Alina: Light & Shadows

Chapter 5

"Go, Alina! There's no time!" My mother's voice echoed in my head, but my body wouldn't respond.

I was frozen, unable to move, as the sound of hooves and heavy footsteps approached the door.

"But you..." I stammered, unable to look away from the terror in my mother's eyes.

"Don't worry about me. You need to run. Now!" she shouted, pushing me toward the back of the house. "They will find you first."

My feet finally responded. I ran toward the back door, my heart pounding like a drum.

I heard the front door being smashed open and hoarse voices calling for me.

A chill ran down my spine.

I opened the back door and launched myself into the cold night. The fresh air hit my face like a slap, bringing me a glimmer of clarity.

I had to get away as fast as I could.

The dry branches cracked beneath my feet as I plunged into the woods.

Every breath felt deafening, every snapped twig seemed a signal I was leaving behind to be found.

I had no idea where I was going, only that I had to get away. But the deeper I went into the woods, the louder the sounds behind me became.

They were following my trail. I didn’t have much time.

I tried to remember my mother’s words. "Find your father." But where? How could I find him if I didn’t even know who he really was?

I was alone, lost, and being pursued by those who wanted to capture me. I had no idea who they were or why they were looking for me, but I knew I couldn't let them catch me.

Suddenly, a figure appeared before me, emerging from nowhere.

It was a boy, a little older than me, with a tattered cloak and dark eyes that shone under the moonlight.

"You’re Alina, right?" he said, as if he had known me forever.

I took a step back, ready to defend myself. "Who are you? What do you want from me?"

"There’s no time for explanations," he replied, glancing over my shoulder. "If you want to live, you need to come with me."

I didn’t trust him, but I had no choice. The voices of my pursuers were getting closer, and this stranger seemed to know exactly what was happening.

I decided to follow him.

He took my hand and led me through the woods, along paths I didn’t know that seemed to spring from nowhere.

There was a strange familiarity in his movements, as if he had been here a thousand times. He didn’t say anything, nor did I.

I was too busy trying to figure out who he was and what he knew about me.

After what felt like hours, we finally stopped. We were in a clearing, far from the village lights.

The boy turned to me, his dark eyes shining under the full moon.

"Do you know who’s looking for you?" he asked, his voice deep and calm.

I shook my head, my heart still pounding. "No... I only know they found me. Who are they?"

He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "They are emissaries of the Realm of Shadows. They have been looking for you since the day you were born. You are special, Alina. The power within you... they want it."

"But why? What does the Realm of Shadows have to do with me?" I asked, my voice trembling. I couldn’t comprehend how my entire life was suddenly tied to a world I had only known through frightening stories.

He looked at me, as if weighing whether to tell me the truth or not.

Finally, he spoke in a softer tone. "Because you are the key. Your power can open a passage between this world and theirs. A passage that was sealed centuries ago. If they capture you and force you to use your power, the Realm of Shadows will spill into this world. And no one will be safe."

My head spun. The key? A passage? How could I be responsible for all this?

"But I don’t even know how to use my power!" I protested. "I can’t open anything!"

"You know more than you think," he said calmly. "Your power is latent, but they know how to awaken it. And once they do... it will be too late."

His words sent chills down my spine. I couldn’t let myself be captured. I couldn’t allow my power to fall into the hands of those emissaries.

"You have to help me," I said, panic tightening my throat. "I don’t know where to go, I don’t know what to do. How can I find him? How can I find my father?"

The boy looked at me, and for a moment, there was a flash of sadness in his eyes. "It won’t be easy. But there are places you can search. Old legends speak of a hidden place, at the border between this world and the other. Perhaps there you will find the answers."

The sound of footsteps was getting closer again. The emissaries were not far behind. The boy looked at me intensely. "We have to keep moving. I’ll help you find your father, but first we need to escape them."

Without another word, we started moving again, running through the trees. I felt my strength waning, but I couldn’t stop.

I couldn’t let them find me.

As we ran, one question burned in my throat.

"Who are you? Why are you helping me?"

He hesitated for a moment, then answered.

"My name is Kael. I’m like you, Alina. I’m a child of the shadows. But I chose to fight against them. And now... it’s your turn to do the same."