The Dark Night at Raven — a city known for its darkness and silence. There were no streetlights, not a single source of light in the entire city. It felt less like a place where people lived and more like a void that had swallowed everything.
On 9 September 2008, in Raven—the night Elijah was born—something unusual happened. For the first time in a long while, people smiled. He was the firstborn, and joy filled the air, even in a city that had forgotten what warmth felt like.
Elijah was a beautiful child—soft, quiet, and full of innocence. Too innocent, perhaps, to ever understand the darkness that surrounded him.
He grew up like any other child, asking endless questions and doing foolish little things that made his parents laugh. Years passed quietly, and in 2014, Elijah turned six.
That was the year he visited Talia for the first time.
Talia — a city that stood in complete contrast to Raven. Where Raven was darkness, Talia was light. Endless fields of flowers stretched across the land, and the air itself felt alive. It was a place that seemed closer to heaven than Earth.
After a long journey through changing landscapes, the train finally came to a halt at Talia station. Elijah stepped out, his eyes wide with curiosity. His family made their way to a relative's house. The door opened, greetings were exchanged, and laughter filled the room.
At first, Elijah stayed quiet, his gaze fixed on the ground. But slowly, he grew comfortable.
He sat near the doorway, watching the unfamiliar surroundings… until something caught his attention.
Or rather, someone.
That was the moment he saw her.
Layla.
He froze.
Her blue eyes reflected the soft light of the evening. Her black hair, resting gently on her shoulders, moved slightly with the breeze. There was something about her—something Elijah couldn't understand—but he couldn't look away.
He had never seen anyone like her before.
Layla — a neighbor of Elijah's relatives.
She was eight years old, two years older than him.
Blue eyes. Black hair. And a presence that quietly stood out.
Elijah kept staring, completely lost.
Layla noticed.
She tilted her head slightly and waved, a small smile forming on her lips.
"Hey… what's with that look?"
Elijah blinked, startled, as if he had just been pulled back into reality. Words refused to come out. Gathering a bit of courage, he walked toward her—slowly, nervously.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Layla," she replied. "And yours?"
"Elijah."
That was all it took.
By the end of the day, they were no longer strangers. They walked together through the festival, exploring every corner of the fair—colorful stalls, lively games, and bright lights that felt magical to Elijah.
For the first time, Raven felt very far away.
But time never stops.
The festival ended, and soon, Elijah's family prepared to leave. As the carriage began to move, Elijah turned back one last time.
Layla stood at her doorway, waving.
He raised his hand in return.
"See you next year."
But as the distance between them grew, something inside him shifted.
A quiet, unfamiliar feeling settled deep within his heart—
something he couldn't understand…
and couldn't yet name.