Chapter 56

Elika yawned, stretching her sore muscles as she leaned back in her chair, it’s been several months since she arrived in this orphanage, and still, she cannot get used to the way is maintained. The people here are so nice, so welcoming and gentle, it’s not something that the girl is used to.

It’s not something she ever could have expected. Maybe she would have felt better about deceiving them all if they were cruel like her uncle, but they weren’t, Mrs Taner who ran the orphanage was a sweet and kind old woman.

It almost saddened the princess to know that one day her mortal soul would leave this world.

But there was nothing she could do about that, all humans died, it was in their nature. Just as it was in Elika’s nature to experience life for thousands of years.

If Darkous didn’t find her first.

Jake never came back, and though she spent weeks watching and waiting, neither did her uncle, it was like she really was safe from. The war. Just as her brother had wanted for her.

But Elika wasn’t stupid, she knew that she would eventually be found, it is just a case of who finds her first. She prays daily that isn’t her brother and not the dark lord.

Mrs Taner peaks her head around the door, “Still working on your history project, Ellie?”

Ellie Field. That’s the name that was on the identification that awaited her in the banks lock box, and whilst it took a while to get used to, the princess was quite smitten with the name.

“Yes Mrs, I shouldn’t be too much longer.” She replied with a tight smile.

If only she could truly be the 16-year-old human whose family died in a wildfire. Her life wouldn’t be so bad, not with all the money her brother left her.

She liked school, it was strange at first, watching the way young humans interact with each other. But she grew to love it, and she even made a friend along the way called Sarah Myer.

Of course, Sarah didn’t know who Elika truly was, but that didn’t stop them from becoming the best of friends, and the princess was glad for it. Sarah was the perfect friend, caring and sweet, always shared her lunch. Even when she didn’t need to.

Come to think of it, she was the only friend the princess had ever had, and she was to hold onto her as long as she could.

They had seen each other outside of school as well, spending their time going to the cinema and drive-in movies, which was mainly due to the fact that her friend was already driving, having passed her test earlier than most.

Happiness didn’t last forever, and Elika was savouring every second of her freedom whilst knowing that it could be ripped from under her at any moment.

The orphanage owner smiles softly, “Make sure you get some rest, Ellie. School starts back up tomorrow.”

How could she forget? It was also the day of her seventeenth birthday, marking a year since the night her life changed for good.

Though right now she wasn’t sure if it changed for the better or worse.

If you disregarded all the torture.

“I will, goodnight, Mrs Taner.” She says, stretching once more before she leant back over the desk, doing her best to try and get herself to concentrate.

“Goodnight.” She responds lightly, quietly shutting the door so that she doesn’t disturb the other children just down the hall.

Elika had to hand in an assignment on WW2, something that most of the mortal countries fought in, and after diving into the deep end of history she decided it would be best to do it from a perspective that no one would expect. The children.

It was a risk, and she might fail the entire assignment because of her choice, but it was a risk she was willing to take.

It isn’t like the grades truly mattered to her anyway, she would live longer than anyone else in her class. Longer than anyone else in this realm.

She sighed for the seventh time, deciding to call it a night, she had done all that she could to make the work right, now it just needed to be handed to the tutor in the morning.

She pulled off her clothes and threw them in random places, promising herself that she would pick them all up in the morning. But it was probably a lie. She was messy, a bad habit she had slowly become accustomed to.

Her father, Atlas would have never allowed her to be messy, or leave anything lying around, even with the thousands of servants that they had.

But her father wasn’t here, and the girl didn’t even know if he was alive anymore. Or if the war continued to rage on in her absence.

Jake cut her off completely, with no knowledge of her own world, but Elika knew it was for the best, it is what kept her hidden all of this time.

It is what kept Darkous away from her, and she couldn’t help but be grateful for that, no matter the cost to her sanity.

Elika laid down in the single bed, the metal creaking as she rolled on her side, sleep evading her as her mind wandered.

She didn’t know what she would do if she was found, especially when she hardly had any control over her powers. But she knew she would have no choice other than to fight, if she didn’t, she would be forced back into a world of pain, cages and torture. She would do anything not to go back to that.

If only Jake would come to her and give her hope, something she could use to stop the terror that slithered through her body every single night.

All her thoughts of the dark lord and what he will do to her when he finally catches up to her.

IF he catches up to her.