Evmor: The Calling

Epilogue

I can't believe it. I wrote the epilogue of the Calling :o

Epilogue

Killian and Rocco agreed to stay hidden to the human eyes, trailing behind me like silent shadows. I walked self-consciously down the familiar road. It almost felt as if I was in a dream. I couldn't believe I was actually back home.

It's not permanent, I reminded myself, steeling myself for when I would have to leave again.

As I strode down the empty rode, I noticed with some trepidation that no snow remained. There were no patches of white and the trees weren't weighed down by snow either. I remembered the last time I had sprinted down these streets, how snow had crunched under my feet. That had been December.

It was also warm, uncomfortably so. I shrugged off my coat and slung it across my arm, thankful that the sweater wasn't so thick.

Walking past a lamppost, I noticed a flyer stuck to it with red, bold letters spelling missing. I approached it slowly, only to see my own face smiling out of the picture on the paper. Looking down the road, I noticed several more stuck to any surface visible. Nate and Emilie had been busy.

I walked past the familiar houses, grateful for the cover of the dark. It would soon be morning but most people were still asleep. If one of my neighbors were to see me, they would cause quite a racket. As I walked by another suburban house I saw today's newspaper sitting on the porch. Unable to resist, I quickly darted towards it, picked it up, and searched for today's date.

There, on the top, it was written, April 14th.

April! I had been away for more than four months!

That meant I had missed months of school. It also meant Nate and Emilie had spent four months with no idea where I had gone off to. Four months of my life here, gone just like that.

"I need a moment," I breathed out, settling against the wall. The world seemed to swim in front of me and I had to squeeze my eyes shut. Rocco picked up the newspaper and studied it closely, wondering what was the matter.

"Aviara, you need to calm down," Killian soothed, resting a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"I can't. Four months, Killian. I was gone for four months," I rasped out, "I counted two!"

"Time runs differently in Evmor, you knew that," Killian said softly.

"I know but—oh god," I stopped myself before I could go on. Bracing myself I pushed myself off the wall and started walking further down the road—closer to home. My strides became longer and longer until I was sprinting down the deserted road, my sense of foreboding growing stronger with every step. I didn't care anymore if someone saw me. I needed to see that my home and my family were safe.

I rounded the corner that would lead to my house and stopped dead.

Relief flooded through me as I saw my familiar house standing where it had stood all these years. With a soft sigh, I started walking towards it, already feeling lighter and content. But when I stepped off the pavewalk onto the front yard, I noticed something odd. The mailbox was almost overflowing.

I plucked one out and took note of the date delivered. It had been sent two days ago. Apprehension coursed through me as I pulled out another one. This one had been delivered a week ago.

Feeling suddenly constricted of air, I rushed to the front porch and pushed opened the door without any thought.

The door swung open without any resistance.

I peered in to find that the house was dark and silent. I took one cautious step inside, all my senses on high alert. With the weak light streaming in through the windows, I could see the sofa, the couches, TV, tea table, and other familiar furniture around the house. It looked as if nothing had been disturbed.

Taking the stairs two at a time, I made my way upstairs, Killian and Rocco following behind me. The short hallway was just as I remembered it and I hesitantly opened the door to my bedroom. I stepped in and my breath caught in my throat when I noticed everything was exactly as I had left it.

Walking out, I made my way towards Emilie's bedroom. I carefully pried the door open; I didn't want to wake her up. As I snuck in, I noticed an odd odor in the air. It was an almost sweet smell with a hint of bitterness. Was it Emilie's new perfume?

I slowly approached the bed where Emilie would be. But then I found the bed perfectly made, with no sign of my sister. I tugged the cover off just to make sure and found the bed empty.

Without any explanation, I dashed to Nate's room, bursting into the room without any caution. I stood by the doorway, feeling completely lost, as I gazed at the empty room. Everything was in place but my brother was missing. And so was my sister.

I approached Nate's desk that was settled right by the window, the soft light from outside illuminating it. It was perfectly clean, all the paper and books stacked up in an organized way.

"Something is not right," I whispered. Nate's desk was always a mess. I distinctly remembered complaining that he could never organize things. Then I noticed the same sweet scent that permeated the air.

"This is an illusion," I heard Killian mutter before he flung his hand out in one sharp movement. I felt something being lifted from the air and what I saw next made my knees buckle.

Tears sprung up and I covered my mouth with my hand to stifle a sob. The entire room had been upturned. Nate's desk lay on the ground, the drawers hanging open. The curtain had been ripped from its pole, carelessly thrown to the side. Nate's bed was overturned as well and I noticed distinct claw marks that marred his pillow, causing the white feathers to spill out.

I ran out into the hall and noticed all the picture frames that had been hung on the wall now on the floor, the glass shattered. Crouching down, I picked one up with trembling hands. It was a picture of all five of us, when my family had been complete, grinning like fools at the camera.

"The king," I whispered, "He did this. I know it."

"Aviara," Killian called, attempting to pull me up from the ground.

"Do you think they're alive?" I asked, grabbing onto the sliver of hope, "Please, please just tell me that my family is alive. I can't—I can't lose them. Tell me, please." I cried, uncontrollable sobs shaking my entire body.

Killian and Rocco just knelt on the ground with me, holding my trembling frame. They couldn't offer any answer to my question. No one would know—nobody except the king himself.

My home was destroyed and my family was gone. But I had to hold on to the hope that they were alive and well; that they had survived whatever had come for them. If they hadn't—

I couldn't think that way.

I would find my family. I would find them both safe and sound. If I couldn't find them, I would find King Maurus.

This, I promised.

And that is the end of the first book! I can't believe I'm actually done with this. It feels so weird because writing the Calling has been a part of my life for several months now. I'm ambivalent towards having finished this book: on the one hand I'm quite satisfied with my work and congratulating myself for actually sticking to it until the end; on the other I'm sad to see it go! This has been a rather big project for me and I could never have done it without the help of my friends and family (especially my sister, Emily, for staying up long into the night trying desperately to come up with an idea because I wouldn't let her sleep otherwise) and of course, all my readers! Thank you so much to those of you who read my book until the end, and not to mention the thoughtful comments and the votes. I really appreciated it and I hope your unending support will continue when I upload my next book: The Awakening. Hopefully I'll be able to put all my ideas into words and make sure it's as amazing as I want it to be. I'll try my best to make the plot as heart-pounding and unforgettable as I can. See you then! <3

— Irene