Based on mere assumptions, I might have lost less than three or four hours, floating around in an ethereal mess. Well, I cannot even describe it with words other than a cheap version of a starry sky. I was growing desperate for there seemed to be no single door or window that would let me exit that darn dimension of sorts.

As a side note, let me tell you that I was wearing my high school uniform the whole time. It would have been embarrassing if I had been naked there, don't you think?

I was mad at that imbecile that dragged me down by making me feel quite helpless there when something else caught my undivided attention. A female entity was calling my name out of the blue. What the hell was going on in that eerie space?

“Listen to me, Erik!”, the strange voice with a female tone informed me. “You may find a mysterious item hidden deep in Foresta Daghe. Do not let anybody else find it first, my child! Your future, even her future depends on these items that you have to collect in order to succeed!”

“How absurd!”, the male voice complained then. “The curse that had been dormant for many years is awakening as we speak. His soul is now unattached to-”

“Silence! Forget not that it is still too early to declare the designs of the wheels of destiny to this poor boy”, she interrupted the bad guy.

“Even so this bratty boy has no chance to collect them all in time!”, the male voice insisted.

That argument of theirs made me recall something from my distant past. Were they the voices of my very own parents? I mean, they could be the very same relatives that many years ago had vanished, leaving no clue of their whereabouts or their plans. As a direct consequence, the three of us had to live as orphans at some horrible institution from that point onward. So do not expect me to get back to the southern region for the next few years or so.

Granted. Even now I am missing my siblings, you know. What would be Astrid, Jens and Kirstin doing right now? Last time I was able to hug them, they were little kids. OK, I was eleven back then but several years have passed and I have no idea if they are still living in that scary haunted house.

Anyway, I am partially convinced of the possibility that the recent interaction of those voices was very similar to the way they often disagreed with each other in the past. Why would they suddenly return to assign me some sort of special quest of theirs as if nothing had ever happened? They seriously got the nerve to ask me to do their job. How dare you, my lousy father and mother!

A Disturbing Arrival

This is unexpected, guys! My partner had arrived and I only noticed it a few moments ago. Yes, I know my dear friends. I should have been paying attention to the surrounding area instead of getting absorbed by my own thoughts.

“Don’t worry about them, my love!”, my girlfriend the witch told me. “You will succeed for certain, but I’m afraid to admit here that I can’t stay away from the flames for too long…”

Let me take a break now. Was my lovely girl motivating me just a few moments ago? Or was that just that darn sandwich technique being applied here? You know, it is that mind game that makes you think that you did not do a bad job, yet, you definitely failed to achieve the proposed goals and stuff like that.

“Stop!”, I commanded her with a stern tone. “I won’t let you leave me behind like those two idiots did long time ago! Wait for me, err, girl! Fear not! And just wait for me!”

How shameful it was to abruptly realize that I had never caught her name, no matter how many times I had been following her back in Anima. Just in case you did ignore this fact, it is also known as the city of lost souls. That is not the end of this brief story, I am now able to recollect that its ancient name was Anima Perduta and has always been the place for executing the worst criminals.

Waking Up

Once I managed to wake up from that strange nightmare, I noticed that I had been sleeping… with her, the hateful scarecrow! What a terrible mess this is! Man, how could I do such a thing to my unnamed partner!?

“I’m so, so happy to hear that you’ll never stop loving me, my dear, that I can’t stop acting like a crybaby”, the monster disguised as a ugly girl confesses then.

No, do not dare to ask me how does she look like while naked because we had been hiding under a horrendous blanket. It is full of the weirdest things you can think off. My only guess is they are a bunch of witchcraft symbols or the like. At least our pillows were beige and had no awkward designs on them.

“Come on! Stop crying for us, baby!”, I ask her as a favor.

“It’s impossible for me to do your bidding after how you declared your love to me while being trapped up there”, she explains.

She was the very same girl that had resigned herself to be humiliated while walking down the streets of Anima? This ugly critter was or will be my beloved girlfriend, the one sentenced to death at the stake at age of… Well, twenty five I guess.

Right now I have no time for playing silly games but I have to put my theory to the test. Perhaps some vague revelations of what happened in that despicable city will tell us whether or not both girls are the same once for all.

“Now your face looks as gorgeous as the day I first met you at that restaurant”, I affirm with a strong but still fake conviction.

“And then you tried to catch up at Via Draconiana with that stupid look of yours, he, he”, my unexpected date states.

Huh? How could she even elaborate on an event that had truly transpired there? Do not tell me now that we both had the same dream where she was a maid! I could not stand it when she kept talking about her past and future as a witch burning at that dreadful stake!

Our Relationship

“I don’t have to worry about us like I used to for now I’m one with my dear hubby!”, she declares without notice.

“Hubby!? Does it mean I’m her husband already?”, I can only ask myself.

“Yes, you goof! We’ve finally consummated our love!”, she replies with some unusual intensity.

“Wow! We… did it, right? Wow!”, I quickly assert.

I do not know how she had found about that secret room, hidden deep in the three storey library. Honestly, it does look quite normal for a newly wed couple with a very limited budget. I suppose she has been working on this ever since the semester had started. I could say she did a great job here, adding a nice lamp that barely illuminates the room. Perfect for lovers like us.

At this point I am no longer sure if I should keep calling her scarecrow and some other awful names I had reserved for my most fearful enemy in the academy world. That very same girl wound up being my mesmerizing love. Now that I look at her face, it does seem to be like a younger version of the poor witch that I had been following everywhere to no avail. When did her appearance change?

“Why did your poor face look so different, my lovely dove? I mean, my lovely crow!”, I suddenly inquire of her.

“He, he. I’m glad to hear you haven’t forgotten my favorite nickname”, my partner says adding, “You see, it was only after we had been engaged and shared our comfy bed together that this curse of mine would be lifted.”

“Really? Then why didn’t you tell me anything about yourself, explaining why I couldn’t remember you or feel attracted to you at all?”, I formulate then.

“That’s mainly because I couldn’t do so, not even if that was killing me, with the crackling flames of your stubborn ignorance and deep distrust imbued by this curse of mine”, she uncovers with some tears falling down her cheeks.

“You know, I’m afraid of asking you this while we’re enjoying such a tender moment but what was your real name again?”, I query carelessly.

“What the!?”, she overreacts. “Nope, it’s not your fault indeed. I was forced by my late mother to erase any memories you had that could ever make you remember me.”

“Did she really ask you to do that? How evil!”, I criticize her mom.

“No, not all! She said it was all done in my best interest. And now I strongly believe she was right about everything!”, my wife hastily elucidates.

“So once again, what’s your name, my lovely crow?”, I challenge her.

“My dear Erik, it’s Alice!”, she responds in no time. “It’s always been Alice, still, you may also call me Raven. I like that pet name you gave me that day at the cave.”

Yeah, I gotta be true. I could not have met her anywhere else for it would not have been horrific enough for her weird sense of beauty. And then she had the very same picnic basket that she has brought along today.

First of all, let me clarify something now. When I told you she is my first love, I should have said that she would be like my fifth love interest, if I remember clearly.

“You’re wrong, my dear!”, she corrects me.

Wait a moment! How is it possible? What kind of spell has she cast on me to be able to read my mind just like that!? It gotta be witchcraft indeed! And that would be pretty much normal for my lovely wife, the witch, right?

“As far as I know, I’m your first and sixth love. Oh, I love number six! It’s my lucky number indeed!”, my partner shouts.

I am totally unable to understand how I can deeply love her and, still, I am feeling she is creepy as hell. Let us admit it, she is a weirdo and that is not going to ever change. Alice will always like crows and ravens, and also love number six above all other numbers… Plus she is my dear witch.

“And never forget I’m your clingy wife as well!”, my significant other adds.

Now I am seriously suspecting that I am writing this very same chapter while my consciousness is divided between my time spent with my darling and the distant future where I might have been able to buy some feather and ink to record on a parchment how startling this event has ever been to me.

“That’s amazing! I didn’t know you could do that! Now I’m envious!”, Raven protests.

“By the way, what happened to your alleged friend, the blondie? Where is she now?”, I request.

Her face looks nervous now and she cannot stop playing with her long raven hair. I wonder if Alice did anything she might regret later on.

“Well, since her services were no longer required, I just, err, beat her up”, my darling concedes.

I guess that makes perfect sense for she was a dangerous rival of sorts. Besides the blond girl stole my coin purse some time ago.

“Oh no, no!”, my crow cries out loud. “That was me. It happened that I had to pay the sum I had promised the janitor and the librarian to let us occupy this space.”

“Meaning you were hungry, bought some food and later cursed them as to make sure they wouldn’t interrupt our first time as a lovely couple, ain’t I right my love?”, I just elaborate on a stupid theory of mine.

“I guess… you know me… very well, my… brave knight!”, my girl replies while eating a calzone.

“Fine! Fine! Just give me the last remaining calzone you’ve been hiding down there”, I sternly demand from her.

Alice Raven accepts to hand over that delicious food, and I begin fearing that I will soon have to leave her behind and explore the dangerous Foresta Daghe as per that wacky female voice’s request. Crap! Now she has found out all about my current mission! Darn future me!

“You bet, darling!”, she yells at me. “But don’t worry! I’ve got the perfect charm that will protect you for a day or two at least. I’ll look for it later on and give it to you tomorrow.”

“Wow! I guess it’s terrific to be married to a well prepared woman like you, my love!” I exclaim.

Since I am quite thirsty now, I am going to get some drink. Hopefully, it is not some weird herbal tea of hers. Or is it that very same bitter tea I can barely swallow up? Crap, there is no doubt that her eyes gave her away a moment ago.