On a quiet night at the edge of the western border of Arbora Forest, a small village, refuge for those who fled the reach of the Edena, was finally at peace after witnessing their departure.
The calm darkness of the sky was suddenly pierced by a streak of bright blue light shooting down from above. The villagers who saw it froze in place. Among them was a young man named Aiden, known for his courage and curiosity. He stood at the edge of a field, his eyes locked on the trail of light speeding toward the forest.
"That's... not a shooting star," he muttered to himself.
Without hesitation, Aiden grabbed his bow and a small lantern, then sprinted after the light. The streak in the sky confirmed to him, something extraordinary had just happened.
After some time running, he arrived at the edge of the dark forest. Before him lay a massive crater, freshly formed. Wisps of smoke still rose from the earth, and from the bottom of the crater, a faint blue glow shimmered.
Breathing heavily, Aiden stood at the edge of the hole, staring down. "What is this?" he whispered, caught between fear and fascination.
He soon realized the crater was near one of the old caves, rarely visited by villagers. "That cave... it must be connected," he thought.
He dashed toward the cave's entrance. It was cold and dark inside, but he knew every twist and turn like the back of his hand. Lantern in hand, he followed the faint blue trail deeper into the narrow tunnels.
After a while, the passage widened, revealing a sight unlike anything he'd seen before. A massive cavern, formed from the impact, was filled with tree roots glowing with a radiant blue light. The glow bounced off the cave walls, creating a magical atmosphere that left Aiden in awe.
At the center stood a large silver capsule. Its surface was smooth, with glowing blue geometric patterns etched across it. Blue liquid leaked from its seams, fusing with the tree roots as if spreading energy throughout the chamber.
Carefully, Aiden stepped closer to the capsule. Every movement felt heavy, as though the place was watching him. The sounds of dripping water and a low mechanical hum filled the air.
As he stood before the capsule, something unexpected happened. It began to glow brighter. Then, a soft mechanical sound echoed as the front of the capsule slowly opened, releasing a burst of blinding light.
Aiden shielded his eyes. When the light dimmed, he looked inside, and gasped. Inside was a tiny baby, wrapped in a soft white blanket, sleeping peacefully.
"What... is this?" he breathed, his voice barely a whisper.
Trembling, he stepped closer. The baby's face was serene, its pale skin faintly glowing. Aiden felt a strange warmth, as if the child carried something extraordinary.
"I have to tell the elders," he decided. This was far beyond what he could handle alone.
He rushed back to the village and headed straight to the healers' council hall, where the village elders often gathered. He burst through the door, panting.
"Elders! Something has happened in the forest!" he called out, startling those in prayer.
One of the elders, a healer named Elara, rose calmly. "Aiden, slow down. What did you see?" she asked, her tone gentle yet firm.
Aiden caught his breath. "Something fell from the sky. I saw a huge capsule... and inside it, there's a baby."
The elders exchanged tense glances. Elara stepped forward, placing a hand on Aiden's shoulder. "Are you certain of what you saw?"
"Absolutely," Aiden replied. "I can show you. But we have to go now."
Elara nodded and instructed several healers to prepare. "We'll see this for ourselves."
Outside, curious villagers gathered at the commotion, but Elara addressed them calmly. "Stay where you are. This is a matter for the healers. Aiden, lead the way."
Lantern in hand, Aiden guided them back to the cave, to the place where the wonder he discovered still waited.
The large chamber inside the cave glowed a soft blue, the light reflecting off roots that had absorbed the capsule's strange liquid. Aiden stood with four village healers, staring at the slumbering baby inside the silver pod.
Elara stepped forward. Her sharp gaze studied the child with a mix of wonder and suspicion. "There's no doubt," she said quietly. "This child is Edena."
The words weighed heavy in the air. The healers exchanged uneasy glances while Aiden looked at the baby in confusion. "Edena? But... it's just a baby. What makes it dangerous?"
Varek, the sternest of the elder healers, scoffed. "You don't understand, Aiden. The Edena aren't just people. They are our enemies. They abandoned Earth, betrayed us, and now they've returned to destroy what remains."
Talia, the youngest healer, shook her head in frustration. "But this child is innocent, Varek. They didn't choose to be Edena. How can you be so cold?"
"Because it is Edena," Varek said with intensity. "We don't know what it's capable of. Their technology is beyond our comprehension. What seems harmless now could be a weapon in time."
Aiden stepped forward. "Elders, how can we be sure this child is a threat? Isn't it our duty to protect the helpless?"
"Our duty is to protect this village," Varek snapped. "Bringing an Edena child here is foolishness."
Elara raised her hand, stopping the rising tension. "Enough. I know this isn't easy, but we must think clearly. Are we sure bringing this child into the village won't bring danger?"
Talia moved forward, her eyes resolute. "If we abandon this child, we're no better than those who left Earth. We must be better than that."
Varek laughed bitterly. "You speak of morality, Talia, but will you take responsibility if this child brings ruin? Would you risk the whole village for one life?"
Elara hesitated, eyes shifting between the child and her fellow healers. "This child is Edena, that is a fact. We don't know why this capsule was sent here. But Talia is right: the child didn't choose to be born."
Tension grew. Aiden stood silent, unease creeping into his heart. He felt there was something far bigger behind all this.
"Elara," Aiden said at last, "this child needs us. Whatever the risk, I believe we should give it a chance."
Elara looked at Aiden's hopeful face. She exhaled deeply, then turned to the others. "What do you decide?"
Varek didn't hesitate. "We leave it. Let the wild decide its fate."
Talia objected sharply. "You call that nature's will? That's our choice! If we leave it, we are condemning it to death."
"Better that than endangering us all," Varek retorted.
"Enough!" Elara's voice cut through the cave. She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them, resolved. "We leave the child. This place will remain a secret. No one in the village must know."
Talia began to protest, but Elara silenced her with a raised hand. "The decision is made."
With heavy hearts, they began to leave. But as Aiden moved to follow, Talia grabbed his arm.
"Aiden," she whispered urgently, "you must save the child."
He looked at her with uncertainty. "But the elders decided, "
"Please, listen to me," Talia urged. "I'll prepare a place for it, an old house at the village's edge. No one has to know. But that baby must not die here."
Aiden hesitated, looking into Talia's pleading eyes. After a long moment, he nodded. "Alright. I'll do it."
That night, after the others returned, Aiden quietly slipped back into the cave. Gently, he lifted the baby from the capsule. The child remained peacefully asleep, unaware of the world's chaos.
With a burdened heart, Aiden carried the child toward the hidden home Talia had mentioned. He knew this decision would change everything. But something inside told him, the child was the key to something far greater than they could imagine.
The night in Arbora was silent, only the whisper of wind through ancient trees could be heard. Aiden stepped carefully along the shadowed path, the Edena baby wrapped in a soft cloth in his arms. Its face remained calm, as if unaware that its fate now rested on one boy's defiance.
And though he feared what might come, Aiden knew in his heart he was doing the right thing.
At the edge of the village, an old house stood amidst an empty field, shielded by the shadow of towering trees. It had once belonged to an old family, long abandoned and forgotten. The wooden door creaked softly as Aiden pushed it open, revealing a cold and somber interior.
Talia was already waiting inside, having brought some supplies and a lantern hanging dimly on the wall. When she saw Aiden enter, her eyes softened. "You brought her," she said with a tone of relief.
Aiden nodded, gently lowering the baby onto a small bed Talia had prepared. "What are you going to do now?" he asked.
"We'll care for her here," Talia replied while checking the baby. "Only you and I will know. If anyone else finds out... we can't imagine what might happen."
"But the elders will grow suspicious," Aiden replied, worry heavy in his voice. "They're not fools. If they find out we defied their decision, we could be exiled."
Talia let out a long breath. "I know the risk, Aiden. But I can't live with abandoning this child. She's a life, no matter where she came from."
Aiden looked at the baby. There was something about her that he couldn't explain. It wasn't just that she was Edenan, it was as if she radiated a quiet energy, something that made it hard to look away.
"Alright," Aiden finally said. "I'll help you. But we have to be extremely careful."
Talia nodded. "No one can know she's here. And we have no idea what will happen if anyone finds out."
Days passed, and life in the village went on as usual. Varek and the other elders seemed at ease, believing their decree to abandon the baby had been carried out without resistance. Yet in the secluded house, Aiden and Talia were busy caring for the child.
"She eats more than I expected," Talia said with a small smile, watching the baby clutch the bottle with her tiny hands.
Aiden, seated near the window with his bow across his lap, gave a faint smile. "She looks stronger every day. But I still worry, Talia. How long can we keep this secret?"
Talia turned to him, her expression growing serious. "As long as we must. We have to protect her. No matter what."
But Aiden's concern proved justified. One night, while he was on watch outside, he saw a faint light moving between the trees. Someone was approaching.
"Someone's coming," Aiden whispered as he stepped back into the house.
Talia quickly extinguished the lantern and took the baby to a dark corner of the room. They waited in silence, listening as footsteps drew closer.
When the wooden door was finally knocked, Aiden's heart pounded. He opened it slowly, and standing before him was someone he didn't expect.
"Elara?" he whispered.
Elara stood in the doorway, her face cold, though her eyes held something hard to define. She stepped inside without waiting for permission, her gaze immediately locking onto Talia, who was trying to hide the baby.
"You think I didn't know?" she said softly but with force. "You brought the child here."
Talia stood, tense. "Elara, we, "
"Elara," Aiden interjected, trying to calm the situation. "We just... couldn't leave her there."
Elara stared at them, her eyes sharp. She approached the baby and looked at her closely. After a long moment, she spoke, her voice gentler than before.
"You know this goes against our decision. If the others find out, you'll be exiled."
"But this baby is innocent," Talia countered, emotion heavy in her voice. "How could we abandon her? Elara, you know it's wrong."
Elara sighed, her eyes drifting back to the sleeping child. "I know. But this isn't just about right or wrong. This is about what happens if the Edenans find out we're harboring one of their own."
Aiden stepped forward. "We'll keep her safe. No one else has to know."
Elara remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Alright. But if anything happens, both of you will be held responsible."
She turned toward the door, pausing before stepping outside. "I'll look the other way this time. But remember, you're walking a razor-thin line."
As the door closed, Aiden and Talia exchanged glances, relief mixing with unease. They knew this was only the beginning of a secret that would demand everything from them.
The Edenan baby slept peacefully, unaware that her presence had already begun to change everything.
...
Meanwhile, the night sky embraced the small village of Ravara in a warm darkness. Yellow lanterns glowed in every corner of the streets, lighting up the hopeful faces of villagers gathered at the main gate. They waited with bated breath, ready to welcome their hero home. As Kirana stepped through the gate, smiles and joyful tears greeted her. Villagers rushed to her side, offering flowers, food, and heartfelt embraces.
An elderly woman, Nira, her mother's distant relative, held Kirana tightly. "Kirana, you've brought great honor to us. But losing your mother and Raka... it's a deep wound we all carry," she said, her voice trembling. "We're so proud of you."
Kirana hugged Nira back, holding back tears. "Thank you, Nira. I couldn't have done it without all of you. Your support and prayers carried me."
Other villagers gathered around, offering congratulations and condolences. Despite the fatigue etched on her face, Kirana smiled, responding to each one with sincere warmth.
The next morning, Kirana stood before three gravestones. The cold morning wind stirred her hair, and dew clung to the grass around the markers. Her hand brushed gently across each stone: one for her father, one for her mother, and one for Raka, her loyal friend.
"Mother, Father, Raka," she whispered, her voice hoarse. "I've done what I had to do. The Edenans are gone, but... losing you left a hole in me. I don't know how to move forward without you."
Tears traced her cheeks as she knelt before the graves, head bowed, as if drawing strength from those who had passed.
Soft footsteps approached from behind. Lyra appeared, wearing a long gray cloak. "Kirana," she called gently.
Kirana turned, quickly wiping her tears. "Lyra... I just wanted to spend some time with them. I hope I didn't keep you waiting."
Lyra approached, kneeling beside her. "You don't need to apologize. I know how heavy loss can be. I can't imagine how you've stayed strong this long."
Kirana met her gaze, eyes brimming with sorrow. "I don't feel strong, Lyra. Every step feels like a burden. But I know they wouldn't want me to give up. I just hope I've made them proud."
Lyra offered a soft smile. "You haven't just made them proud, Kirana. You've made the world thankful you exist."
The two sat in silence, letting the wind carry the emotion that filled the air.