Before Chaos Reigns" 1

Beautiful green forests stretched along a rushing river, where wild animals sometimes came to drink from the clear spring water. The peaks of the highest mountains could be seen between the clouds. Leah sat in a meadow filled with red poppies, blue forget-me-nots, and pink-and-white daisies. Across the river, her father and other men were fishing for the day's meal. This sight greeted the girl daily in her magical land, Pansy Land. A land where everyone was happy and lived in harmony. Animals didn't attack each other and weren't afraid of humans. There was no violence, aggression, evil, or war. Everything lived in harmony and harmony. Leah, like everyone else, loved her land. Each resident had an unusually acute sense of one of their four senses. Leah, for example, could see things invisible to the normal eye. She could also see things a mile away. Her friend, Melanie, was one of those who could hear literally everything. The buzz of a mosquito just approaching, the whistle of an approaching arrow, even ultrasound. There were also those who could tell everything by touching something. Tricki, one of Leah and Melanie's good friends, possessed such a gift. Tommy, on the other hand, had a remarkably developed sense of smell. Nothing he smelled was a mystery to him.

The inhabitants of Pansy Land lived in wooden huts they had built themselves.

Leah was thinking about the bonfire party that evening. She had been asked to sing songs they knew. Everyone loved Leah's voice, though she wasn't particularly fond of it. She was waiting for her friend. Today they were going to the forest to check on all the animals. Melanie considered this unnecessary attention. Animals never attacked each other without reason; they only attacked each other when they were hungry, which was natural. However, it was the duty of every resident, and today it was Leah and Melanie's turn. From behind the hill appeared a laughing brunette with dark eyes. Like everyone else, she had pointy ears, similar to those of an elf. She was a slender girl of average height. It was Melanie. The complete opposite of Leah, who was quite short. She had deep, blue eyes. Her greatest asset was her long, golden blonde hair, which always flowed down her back.

"Hi!

" "Hi. You're late," Leah said, feigning offense. She loved teasing Melanie.

"Oh... because... that... I had to help Mom a little," the girl thought out on the spot.

"Well... last time you helped Dad, and before that, Grandma," she replied, standing up and laughing.

They headed toward the forest.

"Melanie, have you ever wondered if there's another world besides ours?" Leah asked suddenly. Melanie laughed lightheartedly.

"What do you mean, another world?"

"Well... for example, there's a girl somewhere, and she lives a completely different life than us? She has different responsibilities, different activities..."

"Uh, yeah, does it matter?" she replied quickly. She never liked to think, let alone talk about life, which was the complete opposite of Leah. The girls wandered through the forest as usual, finding nothing interesting. On the way, they came to a small stream. They drank the cold, refreshing water. Melanie lightly wet her short hair. She loved doing that. Meanwhile, Leah looked around the forest. Suddenly, she saw something that made her smile fade. "No, no, wait... we have to check that out," she thought. She slowly began approaching something that reminded her very much of... a dead fawn.

"Leah? What happened?" Melanie asked, surprised.

The girl placed a finger to her lips, signaling her friend to be quiet. She was sure now. It was a dead fawn. Leah and Melanie knelt beside it. They stared at the ripped belly.

"But... how... how is that possible?" Melanie stammered.

"I don't know... this fawn is still young. See? The meat is intact. The animals didn't kill it. Unless..." She paused.

"What?"

"Remember how we used to tell stories around the campfire?"

"Yes

." "And do you remember Miguel's story? About how chaos would break out one day?"

"Well, but that was made up. Right?"

"That's what he said... but do you remember how he said that animals would start attacking each other for no reason?"

Melanie didn't answer. She remembered it perfectly. She was so terrified of that story later. But Miguel said it was made up. Suddenly she heard something. Footsteps.

"Leah, the fawn's mother is coming here." "Are

we hiding?

" "Why? She can't hurt us. She's close

." A moment later, a slender doe emerged from the trees. She spotted her baby lying limp on the ground. She approached, ignoring the girls. She nudged the fawn with her muzzle. When she realized it was dead, rage flared within her. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Leah, who was to her right. She glared at her menacingly. The deer was certain she had killed her child. She charged at her with her hooves. She struck Leah's hand with all her might. Melanie heard the crack of bone breaking. She didn't know what to do.

"Melanie! Run to the village for help!"

"But…

" "NOW!"

The girl ran towards the village. Meanwhile, Leah tried to avoid the blows of the enraged deer. It acted as if it had become a different animal. It was aggressive. Leah felt as if she wasn't facing a deer, but a large, dangerous moose, about to crush her. Suddenly, she felt a tree behind her. She was trapped. She couldn't move in either direction. She frantically thought of a way to escape. The deer stood on its hind legs. Now it seemed larger than it actually was. "This is it," she thought. The deer was clearly not itself. It was clear it intended to kill Leah. The girl could already see the animal's hooves in front of her, when suddenly the deer straightened, froze, and instead of striking, unconsciously fell, crushing Leah. However, a moment later, Melanie and her father pulled the heavy body off the injured girl.

"Thank you. I thought I

was done for." "I almost got there. Can you walk?"

"I think so, I'll try."

She stood up, but felt a sharp pain in her ankle.

"I don't think it's going to work... I think I sprained my ankle." And not only that, but also that. Leah

came with us

and sat down by the tree. Melanie and Tommy sat down next to her. Everyone was silent. Leah was panting rapidly, not only from exhaustion, but also from fear. She looked at the little fawn and the dead doe. "Something's wrong," she thought. After a moment, Tricki joined the three. She was clearly worried about something. She touched Leah's arms.

"Right broken ."

Then she touched her legs . "

Sprained ankle and a broken bone in her left thigh. You have an awful lot of bruises, you know?

" "Well, what do you say?" Leah replied ironically. "

Tommy, I guess you'll have to carry our brave warrior to the village..." Melanie said.

"What?" he groaned. "Why me?"

"Because you're a gentleman," Tricki interjected, emphasizing the last word. Tommy was her brother.

"Okay, no need, I'll manage somehow," Leah began

. "What are you doing? You're broken, that's all. Tommy will carry you. He's a strong guy, but lazy. He won't get too tired. Besides, I'm telling him to, okay, Tommy?"

Everyone stood up. Tommy took Leah in his arms. She grabbed his neck tightly, as he was a bit too rough and her leg was stinging terribly.

"Could you be a little more gentle ?" "

Sure, I'm sorry."

Grown men walked ahead of them. Leah felt sorry for the fawn, but not as sorry for the deer. Inside, she felt like she'd lost it. They could have hidden. And what could have killed this poor creature? Was Miguel's story really made up? They reached the village, where a meeting was immediately called in the large hut of the leader, Drakon. A heavy atmosphere filled the air. Everyone was silent. No one laughed. Even the little children, as if they understood everything, didn't cry and were quiet. Tommy carried Leah to an old woman who knew various ointments that could cure illnesses. She rubbed them on her legs and arms. Leah felt a freezing cold, and after a moment, she couldn't feel her arm or both legs at all, so Tommy had to carry her again. The old woman assured her that she should be fine tomorrow, and that the bones would heal. When everyone had gathered in the hut, the leader spoke. He was a thirty-year-old man with broad shoulders. A large scar stood out on his right arm, but no one but himself knew how it got there.

"As you all know, something happened in our forest that none of us expected. One animal was killed, and another attacked so fiercely, as if it weren't itself. If I were to ask you all to calm down now, I'd be a fool. You have every right to be worried. Something like this hasn't happened in our land for thousands of years. However, we know what to do. We can prevent it. And we will try to prevent it. Regardless, please don't enter the forest from now on. Especially keep an eye on the children. Just remember one thing: panic is not recommended. You can disperse."

Everyone was very agitated. Many questions were swirling in their heads: What will happen next? What's the solution?

Tommy was already holding Leah in his arms to carry her to her home, accompanied by the girls, when Drakon suddenly approached them.

"I'd like to ask you four for a moment. Wait until everyone leaves.

" Leah began to wonder what was going on, but nothing came to mind. It occurred to her that they might have done something wrong, but she couldn't remember anything like that either. Slowly, the room emptied. Everyone approached the large oak table.

"Hmm... for once, I don't know how to begin..." Drakon said worriedly.

"Maybe... normally," Melanie smiled

. He sighed deeply.

"That little fawn was killed by an animal. But it wasn't killed to appease its hunger. It was killed brutally and... for pleasure, so to speak. There's a legend that says that when nature begins to behave contrary to its nature, chaos will ensue, and our world will fall to ruin. I say this with a heavy heart, but that's what has just begun.

" Everyone's hearts sank for a moment. "So Miguel was telling the truth," Leah thought.

"But you said... I'm sorry, you said there was a way to stop it," Tommy said.

"And there is. But again, that's just a legend."

"So it might not be true..."

"Yes, but don't forget, dear child, that in every legend there's a grain of truth.

" "Okay, what legend is it?"

"This legend says that there is one outsider who can prevent the tragedy, because he possesses powers that each of us can only dream of. However, he must be brought here. "

No one understood what was going on. "

I can only entrust you with this secret if you swear on the things or people most dear to you that you will never reveal it to anyone." "

We swear

." "Okay. I trust you. Remember, breaking an oath is a shameful and unforgivable act."

He cast a searching glance at the four youngsters. Then he continued.

"Besides our world, there is another world. That world is the one where chaos prevails." It's impossible to remove him from there, though he doesn't rule unconditionally. However, he's settled in so well that he can't leave. A certain special person lives there. He's the one who can save us from destruction. He possesses great power, yet he knows nothing of it. He lives in complete ignorance. He's completely unaware of our existence, just as you've been unaware of her until now. You must bring her here.

A deathly silence fell. Melanie heard the hearts of everyone gathered there racing. Leah saw beads of sweat on some foreheads. Another world? "So I was right... such a thing exists after all," she thought. "

How can we do this? " "

There are magical gates through which one can pass into this world. But only two people can do it. The passage isn't difficult or dangerous. However, simply finding oneself in that world is very risky. Fortunately, the door to that world is in that person's house, so there won't be any need to look for her. We'll need an eye and an ear." So Leah and Melanie will go. "

You keep saying 'that world'... does it have a name? Like, for example, our Pansy Land?"

"Yes. Its name is Manhattan.

" "Is that person a girl? What's her name?" Melanie asked.

"Yes, it's a girl. Her name is Nicole.

" "Nicole? What kind of weird name is that?" Leah blurted out. "

Be careful, it's not just the names that are weird..." he replied mysteriously. "You two come to my cabin tomorrow morning. There's a gate there. Do it so no one notices you. I don't want people to worry. That's all. Go get some sleep..." "

Excuse me... I have one more question

." "Yes?"

"If it's just the two of them who are supposed to do it, why do we even know about it?" Tricki asked. She didn't want to be impertinent. However, she had a feeling this wouldn't be the end of the "rescue mission." "

You'll find out when the girls return... oh, good thing I remembered. There's one more important thing. Time."

"What do you mean, time?"

"Time passes slower for them than for us."

"I don't really understand," Tommy said

. "For example, when one night passes for them, it's one month for us. Do you understand?

" "More or less." They looked at each other as if to say, "No, nothing at all." "

That's good. You don't have to understand it completely. The important thing is that you know it. That's it. Good night, everyone," he said, then left, followed by the others.

When he disappeared from view, Tricki said ironically,

"Good night?! I just found out I'm supposed to save the world, and he's wishing me good night!"

"Quieter... someone might hear us.

" "I don't care," she added, but quieter now.

"Melanie, don't be late tomorrow, okay?" Leah said warningly

. Melanie, her face pale, nodded. For her, someone who never cared about tomorrow, it was a shock.

"Tommy, could you just carry me home? I think I'll be able to walk normally tomorrow..."

"Okay, no problem.

" "Then... see you tomorrow, girls," she added, "I hope so," and they walked away toward Leah's house.

That night, Leah couldn't sleep. The broken places burned terribly, and terrible thoughts raced through her mind. Whenever she managed to doze off for a few minutes, she woke up screaming and sweating. She had nightmares. She was afraid of tomorrow. She didn't know if this Nicole would even want to talk to them. But they had to get her here... Otherwise, their whole world would disappear. It would be destroyed. She couldn't imagine it. It seemed impossible to her that if they didn't do something, all the trees, mountains, water, and animals would disappear. As dawn began to dawn, Leah, exhausted by these thoughts, fell asleep.

She woke up two hours later. The pain had subsided, and her bones had healed perfectly, so she could walk normally without asking anyone for help. She left a note for her parents telling them not to worry, then went to the place she'd indicated. Relieved, she realized it was still early and everyone was asleep. She only hoped Melanie wasn't among them. With her, you never know. She knocked on the door. When she didn't hear a response, she gently turned the doorknob. She entered. No one was there. Apparently, Melanie and Drakon hadn't arrived yet. She sat down at the table. She looked around the cottage. On the dark walls hung many canvas paintings. Some depicted an idyllic campfire scene. Smiling faces seemed to be turning towards Leah, seeking reassurance. She gazed at all these paintings with mild interest when suddenly she noticed a dark doorknob in the corner of the room. She'd never seen it there before. Was it deliberately hidden? Or perhaps she had simply never looked at this room as closely as she did today? She slowly approached the mysterious place. She gently turned the wooden doorknob. The door opened. Inside, on a low table, stood a transparent sphere. A faint light emanated from it. As Leah cautiously approached, the sphere turned a milky color. The girl knew she shouldn't be there, that someone might discover her any moment, but it was stronger than she was. Something pulled her to peer into this strange sphere. She felt as if she could think of nothing else but herself. All her attention was focused solely on what was inside the sphere. And suddenly she saw… herself. But it wasn't her reflection. She saw herself inside the sphere. She walked slowly through a terrible landscape. Trees without leaves, no birds singing in the trees, the water had dried up. There was no sign of life anywhere. Leah looked at herself. Her heart was pounding, and sweat was slowly dripping down her forehead. Her figure in the sphere walked slowly forward. Suddenly she stopped. She looked down. And then Leah's heart sank. She saw Melanie. Dead. Leah's figure moved on. And again. She stopped again. This time, she saw Tommy, dead. A tear rolled down her cheek. She came to her senses. She tore herself away from the horrific sight. She slammed the door violently and sat back down in the chair. She would never forget that image. But… what did it mean? Did it show the future? NO! Impossible. It had to be something else. But what? Nothing came to mind. She knew one thing: she would never tell anyone what she had seen. Never.