Chapter 7: Pillar

"Storyteller…?" Êyavia whispered. The self-proclaimed Storyteller neither responded nor moved, merely staring intently at her.

This Storyteller was very tall, perhaps three to four meters. Or at least that was the position of those two eyes; the being's body almost blended into the surrounding space. Not exactly, though; if you looked closely, it was simply because its body was the same color as the starry sky. It turned out this being had been "standing there" watching intently all along, without Êyavia realizing it, believing those two eyes were just two stars high above.

"Are you a god?" Êyavia struggled to stand, her gaze still fixed on the towering being.

"In a certain sense, within your culture, that is true, but I prefer to be considered a collector," the god said in a gentle, unhurried tone. The only problem was that the two voices mingled together, making it difficult to discern the narrator's current emotions.

"Is this your home? Did you bring me here?" Êyavia asked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. This was her first encounter with a supernatural entity in real life, yet she felt no fear or unease; the deity before her seemed completely familiar. Perhaps it was the sound of the wind chimes embracing her, giving her this feeling of familiarity and security.

"No, you brought yourself here."

"I brought myself here? Then where is this place?" Êyavia felt bewildered, but after considering how she had recently managed to find her way back here, perhaps that was what the Storyteller meant?

"In the language we and many others use, this place is called '�"'abiyar'."

“The Pillar…” Êyavia murmured the word to herself.

"You can consider it the paradigm of this universe; normally, it does not look like this."

"I still don’t quite understand. So what does it have to do with me? Why was I brought here?" Êyavia clenched her hands, hoping the Storyteller could answer all her questions right now.

"Perhaps it has its own reasons, or perhaps it is all just a coincidence. Considering your world as a whole, it is not surprising that it would do something like this."

Êyavia lowered her head slightly, then looked up again at the Storyteller’s bright eyes. She opened her mouth as if to ask something, but then stopped. Then, after clenching her fists and looking at the deity before her, she asked, "I don't know if I'm overstepping my boundaries, but could you listen and help me fulfill these requests?"

"A request? What are you wishing for?" For the first time, Êyavia could hear a slight change in the god's tone, as if the being before her was showing interest in her question.

Êyavia hesitated slightly, but finally, she decided to state her wish: "If possible, please save Stalas. I know I can't offer you anything right now, but if that is still not possible, then please tell me the answer. Why did he choose to end his own life?"

After Êyavia paused for three seconds, the Storyteller replied: "Regarding the first matter, I am not a wish-granter, but even if you could trade everything for me to fulfill that wish, I would not. Not because I do not want to help you, but because it was the boy's choice, and I cannot fulfill your wish if it infringes on someone else's right to choose."

Êyavia lowered her head once more, falling into an indescribable silence. The Storyteller continued his reply: "Your second wish is the same; I am merely a collector. As a collector, my only duty is to preserve these stories. Unless your brother gives his permission, I can only refuse to share them with you."

The young woman remained silent, her dark eyes like bottomless pits filled with despair. The Storyteller, too, remained motionless, silently gazing at her intently as always. The wind chimes in this place called the Pillar chimed to a fixed melody, which had now repeated itself dozens of times. Êyavia once again raised her head, looking towards the Storyteller’s face: “If so, could you take me with you? I… I want to go to another world!” Her eyes were no longer just dark brown with white irises, but also had a reddish tint at the corners. Her voice was not trembling, nor was it filled with regret, but it held a slight pause.

"I can take you away, but what will happen to this world if you leave?" His tone had changed, but it was not the previous amusement; instead, it was a feeling of tenderness and gentleness directed at a child.

This world doesn't need me anyway. Even if I disappear, it won't affect it, she thought. Wasn't it true that when Stalas left, the sun still shone on the earth, the birds still sang, and people still laughed together? If it were me, it wouldn't be any different.

"It is not that it will not be any different."

Did he just read my thoughts? Êyavia was startled by the Storyteller's words.

"Since you have made it this far, you are no longer just an ordinary person. If you leave now, that world will collapse. You can leave, but this world cannot leave you.”

In short, I’m practically a prisoner now. Those strangers are innocent. How can I leave knowing it would harm them? And my parents, Alisa, and other relatives… Oh…

"Although I cannot fulfill these three wishes, helping you save your younger brother is not impossible. If you need it, and within my authority, I will help you. As for your third wish, if you cannot leave yet, I can share with you about those other worlds, share the stories I have been allowed to share. They may not be exactly what you want, but that is the best I can offer within my current authority."

Êyavia did not answer, but sat down, her eyes staring into the void. She showed no expression, neither crying nor laughing; all the muscles on her pale face were relaxed. She was like a statue, her mind unreadable; perhaps she was not thinking at all, only emptiness. "Thank you. Perhaps that's enough," Êyavia suddenly spoke, her voice neither loud nor soft. Her face remained the same, but no longer had that lifeless, distant look from before.

Actually, she did not know what else to say. Normally, she would have formulated many more questions. But everything had happened so suddenly. Even though time wasn't really an issue now, she still needed a little more to fully process all this information. The greatest consolation at this moment was that she was no longer alone on her journey ahead. With another divine companion by her side, perhaps things were not as hopeless as she had initially felt. If she could not leave this world, why not stay and find a way to make herself happier?

Êyavia lingered there for a while longer, lying where it should have been, gazing up at the twinkling starry sky. The Storyteller, as always, remained in the same spot, watching her. The silence lasted for quite some time, until only the soft beat of her heart mingled with the tinkling of the wind chimes in the air. The night retreated towards the sky, the black gradually replaced by blue and white. When the entire Pillar space vanished, she was brought back to the real world. She lay on the cold floor, and the weight of her body was no longer supported by the surface that was as soft as cushions. The wall clock above the door showed that the time she spent in the Pillar matched the time in this world.