To Lian’s, surprise, the door before him wasn’t a towering door, nor was it unusually tiny; it wasn’t made out of fire, surrounded by spikes, or even guarded by a giant creature. It was just a beat-up brown wooden door with a little circular window towards sitting near the middle.

“Normal? No.” thought Lian. His eyebrows furrowed into his skull as he began focusing his gaze to where a doorknob would normally be. “No doorknob.” He thought suspiciously. Lian could hear hollow voices peer from under the door, like whispers calling from deep within a cave. To him, the voices grew alluring and tantalizing. Every second he inched his ear closer, the voices would lul him one more step. Gently, he reached his hand towards the door, as if he was going to give it a gentle shove. The door let off a satisfying crackle as he pushed. Lian tried pushing it further open but he was stopped by a very cold hand latched onto his wrist.

“You don’t want to do that.” Warned a gentle voice. Lian turned to see Ye-Estefa yellow eyes staring at him. Her eyes seemed piercing and unreadable. Lian stared on at Ye-Estefa while her steps grew closer to him. “Was she angry? I can’t tell.” thought Lian. Lian continued to stare into Ye-Estefa’s eyes. He noticed them grow wider and smaller, seemingly at will. The whites in her eyes would often be smaller than her large yellow iris’. Lian froze in the midst of her gaze, like a predator looking into the eyes of a creature of the night.

“Do you know what’s behind the door?” Asked Ye-Estefa, her voice dimming to a whisper. “No,” Lian mumbled, his voice now shaking to a near still. “Good. Because I hardly know either.” She firmly responded. Her cold grasp loosened for a moment as if she was letting Lian choose his fate. Lian quickly returned his hand to his side and retreated back towards Taylum and Sophia and now Ye-Estefa.

“Good you’re all finally here.” Exhaled Ye-Estefa, brushing some dirt from her white dress with a gentle wisp of her wrist. "As I just explained to your friend here; We will not be going through this wooden door here. This door is where the Libello and other creatures come from. They are doors to what we recognize as the Spirit Realm. There are doors like these hidden in numerous places around the world. However, hardly any remain as absolute in position as this one. Why am I telling you children this? Quite simply, should you choose to open any of these doors, even the ones who move, the consequence will likely be death or whatever the spirit world has in store for you. That is a known societal fact. There are far too many tales of those whose curiosity bested them, their souls wisped away in bright consuming light. Their bodies, a burnt shell of what remained. Should it call to you, it would be best to ignore it. The world beyond those doors are for spirits alone to travel.

Lian, Sophia, and Taylum turned to the door in unison. Their faces were collectively afraid and curious with many emotions in-between. However, Lian stood the most afraid of all. His hands sweat at its sight as he could still hear its alluring whispers call to him.

“May I ask a favor of you all?” She asked. “It’s quite simple really” she turned to face everyone.

Lian, Taylum, and Sophia gathered close to Ye-Estefa as if she had commanded them to do so. Sophia stepped next to Lian, tucking her hood close to her face. Taylum glanced around somewhat eagerly, making sure to rub his eyes and his puffed red nose with the gentle cloth of his white sleave.

“Before we proceed. You must all look the part. I dare not present you to Armanto when two of you are wearing pajamas and one has a hood so tight, she could hardly breathe. The girl will receive a big red bow that she will wear with pride in hair. The boys… the boys are a bigger problem. Hear me, boys. Strip down to your undergarments and look towards me.” Explained Ye-Estefa, stomping around like a guard on patrol.

“Y-you mean...our underwear?” Questioned Taylum. He glanced at Sophia while Lian hesitantly took off his white shirt. “Of course.” Responded Ye-Estefa before Taylum could say another word. “But…uh Sophi-”, Taylum tried warning. “Do you really want me to repeat myself!?” Warned Ye-Estefa with a vicious glare. Taylum stared into her morphing eyes. “Yellow balls of death suspended in liquid darkness.” He thought.”No! No! No! I-I”, tried speaking Taylum again. “WHAT IS IT!? She is going to kill you!” scolded Sophia loudly. “I’M NOT WEARING UNDERWEAR!”. Ye-Esetefa glanced at Taylum with a demeanor of utter disappointment and disgust. “AND WHY BLOODY NOT? YOU DISGUSTING EXCUSE FOR A HUMAN! How can someone so small start so dirty! Do you have no common decency! Traveling with a lady and all. Show some respect.” Ye-Estefa cried out, her cool composure breaking in a split second. Lian instinctively glanced at Sophia, his eyes widened in disbelief. Sophia stared right back at Lian; her jaw-dropping at a moments notice. If only for a second, Lian and Sophia smiled at each other as they tried holding in some-sort of deep bellowing laughter; even momentarily forgetting the large argument that had just transpired.

“OK! OK! Boy. You will keep your pajamas on. Be grateful for what I am about to do with you. Tek and Jou-Jou are your clothes now.” Commanded Ye-Estefa with a large relaxing sigh and exhale. “What is that?” blurted Taylum defensively. “Simmer down boy, you have been traveling with them for a little bit now. Look to your friend Lian.” She explained sternly. “The red creatures on his head?” gasped Taylum gently. “Indeed. These are the Libello. As I previously explained to Lian, they are guards of a kind but they also work as clothing with the right bribe.” She explained with wonder in her eyes.

“Don’t move please.” Instructed Ye-Estefa. Ye-Estefa slowly crouched to the ground and gently patted the ground twice while mumbling a couple of words too quiet and too fast for Lian, Sophia, or even Taylum who stood closer to hear. “We don’t know why but if the Libello do not see you in your undergarments they tend to clothe you quite unpredictably. Truly a mystery even the greatest of minds would not waste their time in figuring out. It is simply what they do.” She mentioned with a smirk.

Ye-Estefa rose to her feet with a satisfied grin. It was only moments afterward that Taylum, Sophia, and Lian, noticed the walls of the tiny cave shriveling, changing like a gelatinous liquid. “The walls are moving l-like... snakes?” Cried Sophia in a panic. “No! Children! Do not move!” Demanded Ye-Estefa. Taylum, Sophia, and Lian reluctantly nodded their heads in unison, staring at one another for confirmation. They could only stand still as a terrifying transformation began around them and the tiny cave dimmed to a fading black. “This place has Libello everywhere; they control the walls, the floors, and now even what you wear. However, they like to do as they are told as well. Simple creatures but very effective provided you feed them correctly.” Echoed Ye-Estefa’s voice in the dark.

Sophia, Taylum, and Lian stood quietly in the dark, all of them too afraid to even utter a word, let alone move. All of a sudden, in the midst of darkness, rose a bright burning light from under the ground. “The Libello love Fiya Fruit. They are bursting with radiant energy, but more importantly...they are delicious.” Announced Ye-Estefa with pride. The Fiya fruit glowed a radiance of orange at its center, even lighting the immediate area with warm light, similar to that of a torch. More and more Fiya fruit popped out of the walls alongside twisting veins of vines that wrapped generously around the ceiling of the tiny cave like a complex network of chandeliers. As the light returned to be, Sophia noticed the cave looked smaller. She thought that if she tried hard enough, she could probably touch the roof with the tip of her fingers. After enough light had spread through the room from the numerous fruits that seemed to pop out of from within the walls came an army of Libello, rising from the walls and ceiling like walking dead. Some sticking from the roof like a loose raindrop, others rising from the ground like a plucked flower, and even more, crawling slipping out from the walls like a starved mouse, but all of them looked toward the fruit like a piece of something divine.

“You know...odd thing is, none of them actually eat because they need it to survive, they just love eating it period. Also, none will eat it unless you provide them permission to. The Libello are truly obedient creatures by creation. Unfortunately, I cannot summon just one, because you have chosen not to wear undergarments, we must accommodate more Libello. When they likely all arrive you must hurry and choose one as they do not stay in one place for long. One for pants, the other for a shirt. So choose.” She demanded, plucking a piece of Fiya fruit above her. “Choose what? What kind of clothes?” Asked Taylum. “No. Were you not listening, the Libello choose your clothes. Which one do you want?” She scolded with urgency. “Hurry up and choose, or I will feed you to them.” She warned while handing the Fiya fruit into Taylums arms. The Fiya fruit was larger than most fruit Taylum was used to eating, it was the size of a watermelon with the shape of an apple with a strange crown on top. The top of the apple had horns angled everywhere as if they were waving in the wind. The skin of the fruit itself was a pinkish red with a bright orange center. Needless to say, to Taylum, it looked plump and delicious.

Taylum looked around the room urgently, looking up and down for the friendliest Libello. Most had tiny black eyes and a stretchy mouth, but all of them looked squishy and even harmless. However, Taylum did not forget these creatures are also guards. He didn’t even want to imagine what they could do a person. “You have ten seconds!” Rushed Ye-Estefa. “OK.OK.OK.” panicked Taylum. He glanced around the room and found two Libello stuck within each other and some vines protruding from the walls. “So you shall have it!” Stated Ye-Estefa with a strange amount of conviction. “Tek and Jou-Jou will have the first bite of the fruit as they are the leaders of these Libello. When they approach you, point to the Libello you wish” She instructed.

Ye-Estefa made a strange clicking sound with her tongue and pointed towards the fruit. In a matter of seconds, Tek and Jou-Jou marched from atop Lian’s head and glided down towards Taylum’s arms using one another like a stretchy hand glider. As instructed, Taylum wasted no time in pointing towards the two Libello that were stuck on the wall to his left. Soon after, Tek and Jou-Jou made eye contact with the appropriate Libello, they nodded there heads and made tiny warbling sounds from there stretchy mouths while nodding their heads in unison like living maracas.

Before Taylum knew it, the two Libello’s who had previously been stuck were already climbing up towards the top of his head. Tek and Jou-Jou did as they did previously with Lian and floated towards the fruit in Taylums arms in their make-shift hot air balloon. In moments, they gulped the fruit in two giant inhalations of there ever expanding mouths and with the precision of a blade, they even split the fruit equally between them leaving only two tiny pieces for the Libello on Taylums head. Their hierarchy was a mystery not even Ye-Estefa seemed to know. Taylum could feel the slimy creatures crawl from his head, down his arm, and finally onto the ground. Before he knew it, even Sophia had a single Libello eating some Fiya fruit in front of her.

“After the Libello eats, everyone will have a small opening for a single command. That command will be as follows: Sericum vitae, vitae fructum. Again, seri-cum vitae, vitae fruc-tum. Understand?” Directed Ye-Estefa loudly. “Do we understand!?” She shouted again. Sophia, Taylum, and Lian nodded with a loud huff. “Now!” Commanded Ye-Estefa. “Sericum vitae, vite fructum!” Shouted Sophia, Taylum, and Lian in unison. Like an on/off switch, the Libello quickly attached themselves to Sophia, Taylum, and Lian accordingly. Like a morphing piece of gum, the Libello grew and shaped itself into a seemingly specific set of clothing almost instantly. Lian rushed and grabbed his music box, keeping it safe from the Libello's potential slimy grasp; just before Tek and Jou-Jou slapped onto him and morphed into a blazing red tuxedo. Quickly, he put his music box in his new pocket, making sure to be as discreet as possible. Lian turned to Sophia and to his surprise the Libello had given merely colored her clothing red and morphed her an exaggerated giant red bow/headband hybrid, about half the size of her head. Lian then turned to Taylum who didn’t seem too pleased. Even Ye-Estefa appeared confused in the Libello's selection of his new clothes. To his dismay, Taylum wore a beautiful red dress with etchings of fire fruit embroidered all over. Even in the midst of an argument, Lian and Sophia glanced at each other after gawking at Taylum, holding back their amusement in favor of a shared glance.

“We are finally ready everyone! Grab your creature in a basket Lian and form a circle with everyone. Come close! We must gather near the door. It is finally time to meet Armanto.” Directed Ye-Estefa with a questionable glee.

“I don’t really like the way I look. Is there any reason why I have a d-” Tried interjecting Taylum. “I SAID COME CLOSE!” Scolded Ye-Estefa.”Yes, Mam!” Muttered Taylum. Lian and Sophia again glanced at each other, only this time letting out a snicker or two. “Compose yourselves children. Come closer.” Instructed Ye-Estefa. “Excuse me Ye-Estefa. I thought we weren’t going to through that door.” Lian quickly interjected. ”We are not indeed. We are going down.”