The Door

Chapter One

     Thirteen years later, Eli had already graduated high school two years ago, as a junior in high school. He was nineteen now, and even more beautiful than he had been as a child. His sandy blonde hair only getting lighter, his pale grey eyes getting a more defined grey tone, the liquid silver pools seemingly shine back at you. His skin was virtually flawless, his teeth perfect. His defined jawline drew attention to his already inhumanly beautiful face. Eli sat at his desk mulling over the information sitting in front of him. He was adopted. His parents weren't his actual parents and he could feel the tears sting his eyes, waiting for the dam to break. How could they have done this to him? They've lied to him for nineteen years.

     Eli sat and waited for his guardians to return home from work at the kitchen table. Eli had already prepared a meal of steak, baked potatoes, and a small vegetable stir-fry. He had already set out plates for everyone, but he hadn't touched it. He wasn't planning on eating much tonight. He was ready. He no longer had any ties to this place. His parents weren't his parents, so he had no remorse about going through that door. His grandfather had long since passed. He was finally ready. He had his bag ready, leaned against the chair he was sitting on.

     It was almost an hour and a half later when his so-called parents came staggering in, drunk, which was unusual for them.

     "Hello, Janice. Hello, Peter," Eli said in a monotone.

     "Excuse me? We're your mother and father, you do not address us by our first names," Peter slurred. Eli kept a straight face and picked up the adoption papers from when he was a baby and handed them over.

     "I do believe I can address you by your first names as you are not my mother and father, as stated and proved by the documents I just handed you."

     "Eli, honey, let us explain!" Janice exclaims, trying to reach out to him. Eli takes a step back and levels his eyes with Janice's.

     "Then explain, but I have somewhere to be in an hour," he deadpanned.

     After the hour had passed, Eli came upon the small river with the mysterious door in the center of it. Everything was exactly as he remembered it, and it was almost enough to make him forget what had just happened with his parents. Almost enough. He sat on the island in front of the door and decided to meditate. It had always brought him peace of mind, and now more than ever is when he would need it. He had no idea what awaited him on the other side of that door, but for some reason, he got the feeling that it would be absolutely life-changing.

     A while later he stood up and stretched out his legs and did a few yoga poses to loosen up his body. He shouldered his hiking pack and put his hand on the doorknob. He hesitated for a moment, looking at the woods that surrounded him. He only hoped the door would lead him to a place just as beautiful as the place he grew up had been. With a heavy sigh, he twisted the knob and tried to open it, but the door wouldn't budge. Eli took a step back, wondering what he could do. That's when he noticed the knob starting to turn. The door popped open to reveal a very tiny human-like creature.

     "Damn bloody door, always gettin' stuck. Makes travel hard, don't it, kiddo?" The creature said.

     Eli stammered before finally getting out, "Who are you? W-what are you?"

     "What's it look like to ya?" It said in its deep gravelly voice, "The names Hallbjorn, I'm from Nidavellir, and this is the door to Alfheim."

     "I'm sorry, what? What is Nidavellir? What is Alfheim?"

     "Well, kiddo, you're from Alfheim."

     "Huh?"

     "You really don't know? Bloody hell, those damned humans. Told me they would teach you your roots so when you came home you would know what's happening."

     "You mean Janice and Peter? They knew this all along?"

     "Of course, they knew they adopted an elf, it's hard not to."

     "How do you know all of this?"

    "Well, kiddo-" Eli cut him off.

     "Stop calling me kiddo. I am not your child."

     "Well, actually. About that, you are. Your mother is in Alfheim waiting for you. You were supposed to return to us after you graduated high school, but those bloody scallywags put protection spells on the door and kept you longer than they should have. We need you now, son."

     "Hold on, hold on, hold on. You expect me to believe you just because you're some short, fat man from the door I've been dreaming about since I found it in my childhood? I don't think so. I'm going to need some proof of these claims."

    "Your proof is right through this door, Adalsteinn."

    "Adalsteinn?"

    "That was the name your mother picked for you, the humans changed your name to Eli to keep you under the radar."

     "Okay, well, I need a few minutes to gather my thoughts, this is all very sudden, you know," Eli deadpanned, giving the small humanoid creature a look. "What are you anyway?"

     "Some call me a dark elf, others call me a dwarf, but either way I'm still Hallbjorn, and I'm still your father."

     "You are not my father, you did not raise me or contribute anything to making me who I am today, don't you dare give yourself a title you do not deserve," Eli snapped, throwing his pack down and leaning against it with his arms crossed over his chest.

     "Touchy subject, eh?"

     "You are welcome to stop talking at any time Mr. Hallbjorn."

     "Nope, you're comin' with me, it's time to meet your mum."

     After some time Hallbjorn managed to get Eli through the door with him, not without some fights and complaints.

     "I wanted to do this alone, not with a dirty old man claiming to be my father," Eli snapped at Hallbjorn.

     "Whether ya' like it or not, I'm your pops. You're mum and I didn't want to send ya' away but Alfheim is in... a state of disrepair, one might say," Hallbjorn responded quietly, pulled into himself.

     "What happened to Elfheim?"

     "No, it's not Elfheim, it's Alfheim, get it right, locals around here would rip that pretty little head right off of your shoulders if they heard ya' call it Elfheim."

    "Okay," Eli said a bit drawn out, "So what happened to Alfheim?"

     "Well, kiddo, the war happened."