The Call of Home

CHAPTER 16

A few hours later, I felt reborn. I bathed, scrubbing away the grime and sweat from the night, letting the heat of the water sink deep into my muscles. The ache in my stomach had subsided, leaving only a faint soreness that was almost welcome compared to the agony from before. When I stepped out and caught a glimpse of my reflection, I looked more alive, the pale, clammy pallor replaced by something closer to my natural colour.

I dressed slowly, my mind lingering on the vision from earlier. Tavora's smirk, the lurking monsters, and that bloodied axe—I still couldn't shake the images. But now, with my strength restored, they felt less overwhelming, as if they'd finally retreated to the corners of my mind, no longer trying to suffocate me.

I had just finished lacing up my boots when Seren appeared in the doorway, her expression relieved but wary.

"You look much better," she said, giving me an approving nod.

I smiled faintly. "Feels like I've crawled back from the dead."

"Idris and I spoke with Cerys. She hadn't realized anything strange about Tavora at first, but there were... inconsistencies. Things she said that didn't add up."

I perked up, catching the serious tone in her voice. "Like what?"

"She mentioned knowing certain places in town, people Cerys had never seen her speak to. And apparently, she had her eye on you, asking a few too many questions." Seren's gaze was sharp, a slight glint of suspicion there. "Idris thinks she's after something specific. Something that goes beyond you."

I frowned, unsettled. "Like what? I can't imagine why she'd come here in the first place. There's nothing special about this town..."

She raised a brow. "Except for you," she said gently. "Your abilities. Tavora might know more about you than she lets on."

The realization struck me, a cold flash against my skin. Tavora's words from last night "Wait, it's coming back. Tavora said 'I know who you are'."

Now a different realization struck me. Maybe she meant...about Earth.

Seren hesitated. "It's possible it has to do with the All-Seer thing. And if so, she may be trying to pull something. People sought after this sort of power in the old times before the war"

My chest tightened, the familiar unease resurfacing. "I don't understand what she could gain by poisoning me. And what war?"

Seren looked away, her fingers tapping restlessly on the doorframe came to a dead stop. "The war. The war that made our society what it is today? There's no way you don't know what I'm talking about." She paused, her gaze hardening, questioning. "Elyse, there's a lot of weird things you do and say that I let slide given you being an orphan feral child, but you must have gotten dropped on your head. What are you not telling me? You're always spaced out, you have weird sayings. I'm not the only one who has picked up on it."

My chest cracked, and it must have shown in my face as Seren broke from her stare and backtracked.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have snapped. I'm just really worried and on edge and I'm just..." She covered her forehead with her hand.

"No. I'm the one who should be sorry. There is something I have to tell you, but I can't. Not here, not right now. I need you to trust me to get things under control. I trust you, and I cherish you as my friend. I-"

"No. You don't have to explain yourself to me. But thank you."

I wrapped Seren into a tight hug, she returned it, and that thing in my chest unravelled–just a little.