"They've found us"....
Mom's voice was barely audible, but it was enough to make my heart race. Her eyes were still fixed on the raven, filled with tension, as if counting down the seconds before something terrible happened.
"Who, Mom? Who found us?" I asked, my voice trembling between fear and curiosity.
Mom slowly turned to me, then to Dad.
"Kael and the others they're close," she said to him.
Dad immediately started the car again, his eyes locked on the road. "Hold on. We have to get out of here now."
The car sped off, leaving the raven far behind. But when I looked out the back window, it was still there flying after us in a way that wasn't normal, like it wasn't a real bird at all.
I swallowed hard, a growing unease tightening in my chest.
"Mom, who's Kael? And why are we running from them?" I asked again.
But Mom didn't answer. She only held my hand tightly, her gaze distant filled with pain and secrets not yet ready to be spoken.
Our car kept speeding through the dark, empty streets like fugitives being chased by the law. The road was silent, the city a blur, and the tension inside the car felt thick enough to cut. I looked back again the flock of ravens was still there, chasing us like a shadow of death that wouldn't tire.
Suddenly, I heard a whisper in my ear. Soft, but it pierced straight through my bones.
"You've come... my love."
I froze. That voice wasn't Dad's. Wasn't Mom's. But it was familiar and terrifying at the same time.
I quickly turned left and right. No one was there. Only the flickering shadows from passing streetlights.
I closed my eyes tightly, clutching my own hands. "Just a hallucination... just panic," I whispered, trying to calm myself.
Two tense hours passed before our car finally passed through the gates of Velmoria. Bright streetlights and tall buildings greeted us like a whole new world strange but beautiful.
I glanced back. The roads were empty, and the sky was beginning to lighten. The ravens that had been chasing us were gone.
"Where did they go?" I wondered silently. But the unease hadn't left my chest.
Then, that man's face from my dreams flashed again in my mind his smile, his words, and those eyes... eyes that seemed to know me long before I was born.
"Velmoria, are you really a safe place?" I asked in my heart.
Moments later, our car stopped in front of an enormous house. It was a two-story mansion with classic European architecture, modern touches, and golden-painted iron gates surrounding a wide yard. It looked more like a noble's estate than a regular home.
"We're here, Dad?" I asked softly, still unable to believe what I was seeing.
"Yeah, we've arrived," Dad replied briefly, his smile warm but something behind it felt... off.
"This is our new house?" I asked again, trying to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
Dad just nodded and stepped out of the car. His smile didn't waver, but there was something hidden in his gaze.
Mom turned to Dad, her eyes filled with questions. I knew that look probing, suspicious, like she wanted to say:
"Where did you get the money for a house this big?"
Because as far as I remembered, Dad was just a historical researcher. His income was enough for a decent life but this house? This wasn't ordinary. This was the kind of house that belonged to royalty.
I slowly lifted my suitcase, my heart full of questions.
"What's really going on? It's like my parents each have secrets they're hiding from each other."
The moment we stepped inside the house, I was stunned. My eyes wandered across every corner, unable to hide my amazement. The ceilings were high, adorned with a glittering crystal chandelier. The floors were polished white marble, and a grand staircase curled up to the second floor with gleaming golden rails. It felt like I'd walked into a palace drama.
"Wow..." was all I could manage as I stood in the center of the room, turning slowly, admiring the kind of luxury I'd only ever seen on TV.
I was so mesmerized, I didn't notice Mom standing stiffly by the door, still staring at Dad with a suspicious, even anxious look.
"Dad, which room is mine?" I asked cheerfully, trying to shift the mood. I was really curious what kind of room waited for me in a house like this.
Dad smiled and pointed toward the stairs.
"Upstairs, to the right, third door from the end. That's your room, sweetheart."
I climbed the stairs at once, eager to see it. But from the corner of my eye, I saw Mom still staring at Dad, unmoving, her lips quivering like she wanted to ask something but held it back.
I walked down the hall to the room Dad had mentioned. When I reached the door, I held my breath as it slowly creaked open. In front of me was a spacious room. The walls were painted soft white, the floor covered in thick beige carpet. A large window with long silk curtains let in the morning light.
To the right was a grand canopy bed draped in silver-white netting. The sheets and pillows looked so soft, as if they were calling me to lie down. Beside the bed was a vanity with a gold-framed mirror, its drawers slightly open, as if waiting for me.
In the corner, an antique wooden wardrobe stood with its door half open, showing empty shelves ready to be filled. Next to it, a sleek white desk and plush chair perfect for writing or studying. On the front wall hung a painting of a sunrise, adding warmth and hope to the room.
"This room...This exactly like my dream room," I whispered, eyes sparkling. I stepped inside, arms wide, imagining how cozy it would be to spend time here reading novels.
But just as I was about to step in further, I heard singing from the room next door. The melody was strange, the words foreign... and yet I recognized them.
"Lumenethria, thalorien Elva sylara.
Toriel sylva nox vel Nocthel.
Una thalen var mor'veth.
Erelien, seriel thal'vaya."
"Lumenethria, lirae nurelya caelar.
Ghrel na'sa thalen elira.
Morza thalor ien'sera.
Velorien Elva."
"(Lumenethria, guard the sacred light
Your holy pillar stands threatened by darkness
One has already fallen into shadow
The remaining ones protect them
Lumenethria, hear the sky weep
No more blood must be shed
Darkness creeps in silence
Hold on to your light)".
I walked slowly toward the door of the room next to mine. But just as I reached out to open it, I was stopped by a voice behind me.
"You've found it, haven't you?"...