Fallen Stars

Chapter 16

CATHERA

"Hello?" I called out as I entered the door of our home and closed it, scanning the place hoping I'd find Klaire. It was just past noon.

"Klaire?" yelling her name, I ventured inside looking above the stairs and hoping someone from there would reply. I climbed up and checked my room if she was still there but I didn't find her.

I just looked out the window of my room looking at the backyard and I saw someone moving down there. Like someone dressed dark entered from the back door.

Quickly and alarmed, I went downstairs to see who it was since the stairs of the house were directly facing the back door. As I went down and saw no one I scanned the place and heard the front door open and close and looked toward it as I heard it.

"Klaire? Is that you?" I called, right after I heard it close walking towards that door.

As I opened the door and looked outside the person in the hooded robe was so distant from me, heading on a trail towards the walled city seen distantly below the mountain where we reside. I followed the person who was draping her coat on the ground as she was walking faster than me.

KLAIRE

I already forgot about Elle. Why am I so like that?

Dressed in a black hooded cape I planned to go to her. Never did I think Cathera would arrive before I left so I hid in the backyard and then exited at the front door.

Let's hope she doesn't continue to follow me.

Amid everything I took the storybook with me to tell Elle about it and to ask what she knows.

Right now, I was walking right inside the walled city. The time I entered the northern gate of the walled city I hid behind a carriage also entering it at the same time to avoid the guards stationed there from noticing me.

As I entered the city, I walked past people doing their business. Merchants selling artefacts, children playing ball and ladies chatting at their front porches. A man pushing his cart containing low-end salvages and vegetables was right by me.

I just quickly walked past looking down on the ground to avoid the hood to raise and let the sun see my face.

The crowd slowly decrease as I continue to walk to the abandoned places, to where I think Elle is. I looked around behind to see if anyone was following and when it felt fine for me I continued to walk.

I finally arrived at the abandoned narrow alley with a door at the centre. I just quickly walked to get there and opened it, creaking as it swung slowly when I pushed it. There was no weak candlelight in the basement which tells me Elle is still sleeping.

I just opened the trapdoor and entered the dark basement. I scanned the place to have something ignite the dead candles in front of me on the table seen in the dark corner because of its white colour. Fortunately, beside the table, there was a handful of hays and flints making me quickly walk towards it. The sunlight directly shooting from the window to the trapdoor was the only light source of the place currently.

I removed the hood of my black cape for convenience and finally struck the flint a few times before it finally set the small piece of hay on fire. I immediately placed it on the string at the top of one of the candles and it glowed.

I took the candle with me to venture around the wide cellar to search for Elle but exactly as I turned around holding the candle, Elle appeared.

"Elle!" I said in surprise seeing her, with her eyes wide "What in the devil's name?!"