Aria's heart pounded in her chest as she sprinted through the forest, her mind spinning with a whirlwind of thoughts. Caine. The very man who had slit her throat in the previous life, the same one whose smirk haunted her nightmares, was standing in the moonlight just moments ago. And now, she was running for her life—again.
Nope. Not happening again. Not on my watch.
But there was something about this forest that wasn't just dark and mysterious—it was delightfully annoying. As if the universe had a sense of humor, every step Aria took seemed to trip her up in a new and ridiculous way. First, her boot got caught on a vine, sending her face-first into a bush. Not a very graceful start. She could practically hear the universe chuckling.
"Ugh!" Aria growled, pushing herself up from the bush. "You have to be kidding me! Where are all the cool trees when you need them?"
A loud rustling came from behind her, followed by the unmistakable sound of someone—someone—laughing. Of course. As if she didn't already have enough to deal with, now she had an audience. With a growl, she whipped around, expecting it to be Caine, but instead, she found… a very unfortunate looking elf.
The elf blinked at her, clearly trying (and failing) to suppress a laugh. He was tall, his long, silver hair shimmering under the moonlight like some sort of ethereal advertisement for hair care products. His eyes were a striking shade of violet, and he was wearing an outfit that screamed "I'm in the forest because I've got style"—a ridiculous, billowing cloak that seemed way too dramatic for the situation.
"Uh, excuse me? Do you mind?" Aria snapped, brushing dirt off her cloak as if that would make her look less like a forest casualty.
"Are you okay?" The elf smirked, clearly trying not to burst into laughter. "I've never seen anyone trip quite so gracefully."
Aria raised an eyebrow. She had spent her life fighting in battles, wielding magic, and surviving assassination attempts. She wasn't exactly known for being the clumsy type.
"I meant to do that," she said, though she knew it sounded a little ridiculous. What, did she look like she was in a comedy show?
The elf leaned in, his violet eyes scanning her like she was an interesting specimen in a lab. "So, I'm guessing you're not a local, huh?"
"Do I look local?" Aria shot back, dusting off her skirt with more force than necessary. "I just… showed up here, okay? Not really sure how or why, but I'm this close to getting a solid explanation."
The elf raised an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued. "Oh, how delightful. You're like me, then—lost and confused in the woods without a map." He grinned. "Tell me, do you get lost often?"
Aria narrowed her eyes at him, now realizing something. This elf wasn't just some random traveler—he seemed to be enjoying her misfortune. A little too much.
"Are you going to help me or just stand there mocking me?" she asked, a little exasperated.
"Mocking you? No, no," he replied, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I'm here to help. Maybe. But only if you can do one thing."
She crossed her arms, looking unimpressed. "What's that?"
The elf leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Tell me—what kind of food did you have before your dramatic death? I need to know if you're worth saving, or if I should just leave you to your fate. I'm picky."
Aria blinked at him. "Did you just ask me about food?"
"Well, yes," the elf said, still smirking. "I believe that's the most important thing when meeting new people. They say it's the way to the heart, after all." He paused. "Or the stomach. It's hard to decide, really."
She stared at him for a long moment, then shook her head. This guy...
"Fine," she said, trying to hide the smile threatening to form. "Before my 'dramatic' death, I had some—well, it wasn't great—but I had some really questionable stew. Pretty sure it had a lot of mystery meat in it, though. Why, you interested?"
The elf looked absolutely delighted. "Mystery meat? Oh, now we're talking!" His eyes gleamed, and for a moment, Aria was certain he was about to start clapping. "That's the spirit! You, my dear, are definitely worth saving."
And just like that, with a theatrical bow, the elf snapped his fingers.
The ground beneath her feet suddenly felt like it was spinning, and before Aria could blink, she was no longer standing in the forest. Instead, she found herself in what could only be described as a magical... restaurant?
"What the—?" Aria glanced around in shock. The place was a rustic, fairy-tale-esque inn, with glowing mushrooms hanging from the ceiling and floating candles around the room. A long counter with what looked like magical ingredients—floating pots and pans—lined one side of the room.
"And there we go," the elf said proudly, dusting his hands off as though he'd just done something monumental. "Welcome to my humble abode! You can call me Elian, and I am your official guide to survival."
Aria blinked. "What just happened?"
"You were in danger, so I saved you," Elian said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. He handed her a steaming mug of something that smelled suspiciously good. "Now, here's some of my famous elf brew. It'll help clear your head."
She took the mug from him, sniffing it cautiously. It smelled delicious, warm, and a little... spicy. "Uh… what exactly is this?"
Elian winked. "I'm not telling. It's a special recipe. Just drink it. If you're lucky, you might just start liking mystery meat stew."
Aria snorted. "You're insane."
"That's what everyone says," Elian replied, his grin growing wider. "Now, about that 'Caine guy'—you think he's really gonna be that much of a problem?"
She looked at him, the weight of her past pressing down on her once again. "Oh, you have no idea. Caine's an obsession. A dangerous one."
"Ah," Elian said knowingly. "Sounds like someone I'd love to meet."
Aria raised an eyebrow at him, wondering just how much trouble she had just walked into.