HIDDEN - Book 1 of the Elysium Series

One. The Dream

THE DREAM

There he was again.

  The warm air brushed against his face, but he didn't mind it. He was already used to it. The dream had become something so familiar to him, yet every moment awake, he wondered why.

  Why does he have this dream every time he closes his eyes? What was it trying to tell him?

  His ears picked up the frantic yelling coming from his right, and he turned. He'd expected to see the strange looking people in shining armor on their horses, galloping through the woods as they chased the girl in white dress.

  "Help! Please help me!" The little girl yelled. Her shiny blonde hair flew behind her as she ran and not once had she dared to look behind her.

  Unlike when he first dreamed of this world, Garrick opened his arms and prepared himself to catch her. The impact as her body collided with his caused him to fall to the side of the ride, and he shielded her head as they landed. The tall shrubs were enough to hide them from the riders who passed by, however Garrick closed his eyes for a moment and held his breath hoping they wouldn't notice his left foot sticking out.

  "Find the human girl! Find her!" One of them barked, assuming it was the leader who led the hunt. Men scattered to every direction and soon they all faded as the distance between them and the children became larger.

  Garrick finally let go of his breath and relaxed his limbs, sprawling on the ground like a starfish before realizing he had the girl in his arms. Carefully, he removed his right arm from beneath her and sat up, watching her stirring awake.

  Even if he'd been here a couple of times, her beauty will always make him feel spellbound. From the silky blonde – white as snow, and fair skin, her striking dark eyes, and the rosy color on her cheeks accompanied by a constellation of freckles. Her thin figure, covered in a thin strapped dress then went below her knees, made her look small in her vulnerable state. Garrick had to divert his eyes when hers landed on him making him flustered a little.

  "Are you alright, Elisya?" He asked her as he examined for any injuries. The boy helped her brush some dirt off of her white dress– not that it wasn't clean either from before, then took a step back not wanting to startle her.

  Elisya looked up at him and tilted her head, the blonde curls following the movement and Garrick couldn't help but get distracted because of it. "How do you know my name?" Elysia wondered.

  A heavy brick settled itself on his chest and his shoulders fell in defeat. Of course she wouldn't know him. Everything's always the same in his dream; like a time stuck in a loop and not a single thing has changed. The only one who changed and remembers it all was Garrick himself. Afterall it is his dream. One he had no control of however.

  Garrick cleared his throat and straightened his posture. Just like he always does when Elysia asks the same question. "We've met before...My name's Garrick."

  A dazed look crossed in her eyes. "Garrick... Your name sounds familiar yet I have no memory of meeting a 'Garrick'." Elysia told him. "Tell me, Gary–"

  "It's Garrick." A small smile sat on his lips as he corrected her. Seven year old him would've been annoyed for the fact she got his name wrong when he first dreamt of this world.

  "– Are you from Celeya? Or Gaius?" She circled him, examining him from head to toe and Garrick couldn't help but follow her. "You look like a fairy but you don't. Perhaps an elf."

  "That's because I'm a human."

  Elysia gasped and grasped his hands. He could feel her trying to hold back from jumping in excitement. "You are?! I'm a human too!" She exclaimed. She let go of his hands and began to spin around with joy, and if he could hear it right, he could hear the sound of bells echoing in her laughter.