Morning in Eldoria arrived gently, as if the city itself was trying to recover from the chaos of the nights before. The markets slowly reopened, merchants repaired their damaged stalls, and the usual sounds of daily life returned to the streets.
But for Elara, nothing felt normal anymore.
She sat outside her family's home, rolling her sleeve up slightly and staring at her wrist. The skin looked completely normal now—no glow, no flicker of light.
Yet she knew what she had seen.
Darin had seen it, kealen had seen it even Lyra had seen.
Elara sighed softly.
"What are you staring at?" Darin's voice came from the doorway behind her.
She quickly lowered her sleeve. "Nothing."
Darin crossed his arms, leaning against the wooden frame. "You've been staring at that wrist since last night."
Elara hesitated.
"It's just… strange," she admitted quietly. "I don't know what it means."
Darin's expression softened slightly. "Father will figure it out."
"I'm not sure he can," she said.
Before Darin could respond, a familiar voice came from outside the gate.
"Elara?"
Both siblings turned.
Kaelen was standing there. Darin immediately frowned.
"You again?" he muttered.
Kaelen ignored the tone and stepped closer. His eyes quickly found Elara.
"I wanted to check on you," he said simply.
Elara stood, surprised but unable to hide the small smile forming on her lips. "I'm fine."
Darin crossed his arms tighter. "She's fine."
Kaelen glanced at him briefly before returning his attention to Elara.
"I was hoping we could also talk."
Darin stepped between them. "About what?"
Kaelen sighed slightly. "About the light that appeared on her wrist."
Elara gently touched her brother's arm. "Darin… it's alright."
He looked reluctant but finally stepped aside.
"Fine," he grumbled. "But I'm staying right here."
Kaelen almost laughed.
Elara gestured toward the garden area beside the house. "We can talk there."
They walked a few steps away while Darin watched them like a hawk.
Kaelen lowered his voice.
"Has the light appeared again?"
Elara shook her head. "No. It's like it never happened."
"But it did, everyone saw it," Kaelen said firmly.
She looked down at her wrist again.
"I wish I understood it, and what it means."
Kaelen studied her quietly for a moment.
"You weren't afraid," he said.
Elara blinked. "What?"
"When the Varyndor appeared," he explained. "Everyone else was terrified… but you weren't."
She thought back to the moment.lThe golden eyes.
The strange calmness she had felt.
"It didn't feel like it wanted to hurt me or any of us and remember how the manticores and Griffin retreated the moment the Varyndor arrived." she admitted.
Kaelen nodded slowly. "That's exactly what I thought."
For a moment, neither spoke.
The quiet between them felt different now—warmer, charged with something neither of them fully understood.
Elara bent down to pick up a small bundle of herbs she had been drying.
"Can you pass me that one?" she asked, pointing to another bundle on the table.
Kaelen reached for it.
When their hands brushed, they both froze.
The contact lasted only a second, but it sent a strange warmth through both of them.
Elara quickly looked away, pretending to focus on the herbs.
"You're very calm for someone who nearly got eaten by manticores," Kaelen said teasingly. She scoffed. "I survived, didn't I? And I also killed a griffin. "
He smiled slightly. "Yes… you did."
From the doorway, Darin cleared his throat loudly. "Still watching," he reminded them. Elare rolled her eyes at him.
Far across the city, inside the palace walls, Lyra stood near the training yard, firing arrow after arrow into a wooden target. Each shot struck the center with sharp precision. But her mind was elsewhere.
Filled with Elara the light that had appeared on her wrist and how kealen looks and protect her.
She fired another arrow harder than necessary.
Her father, General Lysender, approached quietly behind her. "You're shooting like you're angry."
Lyra lowered her bow. "I am."
He raised an eyebrow. "Tell me about it."
Lyra turned toward him.
"That girl, Elara… something about her isn't right."
Lysender crossed his arms.
"The light on her wrist?"
"Yes," Lyra said. "And Kaelen… he keeps going to see her, it's as if he has forgotten that I still exist."
The general's expression darkened slightly.
"What is it about this girl, Elara?" he muttered. "First the creatures… then this strange appearing on her wrist ."
Lyra nodded. "We need to find out more about her."
Lysender's voice hardened. "And we will."
He stepped closer.
"But you must be careful, Lyra. You are the only family I have left."
Her expression softened slightly. "I know, Father."
He sighed quietly.
"After losing your mother… I cannot lose you too."
Lyra looked down briefly.
Then something else crossed her mind.
"The king promised you something once," she said.
Lysender looked at her carefully. "Yes."
"He promised that I would marry prince kealen."
General lysender nodded slowly."I haven't forgotten."
"Then why hasn't anything happened?" she asked.
He glanced toward the palace towers.
"Because timing matters," he said calmly. " like I told you last night the kingdom is unstable right now. Creatures attacking… strange ancient powers appearing."His eyes narrowed slightly.
"When things calm down… I will speak with the king."
Lyra nodded slowly.
But her gaze drifted toward the city beyond the palace walls. Toward where Elara lived.
"I hope he keeps his promise," she whispered.
"He will." her father said assuredly. "And also remember what I told you, don't let your emotions gets the best of you leading you to do something you will forever regret, trust me and let me handle everything. He said patting her back.
She nodded with a smile. "yes father, I know you will always make me happy."
Smiling back at her, he left her to her training.
Back in the city of Eldoria, Kaelen stood beside Elara in the quiet garden, talking and laughing both of them unaware that their lives—and the kingdom—were already beginning to shift in ways none of them could stop and ever understand.