Sixteen years later...
Light dripped warmly from the sky. The warm golden light stretched across the valley, pouring gently over the roof-thatched tops and the waving wheat fields. The scent of fresh flowers and dew from the morning fog filled the air. It was as if the sun acknowledged her presence, warm and calm.
To be honest, anyone who saw her knew she didn't belong here — she was simply the pride of the village. Kind, gentle, eyes bright golden red like the morning sun itself, and hair darker than midnight and her very pale skin.
She had this strange, delicate beauty .
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lila ran barefoot through the field, her laughter scattered through the air gentle and warm,the warm breeze softly embracing her all over.
She had gone with her parents to pick up flowers for Mrs. Lily, the wife of the village carpenter, who just had a baby a few days ago.
"Lila!" her mother called sharply. "You are going to be the death of me some day. How many times have I told you not to run through the fields like that? It's dangerous. A young lady should behave properly."
Lila turned and ran towards her mother only stopping when she reach
her smile bright and unapologetic.
"Oh, Mother, you worry too much and besides it feels so nice.
Anna crossed her arms, eyeing her daughter's bare feet. "And where are your shoes?"
"I put them away," Lila said lightly.
Anna let out a slow breath, pressing her fingers to her temple. "You can't keep behaving like this, Lila." Soon, you will be expected to marry."
"But I—" Lila began, but Fredrick cut her short.
"Enough of the marriage talk," he said gently, resting a hand on Anna's shoulder. "She's still young."
Fredrick turned to Lila, his expression soft and knowing.
"Come, Lila. Let's give these flowers to Mrs. Lily," he said, cutting the conversation before Anna could grow more impatient.
"Yes, Father. I'm coming," Lila replied.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The town was alive with color — ripe fruits, huge houses of different sizes, cloth stores, the scent of delicious baked bread, children laughing and playing. It was lively.
"Here we have arrived, Lila," Fredrick said to her.
She answered with a "hmmm" as They stopped before a modest cottage.
"Mr. Fredrick!" Mrs. Lily said as she opened the door, surprise visible in her eyes. "What a pleasant surprise!"
"I heard you had a child a few days ago. Thank goodness you are well," Fredrick said, beaming.
"Yes, Sir Fredrick, I'm fine, as you can see. ," Lily replied with a small smile.
Lila stepped forward and offered the bundle of flowers. "For you, Mrs. Lily."
Her cheeks colored. "They're lovely."
"She picked them herself," Fredrick added. "Said bright colors suit you."
Mrs. Lily laughed softly. "You flatter me too much."
"Well, I'm glad you like them. We should be going now—rest well," Fredrick said with a smile.
After their farewells, Fredrick paused near the market.
"Oh, Lila, I almost forgot—your mother asked me to buy some sewing materials. Could you wait for me over there?"
He pointed to a shaded corner not far away. Few people were around, and it looked safe for her to wait.
"Yes, Father," Lila answered as she walked slowly over to the place, while her father walked the opposite way.
Standing there for over a minute now, a young boy — maybe ten years old — came up to her, just stood and stared at her not saying anything just staring.
"Hello, she said gently where are your parents?"
He said nothing.
" can you not speak?"
Still nothing from the child; he just stood, staring.
Her smile softened. "Are you alone?"
The boy hesitated, then shook his head slowly.
"Oh…" Lila crouched. "Are you hungry?"
He nodded.
She went ahead and bought him bread, gave it to him without hesitation,He ate it quickly as if in the next moment it could vanish.
" Eat slowly," she murmured. or you'll have a stomach ache," Lila said watching him eat.
Then something caught her eyes — a figure wearing a black hood, covering everything. Not even a single hair could be seen. The way the person moved, it was as if no one could see them — no one seemed to notice them .
She was about to follow the person, but the boy grabbed her hand, His eyes wide with terror.
"You see it too?" she whispered. Looking back at him.
"Don't worry," I'll be back, okay. she said gently removing her hand from his grip and patted his head.
Then she followed.
The figure moved quickly through the town,down the narrow path behind the stalls, and into the woods far from the town. The sounds of the town fading gradually .Shadows grew longer.night was coming.
The figure stopped
Lila froze.
The cold wind stung her skin, every rustle made her heart race."Oh no… what have I done?" she whispered, panic rising in her
Slowly, the hooded figure turned.
"So," the figure said — low and cold. "You followed me",in a voice that was too cold to be a humans.
"I… I'm sorry," Lila stammered, backing away. "I thought—"
"Who are you?" it demanded.
Lila swallowed. "I—" am lorah
"Do not lie," it hissed, cold and sharp. " I know who you are, Child of Elizabeth.". "
Lila's knees trembled. "Wh… who is Elizabeth?" she whispered, her voice shaking.
The figure stepped closer. Fools do they think they can hide you forever.
Its voice deepened, and chilling. "The Dark Ones are awakening. once they do, they will come for you and there will be nothing, nothing that can stop them."
"I don't understand," Lila whispered, backing away.
"You cannot understand," the figure said, "You live in a world built on lies. But I have left you a gift — One you will use for the rest of your life… to thank me."
The distant sound of villagers calling her name came through the forest.
"When you see it," the figure whispered, "you shall know."
Her eyes blurred. Darkness
When they found her, she was lying beneath an old oak tree, the same one her parents once found her.Fredrick ran forward, his hands shaking as he lifted her up.
"Lila! Lila, wake up!" he cried.
Her eyes for a moment open briefly. "Father…"
They rushed her back to the village, where the doctor examined her carefully.
"How is she?" Anna asked, her voice trembling.
The doctor gave a reassuring nod. "She's fine. She fainted from shock and exhaustion. There's nothing physically damage—no wound, no poison. She just needs rest."
Anna covered her mouth. "But… she was—"
Fredrick placed a hand on her shoulder. "Will she wake soon?"
"She will," the doctor said with a gentle smile. "Give her some time. She's just sleeping, nothing more. She'll open her eyes any moment now."
Anna leaned in, still worried. "Fredrick… we must never speak of this to anyone. Not even the council. If word spreads—"
"I know," Fredrick said, his gaze on Lila.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She woke up drenched in sweat, tears rolling down from her face.
" why am I crying?" she wondered.
She had a dream… a woman with long, shining silver hair, pale skin a pale like hers, looking at her as if trying to say something, but she couldn't. Yet at the same time, she felt familiar warmth towards the woman, as if she had known her for a long time. But something still felt missing… empty.
"Oh, Lila, you are awake! How are you feeling, dear?" Anna asked sympathetically. "I was so worried."
"Mother, I feel better now. But what happened? Why am I here?" Lila asked.
"Do you not remember what happened to you yesterday, dear?" Anna asked, worry in her eyes.
"Well, I remember I went to the town with Father to see Mrs. Lily, and I met a little boy, and then… and then—" Lila suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head. "Ughhhhhh."
"Honey, take it easy. It's fine if you don't remember. At least they found you, and it's thanks to a little boy—he is here," Anna said, gesturing towards the door.
"Come on in, child," Anna said.
The child, not waiting a minute, ran towards Lila and hugged her so tight as if she could disappear at any moment.
"Dear, dear, my love, I'm fine. Don't worry," she gently patted his head.
"Ehemmmm." Anna cleared her throat. "I shall take my leave now; I have to tell your father you are awake," she said, already walking to the door.
"Okay, Mother," said Lila.
Now facing the little boy, she asked, "Do you have a name?"
The boy shook his head, like a "no."
"Oh my… shall I call you Kael?" she asked.
He nodded happily in approval.
Then she said again, "Kael, how did you know I was in the forest? Did you follow me?"
He shook his head slightly, almost as if he didn't move, somehow feeling guilty.
"Oh my, but that was dangerous! Imagine what could have happened if that man had seen you." Then she sighed, "Haaaa, well, as far as you are all right…"
Knock, knock. Someone was at the door.
"Yes, yes, come in," Lila called, looking at the door.
The door creaked open — it was James, his familiar grin immediately brighting her mood.
"James! What brings you here?" she asked, surprised but smiling.
He stepped in, "What, I can't visit my oldest friend without a reason?"
She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Oldest friend, huh? You only show up when you want to brag or feed me something."
"Maybe both," he said, feeling a bit of guilt. "But I did bring what I promised."
Her eyes lit up. "You actually remembered? Don't tell me you got the wrong flavor again."
He chuckled, pulling out a small bag from behind his back. "ouch am feeling so hurt right now,Lila. I even risked my life standing in line for two hours.Two scoops—guess which ones?"
"Hmm… chocolate and strawberry?" she guessed quickly, already leaning closer.
"Exactly. You know me too well," he said, handing her the cup.
She gasped dramatically. "Finally! you got the flavors right,You're forgiven for ignoring me through out last week."
James smirked. "Ignored you? I was working."
"Working, huh? That's what people say when they're running from responsibility."
He laughed. "Responsibility? You mean your endless rants about ice creams and how you would love to taste them?"
She shot him a glare but smiled anyway. "Keep teasing me and I'll eat both scoops myself."
He opened his mouth to reply, but suddenly his body tensed. He could feel it—someone's eyes burning holes through him. He turned slightly, catching sight of the small boy sitting on the couch,glaring at him as if he stole from him.
"Uh… who's your new bodyguard?" James asked dryly.
"That's Kael," Lila said. "be nice and his not my bodyguard, he's a kid."
James bent a little, trying to smile. "Hey there, Kael. You must be the one who help find her.
Before he could blink, Kael's fist landed squarely in his stomach.
James froze,feeling pain in his lower abdomen,the kid had punched him "What in the—?! This kid's made of stone!" how could he be so strong?"
"Kael!" you can't just punch people!"
Kael's expression melted instantly—his big eyes tearing up as he looked at her.
"Oh, don't you dare pull that face," James groaned, still half-bent over.
Lila sighed, ruffling Kael's hair. "I'm sorry, James. He's usually sweet. I don't know what got into him."
James straightened, hand on his stomach. "Sweet? He nearly cracked a rib."
"Be mature," she said, half-smiling. "He's just a child."
James gave her a look. "You always take the kid's side."
"Because he's cuter than you," she replied instantly.
He huffed. "That's not hard. But fine—just for your sake."
"Good," she said, offering him a spoonful of ice cream.
He hesitated, then took it with a small grin. "You're lucky this is chocolate .
Lila laughed softly, the tension easing from the room.
**Later that day…**
"Oh Lila, you should be resting, not doing the house chores," Anna said.
"But Mother, it's uncomfortable to stay in bed all dayyyyy," Lila said.
"Alright, I had already washed the clothes in the basket over there. Could you please take them to the river and rinse them?" Anna asked.
"Okay, Mother, I will," Lila said, taking the basket and heading to the river immediately.
****************************
**At the river…**
Lila set the basket down and began rinsing the clothes.
At a point, she got lost thinking of what the figure in the hood told her yesterday. Then she whispered unintentionally, "Who is the child of Elizabeth…"
Getting back to her work, she dipped her hand into the water. For a second, she felt the warm current against her skin. Then, for a moment, the water seemed hotter than it should be. The fish swimming nearby dived back into the depths of the river. it turned black—*the river turned black.*
She gasped, pulling her hand out of the water, trembling, then gradually returned back to normal. Then she saw it—a glimpse, a reflection not hers. She wasn't sure… a person, a woman with long silver hair, a small sign in the shape of the moon on her forehead. It shined…
She thought, looking at the face—it somehow resembled hers, but rather more frightening, yet still beautiful.
The vision slowly vanished, leaving only her pale reflection.
"Lila?"
He called. It was James.
James stood on a rock not too far from her, the sunlight catching his features, smiling warmly at Lila.
"Are you alright?" he asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Ahhh no, it's not… I was just scared by the lizard passing by," she said quickly. "But I think the water played tricks on me."
James frowned, coming down from the rock, stepping closer. "You shouldn't be down here alone, Lila. It's dangerous. Aunt Mira says strange things move in the woods."
"Like you, right?" Lila joked.
He grinned. "Maybe you are right."
Then he offered his hand. She hesitated a bit before taking it.
"Alright, let's head back to the village," James said.
"Yes, let's go," Lila replied.
Somewhere in the world, a group of figures in black hoods gathered.
"That child is slowly awakening; we can no longer ignore it," one of them said.
"The dark ones have started to make some moves," another said.
"Yes, elders, what should we do? We have tried our best to keep her hidden and protected, but we cannot continue like this. She has to fulfill her destiny," another one protested. "We have to make a quick decision, or what led to Elisabeth's death can lead to hers."
"Silence," one of the elders, who seemed to be the head, said. "We have to let fate flow... we do not have the power to disrupt Faith.
Vilon," he called, "did you leave the gift I asked to send over for her? She would need it soon..."
"Yes, Elder," Vilon said.
~~~~~~~~~``~~~~~