You Were There | Søren x reader

Chapter 5: She Does Not Belong to You

          It was getting cold. Too cold for Y/N's torn and muddy clothes, which only insulated her a little. The clouds gathering on the horizon grew closer and darker as she flew, and soon snow began to fall, the little flakes scratching at her face. This seemed to happen for days, but honestly she had no clue how much time had passed. 

          Y/N collapsed from exhaustion in a small clearing in the forest, lightly dusted with snow. She fell onto her knees, willing herself to stand. If she looked closely, it was possible to see a road through the trees. That was too close for comfort. 

          Night was falling, which would cover her presence while flying better, though it was important to consider going on foot to avoid detection while so close to so many humans. She should travel now, and sleep during the day.

          Still, the fatigue and ache in Y/N's bones wouldn't lift, and she honestly couldn't place if it was natural exhaustion, or some sort of magic. But she had slept for two days. How could it be natural? How long had she been awake? The cold from the snow seeping into her clothes added to the ache in her bones, numbing her senses.

          Now she smelled like death too, and it made her nauseous. If she could perform real magic, it would go away with a simple spell of any sort, the outflow of pure primal energy washing away the foreboding and unnerving presence hovering around her. Even if she stood near another elf, the trace would be swept away.

          There was a safe place. The safest a Xadian could get in the human kingdoms, besides the simple wilderness. The Cursed Caldera was known to be infested with horrible monsters. It kept the humans away, but even Rayla and Y/N had no clue if it was magic or not. It was always known for miracles though. That's what the egg needed right now.

          There was smoke rising in the distance, barely visible in the snowstorm. Hopefully she had stayed in course and that was the town near the mountain. Y/N had time, but she wanted to get to the princes and Rayla as fast as possible. But she was tired... so tired.

          The stench of dark magic seemed to thicken around her as she tried to stand again, gravity slamming her against the hard-packed earth. 

          I can't sleep now, Y/N thought earnestly, fighting for consciousness while pulling up wads of withering grass from under the thin layer of snow. You'll freeze out here. She couldn't feel most of her body. I'm so tired... her brain responded, quickly and quietly pulling her into oblivion.

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          There you are. Claudia's voice echoed around Y/N, who floated in the void where her dreams should be. It wasn't floating though. There was nothing to float in. Nothing but the unsettling hum of dark magic.

          You finally fell asleep. Thought we'd lost you there. The voice was Viren's now, and his smooth, calm tone sent a small shiver through Y/N. The priority is the egg, but I am not missing an opportunity to research deformities like you. Don't worry, once all this is done and taken care of, I will resume my studies. 

          There was a low chuckle, and Y/N could tell it wasn't Viren. It was deeper, silky smooth, and was definitely not human.

          Don't get too ahead of yourself. It took Y/N a moment to realize the slow voice was not talking to her. She does not belong to you. There was a whirlwind of voices and colors, then the void burst into shapes and sounds, melding together to become a memory.

          "Sounds like I'm just special, which I already knew. One in a million." Y/N was unable to do anything except move with her past self, smiling and rolling her eyes a little as he winked, standing up. Why did she remember this so clearly? ...I miss you...