Do you remember what the river told you ? You were alone, it was night, it was cold, you couldn't feel the shaking of your heart, so you stayed and listened to her song. She sang about you, she wondered why you were feeling blue, you refused to tell, she laughed and her ripples followed suit, saying " 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 ! 𝐒𝐨 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧. "

You wondered what she meant, you protested saying you're not, the river smiled, " 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭, 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐞, 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞 "

You stayed quiet as the river sighed, her watery eyes looking to the sky, " 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 ? "

You refused to tell, the river snickered, those were her words; " 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝, 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝, 𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 ? 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐭, 𝐬𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐨. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐡𝐞'𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭. "

Fomalhaut looked down, waiting for your response, she was scared that you'd refuse her, perhaps you two will get along, after a while you agreed, the river shined beneath the light of Fomalhaut.

How would the snow feel about you crushing it beneath your two boots ? Another question; How do you feel about it ? You can't seem to know, nor care enough to ask. Perhaps it is for you are busy, more of bothered, bothered with the new presence looking down at you.

Fomalhaut was confused to say the least, what is a child dressed in a long black coat decorated with white fur, with a violin case, doing out in the clear winter night ? Worry was a foreign emotion for stars, but your new companion couldn't help but feel worry when your little figure was trying to walk trough the thick snow.

You lived a life of luxury up intill now, everything you could ever ask for would be at your disposal in the very few next seconds, and as they say on a silver plater. You should be scared in this new different environment, yet you felt far from that, you felt alive.

It was a long yet enjoyable( well for you ) down the great mountain, you never felt more free and content, just then you started acting like a kid would, you run down, jumped up rocks, twirled around, giggled, all to your heart's content.

Fomalhaut smiled, her rays illuminating where ever you run to, so you were a child after all. The star preferred you this way, all smiling and innocent, not as cold and uncaring as the winter. With all that light within you, you might be a star as well, a star the finally found its night sky, after the sun blinded you.

You are no musician, nor composer, you could never compare to all the great and talented artists that history told their tale, well it is what you think. Yet, here you are, helping your violin sing, to the public of the small village. Young and old, stood with silent legs, heard with attentive ears, watched with watery eyes.

Your violin dreamed of preforming to a public and not just to the sun, you still had a long way to go with Fomalhaut, however you couldn't give the cold shoulder to your friend's wish. So you moved the stick, your violin told his tale.

He was just a seed among many others, but after a winter and a spring, became a plant, a plant that grew to become a great and proud tree, a tree so grand that his only friends were the birds. However one day a monster took him down and cut him to peaces, destroying him and taking him away from home. From the ashes as they say, he was born again as a musical instrument, as a violin, now he can sing like his bird friends, but where are they to listen ?

Your violin weeped and sniffed, you listened , the villagers only heard music, but what is music if not sentiments ?

Mistook you for a busker, all gave you a few coins, you now have a handsome amount of dough, you were hesitant to accept the money, however Fomalhaut convinced you, saying you need it for this voyage.

You were grateful, you found some milk, bread, cheese, and some berries. It wasn't a lot, it wasn't any better than the meals back at the house, then why did it taste better ? And why did you feel more content ?

If it weren't for your hunger than you would have kept thinking about it, and if it weren't for the meowing you would have stayed focused on the ground. A small black cat with a sick eye was meowing at you, gently scratching your leg with his little paw.

You emptied the container from the berries, carefully you poured the milk in it, and put it closer to the kitten, he eagerly took it.

Fomalhaut peaked from the darkness of your pocket, her curiosity picked at the sight of this new entity, " 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 ", if it weren't for her need of darkness in the daylight, she would have took a closer look.

You explained to your friend the star, that this creature is called a cat, and since he's a small one, then a kitten. Fomalhaut marvelled at the new peace of information, and kept asking more questions, you gladly answered.

It was the time to bid the small village goodbye, it was funny how the villagers were sad for your depart, and your reaction was even funnier, you thought they wouldn't notice or care.

Now here you are, with the compass and the map they gave you, as well as a few more things in your backpack, back on track, to nowhere.

What is the point of the map if you don't use it ? What is the point of anything if it is not used ? Does it make that thing above or under it all ? You stared at the questions you just wrote, in thought.

What is the point ? What is the point of all the poems you wrote ? What is the point of all the sketches you drew ? What is the point of all the music you played ? What is the point of everything you studied ?

Or are all these questions just the devil trying to get under your skin ? If so doesn't that make all philosophers friends of the devil ? Al Ghazali delightfully agrees.

You sighed and started sketching again, might as well take advantage of your break from walking.

She looked up from what is supposed to be her reflection, the water reflected her, sketching beside a tree. However she was not sketching, or beside a tree. But watching the supposed known past, beside a river.

As if it were a million little lights, the clear river shined, another luminous source for this dark land, the land called the mind of the night, and she was the night.

" 𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 ? 𝐈𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈'𝐦 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝. " The Alice stood up from her sitting position, her hands held infront of her like a lady would, looking down at the swan who brought her beside the river.

Seigneur Swan simply flapped his wings at the young human, his void of eyes betraying a hint of annoyance, " 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐮𝐠𝐥𝐲 ?! ". Merely sighing at the bird's outburst, she used her brush, to paint a black bow and a matching top hat for Seigneur. Realisation soon came over the gentleman, as he started admiring his reflection in the river, his annoyance now long gone.

" 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐲 ? ", morality is what separates us from the vile, if it weren't for it, she would have made a pillow out of his feathers. " 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 ? 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 ".

The swan could only avoid her piercing stare, he gulped, " 𝐈'𝐦 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ! 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 ", now she felt guilty again, did her empathy always have to get in the way ?

Somewhere from his wing, Seigneur took out a red envelope, her suspicions rose yet she took it, only then the bird took flight, into the sky. The Alice watched his feathers fall and disappear into the night, she opened the envelope.

𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑, 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒, 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒, 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠. 𝐼𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠, 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑜𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑡ℎ. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑑𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙, 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒, 𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑙𝑠𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡.