The girl walked into the hidden garden.
Inside, there were various kinds of fruits and flowers. She picked some berries and a pomegranate, then ate them.
Above the garden hovered a glowing yellow sphere, about the size of a volleyball.
It looked like a small sun, illuminating the entire area.
If observed closely, the yellow sphere resembled the one in the dark chamber of Hanako's lair before—only the color was different. This sphere served as both the light source and the energy source of the space.
For the garden she was in now, the sphere granted power to the plants, allowing them to bloom and bear fruit.
Fatheema used the small pool to cleanse herself. She soaked in it for a while. A cool sensation seeped into every pore of her skin, refreshing her entire body. Miraculously, the pain and wounds she had suffered from the previous battle healed instantly.
"Amazing… my wounds are gone, and my body feels completely refreshed!" she exclaimed in astonishment.
After eating, drinking, and bathing to her heart's content, she lay down on a stone floor beside the pool.
She closed her eyes.
Slowly, her body relaxed, and her consciousness faded, drifting into the realm of dreams.
Within the dream, Fatheema sat cross-legged, her eyes open. Once again, she found herself in a vast, endless space, with a surface like still water—perfectly flat, without a single ripple.
It was a place she had encountered several times in her sleep, and now it felt increasingly familiar.
From the flat surface, several white bubbles emerged.
Inside them were shifting images—moving sequences of events. It was as if Fatheema were watching a film.
She touched one of the spheres, and it displayed a scene: creatures resembling giant centipedes and gorilla-like beasts swarming within a dark chamber. Two portals stood beside an altar, upon which rested a purple sphere. Endless tunnels appeared, followed by a small river flowing through a cavern.
"These dark tunnels… they seem endless. Where is the exit, really?" Fatheema wondered aloud.
The vision shifted. The long river flowed onward and eventually emptied into a cave opening. The river's mouth was wide—but outside, the scenery was completely different.
A dark and desolate world stretched beyond. Rocks and hills dominated the landscape. There was no sun, no moon—only a dark sky scattered with stars, which seemed to be the only source of light.
"Where is this place? Why is it so dark? And the only plants… are cactus-like and withered trees."
"Is this Earth… or another world?"
The vision continued. Towering stone structures rose high into the sky. At their peaks stood small towers with glowing spheres.
Then appeared black humanoid creatures with buffalo-like heads and horns. They gathered in groups, roaring.
"Demonic creatures… Hanako's servants!"
They gathered in an open field. At its center stood a massive stone tower, incredibly tall, topped with a gigantic sphere—about thirty feet in diameter.
The sphere glowed red, radiating dark energy in all directions.
"A massive energy sphere!" she exclaimed.
"Where are my friends…?"
The giant red sphere was supported by a towering black structure. Inside it were hundreds—perhaps thousands—of pipes embedded deep into the ground, channeling energy from beneath the earth.
Suddenly—the vision distorted.
The sphere transformed into the face of a girl with shoulder-length wavy hair, her eyes glowing crimson—Hanako.
Then the vision shattered.
"It seems there's a force preventing me from gathering more information… and from finding my friends," she murmured.
"Fine. I'll search for them manually later. Sometimes, traditional methods are necessary to solve a problem."
"For now, I'll calm myself by meditating in this mental dream space… and restore my strength and clarity."
Fatheema sat cross-legged again, focusing her mind, trying to calm the turmoil within her caused by the sudden events she had endured.
After some time, her thoughts became still.
In front of her, a soft light formed into the shape of a girl—someone who looked exactly like her. The only difference was that this figure radiated a warm, reddish aura.
"Fatheema, listen to me."
"You are still weak. You must become stronger to face your enemies," the girl said, gazing at her intently.
"Who are you?"
"What do you want?" Fatheema asked cautiously.
"I am you… and you are me."
"I don't understand. What do you mean? Are you my soul?"
"Fatheema, I am your 'astral self.'"
"Or rather, your soul-self—not just a twin, but another version of you in a higher plane, a non-material world."
"I am a non-material entity connected to you, representing your happiness, sorrow, anger, fear, hope—every emotion tied to your existence."
"I am the manifestation of your consciousness in the non-material realm. It's okay if you don't understand yet—you will, in time."
"To make it easier, call me your 'first soul-self.'"
"First? That means there are others? A second… a third… and so on?"
"Then why are you here? What do you want?"
"Other soul-selves? Haha… yes, you're right. But your awareness hasn't reached them yet."
"In time, you may encounter them—depending on the level of your spiritual growth and soul score."
"Score? Our soul has a score?" she asked, even more confused.
"Of course. We are given life by the Almighty. We are evaluated. Naturally, there is a score. Otherwise, how would we know whether we succeed or fail?"
"I am here to help you. You will face many challenges. As I said, you are still weak—while your enemies are supernatural beings from the unseen world."
"You will be in danger if you face them with your current strength."
"I don't want anything except to help you… because I am you. If you die, I cease to exist as well."
"The fact that you can reach this level of awareness is connected to the blessing within your eyes."
"You possess special eyes—ones that can access the original dream world, known as the Oneiric realm."
"Eyes that can see what ordinary eyes cannot—metaphysical eyes."
"With time, you will grow stronger."
"You must continue training. As a foundation, I will give you guidance in the form of a manual."
"A manual book?" Fatheema frowned in confusion. It felt strange—she realized she was in a dream, and she wasn't even fond of reading. "Even in a dream world, there are books?"
"Yes. Now, I will give you two manuals—soul-books."
The first soul-self extended her hand. From her palm emerged two boxes—one silver-white, the other golden-yellow.
"So… in the real world, we have books. In the digital world, we have e-books. And in the spiritual realm, we have soul-books? Incredible… but it actually makes sense. Every realm must have a way to learn—and the primary tool for learning is a book."
"Fatheema, these books are not free. They must be redeemed with the score points you possess."
"Wait—you said you were giving them to me. What do you mean?" Fatheema asked, confused and slightly annoyed.
The soul-self smiled slyly.
Then something appeared in the palm of her hand.
***