Fai & Isa: Love in the Fantasy World
Part 21 – The Presence Beyond Their Creation
The wind howled, carrying whispers of something unfamiliar. Fai and Isa stood still, their eyes fixed on the towering figure lurking in the distance. Its form was hazy, shrouded in dark mist, yet its presence was undeniable, making the air around them feel heavier.
Isa tightened her grip on her bow. "Fai… we didn't create that, did we?"
Fai shook his head, his gaze unwavering. "No. And that means something else is here with us."
The creature took its first step, and the ground trembled. The vibration rattled their bones, and every footprint it left behind seemed to absorb the light around it. Strangely, however, their world did not reject its presence. This was not a manifestation of their fears, nor was it like the white cat that had tested them. This being… was not part of them, yet it existed within their world.
"Does this mean… our world is truly alive?" Isa murmured, narrowing her eyes.
Fai straightened his posture, trying to make sense of the situation. "Or something is trying to enter our world."
Suddenly, the creature raised its arm—or something that resembled an arm—and a dark energy gathered in its palm. In an instant, the energy shot toward them.
"Isa, watch out!"
Fai yanked Isa back just before the attack struck the ground in front of them. An explosion erupted, leaving a gaping hole in the earth. Black sparks pulsed in the air before fading away.
Isa stared at the hole, disbelief written all over her face. "That wasn't just an attack… it erased a part of our world."
Fai clenched his teeth. "This is bad. If that thing can erase parts of our world, we have to stop it before everything disappears!"
Isa quickly drew her bow, gathering golden light at the tip of her arrow. "If we can drive it away before more damage is done, maybe our world can recover!"
Fai nodded, raising his sword, its blue glow intensifying. "Alright. Let's do this together."
They advanced in unison, Isa releasing her first arrow. It shot straight toward the creature, exploding in a bright flash upon impact. But as the light faded… the creature still stood there, unharmed.
Isa gasped. "No way…!"
The creature turned its gaze toward them. But this time, instead of attacking, it spoke.
"You finally see me."
Its voice echoed, deep and layered, like a thousand whispers overlapping.
Fai and Isa froze.
The creature took another step forward, unhurried.
"You believe this world belongs to you. But… do you know? Something that is alive… always has an origin far deeper than you can imagine."
Isa swallowed. "What does that mean…?"
Fai tightened his grip on his sword. "Who are you?"
The creature stopped. From behind the dark mist that concealed its form, two faint lights emerged—eyes that did not merely watch but seemed to judge them.
"I am not something you created."
"I am something that has been waiting for you."
And as those words were spoken, the world around them began to change. The sky quivered, its golden-purple hues swirling wildly like paint blending out of control. The ground pulsed, as if with a heartbeat beating too fast.
This world—their world—was reacting to the presence of this being.
Fai and Isa could only exchange glances.
For the first time since this world came into existence, they felt like strangers within it.