Luina's Passage to Solace

*I must find the castle.*

Luina's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions as she ran. Her breath was rapid, yet she felt as if she was suffocating. The sun beat down on her body, and sweat streamed down her face and back. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears, echoing her thoughts: *I must find the castle.* Her legs were sore and her calves ached, but she had to keep running.

She didn't know how long she had been running for. She couldn't remember how she got here or why she was in this foreign land. She couldn't figure out who she was or what she was doing and most of all, she couldn't remember anything about the man with the dark brown eyes who she'd left behind.

"I-I have to find the castle," she whispered to herself, panting heavily as she ran through the forest. "I can't be alone anymore, I need to be with others."

The thoughts flooded her mind faster than she could process them. Images flashed across her mind – the figure of a man, his hair and skin tone, his clothing and even his smell. Luina tried to focus on who he was, but she couldn't grab a hold of the memory. It had been so long, and there was so much that she couldn't remember. She only knew that she was lonely.

"I want to go home."

The thought broke her from her crazed, split-second picture show and she stopped in her tracks, doubling over to catch her breath. Her head spun as she gasped for air and she struggled to keep standing up straight. She lifted her hand and pressed it against her forehead, closing her eyes as she tried to remember.

*Home... I'm supposed to be going to a castle, but where is my home?*

The image of this man returned to the forefront of her mind and the questions that had flooded her mind suddenly vanished. The thoughts were pushed aside in a moment of clarity as this man's face came into focus, and it was at that same moment that she knew who she was.

"Luina."

Her eyes snapped open and she straightened herself as she looked up at the tall trees around her. The forest had grown silent and still and she felt as if she was being watched. She scanned the area and saw nothing out of the ordinary. There were no birds chirping, no leaves rustling, and no animals scurrying around. The world had gone silent and she was alone.

"Is there somebody there?" she asked, voice trembling with fear.

There was silence for a moment, but then she heard a rustling in the leaves to her right. A small animal darted out from the brush and Luina flinched away from it, gasping in surprise as it scampered past her. Her heart raced and she whimpered, tears stinging her eyes as she stared at the ground.

A voice echoed in her mind. *You're not alone.*

Luina looked up at the sky, eyes wide as she listened to the voice.

*You're never alone.*

Her fear suddenly turned to anger. How could anybody say something so cruel? She was alone, she had always been alone! She didn't need to be reminded of that! She needed to be told that everything was going to be okay, that she wasn't alone and that she would find people like her! Not that she was never going to find anyone!

"Shut up!" she yelled, voice shaking as she stomped her foot on the ground. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

*You're not alone.*

"I don't want to be alone anymore!" she cried out, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably.

*You'll never be alone again.*

"I want to go home!" she screamed, voice cracking as she dropped to her knees on the grass. "I want to see my mother!"

*Everything will be okay.*

She sobbed harder as she dropped her head into her hands. Her entire body was shaking with anguish as she stumbled to her feet, wiping her eyes with the back of her arm. She sniffled and hiccupped as she wiped the tears from her face, and as she did, she stepped forward, finally taking in her surroundings.

Luina was standing in the middle of the forest, surrounded by tall trees. She was surrounded by nature and peace, but despite it all, she felt so alone. She wanted to cry out for her mother, but she felt as if she was being held back by some invisible force. She wanted to run back home and hug her mother, but she knew that she wouldn't be welcomed back. She wanted to go home, but her home was no longer there.

She didn't belong anywhere.

She was alone.

*I want to go home.*

The voice echoed in her mind again and she closed her eyes, trying to ignore it. She searched through her memories again, desperately trying to find something that would bring her comfort. She searched for her father, but she couldn't bring him to mind. She searched for her older brother, but she couldn't remember anything about him. All she found were the memories of the man with the black hair, and she couldn't find any solace in them.

*You're not alone.*

She growled in frustration as she wiped her eyes again. She took a deep breath and then another and she began to walk. She walked for hours until she reached the edge of the woods, and as she emerged from the forest, she saw a vast landscape before her.

There, standing majestically atop a hill, stood a castle. It was surrounded by lush green fields and the sky was clear and blue above them. She could hear the chirping of birds and the sound of gently flowing water, and as she walked towards the castle, she saw that the fields were filled with flowers and tall grass. The wind blew gently against her skin and she could feel the sun on her face as she walked.

She took another step forward and her heart leapt into her throat. For the first time in what seemed like forever, she felt calm. She could hear the breeze blowing and feel the flowers beneath her feet, but more than that, she felt something else.

She felt alive.

With each step she took, she felt stronger and more confident. She felt more awake than she ever had before, and she knew that this place was special. There was something different about this place, something that made her feel welcome and safe. As she continued to walk, she felt the weight in her heart lift, and she couldn't help but smile. She knew that everything was going to be okay now.

*You're not alone anymore.*