Soren’s POV:
“Where is she!?”, My brain seethed with confusion. I had just awoken from my nap and was met with the scary truth that the sofa that she had laid on was now empty. I quickly got up and began searching the house. Just as I walked by the kitchen, I noticed a figure pacing through the kitchen with purpose. I slowly approached, cautious as I still had no idea if the girl we had rescued was friend or foe. I peaked over the wall that stood between us.
It was Mom! I was relieved but not for long as it hit me. The realization that if she was home, then she must have seen the girl. I hope she didn't get the wrong idea.
“Mom?” I uttered.
“Oh good, you're awake”. “How was your day sweetheart”, she asked as she continued about her dinnerly duties.
“Are you good?”, I asked anxiously. If she had indeed seen a girl in our home, she should have said something by now, but that wasn't the case. She was oddly relaxed and unconcerned, almost like nothing had happened.
“Of course I am!”, “Why the concern?” she questioned.
“Oh nothing, just looking out for my mother.” I intensely gazed at her trying to unravel her current visage. I noticed nothing out of the ordinary and decided to head upstairs to my room to resume my search, that's when she said it.
“Your girlfriend is in your room”.
I knew it, I knew she was pretending. At least I had my suspicions.
“Alright mom”, I replied, my voice having an undertone of embarrassment. I knew she was smiling at me with a sheepish expression, but I didn't want to turn around and see it. It'd just further mortify the little pride I had left.
I slowly walked up the stairs, carrying my legs with such caution, almost like I was a predator trying to sneak up on an unsuspecting prey. I must have have been cautious because I didn't know who she was, or how she'd react to me. She's probably already spoken to my mom, and she's upstairs, so she must be friendly, I thought. I didn't know what to except from her and wanted to condition myself to be ready for the ready for the worst but hope for the best. I had gotten to the door to my room. I stood there with my hand on the knob, trying to calm my nerves so I wouldn't creep her out. I took a deep breath and opened the door.
There she was. She looked alot more beautiful awake which I know sounds corny but it's true. She sat on my bed, staring at everything, she didn't even notice that I opened the door, she must have been mentally occupied. I took a step towards her and that's when she noticed me, she turned her head to look at me with a startled expression. We just looked at each other for quiet a while, I wanted to say something but I was too stunned to speak. Her eyes, they were blue, but a mystical shade of blue. I had noticed this earlier but now that she was awake, it become more prominent. Her white hair. Her white hair looked as smooth as silk and as soft as velvet.
“Hi”, I said, but for some reason, those words felt heavy, I stammered uncontrollably trying to say that one word and it felt like it took every fibre of my being to say it. My breathing had heightened, I felt like my legs would give out, why did I feel this way? Was this fear? I had no answer to the questions I asked myself. I couldn't think. I just stood there, frozen.
******
Meanwhile, Elysia who sat on Soren’s bed was rather just fascinated by the clothes they wore in this realm. She had awoken earlier and noticed Soren sleeping in front of her, she walked up to him and began inspecting him rather throughly, trying to understand what he was. He did look like her a little but his skin was warmer and his ears less pointy. She gently probed him for a while before fixating her attention on the house she was in.
She got up and after wandering round the house a little, she had heard a knock on the front door of the house. She walked towards it and stood in front of it, wondering why it made such a strange sound. Shortly after, it stopped making the sound and the person on the other end had started opening the door. It was Soren’s mother. Elysia was frightened and ran towards the red sofa to hide behind it. The door opened and Soren’s mother walked in to find her son sleeping on the couch. She sighed, shook her head in amusement.
She then noticed a figure peeking out from behind the sofa. “Who's there?”, she asked cautiously.
She armed herself with a pen knife she had in her purse and approached the sofa slowly. Elysia quietly came out from her hiding place and responded to Liora. “Hello”, she said.
The language of the elves and the humans were in fact different but the journey through the portal to the earth realm permitted Elysia to understand their language. Elysia, totally unaware of this just thought that the humans spoke the same language as her.
Soren’s mom, originally confused by the scene unfolding in front of her now made the assumption that Soren brought a girl home and fell asleep. She chuckled lightly and shifted her gaze back to Elysia.
“I'm sorry Soren fell asleep and left you alone, he should be awake soon. In the meantime you could wait for him in his room”.
Elysia nodded her head in response and Soren’s mother led her to his room. Elysia was rather fascinated by everything, and being the carefree spirit she is, she loved new experiences and venturing into the unknown. Soren’s mother opened the door and ushered Elysia into Soren’s room where she began another probing session into everything she saw.
Liora thought it was rather concerning that she was severely pale and she barely spoke but she understood how allergic Soren is to certain people and figured this was his type of person. She walked downstairs and started preparing dinner and that's when shortly after, Soren woke up.
“Hello” Elysia said.
Soren clear his throat and continued…
“We found you in the woods, my friend and I”, “What happened to you?”.
As those words left Soren’s lips, Elysia was struck by the realization of how she got here, why she was here, the sacrifice her mother made, and every emotion she felt during those final moments with her beloved mother. She suddenly burst into a flood of tears and began wailing uncontrollably. Soren - now shocked and severely worried - rushed to her side and held her, his confusion wasn't going to hinder him from caring for her. He didn't know why he acted this way but it felt like the right thing to do.
He sat beside her and held her close. She grabbed his shirt and leaned heavily on him, almost like she had lost the strength to sit up on her own. She said nothing to him and he couldn't say anything because he didn't know what had happened, he didn't know anything at all. It was scary for Soren that someone he had no connection to or no knowledge of was sitting in his house, on his bead and was weeping uncontrollably like a child, but he felt serious empathy for her. More empathy than he had felt for anyone in a long time.
Then suddenly Elysia began to speak.
Elysia’s POV: His hands were warm, they were comforting. That’s the only physical sensation I felt at that moment, my mind and heart were in total chaos as I remembered what had become of the Woman who made my world but his presence was comforting enough for me to notice that his hands were warm. I couldn’t even control the tears that rolled down my cheeks, they came on their own accord, each tear reflecting the fear, anger, and helplessness that I felt in those final moments. I needed her. I really needed her. But for some reason, I felt like I could speak to him, like there were no boundaries between our worlds, like we had known each other for quite a while. I couldn’t believe that I felt all this and more with just his hands wrapped around me, but I couldn’t control anything in that moment. Not how I felt, not even how I was positioned. Everything felt cold and warm at the same time. “My mother”, the only words I could say. I wanted to say more, but I felt constr
The party was in full swing, and everyone seemed to be having a great time but Soren was seated on the plush red-coloured sofa. He didn’t enjoy party life but since this was his birthday party, he had to endure the pain and torture of partying or as he would call it, the “self-inflicted pain of human interaction”, he was an introvert but that’s what made Soren, well, Soren.Soren had just turned 18, he was a reserved one, but even so he constantly felt the weight of being his parents' only son and the silent but ever-present pressure to succeed that came with it. He didn’t appreciate society's views on what made someone quote "important" or "unimportant." To most people, being important meant having wealth and influence. But Soren believed real worth came from quietly contributing to the world without seeking recognition. To him, true heroes worked in the shadows, while everyone else was just pretending, or as he would call them - “posers”. He’d often dream of being a superhero or any
In the warmth of the following morning, Soren awoke to the delightful aroma of blueberry pancakes wafting through the air, wrapping him in a cozy embrace. "Mom's up and at it again, I see," he mused with a faint smile. He stretched lazily, got up from his bed and slipped his feet into the comforting warmth of his fluffy slippers, their familiar softness a small comfort in the face of the previous night’s birthday festivities, this was how he loved his mornings, just Mom, his slippers and him, no-one else.As Soren walked lazily towards the door, something rather unusual caught his eye. There was a crack in the wall, standing out against the otherwise smooth cream surface he knew and loved. "Did I accidentally throw something at my wall last night?" he muttered to himself, his brow curling in confusion. "I remember being annoyed at Orion for what happened, but I wasn't that furious." Interest overshadowed confusion as he moved closer to the jagged path of the crack and started tracing
Soren stared at the crack with the most puzzled of looks, he began to wonder if he was experiencing the early stages of dementia because he was more than certain that he had just finished working on that wall and covering the mysterious crack. Suddenly, almost like a little flash of an intriguing clue, Soren noticed a strange swirling pattern that was peeping through the crevice. He approached it slowly, but as he got closer, he couldn't help but feel like the air had gotten heavier and the atmosphere seemed all too eerie. “This feels wrong”, he thought to himself. It felt like he was in a horror movie and about to have a heart-wrenching jumpscare thrown at him, slowly but steadily he approached. “I should probably stay back”, he spoke within himself, but he knew he couldn't, after all sooner or later the truth behind that crack would make itself known whether he liked it or not. He peeped into the crevice to see the suspicious pattern which extended through the wall in front of h
It was the village of Orka, the sun was high in the sky, a cool breeze weaved through the leaves with subtleness but the people of the village were in great distress. They had received word from neighboring villages that the “Yotu” (skinwalkers) were migrating to regions with more souls. The people of Orka knew that it was time to migrate as well to a region far away from the migrating monsters as they knew that the Yotu needed living souls to grow in strength and number. Ten thousand years ago, the Yotu first appeared, they were beasts with long claws, a stretched physique, and no eyes. The people of that time thought of them as strange animals until one of them tried interacting with a Yotu and got his soul completely sucked from his body, leaving behind a lifeless corpse. The people were shaken, they were scared as they discovered that the Yotu now had a thirst for human souls, and since they had no way of fighting them, they were totally defenseless.It was a dark time for the p
Elysia awoke to the sound of terrifying screams, dust filled the air outside the tent but her mother wasn't by her side. Her heart skipped a beat, she quickly jacked up and bolted outside to meet the horror that awaited her.The camp was being overrun by Yotu, she was confused, distressed, scared, she felt so many emotions that she couldn't keep track of, I thought we still had time? Were the other villagers wrong? A barrage of questions ran through her mind, but in reality, she was betrayed, her whole village had been betrayed by those around them. They had noticed that the horde would be so difficult to avoid as a whole and used them as bait so slow them down while they hurried away. The relayed the informer ion late intentionally and told them they still had time. They were tricked, their trust in those around them would prove to be their peril.Elysia, still distraught by the things happening around her continued searching for mother amongst the chaos. Villagers turned warriors fo
Orion I opened my eyes to the colourful ceiling above me, today was going to be like every other day, I thought to myself. I just needed to get out of bed and do something with my life. I rolled over to the other side of the bed, my eyes still keeping a straight view of whatever was in front of me. I caught a glimpse of my alarm and discovered It still had some minutes before it rang. I woke up quite early today. It felt like an achievement, on most days, I’d sleep in, the alarm served no function as it would only ring momentarily and would then be shut off almost immediately by me. There wasn’t any school as it was the Summer break.Life was almost predictable at this point, and it began to feel like I was just existing and not really living life to the fullest. Anyway I had a somewhat good feeling about today, maybe something Interesting would happen, maybe Soren would get a girlfriend. That would be a fun surprise. I sighed a sigh of discontent relief, pulled my thoughts together
Soren rushed out of his House, locking the door behind him. He was scared as well, Orion sounded really agitated over the phone, “What happened?” he thought. “I hope he’s not in trouble.” He shuffled his gaze between his phone and the path he was on into the woods, trying to navigate as quickly he could. “His location isn’t far from here”, he thought. “Please don’t be something serious”. “I’m here!”, Soren shouted as he leaped over the last boulder that stood between him and Orion. Orion, seeing his friend Soren, stood up with urgency and beckoned on him to come closer. Soren had noticed it too. He was puzzled. There was someone on the ground behind Orion, her skin was so pale, he was scared that she might be dead. “Soren, come over here!!”, “I don’t think she’s dead because she’s breathing but I can’t account for anything internal” Orion informed as Soren got closer. SorenShe’s beautiful, I mean I could tell from where I was that she was pretty but up close, she’s stunning. I ben
Elysia’s POV: His hands were warm, they were comforting. That’s the only physical sensation I felt at that moment, my mind and heart were in total chaos as I remembered what had become of the Woman who made my world but his presence was comforting enough for me to notice that his hands were warm. I couldn’t even control the tears that rolled down my cheeks, they came on their own accord, each tear reflecting the fear, anger, and helplessness that I felt in those final moments. I needed her. I really needed her. But for some reason, I felt like I could speak to him, like there were no boundaries between our worlds, like we had known each other for quite a while. I couldn’t believe that I felt all this and more with just his hands wrapped around me, but I couldn’t control anything in that moment. Not how I felt, not even how I was positioned. Everything felt cold and warm at the same time. “My mother”, the only words I could say. I wanted to say more, but I felt constr
Soren’s POV:“Where is she!?”, My brain seethed with confusion. I had just awoken from my nap and was met with the scary truth that the sofa that she had laid on was now empty. I quickly got up and began searching the house. Just as I walked by the kitchen, I noticed a figure pacing through the kitchen with purpose. I slowly approached, cautious as I still had no idea if the girl we had rescued was friend or foe. I peaked over the wall that stood between us. It was Mom! I was relieved but not for long as it hit me. The realization that if she was home, then she must have seen the girl. I hope she didn't get the wrong idea. “Mom?” I uttered. “Oh good, you're awake”. “How was your day sweetheart”, she asked as she continued about her dinnerly duties. “Are you good?”, I asked anxiously. If she had indeed seen a girl in our home, she should have said something by now, but that wasn't the case. She was oddly relaxed and unconcerned, almost like nothing had happened. “Of course I am!”,
Soren rushed out of his House, locking the door behind him. He was scared as well, Orion sounded really agitated over the phone, “What happened?” he thought. “I hope he’s not in trouble.” He shuffled his gaze between his phone and the path he was on into the woods, trying to navigate as quickly he could. “His location isn’t far from here”, he thought. “Please don’t be something serious”. “I’m here!”, Soren shouted as he leaped over the last boulder that stood between him and Orion. Orion, seeing his friend Soren, stood up with urgency and beckoned on him to come closer. Soren had noticed it too. He was puzzled. There was someone on the ground behind Orion, her skin was so pale, he was scared that she might be dead. “Soren, come over here!!”, “I don’t think she’s dead because she’s breathing but I can’t account for anything internal” Orion informed as Soren got closer. SorenShe’s beautiful, I mean I could tell from where I was that she was pretty but up close, she’s stunning. I ben
Orion I opened my eyes to the colourful ceiling above me, today was going to be like every other day, I thought to myself. I just needed to get out of bed and do something with my life. I rolled over to the other side of the bed, my eyes still keeping a straight view of whatever was in front of me. I caught a glimpse of my alarm and discovered It still had some minutes before it rang. I woke up quite early today. It felt like an achievement, on most days, I’d sleep in, the alarm served no function as it would only ring momentarily and would then be shut off almost immediately by me. There wasn’t any school as it was the Summer break.Life was almost predictable at this point, and it began to feel like I was just existing and not really living life to the fullest. Anyway I had a somewhat good feeling about today, maybe something Interesting would happen, maybe Soren would get a girlfriend. That would be a fun surprise. I sighed a sigh of discontent relief, pulled my thoughts together
Elysia awoke to the sound of terrifying screams, dust filled the air outside the tent but her mother wasn't by her side. Her heart skipped a beat, she quickly jacked up and bolted outside to meet the horror that awaited her.The camp was being overrun by Yotu, she was confused, distressed, scared, she felt so many emotions that she couldn't keep track of, I thought we still had time? Were the other villagers wrong? A barrage of questions ran through her mind, but in reality, she was betrayed, her whole village had been betrayed by those around them. They had noticed that the horde would be so difficult to avoid as a whole and used them as bait so slow them down while they hurried away. The relayed the informer ion late intentionally and told them they still had time. They were tricked, their trust in those around them would prove to be their peril.Elysia, still distraught by the things happening around her continued searching for mother amongst the chaos. Villagers turned warriors fo
It was the village of Orka, the sun was high in the sky, a cool breeze weaved through the leaves with subtleness but the people of the village were in great distress. They had received word from neighboring villages that the “Yotu” (skinwalkers) were migrating to regions with more souls. The people of Orka knew that it was time to migrate as well to a region far away from the migrating monsters as they knew that the Yotu needed living souls to grow in strength and number. Ten thousand years ago, the Yotu first appeared, they were beasts with long claws, a stretched physique, and no eyes. The people of that time thought of them as strange animals until one of them tried interacting with a Yotu and got his soul completely sucked from his body, leaving behind a lifeless corpse. The people were shaken, they were scared as they discovered that the Yotu now had a thirst for human souls, and since they had no way of fighting them, they were totally defenseless.It was a dark time for the p
Soren stared at the crack with the most puzzled of looks, he began to wonder if he was experiencing the early stages of dementia because he was more than certain that he had just finished working on that wall and covering the mysterious crack. Suddenly, almost like a little flash of an intriguing clue, Soren noticed a strange swirling pattern that was peeping through the crevice. He approached it slowly, but as he got closer, he couldn't help but feel like the air had gotten heavier and the atmosphere seemed all too eerie. “This feels wrong”, he thought to himself. It felt like he was in a horror movie and about to have a heart-wrenching jumpscare thrown at him, slowly but steadily he approached. “I should probably stay back”, he spoke within himself, but he knew he couldn't, after all sooner or later the truth behind that crack would make itself known whether he liked it or not. He peeped into the crevice to see the suspicious pattern which extended through the wall in front of h
In the warmth of the following morning, Soren awoke to the delightful aroma of blueberry pancakes wafting through the air, wrapping him in a cozy embrace. "Mom's up and at it again, I see," he mused with a faint smile. He stretched lazily, got up from his bed and slipped his feet into the comforting warmth of his fluffy slippers, their familiar softness a small comfort in the face of the previous night’s birthday festivities, this was how he loved his mornings, just Mom, his slippers and him, no-one else.As Soren walked lazily towards the door, something rather unusual caught his eye. There was a crack in the wall, standing out against the otherwise smooth cream surface he knew and loved. "Did I accidentally throw something at my wall last night?" he muttered to himself, his brow curling in confusion. "I remember being annoyed at Orion for what happened, but I wasn't that furious." Interest overshadowed confusion as he moved closer to the jagged path of the crack and started tracing
The party was in full swing, and everyone seemed to be having a great time but Soren was seated on the plush red-coloured sofa. He didn’t enjoy party life but since this was his birthday party, he had to endure the pain and torture of partying or as he would call it, the “self-inflicted pain of human interaction”, he was an introvert but that’s what made Soren, well, Soren.Soren had just turned 18, he was a reserved one, but even so he constantly felt the weight of being his parents' only son and the silent but ever-present pressure to succeed that came with it. He didn’t appreciate society's views on what made someone quote "important" or "unimportant." To most people, being important meant having wealth and influence. But Soren believed real worth came from quietly contributing to the world without seeking recognition. To him, true heroes worked in the shadows, while everyone else was just pretending, or as he would call them - “posers”. He’d often dream of being a superhero or any