It had been almost a decade since Elena last saw an Eldari. No longer the shy and hesitant child she once was, she had blossomed into a beautiful Iorphian, yet the world around her felt different. Almost all the people she had grown up with, including Eli and Ania, were now name-bearing adults. Why did it feel like everyone was moving on without her?
Elena vividly remembered the day Ania received her name. She had been watering the crops left by her late mother when a faint glow emerged from Ania. As she looked up, a word carved itself into the air, as if it had magically appeared from thin air. The joy on Ania’s face was unforgettable; she belonged to the Sainn tribe, the same tribe her mother had sacrificed her life for. But sadly, the Sainn people took her away to help her understand her new role in Iorph. Elena felt a pang of envy mixed with sadness. Why hadn’t she received her name yet? Was there something wrong with her?
Eli’s naming was just as remarkable. Elena and Ania had witnessed it together when he was secretly caring for an injured phoenix. As he set the phoenix free, a similar glow enveloped him, but instead of a wooden carving, his name appeared on a rock, he now belonged to the Caron Tribe. Just like that, he parted ways with Elena, leaving her alone in a place that felt increasingly unfamiliar. Each departure felt like another piece of her childhood slipping away, leaving her feeling more isolated.
No matter how many times Elena tried reaching out to Ember, it was as if she had vanished from existence. After showing her the Eldari, Ember never looked back. When Elena asked others about her, they seemed just as clueless as she was. It made her wonder sometimes… where was Ember? How was she? The only thing Ember had left behind was the book she had shown Elena, and she had brought it home, pouring over its pages, analyzing every word, imagining the worlds it described. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t grasp the concept of water being in the air and not falling. It felt like a metaphor for her own life—everything around her was changing, but she remained stuck, unable to rise above it.
And then there were the floating whales. The illustrations in the book were mesmerizing, but the idea of them seemed so strange. To see them, she would have to go to the surface—a daunting thought, as she had never tried climbing. That was Ania’s domain, not hers. What if she failed? What if she fell?
But curiosity and boredom got the best of her, and here she was, standing in front of the soil wall as the sun dipped low in the sky, casting a warm golden hue over everything. She clutched the equipment she used to carry for Ania as a child, her heart racing with a mix of excitement and trepidation. This was her chance to break free, to prove to herself that she could do something brave. Taking a deep breath, she whispered to herself, her eyes sparkling with determination, “It’s now or never.”
With that, she began her ascent, her fingers gripping the rough soil wall as she climbed higher. But moments later, she slipped, letting out a startled scream as she tumbled back down the path she had just climbed. ‘Why can’t I do this? Why am I so weak?
Looking at her now-scratched hands, disappointment washed over her. Shaking off the negative thoughts, she stood up again and started climbing once more. Poor Elena couldn’t even climb as well as Ania had at seven. She couldn’t pinpoint why, but mentally, she thought it was due to her increasing weight. “Maybe I’m just not cut out for this,” she thought, frustration bubbling within her.
“Just a little more…!” she urged herself, determination fueling her as she slipped again, her foot losing its grip. “I can’t give up. I have to keep trying.”
Yet she kept going until her feet could go no more. Laying down on the grass in the pitch-black forest, she felt utterly exhausted. Elena didn’t care for the Iorph curfew rule; she was too tired and sore to walk anyway. As she thought back to the time she shared in this place with Ania, a smile crept onto her face. But as soon as she looked at her hands, that smile turned into sadness. Her emotions overwhelmed her as she recalled how Ania used to bandage her hands or legs, pretending the scratches didn’t hurt
Tears began to fall from her eyes as she buried her face in her hands, trying to hide her crying. “It hurts so much, Ania,” she whispered to herself. Her sobs echoed softly in the stillness of the night, and before long, she cried herself to sleep, completely unaware of her surroundings.
A figure approached her quickly, moving with a guarded stance, ready for a fight. It looked like someone from the Orion tribe. It wasn’t uncommon to encounter them at night in Iorph, as they were known as the Protectors of Iorph. However, this figure didn’t seem to be on patrol; it appeared to be pretending.
As it neared Elena’s sleeping form, the figure moved cautiously, careful not to wake her. Now that the figure was close, it observed the new scars tracing Elena’s hands, muttering ‘Stupid’ under its breath. Standing tall, the figure revealed itself to be an adult female. She looked around, sighing softly as she took in the scene before her.
Clicking her tongue in disapproval, the woman scooped Elena into her arms with surprising ease, as if cradling a child. The warmth of Elena’s body against her chest felt oddly comforting, and without a second thought, she turned and began to walk away, seemingly knowing exactly where she was headed.
As she moved through the darkened forest, the moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting ethereal patterns on the ground. The night air was cool, and the sounds of the forest surrounded them, creating a serene yet eerie atmosphere.
The next day, Elena woke up in a comfortable bed, her mind still hazy with sleep. She recognized it as her own room and, for a moment, thought nothing of the previous night. But as soon as she stood up, the pain from her sore muscles returned, along with the memory of lying down in the grass. “What happened? Did I really fall asleep out there?”
“Where am I?” Elena murmured, her heart racing as she took in her surroundings. The familiar walls of her room felt surreal. “Did I really sleep out there?”. Panic began to rise within her as she searched for marks on her body, finding none. “Did someone carry me? Why would they do that?” In a flurry of confusion, she spotted a note on her desk.
Stumbling over to it, she grabbed the note and read it, disappointment washing over her as it simply said, ‘Loser!’
‘Who would write such a thing? Is this a joke?’ The words stung, and she felt a wave of shame wash over her
Rushing to the kitchen, Elena hoped to find Ania’s father, but he wasn’t there. Instead, she found him in the living room, sitting on the sofa, lost in thought.
“Hey… um… did anyone drop me off last night?” she asked hesitantly, aware that they hadn’t spoken much since Ania’s mother passed away.
After a long pause, he shook his head slowly, his expression unreadable.
“Okay… have you had breakfast yet?” she asked, gesturing toward the kitchen with a hopeful smile.
“No, not yet. I was actually planning to meet up with Eli’s dad. He mentioned he wanted to discuss something important with me,” he replied, standing up and stretching slightly. “I’ll be heading out now. Take care, okay?”
With that, he walked away, and moments later, Elena heard the sound of the door closing behind him.
With a sigh, she made herself some toasted bread, her mind racing back to who could have brought her home last night. Who was it? Why didn’t they stay? The mystery lingered, intertwining with her thoughts of Ania and the changes that had swept through her life.
As Elena chewed on her breakfast, lost in thought about the mysterious note and who might have brought her home, a low rumble echoed through the ground. She paused, her heart racing as the vibrations intensified, rattling the dishes on the table.
Suddenly, a deafening roar pierced the air, shaking the very walls of Iorph. Elena dropped her toast, her eyes wide with fear. The sound was unmistakable—a Thalavas, a creature of legend known for its destructive power, was rampaging through the forest.
Without thinking, she rushed to the window, her heart pounding in her chest. Outside, chaos erupted. Trees were uprooted, and the ground trembled as the massive creature charged through the village, its fiery eyes blazing with fury. Villagers screamed and scattered, desperately trying to escape the oncoming destruction.
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‘Ania!’ Panic gripped her as she spotted the Sainn tribe’s training area engulfed in flames. The sight sent a chill down her spine. Despite the Thalavas rampaging through the streets and the blood-curdling cries of the Iorphians, Elena couldn’t stand by. She had to find Ania.
With determination fueling her, she bolted from her house, the acrid smoke stinging her lungs as she sprinted toward the inferno. Each step sent jolts of pain through her aching muscles, but she pushed through, driven by the need to ensure her best friend was safe.
As she entered the training grounds, the heat was overwhelming. Flames danced around her, casting eerie shadows that flickered like ghosts. The air was thick with the stench of charred wood and something far worse—something that made her stomach churn. She pressed a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle the cough that threatened to escape.
“Ania!” she called, her voice hoarse and desperate. But all she heard in response was the crackling of fire and the distant, haunting roar of the Thalavas. The ground beneath her feet felt unstable, as if the very earth was trembling in fear.
Elena stumbled through the wreckage, her heart racing as she searched for any sign of her friend. The training area, once a place of laughter and camaraderie, was now a hellscape. Corpses lay burned and twisted, their forms unrecognizable, and the air was thick with despair.
She pressed on, each step feeling heavier than the last. The fire blazed brighter, and the smoke clawed at her throat, making it harder to breathe. Her vision began to blur, the world around her fading into a haze of orange and black.
Just when she thought she might collapse, something caught her eye—a hand, partially buried in the ash and debris. It was small, delicate, and for a fleeting moment, it reminded her of Ania. Hope surged within her, but it was quickly overshadowed by the realization that her lungs were giving out.
“Ania!” she gasped, reaching out toward the hand, but the darkness was closing in. The Thalavas let out another bone-chilling roar, and the screams of the villagers faded into silence, leaving only the creature’s terrifying growl echoing in her ears.
‘No… no…’ Panic surged as she fell to the ground, coughing violently. She tried to crawl toward the hand, but the world was spinning, the edges of her vision darkening. The hand seemed to slip further away, swallowed by the encroaching shadows.
With one last desperate effort, she reached out, but the darkness enveloped her, and she blacked out, the last thing she heard being the haunting roar of the Thalavas, a sound that would forever echo in her mind.
----------------------------------------
“Hey, wake up!” A disgruntled woman shouted, plunging Elena’s head into the cold river water. The shock of the icy liquid jolted her awake, and she gasped, coughing violently as she struggled to catch her breath. Elena’s breath quickened, and her hands trembled as she scanned her surroundings, the world blurring at the edges of her vision.
“W-where are we?” she stammered, her voice trembling. Memories of the morning flooded back, and she crawled toward the woman, fear gripping her. “Who are you? Please, take me back! I need to find Ania—she’s like a sister to me! Without her, I can’t… I can’t—”
“Enough!” the woman snapped, her voice sharp. Elena felt the air leave her lungs, stunned into silence.
“There’s nothing left back there,” the woman continued, pulling her hand away from Elena’s grasp, leaving her in stunned silence.
“It can’t… be…” Elena whispered, disbelief washing over her.
“Yes, it is. You’d better accept it quickly. It’ll be easier for both of us,” the woman said, her tone devoid of empathy.
Elena, still in shock, began to touch her own face, hands, arms, and legs, as if confirming her existence. “I’m alive…?” she murmured, struggling to comprehend her situation.
“It took you long enough to figure that one out, loser,” the woman replied, pushing Elena away and standing up, dusting herself off—especially the places Elena had touched.
“Loser…?” Elena echoed, her voice barely above a whisper. “So you were the one who saved me?” She looked at the woman more closely now, taking in her striking red hair and the unusual clothing that contrasted sharply with the typical white garb of the Iorphians.
“Yeah, you owe me one! I risked my neck to pull you out of that fire. What were you thinking?” the woman mocked, her tone sharp.
“I was looking for—” Elena began, but a fit of coughing interrupted her, the harshness echoing in the stillness. The woman merely watched her with an air of boredom.
“Are you done?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“How can you be so mean?” Elena exclaimed, her voice hoarse and strained.
“Well, we need to leave…,” the woman said, pretending to think for a moment before locking eyes with Elena. “Right now.” She grabbed Elena’s arm and began to drag her away.
“Hey! That hurts!” Elena protested, wincing in pain.
“Last time I did that, you didn’t even flinch,” the woman shot back. They both stopped in their tracks, a heavy silence hanging in the air as realization dawned on Elena. The tone of the woman’s voice, the note she had received—it all clicked into place, making her feel foolish for not recognizing it sooner.
With tears welling in her eyes, she took a step closer, her breath hitching.
“Ember…?” she asked, her voice cracking as she gestured toward the woman’s face.
“Yes, I—uh—” Before Ember could finish her sentence, Elena wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace.
“I missed you so much! I thought you were dead! Where have you been?” Her voice was muffled by the hug, and her sobs made Ember roll her eyes, though a hint of warmth flickered in her expression.
“We don’t have time for this,” Ember said hastily, her tone shifting as she scooped Elena up, ignoring that she was still crying, and started running through the forest.
“Wait—what!?” Elena exclaimed, confusion flooding her as the world blurred past.
“Right now, the Thalavas is still rampaging, so anywhere near Iorph isn’t safe. The only Iorphians left are the exiles.” Ember’s voice was urgent, and Elena couldn’t help but notice how stunning Ember had become.
“Are you listening?” Ember shot a glance back at Elena, who was starting to feel nauseous from the speed. Abruptly, Ember stopped and let go of Elena, causing her to drop to the ground with a yelp of pain.
“Ow! My butt!” Elena winced, looking up at Ember with a mix of hurt and confusion.
“We’re here,” Ember said, breathing heavily from exhaustion. Elena looked around, her heart sinking. There was nothing—no towering tree trunks, no long vines, not even a hint of bushes. The ground felt hard and unyielding beneath her.
“It’s the Forbidden Cliff… so that means…” She scrambled to her feet, scanning the area until her eyes landed on a distant outcropping. “That’s the only path to the surface…” She pointed toward the outcropping, her heart racing with a mix of hope and dread.
“Yeah, but there’s no way to reach it except from here. The rocks around it are slippery and hard to climb.” Said Ember crossing her arms.
Elena peered down from the edge, her heart racing.
“Look! Ember, that’s the Whispering Stars!” Elena pointed excitedly, her eyes sparkling with wonder.
Ember simply raised her index finger, pointing upward.
Confused but intrigued, Elena followed her gaze. For the first time, she saw the sky instead of the trees. It was a brilliant blue, dotted with ethereal beings. She squinted, recognizing the Eldari’s floating gracefully among the clouds, their luminescent forms illuminating the sky. As they moved, they left trails of shimmering light behind them, creating a breathtaking spectacle. Other creatures danced in the sky too, their forms unfamiliar yet mesmerizing, as if the heavens themselves were alive with a vibrant population.
So captivated was she by the celestial display that she stumbled dangerously close to the cliff’s edge. Ember reacted instinctively, catching her by the arm just in time.
For a heartbeat, they locked eyes, the world around them fading away. Then, with a gentle pull, Ember guided Elena back from the precipice, her grip firm yet reassuring.
Looking around the cliff, Elena spotted a small tent and a flickering fireplace. “I can’t believe you’ve been out here all this time,” she asked, disbelief lacing her tone.
“That’s what happens when you get your name too soon,” Ember replied, pulling a piece of obsidian from her pocket. “I was part of the Orion tribe… not that it matters now that it’s gone.” She slipped the stone back into her pocket, her expression distant.
For a moment, Elena was reminded of that morning and everything that had happened. She had been trying so hard to forget, to accept things as Ember had advised.
“I…” She stepped closer to Ember, her voice steadying. “Iorph still lives… because we are still alive. As long as we’re alive, our tribes and history endure. We’ve rebuilt Iorph countless times, and we will do it again.” Determination filled her voice.
“Good speech, Princess, but if we want to live for more than a decade, we need to get to the surface.” Ember pointed toward the cliff leading up.
Elena fell silent, the weight of Ember’s words settling in.
“You’re right,” she finally whispered, the thought of the surface bringing Ania to mind.
“Okay then, it’s settled. You’ll help me find a way to the surface.” Ember turned, walking toward her little tent.
“Wha—how—? I’m not a—” Elena stammered, taken aback. She wasn’t part of the exiles or any tribe; how could she possibly help?
“You’ve read that book, right? I’m sure you can figure something out, loser.” Ember ended her sentence with a yawn, disappearing into her tent and leaving Elena alone with the heavy responsibility of her new task.
Inside her makeshift bed, Ember lay down on the uncomfortable surface, her thoughts swirling. ‘That idiot doesn’t even know the true colors of Iorph, yet she’s defending it. ‘
Just as she was about to drift off, she felt something against her. In a swift motion, she sat up and threw off her covers. There was Elena, curled up beside her.
“Why did you do that? Give me some of the blankets too,” Elena said, annoyance creeping into her voice.
“W-what are you doing!? Why are you here?” Ember half-yelled, her surprise evident.
“Shh! You’re going to wake the whole forest! And seriously, where do you expect me to sleep? You didn’t exactly roll out the welcome mat!!” Elena shot back, her tone defiant.
“Well, I don’t care about that! Get out!” Ember’s face flushed pink with frustration.
“No,” Elena replied, her stubbornness shining through. Ember sighed in defeat.
“Fine. But don’t expect me to let you sleep here again tomorrow.”
Elena smiled, snatching the blanket from Ember’s hand and turning her back to her. Ember was left with no choice but to sleep without her blanket, annoyance bubbling within her as she lay back down.
‘Why did I save her again?’ she thought, closing her eyes. Just as she began to drift off, she felt Elena shift and wrap the blanket around her. Elena scooted closer, their faces nearly touching. Almost instantly, Elena was asleep, her breathing soft and even. Ember peeked at her sleeping face, a warmth spreading through her chest as she admired the delicate features framed by her dark hair.
‘She looks beauti—what am I even thinking?’ Ember cursed herself mentally, closing her eyes angrily and trying to push the thought away as she surrendered to sleep