kitchen table for school. I liked homeschooling so much more than regular school, because now I didn't have to be a new kid. I could learn at my own pace and didn’t have to interact with other people.

That was always the worst part of any day- going to school and interacting with people. For some reason, I seemed to be a natural deterrent to people my own age. They seemed to stay away from me no matter how many smiles I faked.

Instead of dwelling on the past, I focused on what my mother was trying to teach me. Time passed by quickly as I learned a little bit of each subject, and soon it was already time for my mother to make dinner. She packed up the textbooks and I put away my notebook and pencils, then curled back up on my bed. At this rate, I’d never even have to leave the house.

Of course, without school to distract me there was nothing to stop me from thinking of Celyn. He was all I could think about, because part of me was convinced he truly existed. Why else would my dream have been so lifelike and memorable? My dreams were never like that, not even when I was spending my first night in a new house. I didn't know what to think about saving Celyn, though. If the dream wasn't actually a dream, then how was I supposed to rescue him? There was nothing I could think of that could help me destroy three princes. All I had was my ability to think, and that wasn't much against someone who had actually lived their entire life in a fantasy world. Out loud, I spoke the name of the realm Celyn had spoke of. "Minasdess." It was such a beautiful word. I wondered what Minasdess was like.

Oh, I was going to be so disappointed when I awoke the next morning without having heard from Celyn. I had tried so hard to not let myself get lost in his prophecy, I tried to tell myself it had only been a dream but it was consuming me. A single dream had completely consumed my thoughts. There was nothing I could do about it now, so I continued to lay in bed and dream about this Minasdess.

I could never rescue Celyn though. Even if the places he spoke of were real, I was nothing. I was only a mistake. There was no way a mistake like me could pull off something as amazing as rescuing a prince. I sighed and turned over so my pillow swallowed my face. "Misake?" My foster mother asked from the doorway. I bit my lip and turned over, showing her that I hadn't been crying. "Oh, I... nevermind." She had thought I had been crying from lack of parents, lack of family and friends. I had given up on crying over those things a very long time ago. "Dinner is ready, Misake."

Getting off the bed, I joined my pretend family for dinner and wished I was anywhere else. My eighteenth birthday couldn't come fast enough now. I was going to find adventure on my own, somewhere far away from all of the places I had been. Somewhere where fantasy could almost be real.

That night, Celyn made his second appearance. Now, I was convinced that this wasn't a dream. Maybe fantasy did exist in alternate places, and I was the lucky one who was allowed to see it. None of it made sense, though.

I shook Celyn lightly, his skin was so cold. "You came back," he whispered with a heartbreaking smile.

"I didn't have a choice, you're invading my dreams." I said a little coldly. Celyn was undeterred though, and his wings fluttered happily. "Are you going to save me?" He asked.

"What do I have to do?" I asked slowly, unsure of what he expected from me.

"There is a seed on the ground in front of me. If you plant it somewhere in this dream, it will take three nights to grow fully. If you pick it when it has grown, you will be transported to Minasdess. You must then find me and the dark prince who has captured me. His name is Aglis."

"Wait-" I interrupted. "Why did he capture you?"

"It was my own foolishness that got me into this position. I had heard of the prophecy and was determined to protect you. I didn't want you to have to travel through Minasdess alone. So I was determined to destroy Aglis myself and prevent this from ever happening, but just as the prophecy predicted, he captured me."

"Why would you do something like that for me?"

"The prophecy spoke of love." Love. Now that was a word that I had no use for. Since when had love ever done something for me? Since when had love ever given me something worth talking about? Since when had love ever protected me the same way it protected everyone else? The answer was never, and because of that I refused to believe in love. If this Celyn knew anything about me, it would be that one thing. "I sense your hesitation, and a believe it's because you don't know who I truly am.”

I interrupted again. “No, Celyn, it’s because I don't believe in love.” he shock on his face was clearer than his aristocratic features, and I kind of felt bad for him.

“You must believe in love, Misake. There is so much of it in this world for everyone. Even you, if you open your heart enough.” I cringed at those words. There was no love for me and I knew it, Celyn’s words only hurt me. Sensing my doubt, Celyn changed the subject. “We’re getting off track. Please plant the seed and rescue me, my Misake.”

“Your Misake?” I asked, but Celyn didn’t say a word. He just watched me serenely as I took the seed and enveloped it in the cold, black darkness that made up the floor. “You’re just a dream.” I told him fiercely. Celyn smiled a sad smile, and I could tell he was struggling with something internal.

“If I was only a dream, I would remove these bonds and show you your true destiny.”

“You know my destiny?”

“Of course I do, Misake. Your destiny is deeply intertwined with mine, and one day you’ll realize that as well. Maybe then we can live our lives without bonds and barriers separating us and get to know each other the way we were always meant to.”

“You act like you know me so well...” I scoffed, running my fingers through my hair. “You’re just a dream, Celyn, and all you’re doing is leading me to disappointment when I pick that flower and nothing happens.” Celyn looked hurt by my words, but I couldn’t stop wounding him no matter what. “I’ll prove you wrong, Misake.”

We sat in silence for a few long seconds, neither of us saying anything. I watched the seed on the ground, wondering if it could feel the power it apparently had. Celyn was watching me, I could feel his eyes on me. There was nothing worth looking at, though. Just a mistake. Believing that this wasn’t just a dream was too hard. There was no way for me to accept this as reality, accept this as truth. Adventures like this just don’t exist. “I have to go again soon. You’re going to wake up.”

“I don't want to go,” I admitted softly, and then I looked up at Celyn. He was smiling softly, despite the chains that bound him. Chains only I could supposedly break. “Why am I the one the prophecy wants?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” I hated it when people said that to me, but there was no choice but to accept his answer for now. Celyn was fading away. “Please save me, my Misake...” And I knew within my heart that I would do everything in my power to save him. Not because of a prophecy, but because he didn't deserve to be bound by those chains. Celyn was too strong and too brave to deserve something like that. It was difficult to admit, but Celyn was growing on me.

One of the things that always gave me hope, besides reading fantasy novels, was writing poetry. I loved writing poetry, and I’ve ben writing it since I was very little. Poetry and my novels were my only escapes for so long, and eventually they both just became parts of me. Right now, after waking up from another night with Celyn, all I wanted to do was write poems about him and how I imagined where he came from to be like.

I sat down at my desk and wrote poetry for a good two hours that morning. I had the strangest feeling that all I would be able to think about as the day went by was Celyn, and I was right. The words he spoke mixed with words from my poetry and I was stuck on them all day. Throughout my schooling, my foster mother grew frustrated with my constant daydreaming and lack of attention span. I was even beginning to annoy myself. There was too much allure about other places, though. What if I could truly escape this world and enter one filled with adventure and winged, elvish creatures? I wondered if they all appeared like my Celyn, or if the others were different. I wondered what the dark princes looked like.

Eventually my foster mother quit on me and told me to just read in my room. I conceded easily, but instead of reading just laid down and daydreamed. Dark thoughts soon crept in, though. Thoughts that I didn’t deserve to be the girl who could enter a new realm. Thoughts that spoke of this realm not even existing- that maybe this was just a recurring dream and there was no flower. Maybe there was no Celyn, either.

Night fell, and I watched the stars with a melancholy gaze. I didn't want to fall asleep. There was too much at stake now. What if he wasn’t there? What if I didn’t dream of that dark room at all? I had spent all day focused on the fact that he would be there, but what if he wasn’t? I don’t know what I would do if I had to live knowing there might have been something more for me out there. I also couldn’t live with myself knowing I hadn’t saved Celyn.

The stars just mocked me, but then again, they didn’t know the answers to my questions either. There was too much to worry about, I was never going to sleep at this rate. A few stars winked out and my thoughts turned back to Celyn. Wondering if he was okay, I finally turned from the window and curled up on my bed. Celyn needed me, whether he was real or just a figment of my imagination. I had to do everything in my power to make sure he was okay. Celyn deserved it.

Celyn smiled when he saw me. The darkness seemed to be pressing down and suffocating me, and I pondered how likely it was to dream of the same strange man over and over again like this. Nothing really seemed to make sense. “Misake? Are you okay?”

“Of course.” I answered quietly, sitting down in front of his chained body. The bruise on his cheekbone was finally starting to fade, and that made me happy. The seed I had planted last night was beginning to poke up, so that the black ground made a little tent around it. “I’m just confused, and starting to think that maybe this isn’t just a dream. Will you tell me how this is possible?”

“Yes, Misake. As I’ve told you before, I am the prince of Silevon and heir to the throne. You can tell I’m royalty by my wings, which only the king, queen, nobles, and I have. These wings are a lot more than appendages used for flying- they also help me communicate with a certain person. For example, my father can do this same thing to my mother when they are separated.”

“Wait,” I couldn't help but interrupt. “So this can only be between two people? How does it know what person to communicate with?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” I had a bad feeling about this now, for it was the second time he had told me that. Every time he said those words, his smile seemed to fade a little and Celyn looked so tired. I would give anything for him to just smile, and to remove those chains. Why I felt like that, though, I had no idea. Celyn began to speak again, and before I knew it found myself leaning forward attentively. “You’re probably wondering a lot about these other realms. There are three, Earth, Kaiserin, and Minasdess. Kaiserin is where I am from, and where the city of Silevon resides. Minasdess is a realm filled with those who have been banished from Kaiserin. People who had done things so terrible that they could not be permitted to live on Kaiserin any longer. For awhile, Minasdess was filled with chaos. Then the dark king Medinor took over with his three sons; Aglir, Maes, and Angol.” Learning about all of this made me feel as if I was inside one of my fantasy novels. “You’re facing a big challenge, but I will join you after you rescue me.”

I sighed. “That's implying that I rescue you in the first place.” Why these hurtful words spilled from my mouth so easily, I did not know. Celyn looked wounded by my words, and I actually wished I could take them back. That was probably a first for me. Considering my thoughts all day had been about rescuing him, I didn’t know why I was acting like this now when I actually faced him. If anything, seeing him chained to the wall like this should make me more determined to help him.

“Are you scared?” Celyn asked me, and I knew the answer was yes. Admitting it in front of him, though, would be difficult. I remained silent instead. “It’s probably a good thing if you are, Misake. If you’re scared, you’ll be careful. Just please... don’t leave me like this. I don't want to spend forever chained to this wall.”

I curled my body around the little stem that was beginning to poke through the inky ground. Celyn watched me with sad eyes as the silence fell down around us. He would have to go soon, and we both knew it. My eyes stared deep into the little flower stem that was in front of me, and I wondered how something as insignificant as a flower would have the ability to change my entire life. With this flower, a person could enter an entirely different realm. There was so much to be awed about.

My days were now meaningless. The next one passed like a blur, and already it was time for me to fall asleep. I lay with my eyes wide open, staring at my black ceiling and waiting for sleep to take me to my Celyn. He was my Celyn now. If I was going to be the one who rescued him, he was going to be mine eventually. I deserved a friend in him if I traveled through a dark realm such as Minasdess for him. He would be my friend no matter what.

“Have you thought anymore about rescuing me?” Celyn asked immediately when I arrived. I didn't feel comfortable answering that, and instead curled up around the little flower again. Looking at Celyn was too difficult right now.

“What am I getting into?”

I could feel Celyn nod at my question. “You’re leaving Earth forever. Once you enter Minasdess, the only way to enter another realm is to destroy Medinor and come with me to Kaiserin. Earth will be entirely unreachable, and Kaiserin is unreachable from Minasdess as long as Medinor is alive.”

“How did you get to Minasdess? What were you even thinking?”

Celyn's reply was in a very small voice, and I was beginning to trust him a lot more than I trusted anyone else. “I just wanted to protect you.” No words were exchanged for awhile longer. There was too much on both of our minds. Why was he so willing to protect me? I didn't understand it. I don’t think I ever would, because no one had ever been protective of me before. All my life I had been alone. Now, this man was claiming that he had been captured in an attempt to protect me from a dark realm. A realm I was going to have to travel through regardless, now.

“Will I even survive?”

“Put your faith into the prophecy, Misake. It says you will survive, so you will.” How could I put my faith into something that had no real value on Earth? Perhaps if I had grown up with prophecies my entire life like Celyn, it would be easier, but right now it just felt wrong to trust something like that.

“What if I fail?”

“I know you won't, Misake. Not just because of a prophecy, because you’re strong and smart. I know you are.”

“You don't know me.”

“Fine, then. I feel it in my heart.” A blush spread across my cheeks at Celyn's words. I looked up at him and studied his face once again. The bruise on his cheek was completely gone now, and he was smiling so that his high cheekbones almost touched his big eyes. His black, feathered wings fluttered happily at the sight of my blush, which only embarrassed me further. “I know you’re an amazing girl, Misake. Believe in yourself.”

“You have no idea, though...”

“About your depression?” I nodded. “I’ve felt your depression all my life, and always wanted to help you. Reaching you was impossible, though. Until you moved into this house, for some reason the connection was stronger than ever.”

“How could you have felt my depression? I don’t understand.”

“Once again, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you right now. Just trust me and be patient, soon you will understand everything. I have to go now. The flower will have bloomed tomorrow night, I hope you decide to pick it...”