The night feels gracious and peaceful, but I can't get my mind off my parents.
Mom, Dad, Neena—I hope you all managed to escape.
Looking at my family, it's only a fool who would be scared, but I guess I am that fool.
I close my eyes, trying to sleep, but Joan's image keeps flashing through my mind. The way he sacrificed himself for me, giving me a third chance. At this point, I'm starting to doubt whether I even deserve all of this.
BANG!
| "Wake up, sleepy head! " Eli shouts as she bangs on my door.
I groan and crack open my eyelids just as she pulls the curtains wide, letting in the blinding sunlight.
I barely manage to sit up from the little sleep I fought tooth and nail for when she drops a bundle of clothes onto my chest. The weight forces the air from my lungs.
| "Rise and shine, King. We've got a long day ahead. And put those on."
She turns, smirk tugging at her lips—wait, did I actually see that? Nah, must've been in my head.
Hold up. What does she mean by we? The only thing I need to do is find my uncle. That shouldn't be hard if I just ask around town.
I swing my feet onto the mat, taking a moment to appreciate how comfortable even an Elveren inn feels. The bed is leaf-like, wrapped in a black-and-red blanket. I grab the bundle Eli tossed me and unfold it: an all-black fit. Sleeveless hoodie with intricate leaf designs, matching black jumpers. Not bad.
As I throw the jumper onto the bed and pull the hoodie over my head—dinggg. Something hits the ground. I look down and find an earring, much like the one I'm already wearing.
| "Seems new," I mutter, switching it out.
"Will you hurry your butt up?! " Elizabeth screams from downstairs, her voice sharp enough to make me flinch and cut myself on the clasp.
I throw on the jumper, sprint to the window, and jump from the second floor. I land behind her just as she's preparing to amplify her voice with Lumis.
| "Sheesh, tone it down, princess," I smirk.
She doesn't flinch. Just turns, giving me the kind of stare Terrarians are infamous for.
| "Don't ever call me that again if you want to live long enough to see your grandkids."
She kneels to pick up her bag, golden strands falling across her face.
For a moment, sunlight dances in the particles around her, and the way she brushes her hair back into her ponytail looks… almost artistic. Something's wrong with me if I'm noticing that.
| "Goodbye, Grandoff! " Eli calls toward the innkeeper as she stands, her own outfit a green-and-white version of mine.
Multiple earrings glint along her long elf ears. If not for our skin tones, we could almost pass as siblings.
| "Hey, you coming?" she snaps, pulling me from my thoughts.
"Why do I have to tag along? I can just go my own way."
Her look says it all.
"Ohhh, you ungrateful brat. After using me, you think you can just ditch me? That's how you take responsibility?"
"Whoa, whoa, don't make it sound like that! I mean, we had a deal, I—"
She cuts me off.
"Teasing you brings me pleasure." She smirks, then straightens.
"I can't let you off yet. It's too dangerous. You might think you're out of the woods, but it isn't that easy. Follow."
And before I know it, my body obeys.
| "Here's the deal," Eli says as we descend the stairs into the city.
"Those earrings won't cover you for long. Elveren's security isn't that weak. I need to get the information I came for. My source will tell us where your uncle is. If you wander off and a guard thinks you're suspicious? You're done."
Her expression hardens.
"And don't think it's because I care about you. If you're caught, it hinders my plans."
I nod.
"Alright, I got it."
Walking through Elveren never fails to take my breath away. Tech I've never seen, nature woven into every detail.
| "Beautiful, isn't it?"
Eli's voice softens for once.
"Yeah," I whisper.
"More beautiful than any city I've seen—millions of times more."
Her lips curl into a faint smile.
"Of course you'd say that. This is the only city you've seen besides your home."
She pauses, eyes distant, as though she might cry. A stormy wind passes, ruffling her golden hair.
"Now imagine if this city had been allowed to progress without war. We could have grown past all this."
The weight in her words hangs heavy between us. Then, as if flipping a switch, she adds,
"Anyway, we're almost at the central district. Keep close."
The central district buzzes with life. Colossal trees tower like skyscrapers, with entire buildings carved inside their trunks.
I spin around, marveling at shops, bridges, elves gliding gracefully through the air.
"Eyes peeled," Eli warns, scanning the crowd. "We're looking for an elf in an all-black gown—that's our informant."
I nod, mimicking her sharp focus.
Then—
| "HEYYY, YOU THIEF! GET BACK HERE!" a desperate voice shatters the air.
An elf blurs past us with impossible speed.
"Please—that's all I have for my kid to eat, please, please!"
I whip my head toward the voice. A dark-skinned elf woman collapses to her knees, white hair spilling forward, blue eyes wide with despair.
| "Don't you dare," Eli hisses, her gaze stabbing into me.
But my body's already decided.
I compress my muscle fibers, gravity flooding my legs. The air thickens, particles trembling around me.
And then—boom.
I launch forward, matching the thief's speed.
| "Shit, shit, shit! KINGGGGG! " Eli screams behind me.
"You're dead when I catch you!! "
To be continued...