flowed around the inner landscape of the crater, taking in the various colonnades that decorated its features. Sporadic marble platforms were constructed on the edge of the hillsides, jutting out into the air as a place to over look the isle. Her eyes, focusing with exceptional clarity, examined the bountiful trees and the stunning gardens, the elaborate architecture of the isle’s buildings, and the population of people who lived gracefully among the land. No one seemed to hurry anywhere, as if every step of the journey to their destination was where they were supposed to be.
Peaceful silence seemed to be the essence of the isle. As Lythina reached the bottom of the crater, she moved calmly toward the Residences, feeling the fundamental nature of tranquility shimmer through her body. To her left, inside a columned marble gazebo covered in ivy, one of the isle’s inhabitants was softly breathing into a carved wooden recorder. The music he played glided through the air, the crisp notes harmoniously mingling in a wave of serenity. Lythina couldn’t help but close her eyes, allowing the sound to penetrate into her mind, letting it calm her thoughts. She noticed that when her mind was calm, she could walk without having to watch her footsteps because each one was placed with perfect authority. When she reopened her eyes, she glanced back at the man playing the recorder. He met her gaze and gently bowed his head. The gesture felt so simply nice to Lythina that she returned the nod automatically.
Continuing her way to the Residences, Lythina passed a few couples quietly laughing to each other as they discussed some intense subject. She was intrigued because she couldn’t fathom how a couple could laughingly argue over something. But this place, the isle, felt like it could humble even the most arrogant of people; maybe all it took was love.
An engraved portico decorated with colorful foliage stood as the entrance way to the Residences as Lythina hopped up its steps. She was feeling better than ever and she couldn’t wait to find where she’d be staying at this gorgeous place. Once inside, sunlight streaming through the glassless windows glistened off the foyer’s polished marble floor. Twin curved staircases framed a huge, simple stone desk near the far wall. Behind it, a lady sat waiting, staring at Lythina with a courteous smile that crinkled her caramel eyes.
“Welcome to the Residences, Lythina,” the lady said. “I’m Radna, and I’ll show you where you’ll be staying with us.” Without hesitation, she spun up from sitting at the desk. Lythina was startled that Radna had known her name already, and she was about to ask her about it, but she decided that the isle’s mysteriousness made it so attractive. Conclusively, she dropped the subject.
When she reached the desk, Radna was standing, waiting for her. In a unique gesture of compassion, Radna placed her right hand ever her heart and gave Lythina a subtle bow.
Sensing the curiosity in Lythina’s expression, she explained, “You’ll find that everyone here has a unique gesture of kindness. It’s called a Greeting. Mine means that my heart beats for you. In time, you’ll find your own.
Come,” she said as she gestured to an open doorway, “let’s show you your place.”
“Thank you so much,” Lythina said, somewhat astonished.
Lythina and Radna passed through an arched doorway into a deep hallway. On each side were three doors, some closed and some open.
“Every hallway holds the entryway to six homes. There are seven hallways per floor and three floors. Each of the Residences seven buildings holds 126 inhabitants. As you can see, we are well furnished. Not all of the isle’s people live inside the Residences here; some live near the places they enjoy the most. For instance, a few of my friends live above the Librarium.”
Leaving the hallway, they stepped into the sunlight and followed a stone pathway that weaved around another Residence building, past a colorful courtyard. Some inhabitants were among the gardens, tending the flowers, watering and trimming as needed; others were sitting among the trees talking. Radna led Lythina toward yet another Residence hall. Above its entryway was a large ‘7’ chiseled into the stone.
As they entered the foyer, constructed of shining marble like the last, Radna moved toward one of the curved staircases and glided to the top with Lythina right behind her. They entered the first hallway and walked all the way to the end. As soon as they reached the last door on the right, Radna stopped and held out a hand, gesturing inside the open doorway.
When Lythina entered the first room, she saw that it was enormous. Two large sofas, made of wood and that same pure white cloth as the peoples’ clothing, sat around a carved stone center table; two chairs, finished from the same materials, sat near them, and everything rested upon an woven rug. Through an arched opening in the farthest wall, the entire isle could be seen, everything from the columned monument in the center of the crater to a distant forest on the other side of the land, while luscious green and blue daylight bounced around the marble walls, illuminating the room. As Lythina stared at her new immaculate home, Radna motioned toward the side of the residence to another set of rooms.
“Here is your bathing room, should you find the need,” she said as she gestured to the left, toward a rather generous space illuminated by sunlight streaming in through high, thin windows. “And here is your sleeping room, should you find the need.” To the right, another large room was furnished with a marble nightstand and a bed constructed of wood and white cloth, and another woven rug.
“Thank you so much, Radna, but what do you mean by ‘should I find the need’?” Lythina asked, curiously but courteously.
“Your spirit is always awake,” Radna answered. “You may find that the closer your mind, body, and soul come to unity, the less you need to sleep. For that matter, cleanliness becomes a state of mind, rather than a state of body.”
Once again, Lythina felt reality slipping away from her. The excitement of living in a place as peaceful as the isle was beginning to seem like a dream. This would account for the strange way of life that the inhabitants were accustomed to having. Never getting tired? Not needing to bathe? It was unthinkable.
She needed to rest, needed to get her bearings on life once more. Radna must’ve sensed this because she finished her tour by showing Lythina a closet full of pure white robes and dresses, explaining that they were made from windcloth, like the furniture.
“Everything here is organic, from the buildings to the clothes,” Radna smiled. “Feel free to take your time becoming acquainted with the isle. It’s majesty is quite overwhelming at first, I know, but soon you’ll be right at home. If you need anything, I’ll be at the front desk. Do you remember how to get there?”
“Yes, thank you,” Lythina replied quickly. She wasn’t sure if Radna was going to vanish like the old woman. With her distinctive salutation, she bowed to Lythina, who did an awkward knee-bending bow in return.
“It’s okay,” Radna smiled. “If you don’t know what to do, listen to your instinct.”
With that, she turned and left. Lythina grinned as she watched Radna leave, but her expression dropped to shock when Radna turned and waved her hand in front of the entryway. Instantly, the entry frame itself molded shut, like a hidden door had slid out from the wall.
“Whoa,” was the only thing that escaped Lythina lips.
After playing with the door a few times, giggling like a child every time it disappeared and reappeared, Lythina stepped out onto the small balcony that overlooked the isle. She rested herself there for a minute, allowing the exhaustion of the day to seep through her. It seemed like years ago already that she had almost died; the isle had a way of enchanting everything, making every moment an eternity. As the sun slipped into the west, Lythina’s eyes drooped, and she slowly made her way into the bathing room. She wiggled out of her damp clothes and hung them, with her father’s medallion, onto a marble hook on the wall. She easily managed to work the elaborate faucet system that poured out fresh hot water, and slowly slid into the warm bath. After rinsing her body of the grimy sea, she dried off with an organifiber towel, reveling in its softness. Making her way to the bedroom, she slid into the luxurious bed and immediately sank into sleep.
6. Illumination
When