ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴇɪʟᴇᴅ ꜱᴇɴꜱᴇ

Chapter VII: The sky has been dark ever since

Caleb was struggling to keep up with her sister's steps as the duo rummaged through the tough, dark woods. They were wearing long, black cloaks to try and conceal their identity. Sylvia would take small pauses to wait for her brother to catch up before telling him to hurry up and continue.

"Sylvia, please. I can't keep up." Caleb whined, his little legs starting to tire.

"We're nearly there, let's keep goi-"

Before Sylvia could finish her sentence, a loud boom echoed through the trees, causing both of the siblings to duck as a reflex to take cover. It was clear now. The war had begun.

"Caleb, come on!"

The deafening sound launched a flight reaction in Sylvia's body and mind. She grabbed a hold of Caleb once again and ran towards the direction of the cabin as if death itself was chasing her. The healer's panic spread into Caleb, who was on the very verge of tears and was about to break down from anxiety. Sylvia's mind eased as she spotted the small, wooden hut in the middle of the trees and slowed down, listening if anyone was nearby.

"Okay, we're safe and alone here." she whispered down to Caleb and went to the house, urging her brother inside before following him and closing the door.

The young woman breathed out a strong sigh, mostly out of relief. Caleb sat down on an old chair cushioned with a soft pelt. Sylvia stayed silent, listening out for any abnormal sound. But it was dead quiet. She calmly walked up to her brother and squatted down to his level, taking hold of both of his hands.

"We are both aware that I am a healer and for that reason I must be of help during this warfare. I will not leave you alone, you'll just have to be here when I am working. But I'll come back when my shift is over to check up on you, alright? We won't be found here."

Caleb nodded, wanting to believe his sister and hope for the best, however he couldn't ignore the lingering instinct that this place was not entirely safe.

Sylvia began looking around the hut for food and other necessities to presume the amount of stuff she had to bring to the cabin from the village.

"Sylvia, really. I don't feel safe here. You feel it too, right? I know you do."

Sylvia only smiled at Caleb in an effort to calm him down. Of course she felt it, her inko was telling her to get away from the hut, but she wanted to believe the two could stay.

"Dear, you're just imagining it. I know you're worried, I am too. Trust me, we will get through this. Certainly no one would find us here."

Caleb only narrowed his eyes. He knew the other one was blindly trying to make it all seem better than what the reality was. And reality was that they were not alone.

Sylvia couldn't ignore her instincts for long, she had been given the elven gift of true and genuine intuition, it would be suicide to ignore it.

"You're going to have to be really strong in times like these, okay? I am not going to make you fight, but you need to keep your mind cold." Sylvia spoke in a firm way and Caleb nodded in response. Soon after Sylvia's long ears picked up rustling right outside their hut. She instantly signaled for Caleb to keep quiet as she sneaked next to a small window, peeking outside.

Sylvia's eyes widened. A sum of around 5 human soldiers were right outside the hut. Fucking hell, what do I do? she thought in panic. Sylvia was only a healer after all, she did not possess the type of magic she could use in a battle. She went back to Caleb, who was trying his best not to show any fear nor make the slightest of a sound.

"Caleb, I want you to pray to Zumos, Una, whatever. All of the gods. Right now, in your mind."

The young boy wasn't too sure on what was happening, but again, obeyed his sister without resistance. Sylvia prayed as well, in a silent manner of course. She hoped and wished for the humans to pass and not check their hut, but their destiny was already sealed and not alterable.