Cortina stood alone in the glade. Light filtered through nature’s canopy, its source indistinguishable. Every tree, rock, and slope of the hillside was cloaked in a thick layer of moss. Before her stretched a verdant blanket of green, broken only by the stream that rushed by her side. Everything was damp, yet there was no chill. Everything felt strange, yet not unfamiliar. There was no sign of life, yet she did not feel alone. The rushing water provided the only sound, its persistent murmur grounding her in the moment.

I was nearby, but I was no longer permitted to connect with her. The trial had begun. The Essenscape we shared was coming to its conclusion, and soon we would both face the ethereal appraisal of Cortina’s humanity. The judgement to come would not only determine her future but mine as well.

The sound of the stream began to shift, to communicate in ways beyond words. There were no voices, no language to be heard—only the subtle whisper of its message, softly reaching into your soul. We understood that each of the eight Faes of Love would be called, one by one, to unlock Cortina’s rite of passage into our world or to block it and send her back to the nothingness of your world. Each fae would transmit a unique harmonic into the glade, clearing a granite rock of its thick, soft moss. If the Essenscape condition had been met, the fae would appear; if not, the rock would remain exposed, untouched, and unpopulated.

The first to respond was Philuatia, the Gilded Glow, who introduced a harmonic resonance over the scene of self-love, self-care, and compassion, declaring it to be the foundation of all other loves. A granite rock, a little distance from Cortina, began to shed its moss. As it did, a fae appeared, bathed in radiant pink and white, her presence reflecting inner beauty and confidence. She sat gracefully upon the now-exposed rock, embodying the very essence of self-love.

Storge, Kindred Roots, was the next to respond. We all felt the deep sense of Cortina’s care and loyalty to family and close friends, her respect for tradition, and her appreciation for the beauty of nature. It was a reminder that these qualities form the heart of a fae. As if in response, another rock began to clear, revealing a fae in earthy tones, carrying an orb that symbolised both nature and nurture.

Almost immediately, Eros, the fae of Twilight Passion, appeared on another cleared rock. Adorned in reds and golds with heart motifs, she embodied the harmony of romantic love, the bond shared between lovers. The atmosphere shifted and for a moment passion was woven into the very fabric of the glade.

Ludos was next to deliver. As the fae of wistful yearning, the mood shifted, shedding its air of commitment and becoming light-hearted and playful. A flirtatious breeze danced through the air, tousling our hair, but then there was a pause. A rock in the foreground cleared, yet nothing happened. Slowly, a small cloud appeared, gradually taking shape and transforming into a grinning fae with translucent wings, surrounded by butterflies that symbolised impermanence and beauty. The delay, it seemed, was her party piece—a little frolic for her own amusement.

The first four faes had unlocked their doors, forming the path of Cortina’s rite of passage. I was riding on a wave of excitement, nervousness, and pride all at once. Such things were possible in my world. Cortina remained motionless, still in her dusty peach robe of tulle and georgette, absorbed in the beauty and wonder unfolding before her. She was less aware of the harmonics, but it mattered little, for they find their own space inside you. As for the full significance of what was happening, she remained blissfully ignorant.

Next to engage with the glade was Philia, the fae of the Radiant Kinship and Clan of Love. As her presence enveloped us, we drifted into a world of bright, enduring friendships built upon shared goals, adventures, and experiences. When we awoke from this daydream, another rock had been exposed, and there, seated upon it, was a fae in gentle pastel colours, holding hands with two other faes.

A tension began to build all around, and Cortina started to sense it as well. For the first time since arriving, she looked puzzled, beginning to wonder about these mystical beings that were appearing one by one. At first, it had all been too beautiful to take in, but now she began to wonder what was happening to her.

While Cortina became increasingly perplexed, we remained expectant. Only three more loves to go, and we could guess who was next—Agape. Indeed, she was the next to appear. The fae of ethereal love did not disappoint, creating a harmonic of great intensity that drowned us in a transcendent, all-encompassing love for all living things. Thankfully, she appeared on a prominent rock, dressed in soothing blues, holding a blooming flower and emanating a calm, healing aura.

Just two more loves to go and also the two most difficult to find, let alone sustain, in your human world. I am not sure how much more tension I can take. Cortina is now looking concerned as her intuition kicks in and she senses something momentous developing, something life-changing or perhaps death-changing.

In what felt like an eternity but was no time at all in reality, Pragma came to the fore. The fae of devotion was her own best example, which also made her a tough critic. Giving love freely without expectations or conditions is challenging. Making it enduring so it grows stronger with time and strong enough to be constant no matter what raises it to a level of almost impossible. I am so nervous as I have seen so many Essenscapes fail at this point that I close my eyes in an attempt to block out the tension. When I finally gather the courage to open them, there she is, sat on a rock, dressed in silver and white with a welcoming pose, radiating peace and infinite care. Her gaze sought me out and she gave me a small smile, ignoring etiquette just a little.

The glade is thick with beings. Cortina can only see the faes that have presented themselves, but every inch of space is occupied. Every being, every ancient tree, every child of nature—even those with the knowledge of millennia—is transfixed in the moment. None can prevent a ripple of their own anticipation from joining with countless others, until the very air of the glade hums with a rhythm seldom felt in any world, in any dimension. The whole of my world is united, waiting to discover if this day will be blessed.

Poor Cortina has dropped to her knees, wishing, in that moment, that she had ‘Him’ to hold her hand. She is not frightened; she is transfixed, awestruck by something she cannot see, hear, or touch—only sense.

Silently and with great dignity, Anima Amor came to the fore. Unlike the other faes, she did not materialize on a rock but appeared directly before Cortina—floating, yet not as a tangible form, more as a presence. She radiated purple and gold, with an infinity symbol halo above her. Anima Amor is the fae of unconditional love, the deepest and most transformative love that transcends time, space, and the very essence of existence—the unbreakable connection of two souls.

Anima Amor addresses Cortina directly through their souls. We are unaware of what is said, but we know it will be an introspective analysis of Cortina’s humanity, delivered with meticulous care. This soul-to-soul connection lasts for several minutes, during which Cortina experiences the analysis as if it were her own self-examination. At its conclusion, she feels the outcome of my Essenscape, one that has spanned decades.

As we waited, an ominous granite rock in a prominent position by the river, under the boughs where the Keepers of the Lore are gathered, slowly cleared itself of moss. Then, cautiously, Cortina rose and, in a manner only true fairies can, floated across the glade and settled upon the rock. Cortina had done it! She has been accepted into the lands of the fairies.

What happened next is hard for me to describe. First, every being, every living thing, became visible to Cortina. Every energy in our world glowed in a different colour or hue and danced to its own unique tune. Every subtle vibration was clear and unambiguous. It was a spectacular display, where the totality of our world was visible—playful and celebratory.

Cortina, now a fully fledged fairy, saw the beauty, felt the love, and understood the vibrations—not all at once, but bit by bit. This is why the spectacle lasted for so long well that was our excuse. To give Cortina time to adjust and master her new abilities.

That night, Cortina was formally inducted by the Keepers of the Lore. She received a series of transferences that gave her the powers, knowledge, and sensitivities she would need, along with an understanding of the virtues, conscience, and code of conduct of a fairy. Ironically, this all took place on an old lichen-covered branch over the river and on a large, wet rock in the middle of the river. The very branch and rock that her son-in-law had found too slippery to cross, causing him to fall in—three times! Was he a slow learner, or did a fairy help him stumble? You can decide.

And Him. Do you remember him? He was rewarded for his love of Cortina. When he awoke the morning after her passing, a sleep brought on by the release that follows the end of an exhausting period, he was struck by a vivid image of Cortina being inducted into the world of the fairies. We know that it was more than just an image—it was a brief connection to the world she now occupies. Through that connection, he was granted relief from grief, the gift of gratitude, and a dream where Cortina lives, thrives, and still misses him.

To this day, he believes the whole story is no more than a fantasy he conjured in the depths of his grief. It works for him—he accepts it as a fiction of his own making, yet he is thankful for the comfort it has brought him. If you ever encounter ‘Him’, be careful not to shatter the façade of his making with the truths that you now know.