After finding myself lost under the cavernous night sky, I ended up encountering the person I had least expected to.

"Canaria?"

My voice cracked as I recalled the name of the trembling girl before me. Reacting to my voice, she peeked out from beneath a tent of her own arms and responded back with a whisper.

"Mister Edmond…? Is that you? But what are you doing here?"

Her voice was faint, delicate, and like a small animal's. But it was considerably loud anyway in the overwhelming silence that surrounded us both. With her saying my name, I knew for certain she was who I thought her to be.

She was Canaria, the young lady with the sky blue hair that I helped at the beginning of the day. And she was the same young lady who I later met again and brought with me to the Arcanian memorial. So for us to have crossed paths for a third time again like this… it was something that could only be chalked up to fate.

"That's a question I should be asking you, along with what's that floating above your—?"

While I had a great many questions for her, the one which stood out above them all pertained to that little crystalline star floating above her head. It hovered freely, spun in place, shifted through an uncountable myriad of shapes, and was unquestionably a thing of Arcanian origin— or at least there was nothing like it to be found native on Earth. Yet every other feature and trait about her told she was human otherwise.

Arcanians always had a tell that gave away their nature. Always. No matter how human they looked, there would always be one thing or another that told of their origins. In most, it was their ears and tails. In others, it was an extra feature like horns, fur, or even additional limbs like wings. And when all things failed, I could still look at their eyes which carried with them a certain aethereal glow that was impossible to hide even with the use of contacts.

Canaria was a human through and through— that was my conclusion backed up by the experience I had accumulated having met thousands and perhaps even tens of thousands of Arcanians throughout my days. So if that was the case, what the hell was that she had floating above her head and why did it make Verretheia's pendant light up? I really did want to ask her… yet when I saw how she subconsciously lowered her head and shifted her arms towards covering up the little star, I cut my question short and changed the subject.

"No, nevermind. We can talk about these things later. More importantly, we should find a way to go back home first. It isn't safe to be here. We've been caught up in a rift event and there may be dangers lurking around every corner."

"But wait, aren't we supposed to stay put and await rescue in these situations? That was what they taught us at school!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, and when search and rescue comes by, you should make yourself known! I remember it because I paid extra attention during drills!"

"It looks like the schools are teaching kids well but those drills only help you when you're still on Earth. It's a bit different now since we're stranded on the other side of the rift. It's better to try to find a way back on our own as it'll be highly unlikely a rescue will come our way."

"O-Oh… that does make a lot of sense. I suppose you would know better in these kinds of situations. I'll follow your lead, Mister Edmond."

Canaria nodded at me. Although it initially seemed like it might be a problem getting her to follow along with my plans, as she had enthusiastically brought up her teachings from school, she ended up being quite agreeable instead. I was glad for it though, as it meant less trouble for me.

"Can you walk?"

"I think so."

While asking her a simple question, I reached out with my arm. She took it, and then—

"—Ah," she blurted out, having felt her legs give out from under her.

"Easy does it. I got you."

Right as Canaria pulled herself up and finished shifting her weight to her knees, they buckled and she ended up falling in the midst of her action. It came as a surprise and she nearly took me down along with her. But fortunately, I managed to take a step forward just in time and I was able to use that footing as leverage to catch the both of us.

"…Maybe not," she whimpered out of embarrassment. Though she covered her face the instant I set her down, it was already too late for her to hide her flush red skin or the tearful expression that she wore.

"Don't worry, there's no need to beat yourself over it. It's not strange to become overwhelmed considering the situation we're in," I laughed in an attempt to ease her up.

"Urgh… I can't believe that just happened… and right after I said that too…!"

"It's alright. How about we do this instead: Let's take a short break, rest up, and then we can go."

"Wait, there's no need to change the plan just to accommodate me. Didn't you say we should hurry? I just slipped up earlier, that's all. Here, I'll show you— Oh."

When I suggested to Canaria my new plan, she was against it immediately. But even as she told me firmly that she could do it, her legs betrayed her again and she dropped to her knees. And when her mind finally caught up to her, the flush on her face returned twofold.

It was a delicate situation, I thought, and I had to be careful in how to navigate my way out of it. Luckily for me, the answer came forth naturally as I thought to myself what Verretheia would do were she here in my stead.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault," I said.

"Mister Edmond, why are you apologizing?"

"I worded it badly. What I mean to say was that, before hurrying off to the unknown, we should sit down and first have a chat, share what we know, and then maybe we'll be able to figure out where the rift back home is. I originally planned on talking as we moved, but I realized it would be better to talk first so we won't have to potentially waste time backtracking or even worse, lose our way."

After explaining my logic, I added one more thing with a small smirk.

"Not to mention, just like how sleep is vital to keeping the body functional, so too are breaks. Even if you aren't physically tired, you might still be mentally exhausted and that may lead you to making careless mistakes that you otherwise would have caught. Let's make sure we're both properly rested before we throw ourselves off the deep end, shall we, Canaria?"

"I… I see. I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Thank you for telling me, Mister Edmond."

With a soft nod, she finally relented, and so did her little star come to peace along with her.

…

"Are you cold?" I asked her

"I'm doing alright. It's a bit chilly but I think my feet are bothering me more than the cold."

I nodded in kind as she brought her legs in to massage them. She was only in her sleepwear after all. Though, I was not doing much better myself even though I wore my outside attire.

"Yeah, can't imagine walking barefoot like that. Does it hurt a lot?"

"Not really, no. Just uncomfortable like trying to walk on pebbles."

…

"Hungry?"

"No, I'm not. I think I can still feel my dinner sloshing around in my stomach."

…

After starting our break, we began to have a chat… though it was not until a few minutes into the conversation that things actually got off the ground.

"So how did you end up here?" I asked.

"I don't know," she said, shaking her head regretfully as she responded. "Last thing I recall before getting into bed is, I suppose… taking my melatonin with a glass of warm water, then checking the stovetops, closing the windows, and lastly putting on some music. Nothing else after that and when I woke up, I found myself here."

"So you too, huh," I murmured. It explained the attire.

"To be honest, I just kind of assumed this whole thing was a dream up until now; a really lucid one that felt way longer than it actually is."

"I don't blame you. I would have thought I was in a dream as well if the last thing I remember is going to sleep in my own bed. On the other hand, I'm more curious as to how you managed to get from your bed to all the way out here. Are you a sleepwalker by any chance?"

"I'm not," she said confidently, but she began to express some doubt only a second later. "Or at the very least, if I am, I have never found out."

"Hmm…"

Hearing her say no, my brows tensed up slightly. There was quite a big leap from how she went from sleeping in bed to coming all the way out here. Aside from sleepwalking, there was little else I could think of. I supposed that she could have been abducted or the rift could have opened on top of her, but neither of those options were very believable.

Then, as I sat there musing, I noticed that I was not the only one there wearing a frown.

"What's the matter?" I asked her.

"…Huh, what? N-No, it's nothing."

"Are you sure? Feel free to speak your mind. I'm here to listen. Maybe I can even give you some old man advice."

I glanced at the little star sharding into glass-like pieces above her head. It told of her emotions far better than her words ever could.

"It's nothing much…" Looking downcasted, Canaria trailed off. Before she went on further, she paused to adjust herself and she ended up sitting in a more comfortable position where she pulled her legs in and wrapped her arms around them. It somewhat made her look like a small animal and it was helped on further by the way she leaned in onto her knees and rested her face over them.

Like this, she continued, "It's just… Well, it honestly scares me to think, maybe, all this time I might actually have been walking around at night going who knows where and doing who knows what. I have enough trouble trying to sleep at night, Mister Edmond. I don't want to have to be afraid of what I might be doing once I finally do fall asleep as well."

"…I may not be a doctor, but if my opinion is worth anything to you at all then hear me out. Say that you really were a sleepwalker. I think someone would have told you about it a long time ago. But since nobody has, that must mean you aren't one. It's as simple as that. And besides, I only brought it up because that was the first thing that came to my mind. It's like I said, I'm not a doctor. So don't take what I say too seriously."

"Hehe… I suppose you're right, Mister Edmond," she laughed lightly. As she did so, she paused suddenly as if a kind of realization had just donned on her. "Wait! What did you mean by, 'so you too,' earlier? Does that mean you also woke up here?"

"Me? Yeah, something like that."

"But hold on, didn't you say that you didn't go to bed? What happened?"

Canaria was more than excited to ask about my experiences.

"Nah, it's not what you think. I just fell asleep in the taxi. Woke up in it too after it crashed, so it was easy to tell something went wrong. Then I checked my phone to see where I last had a GPS signal and the rest is history."

"You got into a car crash?!" She cried out loud. The little star also trembled rapidly over her head as she continued. "How bad was it? Are you hurt?? Are you okay??"

"Well, it certainly did crash into something alright," I chuckled thinking back to the exploded rock flayer and what it had done to the taxi's chassis, "but as you can see, I came out of there alright. Considering I only have an aching neck to show for it, I'd even go so far as to say that I'm doing great actually."

"Amazing…"

"Haha. It's really not as amazing as you think. What about you? I want to hear about what you did after waking up here."

"Alright, but it's a bit of a long story."

Giving me a slight warning, she then began to recount her side of the story…

…

…

"Where am I?"

The sound of Canaria's voice quietly reached out into the cold dark open, yet not even an echo returned to keep her company.

She thought herself to be in a dream. When she looked around, she realized she was amidst a desolate nowhere, with little but rocks and bigger rocks to decorate the scene. There was nothing familiar of civilization in sight: not of buildings, nor of paved streets, or even any of the rampant advertisements that somehow found a way to sneak into even the most inconspicuous of places.

It was genuinely a place untouched by man, something she had never experienced before. And it was upon having that notion set into stone that she finally realized the sky above herself and all the allure that it held within. The sky, with its stars of ruby reds, tanzanite blues, and amethyst violets, cast a blanket of glimmering lights that captivated her star loving celestial heart instantly.

She let out an involuntary gasp then. What she had seen was a stark departure from the city skies which she had been used to seeing her entire life.

"How beautiful…" she whispered.

She truly meant it too. It was a scene so beautiful to her that she would only be able to see it in a dream. Because never in her life had she actually seen a patch of the sky that was not muffled by the undying lights of a city that never slept.

But… for a dream, it sure was chilly, she felt. When she glanced down at her own body, it explained why. She was in her sleepwear and completely exposed to the elements. It even explained why she felt a dull and gnawing pain underfoot, as she had been without shoes as well.

Yes, for a dream, everything was awfully realistic. She could think to herself, feel her own skin, and turn around without changing her surroundings; but with a sight this strange all around her and no explanation for why she was there, what else could it possibly be but the most lucid of dreams? And in this dream, she felt a powerful sensation that tugged at her from the core of her being.

It pulled her towards a certain direction and reached across an unknowable distance. Even as she closed her eyes and faced away, the feeling continued to persist and even grew stronger in the absence of her other senses. However, it was not an eerie feeling. It was a comfortable one instead and she felt calm being embraced by it. It was as if she had been awaiting this call her entire life: All the instincts in her body told her to go towards it. No questions asked.

How far would this trek be? How long would it take her? What would she do when she eventually tired, needed to rest, or eat? Would she even make it to her destination?

These might have been questions she would have asked had she been fully aware of herself but none of these things were a concern to her now. All that occupied her mind was how to appease that heart-aching sense of longing she felt. So, without thinking for another moment or muttering another word, that was what she did.

Whether a minute had passed, or if it had been an hour or a day instead, she did not stop. She walked with all the glimmering lights of the stars above keeping her ever-company— and she walked while the light of her own little star illuminated each of her every step.

…

…