The man sniffed the air and muttered, "There was a human here. Smells… interesting."
He turned in one direction and disappeared.
>>>>>>>
Alvana woke up with a start. His body felt heavy and stiff, like he had been thrown to the ground. His eyes blinked open and he realized he was in his room, lying on his bed.
On the other side of the bed, the baby was sleeping peacefully.
Alvana tried to get off the bed without waking the baby. Just as he was about to succeed, the baby opened its eyes and stared at him.
Alvana froze, unsure what to do.
Then the baby let out a loud cry.
"Waaah!"
Alvana panicked and tried to cover its mouth. It was too late. The door opened and Elena appeared, frowning as she looked around the room.
"What was that noise?"
Alvana stepped in front of the baby to hide it. "Uh… nothing, Mother."
"Elvy, I am your mother. You should not hide anything from me," she said, her voice stern.
"I'm fine, Mother. Really fine," Alvana replied.
She looked at him for a long moment, then turned to leave. Suddenly, her eyes widened.
"Ah!"
"Mother, are you okay?" Alvana asked.
Her finger pointed behind him. "What… is that?"
Alvana turned and cursed quietly in his mind. The baby had done exactly what he was trying to prevent.
"I'm sorry, Mother," he said, though he knew it would do little good.
"You're sorry?" she asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "No amount of sorry will save you from the trouble you've caused."
"Trouble? Mother, I don't understand," Alvana said, glancing at her for an explanation. She didn't answer. Instead, she stepped toward the baby.
Alvana watched, confused. The baby stared at Elena, then slowly raised its tiny arms as if asking to be held. Elena's eyes closed for a moment, and when she opened them again, her pupils had turned bright blue.
Alvana swallowed hard. The woman in front of him was familiar yet completely different.
She lifted the baby gently. "We have to leave. Now."
"Mother…" Alvana's voice caught. He wanted to call her that, but something about her felt… strange.
"Don't mother me," she snapped. "We have no time."
"But…" Alvana hesitated, searching for the right words. He could only stare at the strange, familiar woman holding the child.
She placed the baby in her left arm and rested her right hand on his shoulder. "I know I owe you explanations, but if we stay, you will die. The baby will die. I will die. Please, trust me and follow me."
Alvana looked into her eyes. They were the same as before, yet not. His chest tightened, and then he nodded. "Let's go. We don't need explanations right now."
>>>>>>>>>
They left the village, taking the only path through the forest.
Behind them, the man returned to the village, anger written across his face. He could no longer sense Alvana's presence. Furious, he unleashed destruction. Homes crumbled. Fire spread. Screams echoed. Many villagers died. Only the young and strong were spared, for reasons he alone knew.
That day marked the start of chaos on Skye.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Three days later, Alvana and Elena walked toward Hope City. The baby slept in her arms. Both were exhausted.
As they neared the city, Elena finally spoke.
"Do you know why we are going there?"
"No," Alvana admitted. "I was about to ask."
"We are looking for the Primal Pearl."
Alvana frowned. "The Primal Pearl? What is it?"
"It is more than just a pearl," she said. "It was created during the Cosmos War. A great guardian used the blood of a celestial dragon to transport their race to a small world. Part of its power went to that world. Another part was fused with the guardian's soul to defeat the Anti-Lives. After the war, the pearl split and traveled across the universe. No one truly knows what it looks like now. People in this world who saw it threw it away as useless."
Alvana blinked. "And it's in Hope City?"
"Yes. The pearl can transport us to another world, but we can't control where it will take us."
Alvana's face grew serious. "And what if the world is dangerous?"
Elena didn't answer immediately.
Alvana's thoughts drifted as they neared the city. He was exhausted and hungry, and his mind was racing from everything that had happened.
Suddenly, he noticed the baby's eyes opening. Not the normal sleepy gaze of a newborn, but bright blue, too aware, too deliberate.
Alvana stopped moving. For a long time, the baby just looked at him, as if it were measuring him. His heart raced because of how intense those little eyes were.
The baby moved a little in Elena's arms and raised its tiny hands. It was trying to get to Elena, pushing her to do something. Its movements showed a strange intelligence that most kids don't have.
Alvana had a hard time swallowing. He had never seen anything like this before. The child was young and weak, but there was something else. Something that made him feel uneasy all over.
Elena saw him looking at her and looked back. "We have to keep going." The city is close, so we need to hurry.
Alvana nodded and kept looking at the baby. His chest got tight. The child was a mystery, and he knew that whatever power it had was not normal.
They kept going toward Hope City, and every step felt like it was urgent. Alvana couldn't shake the feeling that their trip was just getting started and that the baby was more than it seemed.