Star By Star

twenty-three

"Have you checked around every alley?" Axel rakes his hair anxiously, going back and forth through security cameras on his laptop, while Damian stands at the bakery's main entrance, piercing his eyes into every soul that passes by and deeply sighs before replying,

" I've spoken with every staff member, but nobody has seen her. 

Axel slams his laptop shut and turns to Damian.

"We must look everywhere, try anything. DO anything. Why don't you use that sphere that you have?"

Sphere? Damian raises his eyebrows as if to make a snarky comment before Axel cuts him short.

"The one that can take you anywhere?" 

Damian looks back at him shaking his head causing frustration in Axel when he shouts "Why?"

"Not just anywhere or anybody can use it. I've told you before, you would whither under the frequency of the Eclux. You are not Elisorian."

Axel rubs his eyes in distress, Damian slumps into a chair, leaning his head back as if resting but clearly pondering. The ambiance is very.... heavy.

"Guys....I'm...here." I reach out to the reflection on the wall which holds the images of the boys, I pause for a second realizing I wasn't watching T.V. But instead it was my home. People I care for in real life, and pull my hand back. My heart sinks, I look around avoiding tears , but I have no clue what is next. Where to go or where I am. If I should be mad or sad. Should I be questioning my own existence or whether I can fight the two outsiders and escape somehow back home. I don't know.

And ....because of me ,Granny was involved with Laverna.  Now...she is gone. Because of me. 

Giselle. The weakling, the nobody.

The girl that was bullied for so long and has a secret crush. 

 I shake my head avoiding sulking and falling into a desperate pit of depression. 

I peek at the entrance where that B- I mean witch, left a wide-open view of the ocean. I honestly don't know how to play my emotions right now. The old hag created a wooden door wide open, most likely expecting me to go out of the hut knowing my plain normal human self could never find a way back home. Most certainly thinking  "This little girl will never know, might as well let her play in my playground eventually she'll come back here." No. Laverna you are wrong. 

 I stand closer, but not too close as to stepping a foot outside the hut, and place my hand across the hut, feeling the sunlight rays softly warming my skin. Curiously, I step one foot slowly, then stop. Afraid that the Nox will come at me and bite my head off or the man in the black cloak cast a spell on me. I glance at him as he snores, head leaning back against his chair, almost falling head to the ground if it weren't for the wooden hut supporting his back. I step another foot out and slowly come out of the shadow, flinching at the bright sunny sky. 

Perhaps it's due to the fact I've been inside this dark hut for who knows how long, but like a vampire I shy away from any light, due to it causing a slight headache and dizziness. I shake my head and compose my balance. Wait a second. I take a double look at the man, once again his face is not visible but an idea pops into my head. I slowly lift his large black hood up, hoping to see his face and just as I raise it up, I gasp, immediately covering my mouth shut. His pale skin wasn't frightening enough, nor burned skin, or the eye bags, but the gruesome scar he had across his face from his chin up to his left eye, pulling the skintight in an uncanny way. I back away slowly, thankful he hasn't woken up and walk to shore. I can't help but think what kind of tragic story does that guy have? Even more how did he end up with Laverna. I shake my head. Not my problem, what I should focus on is how to go back home. I have nothing that gives me leading clues except the mirror. For which I'm thankful, she took pity in me while I played actress and asked her to let me have it, hoping to see my home one last time. Surprisingly it worked. 

No Nox on sight. No Laverna or other beings around. Nice.

 I walk to what feels like hours, just to witness the same landscape over and over again. I look around seeing no trace of the Nox. But images keep flashing in my mind. That monster was real and physically present, it wandered here and there. I halt for a minute. 

Come to think of it, that was the first time I see it in a physical, a tangible form. Which is super terrifying. I don't understand what kind of skin it has. Or was it the environment? The air? It's home? What kind of place is this, that allows the Nox to stay in solid form? 

There is nothing but miles and miles of clear blue ocean water and trees. All around like a rim of a ring all together, as if no way out of a loop. The ocean waves crash against the sand, like music to my ears, bringing to mind Granny. The Ocean is the most significant vitality of life. She would say. It is a life source, vast and powerful.

I sit for a minute on the warm sand, cup my hands in the sand and wait for the water to fill in. As if solid matter, I clasp my hands together only to see it ooze out. I suddenly sit straight up, remembering how the water helped me heal. If I could heal, then... 

I cock my head pensively. 

That only means I can take in water without fighting back. Water is within me. Water is with me and my ally.  I shiver at the coolness of the water. Maybe the idea alone gave me chills also. I scoff at myself. I watch too many movies, what was I thinking water bending? Pfft. I snicker waving away the silly idea but only momentarily before running back to the water. 

Okay how do I teach myself to do this? I grab water into my hands and throw it up in the air, right after I palm my hands up pushing air away, holding my breath by seconds, hoping the water forms into a big water droplet, only to see it fall right back where it came from. I let out a sigh. I can sense other feelings and emotions and heal quickly but what can I do for myself? Maybe I'm just an empath, and maybe I ate all my veggies when I was younger which explains excellent wound healing. I kick dirt into the ocean disappointed at myself and nearly sulking when suddenly a shadow creeps close. I jump up only to find the black cloaked man. I lean forward inhaling air, lightly punching my chest from the mini heart attack I just experienced.

He bows and comes back up.

"Pardon me, Your Highness I didn't mean to scare you."

I cock my head to the side. This is no joke but why does it sound so ...awkward.

I shake my head, at least he is kind.

"N-no, I thought it was the beast. "

"He is away for now, but you shouldn't be so far from the hut. Dinner will be ready soon." 

I'm not hungry though.

He motions for me to follow .

I blink twice, part of me wanting to kick him in the head and run, the other just willingly walking because what the hell can I do in a situation like this? Where would I go? Is there even a where?

"How do you even know what time it is? "

He remains silent, making the environment eerie. 

"Okay...you wouldn't answer none of my questions earlier too. Let me just ask one question. Just one. Please?"

He stops in his tracks making me flinch, as if awaiting my annoying questionnaire.

 "Umm...may I at least know where I'm at?" To which he quietly replies, "We are few miles away from Elisora." 

My jaw drops, and maybe my heart skips a few scared beats.

"So you mean we are in Earth Sirius?"

"Yes."

He then turns around and let's me in the hut, motions for me to sit. Then leaves shutting the door tight.