Lana
I woke up with a sharp breath, my chest rising and falling rapidly. My whole body felt tense, cold sweat clinging to my temples.
Damn it.
I had just had a nightmare, or maybe… just a memory from last night.
The masked man. The glowing red eyes. The way Kaelith's cold voice told me that I was being hunted still echoed in my mind.
I squeezed my eyes shut and exhaled slowly.
"Great… my life will never be peaceful again," I muttered, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead.
I stared at the wooden ceiling, its rough texture already too familiar. The air inside the room was still cold, sending shivers down my spine. I pulled the blanket tighter around myself, trying to push away the lingering fear.
I was alive. I was still here.
But was I safe?
I hesitated before slowly getting up. When I peeked outside my room, my eyes immediately landed on them.
Kaelith sat in the corner, methodically cleaning his sword, his movements precise and calm as if nothing had happened.
Sylas leaned against the wall, casually twirling a dagger between his fingers, his expression unreadable.
They both looked so… normal. As if last night's attack was just another minor inconvenience.
I clenched my jaw.
Of course. Why would they care?
I took a deep breath and stepped forward.
Kaelith barely glanced at me before turning his attention back to his sword.
Sylas, however, flashed his usual smirk. "Good morning, Lana. You look like a mess... did you sleep well?"
I swallowed back my irritation, resisting the urge to throw something at him.
Before I could reply, Kaelith stood up. "Enough talking. We're leaving."
I froze. "Leaving? Where? So suddenly? Now?"
"Just follow," he said bluntly. "Why do humans always ask so many questions? It's annoying."
I took a step back, feeling unease creep into my chest. "W-Wait! We can't just leave like this! You have to explain first. I don't want to! I'm not going out there! I—"
Before I could finish, Kaelith moved.
With a swift motion, he grabbed my wrist—hard.
"Ow! Hey—!" My protest was cut off as he yanked me forward, his grip like iron shackles.
"Enough," he said coldly. "You're coming with us whether you like it or not."
I struggled against his hold, but it was useless. His strength was on a completely different level.
Sylas let out a dramatic sigh before stepping behind me. "Kael, you're too rough. She's going to break before we even get anywhere. Be nice to our wife."
Kaelith didn't even react.
Sylas suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled out a long strip of dark fabric.
"Alright, sweetheart. Eyes closed," he said playfully.
I blinked. "What—?"
Before I could react, he tied the cloth over my eyes.
"HEY! What are you doing?!" I shouted, jerking my head back.
"Relax," Sylas chuckled. "It's just so you don't see something... unpleasant."
I stiffened. Something unpleasant?
What does that mean?
What are they hiding?
What if we run into another one of those monsters?! Or bears?
I instinctively tried to pull the blindfold off, but Sylas caught my wrists effortlessly.
"Ah-ah. No peeking," he teased.
I gritted my teeth. "I swear, Sylas, if this is one of your stupid jokes—!"
Kaelith pulled me forward again, forcing me to move.
"This is a waste of time," he muttered.
"NO! I don't want to go blindfolded through the freaking forest! Take this off!" I protested, trying to dig my heels into the ground.
"Trust me, you'd rather not see what's out here," Sylas murmured, his tone uncharacteristically serious.
That shut me up.
Something about the way he said it sent a cold shiver down my spine.
What exactly was out here?
He's not planning to kill me, right?
I stayed silent after that, reluctantly letting them drag me through the forest. I stumbled over uneven ground, my sense of direction completely lost. The only thing keeping me steady was Kaelith's unforgiving grip on my wrist.
I had no idea how long we walked. Minutes? An hour?
And then—
Sylas suddenly stopped.
"Alright, sweetheart. Time for the grand reveal."
I felt his fingers tug at the blindfold, loosening the knot.
The fabric slipped away.
And—
Oh.
Oh, wow.
The city before me was breathtaking.
The sky was a mesmerizing blend of deep purple and golden red, unlike anything I had ever seen. Towering trees stood tall in the middle of the city, their leaves glowing faintly, casting soft light across the landscape.
The ground beneath my feet felt soft—almost like walking on clouds.
But the most astonishing sight was the creatures.
Not ordinary animals, but beings that looked like a cross between deer and small dragons, their antlers shimmering like molten gold.
My mouth fell open. "What… is this place? Beautiful"
My frustration disappeared instantly the moment I saw this place.
I barely registered Sylas chuckling beside me. "Welcome to the Elven city, Lana. Hope you're ready."
I was still speechless. This felt like a world straight out of a fairytale. Beautiful. Strange. And terrifying all at once.
Before I could fully process the beauty, Kaelith tugged my wrist hard.
"Don't just stand there. We have to move."
I shot him an annoyed look. "I JUST got my vision back! Can I at least look around?! You've been dragging me everywhere!"
Sylas smirked, amused. "You can look while walking. But don't get too enchanted by this place. The Elven world isn't as beautiful as it seems."
I frowned but kept walking alongside them. As we made our way through the city, I secretly observed my surroundings.
As breathtaking as it was, something felt… off. As if there was a hidden layer beneath all this beauty, something unseen yet undeniably present. Like Sylas say.. Not beautiful as it seems.
A strange uneasiness crept up my spine. The more I looked, the more I noticed—figures watching from the shadows, whispers carried by the wind, the way some elves quickly averted their gazes the moment I met their eyes.
"Why does it feel like we're being watched…?" I murmured.
Kaelith and Sylas exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable. Then, in a low, firm voice, Kaelith murmured, "Because we are. So stay low-profile."
His words sent a chill down my spine.
I tensed, suddenly hyperaware of every step I took. The once-magical atmosphere of the city now felt suffocating, the glowing trees casting eerie shadows, the air thick with something unspoken.
I tensed, suddenly hyperaware of every step I took.
I had no idea who—or what—was watching me.
Is it the Shadow Butcher again?
My heart pounded as a sinking realization settled in.
I really hated this world.
To be continued…