“N-now?! As in right now?” Layla spluttered.“Of course. Right here, right now.” Eleanor beamed, and her golden curls bounced up and down as she nodded her head.“Don’t we need like a ceremony or something? Isn’t it supposed to be in a temple? Can I really meet her like this?”“You don’t need any ceremony or anything special to meet your creator. You just come as you are.” She shrugged like she was saying the most obvious thing in the world.‘She’s not making sense. It’s a goddess I’m about to meet. A goddess! And she’s telling me I can go to her like that. No anything special. Isn’t the goddess sacred? How am I supposed to just meet her?! Isn’t she supposed to teach me how to behave in front of the goddess? What if I make one wrong move and she smites me?’“You’re overthinking about this thing. Trust me. I won’t lead you astray.” Eleanor assured her, giving her hands a small squeeze.“Alright. I trust you.” Layla sighed. If she was so sure, then why not? Eleanor won’t lie to her, and
“What am I? Who am I?” Layla asked, staring at her hand.That was the most pressing question in her mind. That was the answer to almost all of her other questions. Who was she? The parliamentarians said she was a maleficent monster meant to bring doom and chaos to the supernatural world, and so she must be killed. The rebels said she was the saviour of their world, sent to correct the error that was happening.Most of her believed the rebels; after all, most of what they had told her turned out to be true, and she knew the parliamentarians couldn’t be trusted. But she didn’t one hundred believe the former. She wanted the plain truth, and who could tell her that than the person that created her?“When Sol and I created this world and those in it, we created it to be pure and good, but evil always finds a way to creep into even the most sacred of things.” Selene said as the cloud under their feet disappeared and they were standing at the edge of a lake. “Then things started to fall ou
“The human world! What do they want with the human world?” Layla asked, scrunching her face. “The real goal of the parliamentarians is to attain godhood. To be seen as omnipotent, and what better place to be seemed as that than in a world of little magic and a fickle lifespan? Once they are done with this world, they’ll go to that, transform it, and make it their domain.” Selene said, taking her second hand and holding the both of them in hers. “I know this might seem like a difficult task, but I know you can. You and Eleanor have to put an end to the barbaric nonsense the parliamentarians are doing. It’s your destiny, and I know you guys can.” ‘She doesn’t need to tell me that it’s my destiny. Deep down, I know that too, but can I really do it?’ Layla thought, biting her bottom lip. “I want to do it, but I don’t… I don’t think I can.” She confessed, taking her hands out of Selene’s and casting her eyes down to the ground. “I can barely use my powers to do anything. Ever
“They do? Then we’re coming with you. Isn’t that right, Layla?” Eleanor asked Layla, and she nodded her head. Of course she wanted to go. Who knew what they had found? Information on how they were creating the dysies and zenzens? Selene had said the parliamentarians wanted to transform the human world and she didn’t need a soothsayer to tell her that the creatures were involved in that plan. After all, it had been a bear, a tiger, and a human child, all from the human world. But why were they kept in Tophet then? Was that their temporary prison until they transferred them to the human world? Or were they experiments gone wrong? It would explain why they wanted them dead. Questions boiled in Layla. She just needed to know, and learning about the information they had just gotten was the first step. “No, the two of you say here.” He shook his head and pointed at Layla. “You need to eat. You fought a dysy, lost a lot of blood, and was unconscious for hours. You need to eat to r
“It wouldn’t be fair if he didn’t get his own happy ever after. It wouldn’t.” Layla said, shaking her head to get the thought out of her mind. “He can’t leave a life of heartbreak just because you chose to be with Pyro instead. That would be horrible. Really, really horrible.”She couldn’t imagine that life for him or for Zayne and Alaric. If she ended up choosing one of them, that meant the other would end up like Sylvan. And she couldn’t let that happen.“Don’t worry, he will.” Eleanor smiled at her. “It might take a while, but his feelings for me will die, and he’s going to love another person more than he ever loved me. Sol promised me that. The same thing for Alaric and Zayne. Whoever you don’t choose is going to fall in love with another person. It might take a while for them to move on, but it will happen.”“That’s a relief.” Layla sighed as she let out a deep breath. “I was really worried. I mean, it won’t be fair to the other.”“I know. I had the same worry too when I reject
‘When Eleanor said she was going to introduce me to everyone, I didn’t know she meant everyone. I don’t think I can remember up to half of their faces. At least I can find my way around the building. It’s large but not really complicated.’Layla thought, trying to keep up with Eleanor’s fast pace as they walked through the hall—more like she dragged her along like a child. She was saying a lot of things, and though Layla couldn’t hear one thing as she tried not to stumble on her feet but she wore a gentle smile.‘Though she’s probably going to wear me out before the day runs out, I can’t tell her to slow down. She looks so happy. She’s literally glowing with excitement. I’d be a monster to tell her to stop.’“…and the last but the most important, our leader, Felix.” Eleanor said, pushing a door open, and they stepped into an office.A thin, frail man with black hair and pale skin was sitting in front of a desk while Pyro was standing next to him as they went through some files. The ma
“Those, cruel, cruel, bastards.” Eleanor growled, slamming her hand on her lap. “Experimenting on people and creatures from another world is bad, but from your own world! Your own people! Children! That’s despicable! The worse of the worse! These people trust them! They worship them like gods, and this is how they want to repay them? By killing them and using their young ones as lab rats! Because of power! Why am I even surprised? They plan to destroy this world anyway! Those vile, cruel, wicked beings! They don’t deserve to live!” ‘They don’t,’ Layla whispered as heat bubbled in her clenched palms and her entire body trembled. Her chest tightened, and the air sizzled around her. ‘Not only are they experimenting on animals and human children, but also their own kinds! Their own kinds! And they are going to destroy their world too! After all the trust the people put in them. They’re going to betray them! For what! Power! They’re monsters. I swear they won’t get away with this!’
“No, I-I’m seeing things. I’m… hallucinating… Yes, h-hallucinating. I’m hallucinating. Or I’m dreaming or running mad.” Layla stuttered as she stumbled back and pressed against the door.Alaric was standing in front of her with a bright, gentle smile on his face. No, it had to be a dream.“You’re not hallucinating, Layla.” Alaric said as he approached her. “It’s not a dream. You’re not running mad. I’m truly here.”“How? Y-you’re with the parliamentarians. They trust you. You’re literally there eyes and ears. H-how… How are you here?” She asked, gaping at him as he stopped just a few inches away from her. His icy, coppery scent filled her nose, dulling the pain in her heart.“It’s quite obvious, Layla. I’m a spy. I work and was always working with the rebels.” He whispered, placing his hand on her cheek and stroked it. “I’ve missed you. I’ve missed you so much.”She jumped on him, throwing her arms around his neck, and pulled him into a tight hug.“I’ve missed you too. I missed you so