Bastiel
"We were alive. We had survived. But nothing felt certain anymore. This forest—so alive, so vast—felt both foreign and familiar. The silence was unlike any silence I had known before. It wasn't peaceful; it was expectant. As we stepped forward, the air seemed to press in on us, heavy with secrets. And then… the animals appeared. At first, I thought they were a trick of the mind, born from the sheer exhaustion of our bodies. But they came closer, and I realized—they weren't afraid of us. They were curious. No, welcoming us. As if the forest itself had been waiting for us."
_______
The heavy weight of grief still pressed down on their hearts, but slowly, the quiet of the forest began to seep into their minds. The siblings stood in a clearing, their eyes darting between each other and the unfamiliar woods surrounding them.
The trees were towering and ancient, their trunks thick with age and their leaves a deep shade of green that seemed almost unreal. The air was cool, but not bitter, and the gentle rustling of leaves was the only sound that filled the space—no distant voices, no screams, no chaos. Just silence.
Bastiel was the first to move, stepping forward cautiously. His scarred palms throbbed, and he clenched his fists to steady himself, the weight of his responsibility pressing down on him. His sharp eyes scanned the landscape, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. It was peaceful.
"We're... safe," Bastiel murmured, though the words didn't feel real.
Nerys nodded, still pale from the aftermath of the spell's backlash. Her body felt drained, but the cool, earthy air seemed to give her some comfort. She gazed around, her tired eyes searching the trees. "How did we end up here?" she whispered, as though afraid the forest itself might have answers.
Amara, still holding Orin close to her side, stepped forward cautiously. Her gaze was wary, her instincts telling her to stay alert. The younger ones had clung to her in the immediate aftermath, but now she could feel a sense of safety—yet still, a niggling feeling of uncertainty remained.
"This doesn't feel real," Ayla said softly, staring at the trees with wide, unblinking eyes. "It's too calm, too quiet. Like nothing's happening." She gripped Draegon's sleeve tighter, as if the familiarity of him could anchor her to something solid.
Draegon, his eyes fixed on the distance, took a deep breath. "This is our new reality now, Ayla," he said. His tone was steady, but the tremor in his voice betrayed the unease within him. He, too, felt the weight of what had happened. "We need to accept it."
Just as the silence began to settle into something suffocating, a sudden rustle in the underbrush caught their attention.
From behind a thick cluster of ferns, a deer stepped into the clearing—its coat a rich brown, the white spots on its back catching the light that filtered through the trees. The siblings froze, eyes wide in awe and wonder. The deer didn't seem afraid. It simply watched them, its large, dark eyes holding an almost knowing look.
"It's... so close," Orin whispered in awe, his voice filled with wonder rather than fear.
Amara bent down, shielding her twin slightly. "Stay close, Orin," she murmured, her protective instincts still sharp despite everything that had happened.
As the deer stood, unbothered by their presence, other creatures began to emerge from the trees. A rabbit hopped into the clearing, its small, twitching nose sniffing the air. A pair of foxes slinked into view, their coats blending in with the shadows beneath the trees. The siblings watched in silence, eyes wide as they were welcomed by the forest.
Bastiel's jaw tightened, his instincts pulling him into a more defensive stance. "They're not attacking," he said slowly, still wary, though his gaze softened at the sight of the creatures. He never would have thought that, in the wake of such loss, he would find any comfort in this place—but somehow, the animals' peaceful presence brought a flicker of warmth to his heart.
Zorion, still groggy from the energy drain, slowly sat up, his eyes tracking the movements of the creatures. "I don't think they want to hurt us," he murmured, though his voice was still faint from his earlier collapse. "Maybe... maybe we're meant to be here."
Ayla leaned against Draegon, her eyes never leaving the deer as it took a few cautious steps forward. She whispered softly, almost to herself, "Are we supposed to trust this place?"
"I don't know," Draegon replied quietly, his voice guarded. "But for now, we don't have a choice. We'll stay here until we know what's next."
The air felt heavy with silence once again, but this time, it was a quiet acceptance that wrapped around them like a blanket. Their parents were gone, and they were alone—but the forest, with its strange sense of calm and the animals that seemed to surround them, was offering them something.
Safety.
The siblings began to relax, just a little.
Bastiel moved a few steps further, his eyes locked on the pouch still in his hands. "We'll figure this out," he said, more to himself than anyone else. "We have to."
And for the first time since the attack, his words carried a sense of determination.