Elven Love (SAA Book 1) ✔

Part Twenty-Six

   Oren was an anxious mess on the way there. He didn't know what would get to him first; the anxiety or the stress. Both were equally horrible and poor Clayton didn't know what was going on. He kept driving mindlessly, even though his head was filled with questions and worries for his elven boyfriend.

    Oren brain couldn't keep up with the speeding thoughts that zoomed through his skull. It was as if something was holding him back from what he had yet to see. Every time he blinked, a new scene painted behind his eyes. A boy, taller and skinnier than him. Silver hair and soft lime eyes. Pale, freckled skin like his. His ears weren't pointed, but they were littered in sparkly crystal piercings.

     Who is that boy?

   Oren tried to concentrate. An image focused in his mind, but when his mind flicked away for less than a millisecond, the picture was no longer there. When he fully considered, he imaged two boys. One was significantly smaller than the other. The taller one was the silver haired boy, for sure. The smaller one though, was oddly familiar, but he couldn't recognize him.

    The smaller child had wide, wondrous eyes painted a brighter green than the other. He had snowy white hair and wide smile. He looked excited and jumpy, whilst the other was calm and stable. Oren focused on the smaller one to see pointed ears and a tint of green on his cheeks. 

    Oren snapped back in his seat and opened his eyes, staring ahead at the side of a road. He looked over to Clayton to see him unbuckling his seat belt.

    'That was me,' he internally panicked, 'that was me! Who is that boy?? I must've known him but.. I don't..'

    "What's wrong? You look like you've just seen a ghost." Clayton turned his head to Oren in concern. The elf didn't realize his erratic breathing and thumping heart until now. He cleared his throat and dragged in a deep breath.

     "Just a weird flashback, if you can call it that... I don't know, honestly." Oren replied, unbuckling his seat belt and slipping out of the car. Ethan's house was painted white, which complimented the dark grey drainage pipes that lined the house. There was a shout in Clayton's name and Oren whirled towards the voice.

   "Where's Oren?"

   "Hiding behind the car."

   Oren whined, "I'm not hiding!" to which the blond laughed and walked up the stairs. He met up with Ethan at the side of the house and Oren followed behind the blond, nervously glancing around himself.

    "What's the big deal here?" Clayton asked curiously. Ethan turned on his heel and proudly trotted to the backyard. The two boys trailed behind like lost puppies. The back porch was wooden just like the one back at Clayton's home, but it was much smaller. There, sitting on a green chair at the back porch, was a matured silver-haired boy.

   He was looking down to his wrist of jeweled bracelets, mouth pulled down into a concentrated frown. He wore grey furred boots and white fabric pants. His jacket was fine too; white to match his pants. His inner shirt was an icy blue and buttoned up with a diamond. His neck of pearly garnets and ears of silver orbs were noticeably gleaming in the sunlight.

    Tight black gloves covered his digits and etched rings were worn over the cloth. His jacket sleeve was pulled down to reveal icy wrists and bangles of gold. He looked wealthy, but lonesome. He didn't seem to notice the group of people approaching him.

    Oren stepped back and fell behind. Both Ethan and Clayton noticed, so they stopped too.

   The multiple waves of nostalgia, memories and realization all hit him at once, and they hit hard.

___

"I want to be summoned soon. The night sky will probably swallow me up by the time I'm twenty next year." Oren sighed boredly, resting his head against the crook of Heath's neck.

Heath simply chuckled and leaned back, hands digging into the grassy ground. They both gazed up at the sky, eyes lost in the stars and pitch black paint that covered the dome they were trapped inside.

 Oren always wondered what it would look like if he scratched off that black paint. What's behind it? Another world, or more never-ending stars? Heath lifted Oren from his lap and turned the smaller boy around so he faced the other.

"Hey. Don't ever lose hope. Being summoned isn't the only option to get out of this place. Mom and dad might come back. They... They couldn't have forgotten us. The Pyrodomous family doesn't do that."

Heath squeezed Oren's shoulder, a determined look on his face. "I'm twenty, and I haven't been summoned yet. But I don't care about that. All I want is for you to escape this place. I don't know if I'll follow you out, and if I don't your memory will be wiped clean. Agnostos won't let you remember until you meet another Pyrodomous."

  Oren gave him a doleful look. "Why is it like that?" he asked.

  "I don't know, but it's been like that for ages. I just can't stand to see you growing up in such a dismal place such as this." Heath sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

   "Oakley, listen. You might forget your name. You might forget our parents and me. Just please try to hang onto this; please don't lose hope. As your older brother and best friend, I hate to see you sad." Heath explained, eyes lowering to the boy's hand. The tips of his fingers were disintegrating.

    "You're being summoned, Oakley." Heath muttered with a waver in his voice. His eyes shimmered with tears as his mouth pulled up into a soft smile. "Someone in the over-world is calling you.. Please, don't forget me."

    Half of Oren's arm was already gone. "I-I take it back," he said quickly, "I take it back! I don't wanna go, Heath! I--"

    Heath lowered his head and let the tears roll down his cheeks. Oren reached out, even if he didn't have an arm to touch him with. His other arm and soon his legs were floating away bit by bit. He was the only light that kindled the dark, dismal realm of Agnostos. In a bright spark, he was no longer sitting in front of his weeping brother.

   "Μην με ξεχάσετε."

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Thanks for reading Part Twenty-Six!