I woke up slightly sweaty in a bed that didn't belong to me, then I remembered that I was at my best friend's house. Still hungover from last night I got up and started looking for something to wear when Lee came in from the bathroom. "You woke up, good" she said "My mom made you breakfast, let me know if you want something for the headache" "Yeah, that would be nice" I said putting a hand on my forehead. Last night wasn't anything unusual, we had our Thursday sleepover with a couple of friends after the study group was over everyone had left already and I just drank a little more than I normally would.

We went over to the kitchen, I sat down on one of the chairs while Lee searched for some human painkillers. I swallowed it with a glass of water then I ate my breakfast while Lee finished her chores that she promised she would do last night.

I live in the otherworld, specifically in Solace. There are four realms; Elsher, Solace, Corter, and Averill. People who live in Elsher are the elite and the royals. They are the founders, the 'originals' as they like to say it. They resemble our creator the most, the first fairy. Her name was Magdalene but we usually refer to her as the true mother. Since then most fairies aren't pure, they usually have some other creature's genes as well. The people in Elsher don't like this very much and they don't miss one opportunity to rub it in your face how they're the most powerful and how you're weak compared to them. Each realm has a name for its residents, people from Elsher are referred to as Wixx.

People from Corter are mix blooded people from all around the otherworld, they could have a mix of Fairy blood with Vampire blood, Werewolf blood, or even Warlock blood. They're the most liked in the otherworld, kind of like Switzerland, always neutral, never looking for any kind of trouble, just making sure their little realm is safe from any disturbance. They provide us with food and water, so I guess they have the real power, but they're not too big on using magic, their ways of negotiating or showing power mostly consist of empty threats and trying to make peace between Solace and Elsher. They are called Dion.

The third realm is Averill they are the protectors. Averill has a gorgeous landscape. It's located between two mountain ranges and it's next to the sea. Soldiers go to Averill to study and to train. About two hundred years ago, when the realms were at war Averill was where the true power laid, but now they aren't really relevant. It's basically a part of Elsher now, the rich control it. People from Averill mostly have werewolf blood or sometimes warlock blood which makes them incredibly loyal and also pretty strong. People from Averill are called Kane.

Then there is Solace, that's where I live. Solace is the most despised realm of the otherworld because the people who live here have mortal blood. Solace didn't exist until a few hundred years ago when people from the other world started having mortal partners, this resulted in children being born with new magical powers that the realms didn't want to claim. This is when the uprisings began, then shortly after a war broke out. The otherworld was at war for about four years before they realized that no matter how long they fought, none of them would ever want to share a land with mortal-blooded people. Eventually, Corter offered a piece of land on the eastmost part of the otherworld. Because of this, it's the smallest realm out of the four, yet it's the most dense. Solace is by far the most dangerous realm of all, you can find every creature of the otherworld here, every bastard, every single criminal (even some human ones). People here are often alcoholics or junkies, simply because you can't survive this place sober. We are called Spades.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

My father is a Wixx and my mother is a Spade, they met when my father was visiting Solace on a military mission about twenty years ago. They fell in love quickly and decided to get married before my father returned so he and my mom could move to Elsher together. They bought a house and had my older sister, Harlow then a year later me. Unfortunately, we had to move back to Solace when I was five. I'm actually not sure why, but after half a year my mother moved to the human world, specifically Chicago without saying anything to me and my dad, and took Harlow with her and since then It's just been me and my dad. I asked him a few times why couldn't we just move back to Elsher since mom is gone and even though my grandparents have passed, my aunt and uncle are still alive, but he never liked the idea, 'too many memories' he said and one day I just stopped hoping for a life outside of Solace.

✧ ˚ · ☾

I walked home, opened the front door, and stepped inside, my dad is rarely home, he's usually out working for weeks at a time, so I basically live alone at this point. I make sure to lock the door and double-check it, it's better to be safe than sorry.

I discover a letter carefully wrapped sitting on the dinner table, I wonder how it got there since the mailbox is outside and the letter wasn't there when I left. I immediately grab a kitchen knife from one of the counters and start looking around. My dad gave me really good training on self-defense and fighting in general when I was little, because of how much I was home alone. As I look around I expect to see a bastard somewhere but the only thing I discover is a small black pigeon outside of a barely open window. It flies away as soon as I look at it but at least I now know where the letter came from. I decide to first take a shower and wash my hair before I read the letter, so I hurry into the small bathroom and freshen up.

I come out of the shower with my hair slightly wet, sit down on one of the chairs, and take the letter into my hand. It has a beautiful signature on it with the letter V, as I turn it around I discover the sender's name: 'Desmond Vespertine' my uncle, what does he want? It could be for my father, but that thought gets destroyed quite fast when I see that it clearly says 'Letitia Vespertine'. I go on and open the letter skimming through the lines of it.

'Dear Letitia!

This is your uncle Desmond, I am writing to you because Ramona and I would like to encourage you to live with us in Elsher. We know your struggles in Solace and how you are constantly alone because of your father's schedule. Ask your father and let us know about your decision.'

-Love, aunt Ramona, and uncle Desmond.'

This was the last thing I expected from today. But the idea of living in Elsher and finally feeling safe without having to look behind my back every two minutes sounds like a dream come true. If I ask my dad's opinion about this I'm about a hundred percent sure he'll say no, I might even get locked up for thinking about Elsher let alone moving there. My uncle is one of the queens' advisors and my aunt is the commander. It would be the opportunity of a lifetime to live there but that means that I would have to leave my best friend, the girl I grew up with, along with my 

father no matter how distant he is, behind. I'm not sure if I'm ready for something like this.

✧ ˚ · ☾

It is now nighttime and I have written two letters, one to my father and one to my uncle Desmond. I have decided that regardless of my father's decision of not wanting to go back to Elsher, I will. In the letter, I did not ask for permission from him I simply just stated that I was leaving Solace and moving in with my aunt and uncle, I had wasted way too much of my life living in fear. In the one I wrote to my uncle, I said that I would be delighted to go and thanked him for inviting me, I also reassured him that my father wouldn't mind which Isn't the truth at all but as long as he doesn't know that, it's fine. I mailed them both with flame because I don't have any bird that could take it to them for me, and It's faster this way. Now I just have to figure out how I'm gonna break the news to Lee, I can't help but feel like I'm betraying her by choosing what's best for me and walking away from this place.