As the first rays of sunlight broke through the horizon, Kronos stirred from his restless sleep, his weary body urging him to press on. He calmed his hunger with some dried food from the backpack and silenced his thirst with some molten snow before heading off. His legs were sore before even starting the day but he kept on going.


    The terrain was a lot more comfortable to run on than yesterday as the mountains were behind him. Kronos ran on top of a low cliff made from frozen dirt and stone. He was sure the roads next to him would be faster to run upon, maybe he could even get a lift. The only thing that held him back was his wariness of being detained or questioned. The possible risks didn’t outweigh the possible rewards.


    The landscape around him was beautifully accentuated by the early sun. Small clouds could be seen in the distance which seemed to light up by the orange light. Birds were flying in great flocks and small animals were running across the fields. Every single thing seemed to have a place and purpose, they all created one piece of art. Kronos inhaled sharply at the serene beauty of the landscape, but the momentary peace twisted into self-loathing. What’s the point? he thought bitterly. I’m no better than an animal, just chasing survival. They had no free mind, no concept of worries about the future. There was no point in longing for only the plausible of their freedom without receiving the detestable helplessness and lack of intelligence.


    Hours passed by slowly under the harsh circumstances. The child had taken a single break to fill up his stomach and let his food settle down before going onward. Kronos’ legs felt like they’d give in any second now. To keep himself moving he made up illusions that he was being chased by monsters or paladins.


    A second break was made when something on a distant road caught his attention. What’s that? The boy squinted his eyes to see what was going on in the distance. He could see a caravan of knights and horses with big, black banners marching on the biggest road in the region.


    Knights were rare in these parts of the kingdom, unless they were a new batch going to the border to protect, which was pretty unrealistic. They were too far away for the boy to properly inspect and he wanted to keep it that way. Passing and local knights were the first to be notified of local criminals or governmental targets. No good in seeking risks.


    Heart pounding, Kronos bolted toward the woods, his eyes darting back to the distant caravan of knights. Each step felt like a gamble, the looming treeline both salvation and a reminder of the risks he couldn’t afford to take.


    Every once in a while he spit on the ground, his mind tricking him into believing there was still blood in his mouth from killing the man with his natural weapons. Small pieces of raw human flesh was still trapped between his teeth, slowly being digested by his saliva.


    Kronos’ tempo had slowed down as the sun began to set. He now stood in front of the ginormous forest which had seemed like a world away yesterday. A slight feeling of intimidation and anticipation washed over the child’s mind because every single conifer towered above him. They were stiffly dancing to the song of the wind, as if warning one to not interrupt ballad.


    The boy was panting like a dog and felt like he was about to throw up from the intense physical labor. A painful feeling burned away his throat from a lack of hydration. Kronos gathered all his remaining feelings present in his mind to push him further. His body had long given up on him, only a will for safety and reaching his destination pushed him forward.


    He entered the forest, taking time to analyze any potential threats. Light withered away like spring flowers in autumn. Kronos sought a place to rest, a place where he wouldn’t be disturbed at night. His mind played tricks on him again, or so he thought, seeing figures in trees from the corner of his eyes.


    Over the past hours, shadows had taken on sinister shapes in the corner of his vision. Paranoia gripped him, each flicker of movement stoking the fear that someone, or something, was watching. Only ignoring the hallucinations had relieved a bit so the child didn’t bat an eye at them.


    The boy found a bed of moss between ancient rocks, hidden away from his surroundings. He put his bag down and used it as a pillow, not wanting to waste any time before taking his rest.


    The sound of wind blowing through the conifers brought a relaxing atmosphere, calming both body and mind while the boy drifted away from reality.


    Kronos woke up to the distant sound of voices. For a moment he had thought to be back in the orphanage, that everything he had been through was just a long nightmare. The boy tried to open his eyes but was greeted with the same darkness from when they were closed.


    In utter confusion the boy raised his arms to rub his eyes. Did I go blind? There was no feeling in his arms, or in any part of his body he realized. He was completely numb in every part of his body. Fear washed over him, did I die? No, I can still hear.


    Kronos leaned his head forward, not knowing if his muscles were actually moving or not. In automation, his eyes began blinking, the reaction picked his interest. Why do I blink? Does it need to replenish the fluid in my eyes? Is there something on my eyes blocking my vision? A blindfold?You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    “H-hello?” the child stumbled quietly, “Is anyone there?” No reaction came. The voices in the distant began to grow more clear, it was a language Kronos couldn’t understand. Abduction was the only thing that came to mind. But why would they keep me alive? Didn’t the paladins want me dead? He took a deep breath through his nose, trying to receive any information.


    The air was musty and had a smell of herbs to it. It was clear he was no longer in the forest, well at least not where he had fallen asleep. He was inside of a room, that much was sure. His head began buzzing, sending waves of pain and flashes of visions over him. They were like images from someone else’s perspective. In his left eye an, image appeared, interrupting the endless darkness.


    He saw himself curled up on the moss, surrounded by four cloaked beings who towered over him. Whatever he was looking through was high up in the trees and had eyes on both sides of its head like a bird.


    The image flickered like a broken projection, hazy yet clear enough to reveal four cloaked figures, each armed with bows and daggers. Their weapons seemed to be bows and daggers unlike of what the paladins had used two days ago.


    After a few seconds the vision faded and another image was one of the figures twisted around facing the point of view with its bow drawn. An arrowhead found itself a finger length away from the perspective. Whatever Kronos was looking through had died the moment after this vision was taken.


    The image faded away again, as did his headache. Kronos calmed down slightly, whatever had abducted him were no paladins, negotiating was probably an option as he was still alive. He took a deep breath and raised his voice. “Hello? Is anyone there?” This time his voice was confident and twice as loud as the previous attempt to gain attention.


    The chatter outside the room halted and a door could be heard swung open. “Laeris’vath, ethil anorath te valin”, a voice spoke. Their tone was mocking and belonged to what sounded like a young man. “What?”, Kronos asked not having even the slightest idea of what was told.


    The man cleared his throat. “So it’s true you aren’t one of us or our relative… Just what in the nine hells are you? You look like a human… but you have white hair and no smell, on top of that I can’t detect that craving human soul, that never ending greed towards everything. You have desire, yes, but not in the way humans have it. Your soul craves directly on a few things with all it has, unlike wanting everything but hiding the desire which humans do… Tell me young one, what are you?”


    Kronos could hear that the person struggled to speak the human language. There were a lot of grammar mistakes in it but the essence was still understandable. The being standing next to him might have a somewhat friendly tone but it was clear, the wrong answer would result in immediate death.


    “I don’t know”, the boy said slowly, considering his opportunities, “I have no idea what I am. I always thought I was a human but well… I’m not very welcome amongst them. I don’t know, but does that matter? All you need to know about me that I wanted to seek shelter in this forest as all roads avoided this place. I didn’t know it was inhabited by anyone. It was just an accident so why don’t you just let me go?”


    The man laughed and walked closer to him. “Aren’t you quite stupid? I’m sure the fact that no roads enter the forest makes it clear humans tend to avoid us. Well whatever you are, young one, you’re no human, at least not a pure blooded one. Maybe a mutation, closer to a monster than you are to humans. That mutation might have just costed you the little intelligence humans have.”


    Another voice interrupted the man in an annoyed and impatient tone, it belonged to a young woman, she spoke in the human language so that Kronos could understand what she said.


    “Tarum, if you don’t stop wasting my time by doing unnecessary stuff like this I’ll cut off your remaining ear. The elders have decided that the kid is allowed to stay as a guest because of that thing. If you go against those words and don’t do what was requested of you I will make sure to roast you altogether with the boar I caught tonight.”


    Kronos was surprised to hear her speak, not having detected her presence at all when he had been talking with the young man. The message the woman brought was a pleasant enlightenment. “I-I’m allowed to stay? I won’t be killed?”, he asked in relief. A moment of silence consumed the room before both of the entities in the room began laughing.


    “‘Kill you?’ The young man barked a laugh, nearly doubling over. “We’re dark elves, not savages. What kind of stories do humans tell their children about us?”


    Kronos was still dizzy in the head from what was going on but his posture was rather relaxed. “Well you were the ones who made me wake up blinded and without feeling anything. Wait, dark elves? I think I read about that somewhere… ”


    The woman chuckled and walked closer to the bed Kronos was laying on. “Well I would’ve been thinking the exact same if I was in his place so I can’t really blame him.” Her voice was now directed at Tarum again, a hint of sarcasm in it. “After all, which imbecile would use the highest grade narcotics on a boy who is barely old enough to survive on his own.”


    While Tarum began complaining in the unknown language the woman asked Kronos to part his lip so she could give him the antidote. The boy complied to the request and gulped down all the medicine that was given to him.


    “My name is Esvia child. Do you mind telling me what yours is?”, the woman’s hands removed the blindfold Kronos was wearing, allowing him to see the world once more. Light teared up his two eyes, leaving him to adapt steadily. “My name is Kronos”, he mumbled softly, still far from comfortable enough to disclose his personal information.


    She hummed affirmative, “Kronos… A name I’ve heard before. Your body will be back to normal in a few hours, try to get some rest and put your mind in the right place kid. Some old people will probably visit you soon after the two of us leave, be sure to speak with honesty and respect to them. They may be strict and stubborn, but deep down, they’re kind and strong.”


    The child tried to give her a simple nod but his body refused. As his vision returned, Kronos focused on Esvia. Her pitch-black hair framed sharp hazel eyes that radiated authority. She appeared no older than twenty-five, but Kronos knew from his readings that elves could be decades older than they seemed. The realization only left him more confused than he had been.


    Tarum stood a bit further behind her. The young man had only one pointy ear and the same black hair with Hazel eyes as Esvia. “We’ll see you around Kronos. Maybe next time it will be as kin.” With that both of them got ready to depart and walked out of the hut. Kronos’ eyes wandered over everything he could without moving his head.