Chapter 455: Chapter 455- Home

For the first time in her life, Elsie had begun to understand the term. ‘LET THE EARTH SWALLOW ME’.

“WHAT?!”

Thalia screamed at the top of her lungs while Rebecca’s eyes flared. Though one would question if she were simply snapping in realisation or surprise, like her younger sister.

“What bullshit are you spewing now, Sister?!”

Fiona turned to her with an arched brow and a plain expression of surprise.

“What’s with that reaction?”

It was common knowledge, was it not?

That when it came to Werebeasts and forming a bond with their supposed mate, they had to…

“What do you mean slept?!” Thalia continued in her assault.

Completely unaware of the true essence of the bond her brother shared with his girlfriend.

“It’s like I said.”

Fiona replied with a shrug.

“How else would they form a bond strong enough to tell if they’re alive or not?”

Her gaze darted to Elsie and back to Thalia.

“If they didn’t have that… they would simply be capable of smelling each other… nothing more.”

Thalia’s mouth hung open as she snapped her gaze at Elsie, who in return, pushed herself further into the cushion.

Her eyes were shut, and her body stiff with anticipation.

This was something she had expected them to figure out on their own… but with the way they responded.

‘I thought they already knew and moved on?!’

“Elsie, is this true?”

Thalia’s words came in sharply and cut through her line of thought, causing the girl to instinctively whimper at the change in her tone.

She opened her eyes slowly and met Thalia’s staring right at hers.

Well, not just Thalia, but the whole room.

Each of them, though not visibly showcasing it, had their eyes on her.

Quiet as they may be, with even their attention turned to something else, they continued to focus on her.

Surprisingly to Elsie, these women weren’t in any way, showcasing blood lust… in other words.

‘…I don’t think they’re pissed at the fact.’

But curious? Yes, and by a long shot.

So, with a small sigh, she nodded her head.

“When I followed him during his travel to the East… we sorta grew closer…”

She hesitated for a second. Her fingers tapped against each other while her cheeks blossomed red.

“He sorta… accepted me, I guess?” She muttered, slowly.

The cabin, which had been silent a moment ago, and riddled with tension that made her choke had suddenly eased by a large margin.

She looked up at them, her stiffened muscles slowly easing as she observed their reactions.

Thalia sighed, Rebecca shook her head, and Fiona simply smirked.

All different reactions, but with the same meaning.

“That son of a bitch went and did it.”

Thalia clicked her tongue.

“Tell me about it. A fifteen-year-old going about with a man’s task.”

“I had not even kissed a guy at that age.”

Thalia mused as she turned away.

“Hah… shit. This pieces me off.”

“He’s going to get an earful when he gets back.”

Rebecca said with a sigh. “He’s still too young for all this.”

Thalia and Fiona suddenly turned to her in unison.

Their gazes narrowed, and their lips twitched.

It was a knowing look.

One Rebecca recognised with ease and chose to ignore.

“Anyways… you’re with us now, Elsie.”

She muttered slowly as she shrugged off her sister’s unnecessary focus on her with relative difficulty.

Thalia giggled slightly.

“Yes, she’s right. Raph… though, far too young had done that with you. Meaning you are no longer alone.”

Fiona nodded.

“Agreed. You now have the backing of the whole Jun household behind you, young one.” Her smirk tightened into a grin as her eyes sparked.

“You now stand by us.”

“And with that, you are one of us.” Rebecca completed the statement, as if it had been a rehearsed speech the daughters of the Jun household had concocted for their future brother’s love partner… or partners.

“We now have five sisters, huh?” Fiona said with a flicker of something playful.

“How cool is that?”

The girls laughed out loud.

“Wait till Raph finds out.”

And the laughter only increased.

Seated by the side, Elsie watched with a full heart and a startled gaze as she was welcomed into a family with ease. No strings. No pull. No hate… no negativity.

Simply love and trust.

With all this in the air, her body couldn’t help but tremble slightly as she gripped her fingers tightly around her nightwear.

A smile formed on her face as she lowered her head.

‘Hah… so this is where Raph grew up… so warm.’

The chatter continued for a little longer between the sisters.

A hearty cabin filled with relaxation and a kind of ease that would make one melt.

But just like all transient things, it had to end.

“Alright. That’s enough. I’ve gotten the information I needed.”

Fiona said with a satisfied nod, and the others simply shifted in their seats in confusion.

Her tone had changed back to its usual.

A serious, yet playful tone with every warning that she was in fact, dangerous.

Her playful glint in her eyes resumed and she glanced at everyone in the Cabin.

“It’s time to leave.”

Thalia tilted her head, slowly.

“We’re already leav– AHHHH!

Before her statement could form an end, the ground beneath them turned into a spiral of purple– a portal and swallowed them whole without a second more.

Fiona remained in the Cabin.

Her ever-playful smirk on her face as she knocked on the wooden door and placed an object on the seat.

“Keep the change.”

Immediately, she descended into the Portal and the spiral wool immediately disappeared.

At the same time, the door opened, and the Coachman’s face came into view.

The man darted his head about in confusion at the sudden emptiness of his coach, when a flicker of something solid caught his eyes.

He glanced down at it. A gold coin, and his eyes and lips widened with delight.

“I’M FUCKING RICH!”

****

Home was never transient.

A place where her hearts tend to itself and our bodies rejuvenate.

An abode of blessing, good energy and cheerful smiles.

And for the Elves, it meant their everything.

•

•

•

Darrell Silvan, in all regality and calm, sat in a Coach headed to the same designated location as the Juns.

The Transport Port.

There, they’ll find a Portal Station and be on their way.

Though, unlike the Juns, he was aiming for the Portals. And he would get it by hook or crook if he needed to.

The Eastern Forest, unlike the North, was quite far.

So much so that Elves rarely ventured out of their abode unless necessary.

And for Princes like Darrell, it was quite… necessary.

‘Hah…I can’t wait to see the World Tree!’

Like everyone else, the young lad was lost in thought, unable to hide the excitement of returning to the forest he loved and adored.

So much so that he had forgotten about the predicament he escaped at the nick of time.

Luckily for him…

“Prince Darrell, please act in a way that won’t impede the demeanour of the Elves.”

The young male Elf frowned, then smiled as he turned to the golden-haired female seated opposite

“Hah… Tiara, dear.”

He said, slowly as the golden Elf turned her face away.

As they were alone and no longer in the wet and torn night wear they had once adorned themselves in, she had reverted back to her original appearance.

Tiara Goldin, the last Gold Elf of the Elvin Race.

And just like Darrell, she was just as excited… at least, by a bit.

It was different to her, unlike Darrell.

She loved her home, yes… but she hated it, also.

After all, wherever she went and whatever she looked at would be a stark reminder of her state.

Which, unfortunately, was the fact that she alone was the last Gold Elf left on earth.

While Darrell got to see trees and houses filled with silver-haired Elves, Tiara got to see… well, the same.

Only, none were her true family, nor kin.

It was like she was surrounded by strangers.

“And how am I acting differently from our brethren?”

Darrell’s voice cut through her thoughts and pulled her back to the present.

She turned away and folded her arms.

“If you’re incapable of even telling them apart, then there’s nothing more to say.”

Darrell sighed with a weary sigh.

‘She still hasn’t budged a bit.’

His expression, once relaxed and beaming with pleasure, was now curled in a bitter, sad smile.

‘What will I ever do to make you smile at me, Tiara?’

For weeks… months, since that day she was found, Darrell had tried countless times to get this girl to smile at least once for him.

And every time, it ended in failure.

He gazed up at her.

His thoughts lined up in order while he studied her. Unsurprisingly, he had learnt to see through her simple gestures and body language to tell what she was thinking at times like this.

And so far… he wasn’t pleased.

At that moment, their carriage came to an abrupt stop.

Then the sound of footsteps and idle chatter reached their sensitive, long ears.

The door clicked and the Coachman came into view.

He bowed.

“Prince Darrell and his aide, we have arrived at the Transport Port.”

That’ll be all for now, folks.

More tomorrow!