Chapter 5 / Do you feel it too?

March 19th, 15.001. 

The outskirts of Verellen, Eloria [Elf Continent]

The smell of smoke reached them before the trees opened enough to reveal the village. A thick haze covered the horizon, dimming the late sun behind streaks of gray and red. The car rolled to a stop on the dirt road, its engine the only sound in a place that should have been full of voices, carts, and children playing.

Eloise was the first to step out, her boots crunching on gravel and ash. She froze.

The village was gone. Half-collapsed houses still burned, wood frames crackling, roofs sagging under embers. Blackened traces slumped in the streets, and entire families were cut down where they had stood.

“No…” Eloise whispered, covering her mouth. She staggered forward, moving a few bodies, grabbing children’s hands, trying to do something—anything. Light flared from her palms, spells cast into the air only to fizzle and vanish when they touched the lifeless remains. “It’s too late. I… I can’t bring them back.”

Eloise always pushed herself forward. She didn’t stop to think about danger or failure. If there was a chance to help, she tried. Even now, with the dead long beyond her reach, her first reaction had been to heal them. It showed who she was: someone who couldn’t stand still when others were in need, even if it broke her every time she failed.

The silence pressed in on them, heavy, unnatural.

Sukira’s eyes narrowed. Her nostrils flared like a predator tasting the air. “…Someone’s alive,” she muttered.

Dominique raised her chin, the same instinct flickering across her features. “Yes. But I can only smell one, tho… a child??”

Sukira vanished into shadow, slipping through her void.

Dominique crouched, touching the blood that stained the stones, then lifted her hand to her nose. Her expression darkened. She spoke quietly to Eloise. “The dead tell their story, too, you know.”

For vampires, the blood of the dead carried more than just its smell. It held traces of their last moments. Whatever the person felt most strongly before dying stayed behind. By smelling it, a vampire could know what the dead went through in their final breath.

“Come. I found him,” Sukira said, reappearing in a flicker.

They followed her past overturned carts and shattered lanterns until they saw him: a boy, no older than ten, standing alone in the ruins. His body shook, but no tears came. His wide eyes were empty, locked in terror.

Sukira stopped short, the air around her tightening. “Hey… do you feel it?”

Elon’s brows furrowed. The boy radiated energy, raw and unstable, like a firestorm sealed inside a child’s frame. “That’s… impossible. A child with that much power?” He stepped closer, his voice lowering with awe. “He could match a trained sorcerer’s mana, easily.”

The boy didn’t move, didn’t even seem to hear them.

Elon hesitated, then exhaled. He knelt, meeting the child’s gaze. “Forgive me.” He grabbed his small face in both of his hands, moving his fangs to dive deep into the boy’s eyes. 

Elon’s eyes shifted, the blue in them catching the firelight of the ruins. Looking into Elon’s eyes when he was using the vision power always gave the same feeling: like the world was shrinking, collapsing inward, until nothing remained except memory. His power broke through the kid’s mind, forcing open what was sealed inside.

The child jerked, a strangled sound escaping his throat. Elon was already inside. Memories rushed toward him, scattered like broken glass, not in order but in pieces. Over years of practice, he had learned how to move through them. People’s memories were never straightforward—most showed only what the person remembered or wanted to remember.

Elon was trained to search past that, to find what was hidden.

He stood in the village as he had been there hours earlier. People walked in the streets, children ran, doors opened and closed; they were a merchants' village, judging by their clothes and cars. The boy’s eyes had seen it all, and Elon now saw it too, as if he were there among them. Then the shadows came. Shapes without form slid between the houses, spilling over walls. Screams followed as demons struck, tearing through wood and flesh. And above them was a man, cloaked and calm, a vampire mage who spoke in a voice that bent the air around him.

Elon forced himself to keep moving, to search for the boy within these memories. He found him—small, cornered, shaking, his fear building like pressure inside a furnace. The moment broke open. Fire erupted out of the child, uncontrolled and violent. It spread in every direction, burning homes, people, and even his own family. 

Elon tore himself out of the vision with a hard breath. The boy shook, whimpering faintly, forced to relive what had already destroyed him once.

Eloise moved first, stepping closer and kneeling beside the boy. She brushed his hair back from his face, checking his breathing as if he were one of her patients. 

Dominique slipped her arms under the kid, lifting the small frame against her chest, keeping her eyes on the ruins around them. Her tone was firm, almost practical. “There’s a river not far from here. I can hear it. We should set camp there for the night.”

Eloise nodded, adjusting her hold on the boy. “It’s safer than staying here.”

The rest of the group gave short nods in agreement. No one argued. 

♥︎

After a short walk through the trees, they found the river. The water moved slowly and steadily, its sound filling the silence that had followed them from the village. The group spread out without needing instruction.

Dominique set the boy down. Together with Eloise, they cleaned his face and arms with damp cloths, checking for cuts or burns. They worked quietly. Eloise’s hands lingered at times, brushing gently over the boy’s skin, like she was reassuring herself that he was still alive. She wrapped him in a blanket. 

Not far from them, Sukira opened a case from the back of the car. A small gray box, the tent. Other gadgets followed, like lights and a barrier that hummed faintly once it was active. Within minutes the camp looked like something grown rather than built.

Cloud returned from the trees, dragging a deer-sized creature, its fur still damp from the chase. Elon worked quickly, skinning and cutting, then setting the meat over a fire he sparked to life with a single hand motion. The flames burned clean and steady—the smell of roasting flesh spread through the camp.

Eloise tried to coax the boy into eating, breaking off small pieces and holding them to his lips. He didn’t even move, eyes fixed on the ground. His silence was heavier than crying. 

Elon stepped over and laid a finger gently on the boy’s forehead. “Sleep.” 

His small body loosened, finally at rest. Dominique held him in her arms. 

Eloise watched him for a moment. “You used to do the same with us,” she said quietly. “I remember we were children, and I, especially, was a whiner. No one but you was tucking me to bed on those days when I couldn't sleep.” 

Elon didn’t answer right away. He looked at the boy, then at Eloise, and something shifted in his face. My siblings recently said I always kept them safe. I never understood why they felt that way, but it's nice that she remembers that.

When the meal was finished, Dominique and Eloise, followed firmly by Cloud, who was their personal guardian at this point, carried the boy into the large tent. The fabric swallowed them, its glow darkening as they settled inside. Soon, the camp was quiet except for the river.

Elon and Sukira stayed by the fire. She sat with one knee drawn up, her arms resting loosely on it. “Tell me what you saw,” she said.

Elon kept his eyes on the flames. “The village was attacked by shadows and demons. The boy lost control of his magic, and his firepower killed everyone.”

“Shadows and demons? Were they acting alone?”

Dark magic creatures, like demons, could exist on their own. They were beings born of dark places, often bound to Calamities and dark magic bearers, and it was rare but possible for one to surface without guidance. They were rather erratic in their wild form. But usually, a black magician summoned and commanded them. Shadows were weaker forms, hollow versions of bodies, and they always needed to be summoned. They did not exist without a caster controlling them. Just as white magic required a will to guide it, so did dark magic.

Elon shook his head. “No. They weren’t free. They were controlled. There was someone behind them.”

Sukira leaned forward slightly. “Describe him.”

Elon’s brow furrowed as he replayed the image. “Tall. Wrapped in a dark cloak…”

Her eyes narrowed. “Hair? Face? Anything?”

“I didn’t see his face,” Elon admitted. “But his hands were tinted in black.”

Sukira went quiet. She stared into the fire, her lips pressed thin. For a moment, she said nothing, then finally, almost reluctantly: “Shit. I hope he’s not the one I'm thinking of. I saw some magic traces back at the village… I’ve dealt with this vampire before.”

Elon turned his head toward her. “Do you know his motives?”

“That’s the thing about him. It could even be just for fun. We should avoid him at all costs.”

Elon glanced at her. “You think we will encounter him?”

“I hope not,” she said flatly.

They sat in silence for a moment before Elon spoke again. “The kid’s power is… beyond anything I’ve seen. A child shouldn't hold that much, especially an untrained one.”

Sukira nodded slowly. “...the hell’s going on?” She mumbled almost with no volume. 

The fire crackled between them, the sound of the river steady in the dark. 

♥︎

The next morning came quietly. Mist hung over the river, clinging to the trees, and the campfire burned to ash.

The boy stirred inside the tent. When his eyes opened, Eloise was there, kneeling beside him with a small smile. Dominique crouched on the other side, speaking softly, asking if he was thirsty and if anything hurt. Their voices were warm, steady, and patient. Slowly, the boy sat up, his hands clutched to his chest.

“Let’s go outside. Breakfast?” Dominique asked in the sweetest voice. The kid nodded and took the vampire’s hand.

They were all awake now, trying to understand what to do next. Elon and Sukira couldn’t stop staring at the boy until Dominique gave them a look that made them stop.

“What’s your name?” Eloise asked gently, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

For a moment, he only stared at her, uncertain. Then, in a low voice that almost broke on the sound, he said:

“Risha.”

Sukira, who was wandering around while drinking her coffee, froze. The name hit her harder than she expected. She masked it well, but her pupils tightened—nothing else. 

It can’t be.

“I’ll check the road ahead. I want to make sure there are no obstacles before we depart. Dismantle the camp,” Sukira said a moment later, turning quickly. She didn’t wait for an answer, just moved into the trees.

“That’s a beautiful name! My name is Dominique. What’s your favorite color, Risha? Mine’s pink, and I’d bet Eloise’s—this cute girl over here—is green… or yellow.” 

Their voices faded as Sukira walked away, faster and faster.

Elon watched her go. A pause, then he followed.

They walked until the sound of the river was gone. Sukira stopped, arms crossed, still facing away.

“You’re hiding something,” Elon said flatly.

“Where’s the question, blondie?” she shot back, not turning. Of course, he noticed. Stupid sorcerer. I hid it perfectly fine, but maybe he saw my energy trace switch? I’m getting tired of him.

He stepped closer. “What was all that about being honest? Were those lies?”

“No. I haven’t told a single lie, not once. But it seems our time together made you believe I owe you something. Don’t get the wrong idea. We are not close. I have my own agenda. And it seems that, for a moment, I also forgot that. My bad.” She finally turned to face him, her voice louder, her composure fully restored.

The words landed heavily. For a moment, neither spoke; only the wind moved through the trees. Elon’s face showed nothing; he didn’t push further. He understood the boy’s name had stirred something in her, something tied to the mission she kept alluding to, with the details still hidden.

By the time they returned, Dominique and Eloise had already packed the camp. A very shy Risha helped them. The boy was small, human, and pretty pale, with a few freckles showing on the top of his nose. Black straight hair fell across his forehead, nearly touching his deep blue eyes. The tent was folded back into a metal box, the fire pit cold. The boy leaned on Cloud’s back, watching them with quiet eyes as the car was prepared for leaving.

“What do we do with him?” Dominique asked Sukira while organizing the supplies inside the truck.

There was no clear answer. After a short silence, Elon said from behind: “We keep him. Until we find another human village.”

No one argued.

The group set out again, the road stretching under the morning haze. Risha stayed silent, his gaze fixed on the horizon, while the rest walked with unspoken questions weighing heavier than their packs. Soon, they climbed into the car and moved on.

♥︎