Act 1 Chapter 1: The Two Strangers

In a town where mountains can be seen in the endless horizon and the sky, a pool of madder-red each sunset, is where Chelinka's tale begins.

Chelinka is a young lively girl of age 8, whom you'll usually see running breathlessly up the hill behind the town each afternoon. Setting a gaze towards that hill will reveal a certain house and a lone tree. There she would meet with an old lady named Ellen.

It was a blessing for Chelinka; especially that she was an orphan, to have someone to hold dear like family. And likewise, Ellen's meeting with Chelinka was the light she had been waiting for. Ellen loved her as much as Chelinka did to her.

But then, one afternoon, as the summer wind began to howl Ellen died.

On the days when she was waiting for her departure, Chelinka still was beside her with tear-soaked cheeks.

How brave, she would always think as she saw Chelinka caring for her. She wanted to apologize for the pain she was given her but she knew it would be wrong to do so. So instead she left Chelinka with a small gift.

She raised her hand to feel Chelinka's cheeks. It was so warm.

And then she said in her frail voice,

"Do not lose sight of your light, my dear."

Chelinka only returned a puzzled look. What did she mean? For her, she was already losing one of her light in life, her grandma Ellen.

Once again Ellen spoke but only in whisper. Chelinka tried to understand but she couldn't. And for a moment, she could've sworn that she saw a strange glimmer from Ellen's hand.

"What did you say, grandma?"

"You'll find someday, the meaning to those words…"

That was her last words… and then that night Ellen died.

Ellen's death stirred in Chelinka's mind for the last few days. She sat below the tree just beside Ellen's house, watching the sunset. It was so bright, warm and the same time sad because after the warmth, only darkness and cold would follow. She shivered at the thought of the darkness.

I'm alone now.

Tears fell from her eyes as the sun finally lowered in the horizon.

"Tears do not fit such a lovely face."

"Huh?"

She turned. No one was there but she definitely heard a voice. A boy's voice.

"My lady, is there something I can do to end the sadness I sense in you?"

"I'm sorry, but… right now I don't think so…"

"I see…"

She first heard his voice at the day Ellen died… at the time she cried her heart out. It was the same instance as this.

Half an hour passed before any one of them spoke.

"Tell me…" Chelinka said barely audible. She had been crying again. "You… can see me, right? But why can't I see you?"

The voice gave a phantom nod and said, "Yes, I can see you clearly but only an image in my mind. And I'm not sure why. But right in front of me, I see a lady with the loveliest scarlet eyes I've ever seen with long raven-black hair. But I can only see you whenever I am near this tree."

This tree. Could he mean the same tree she was beneath now?

The leaves brushed together as a strong gush of wind came to pass. Its flower buds swayed in the wind. And the tree gave off a warm radiance as if becoming aware that it had been mentioned.

Chelinka closed her eyes and tried to remember the wish she made with Ellen that one winter night.

It was a really cold afternoon. Everywhere she looked, everything was coated with white especially below the town. There was a sparkle in her eyes as she gazed with awe. This was her first time seeing the town from atop a hill.

"Chelinka dear, come inside. It's starting to snow."

"Oh! Right!" She hadn't notice at all. She brushed the snow that had piled on her head and shoulder and ran towards Ellen's house.

The snow rained harder outside as she continued to look out the window. She looked at the tree still lavished with its green leaves and unbosoming flower buds. Every time the snow hit the tree, it would melt quickly. Snow droplets dripped all over it. Making it sparkle beautifully.

"Grandma," Chelinka turned to the old lady beside her. She was holding a cup of tea and just took a sip before turning to Chelinka.

"Yes, my dear?"

"Well…" she returned her gaze to the tree. "Hmm… first, why doesn't the tree's flower blossom? It's been a whole year now."

"Actually, it hasn't bloomed for more than years, my dear."

"What?! But why? Isn't it strange, grandma?!"

Chelinka was standing at the edge of her chair, anticipating the answer to her outburst. Ellen just chuckled for a while and patted Chelinka down.

"Just wait, my dear, you'll hear your answers."

Chelinka did but now she was hugging her knees with the same anticipation she had earlier. She always did love Ellen's stories.

"You see, that tree… the Sekai Tree, represents the bonds of the worlds. Long, long ago the different worlds were connected and also there existed one Sekai Tree that bloomed all year long. Peace was something that every world possessed.

But then a villainous force threatened that bond, the creatures lurking in the darkness. They took havoc in the different worlds, destroying it and stealing the freedom of its people. And one by one, each flower in the Sekai tree withered with it.

In order to save the remaining worlds and seal the darkness, the people of those worlds decided to break the bond that connected their worlds so darkness wouldn't broaden anymore. They destroyed the Sekai tree.

They succeeded. The darkness stayed at the worlds they had ruined. Yet strangely, the tree still survived. In each world, a Sekai tree grew with unbosoming flowers.

And so until the day the tree blooms, the worlds will remain strangers to each other."'

"But…" Chelinka said after a while. "If the sekai tree grew in the different worlds then doesn't it mean anything?"

"Like what, my dear?"

"I think… the tree survived because it wants to show that a bond still exists in each world! And it wants that bond to be seen and be relived!"

"I see…"

"Grandma," her voice suddenly softened as if whispering. "Would it be wrong if I wish that the worlds be connected again? But if it did, darkness would spread again…"

"I see nothing wrong with that. Actually, I desire the same thing."

"Really?"

"Really." Ellen answered. "But first we must do something about the creatures in the darkness."

"I suppose…"

The wind wailed strangely that night as Chelinka and Ellen's wishes came to surface.

My Wish.

Chelinka spread her arm as she closed her eyes, hearing the leaves of the Sekai tree brushing against each other from a far and the wind's whispers.

"I wish someday the flowers will bloom. And I hope I will see the day it would."

With the surest smile, Ellen faced her loved child and said, "I know you will."

Have the Sekai Tree bloomed flowers?

Chelinka made a quick glance at the tree. She couldn't see any flower, just the same sleeping buds.

"But why now?" she suddenly said. "Why is this the first time I've heard of your voice?"

"I'm not sure but…" his voice trailed to a sad low tone and continued. "-the only reason I see for this meeting is the death of my mother. I had lost my mother the same day you had lost Ellen."

"I-I see… I'm sorry."

The wind began to cry once again shrouding Chelinka in a veil of cold summer air. She looked up, at the foliage of the mysterious tree and smiled as a single tear fell from her eyes.

"I'll be okay grandma."

The two of them were guided by the death of a loved one so there must be a reason for this, she thought.

"I'm Chelinka," she extended her right hand in front of her to give the voice a shake.

"I'm called Serdic."

"Well the Serdic, I'll see you tomorrow!"

With a quick wave, she began to jog away from the tree.

"See you."

The meeting of two individuals from different worlds, that's exactly how Chelinka and Serdic's tale began.