"Mariania: Where Love Transcends the Mist"

[Masme]

The morning was bright and peaceful. The sun played between the leaves of the ancient trees, and the path was covered with a soft layer of moss. Victor, Rachelle, and their five-year-old son Marc started their usual morning walk in the forest—a place where the worries of the world seemed to disappear.

Rachelle walked ahead, humming a gentle tune. Marc, full of energy and curiosity, skipped beside her, enthusiastically pointing at everything he saw. “Mom, look! Butterflies!” he exclaimed excitedly. The butterflies fluttered around a group of flowers blooming in the sunlight.

Rachelle smiled and leaned down to him. “Perhaps the butterflies are telling secrets to each other,” she said with a playful wink.

Marc looked at her with wide, curious eyes. “Maybe they’re telling each other where the prettiest flowers grow,” he replied cheerfully. Victor, walking a few steps behind them, smiled proudly. “Smart thinking, young man,” he said warmly.

But suddenly, a thick mist began to rise. It came quickly, like a veil covering the forest. Within moments, Rachelle and Marc vanished from Victor’s sight. “Rachelle? Marc?” he called, his voice filled with panic. He faintly heard Rachelle’s voice in the distance: “We’re here, Victor!”

Victor began to run, but the mist toyed with his senses. Every path seemed the same, every tree identical. He grew frustrated and began doubting his own perception. “Why can’t I find them?” he whispered as he ventured deeper into the forest.

Hours seemed to pass, and when the mist finally lifted, Victor found himself alone, surrounded by the silence of the forest. He dropped to his knees and whispered, “I should have searched harder…”

Suddenly, a soft light appeared among the trees. From the rays stepped two small figures, both no taller than Marc. They were cherubs—one with shimmering golden hair and the other with stunning jet-black hair. They radiated a warm, comforting presence.

Victor rubbed his eyes, unsure if he was dreaming. “Who are you?” he asked, his voice trembling.

“I’m Benny,” said the cherub with golden hair, his voice soft and melodic. “And I’m Michaël,” added the cherub with black hair, his eyes glowing with deep warmth.

“We’re here to tell you where Rachelle and Marc are,” Benny said. Victor looked at them with wide eyes, his heart pounding. “Where are they? Are they safe?” he asked urgently.

Michaël nodded and smiled. “They are safe, Victor. They are in a beautiful place, a paradise called Mariania. It’s not heaven, but a place filled with joy and peace. Mariania, where love transcends the mist,”

Victor felt a mix of relief and sorrow. “Why couldn’t I find them? Why are they there and not here with me?” he asked, as tears rolled down his face.

Benny placed a small hand on Victor’s shoulder. “Sometimes the paths of love lead us to different destinations, Victor. But know that they are happy.”

Victor felt a calm warmth flowing through him—a sense of connection he couldn’t describe. Michaël gently added, “You don’t need to search any longer. They are in a place where they are cherished and living in peace.”

With a final radiant smile, the cherubs disappeared into the light, leaving Victor in silence. The forest no longer felt empty but was filled with a mysterious tranquility. From that moment on, Victor continued walking in the forest, but one day he disappeared for no apparent reason, but rumour had it, that he was not happy in the place that he’d been sent to…Miosepha.

Would you please read this @Arinker, @Anglophile, @NearlyNapping, @Torsten @Klpno

[Anglophile]

It sounds like a beautiful short story, Marc!
But isn’t it autobiographical? Are you the same Marc as in the story?

[Klpno]

I really enjoyed this story, Marc. A little sad, but very beautiful and with an unexpected plot twist.

[Masme]

Honestly, Lawrence, yes, it’s my story, about the very special bond that my dear departed mother, my dear departed grandma and I shared, sorry share, because I carry both of them in my heart. The two lovely little cherubs, they are real too, that’s why I get up with a smile in the morning and I go to bed with a smile at night. They’re very special to me and I’m absolutely, defintely sure, that my mother and grandmother and all of their friends and true family like them and love them unconditionally.
By the way, Mariania, contains the name of my grandmother, Maria. After my mother divorced her terrible husband, we went to live at her place and she made life wonderful for us. You know, my mother passed when she was 49 years old and she always said: ‘Let’s enjoy life, while we still can.’ Not only in the end, but from the beginning ‘love’ is all that matters and life still continues for those who’ve passed as long as we carry them in our hearts.

[Torsten]

The rumors of Victor’s disappearance spread like whispers through the village, weaving themselves into the fabric of local legend. Some claimed he had walked too far into the mist, searching once more for the path to Mariania. Others believed he had simply grown weary of this world, his heart too burdened by the weight of longing.

Yet, deep within the ancient forest, where the morning sun still played among the leaves, a child’s laughter could sometimes be heard—soft, fleeting, carried by the wind. Travelers passing through would pause, certain they had seen shadows flitting between the trees, a mother and son hand in hand, forever just beyond reach.

And on rare nights, when the moon shone bright and the mist curled lazily over the ground, an old man could be seen walking the forest paths. His steps were slow but certain, his face lifted toward an unseen light.

Those who dared to follow never found a trace of him. Only a sense of peace remained in the air, as though the forest itself had finally granted him passage.

[Masme]

“Mariania: Where Love Transcends the Mist”.

“How Victor Eventually Ended Up.”

So, Victor came back to the forest and each passing year as he wandered the forest paths his steps grew slower. The peace he once sought had long since escaped him, replaced by a torment gnawing at the edges of his mind. It was within the misty woods that he’d first encountered the cherubs—ethereal beings with radiant smiles that masked their true nature. They’d spoken to him with gentle reassurance, telling him that his wife and child were alive and happy in Mariania, a realm just beyond the veil. For a brief moment, Victor had believed them and felt a bittersweet joy. But over time, he’d also discovered their cruel deception. The cherubs were creatures that thrived in the shadows, playing on both sides of the line—light and darkness intertwined. Their words had been true, but not kind. They had revealed the happiness of his loved ones only to punish him further, knowing that their joy was a world apart from his despair. The whispers of his wife’s laughter and the playful steps of his child, which he thought he had heard, turned out to be nothing more than echoes of his own despair. The forest, once his sanctuary, now mirrored the torment within him. He’d become a lost soul, endlessly wandering among the trees, his heart tethered to a past he could neither reclaim nor let go. The cherubs watched from afar, their radiant faces cold and indifferent, as Victor continued his aimless wandering. His presence lingered in the forest like a shadow—a reminder of dreams turned to dust and a punishment that would endure for eternity. The forest had become a living hell for him out which he was unable to escape – he was not like the phoenix rising from his own ashes as he was trapped inside himself. Mariania wouldn’t let him enter and he was banished from Miosephia.

[Masme]

Benny’s Fate: Sophilia and the Cliffs/ What had happened to Michaël and Benny, so many decades later…

The cliffs had always been a place of refuge for Michaël and Benny, a sanctuary where the chaos of the world seemed to fade into the rhythm of the crashing waves. They had come to live there after they’d left the forest, but their love soon deemed. Among the jagged rocks and the endless sea, they had built a fragile haven, one that now teetered on the edge of collapse.

Benny’s heart had shifted, his affection for Michaël eroded by time and unspoken grievances. Michaël, desperate to mend what had been broken, sought solace in the whispers of the cliffs. It was there that Sophilia appeared, her golden hair gleaming like sunlight and her presence as cold as the sea spray. She offered a cruel solution, her voice dripping with false compassion. “Michaël, take Eros’ bow and arrow. Shoot it into Benny’s heart, and perhaps he will love you again.”

Blinded by hope and the weight of his despair, Michaël obeyed. As Benny stood on the precipice, Michaël drew the bow, the arrow gleaming ominously in the storm’s light, its true nature hidden from him. The arrow struck Benny’s heart, and instead of rekindling love, it extinguished life. Benny’s body crumpled, lifeless, against the unforgiving rocks below.

Sophilia’s mocking laughter echoed like a whirlwind that had suddenly moved in. “You have committed a grave sin, Michaël,” she said, her icy blue eyes alight with malice. “There is only one way to atone. Aim the bow at yourself, Michaël, and end your suffering as well.”

Trembling, Michaël raised the bow, tears streaming down his face. But before he could release the arrow, a voice cut through the whirlwind like a blade. “Enough!” It was Marc, his presence commanding and unyielding. He stepped forward, his gaze locked on Sophilia. “This madness ends now.”

Sophilia froze, her expression shifting from triumph to disbelief. “You’re still alive?” she hissed, her voice trembling with venom. “I thought I destroyed you and your mother years ago.”

Marc’s eyes burned with defiance. “You failed,” he said, his voice steady and resolute. “And now, your reign of cruelty ends.”

With a swift motion, Marc seized the bow from Michaël’s trembling hands and turned to Sophilia, his voice a weapon of its own. “Your time is over. You’ve always refused to face the consequences of your actions. You destroy people for no apparent reason, showing no mercy—not even to your beloved little angel, your messenger, who is as cold and evil as you are. I will release the world from your misery.”

Marc released the arrow. It struck Sophilia’s heart, and she fell from the rocky precipice, her form vanishing into the abyss below.

As the storm began to subside, Michaël felt a sudden warmth in his chest. The arrow’s cruel mark was gone, leaving no trace of its torment. He turned to Marc, his eyes filled with gratitude and emotion. Without a word, they embraced, their connection a beacon of hope amidst the darkness.

In that moment, the cliffs, once a place of sorrow, became a testament to redemption and the enduring power of love. The storm had passed, but its lessons lingered, etched into the hearts of those who had survived.

‘Benny’s Resurrection’

The room was still, cloaked in the soft murmur of nocturnal peace. Marc was in deep slumber beside Michaël when an urgent voice echoed through the dreamlike haze.

“Marc… Marc… Marc!”

The tone shifted with each utterance, sorrow mingling with urgency. Marc stirred, his eyes fluttering open to see Benny at the foot of the bed. The golden-haired cherub glowed faintly, his presence luminous against the darkness.

“Benny?” Marc murmured, his voice thick with sleep. “What’s happening? What’s wrong?”

Benny’s striking blue eyes brimmed with emotion as he stepped forward. “Marc, I was killed by Michaël,” he said softly. “But the true architect of my demise was Sophilia. Her whispers twisted Michaël’s thoughts and led him astray.”

Marc sat up, rubbing his face as he tried to make sense of the surreal scene. “Am I dreaming? Is this real?”

Benny’s voice grew resolute. “It’s real, Marc. And I must confess… I was wrong to trust Sophilia. She deceived me, and it cost me dearly. But you—you can undo this. You can call upon Gloriana, the goddess of mercy and renewal, to bring me back.”

Marc felt a surge of determination. Closing his eyes, he whispered, “Gloriana, radiant goddess of mercy, hear my plea. I call upon your divine grace to restore Benny to life. Bring him back to us, I beg of you.”

The room began to glow, golden light cascading like ripples across the walls. From its center emerged Gloriana, her presence regal and awe-inspiring. Her fiery hair framed a face of alabaster beauty, and her gown shimmered with phoenixes woven into the fabric, their wings aflame as they rose majestically from their ashes. Her scepter, adorned with glimmering jewels, radiated divine power.

Her voice was both melodic and commanding, resonating through the room. “Marc, your compassion and love have reached me. You seek to mend what was broken, and for this, I shall grant your wish.”

With a graceful wave of her scepter, Gloriana cast her mercy upon Benny. The room seemed to pulse with warmth as Benny’s form solidified, his golden locks glowing brighter than ever before.

Benny touched his chest, his expression one of awe and gratitude. “Thank you, goddess. I am whole again.”

Gloriana nodded, her expression growing solemn. “But there are two who shall remain bound to the shadows. Sophilia’s actions were malicious and deliberate, So, were those of Cavenixis, who was already doomed before he came into the world, you never knew him and you’re lucky you didn’t. They will be forever captured in the underworld, because if they were to walk among the living again, the misery they wrought would only begin anew.”

Benny’s blue eyes glistened with understanding. “I see now, goddess. Their fate is just, and I will move forward, wiser for what I’ve learned.”

Gloriana’s gaze softened, her light beginning to dim. “That’s divine to hear and don’t forget to forgive Michaël. Let peace reign in your hearts. The phoenixes rise from their ashes, as shall you.”

As her golden light faded, Michaël stirred awake. His eyes widened as he saw Marc and Benny sitting beside him, smiling.

“Benny?” Michaël gasped, his voice trembling with disbelief. “You’re here? You’re alive?”

Benny stepped closer, his expression warm and forgiving. “I am, Michaël. And I forgive you. Let’s leave the past behind us and build a better future together.”

Michaël’s tears spilled over as he embraced them both. “Thank you… I don’t deserve this kindness, but thank you.”

The room felt alive with renewal, an unspoken promise filling the air. Together, the three of them resolved to honor the gift of forgiveness and the grace of Gloriana, their bond unbreakable and their future bright.

This is the final end of the story. Would you be so kind as to read it again @Anglophile @Klpno @Torsten

[Klpno]

It’s a very interesting and beautifully written story, Marc. And it’s good that evil Sophilia was punished. She really deserved that.

[Masme]

Hi, Klpno,

Why do you say that?

[Klpno]

Hi, Marc,

Well, it is my opinion that evil must be eventually punished! And since the story did seem interesting to me, I thought it would be right to mention that.

[Masme]

Oh, Klpno, you’re so kind.