The Light in the Windows

"AGH!" I gasped desperately for air, bending forward with my hands on my knees.

My fingers shot up to my neck, patting carefully all around. Was it still intact?

"..."

It... was.

"..."

My vision slowly returned. In front of me stood towering trees, their crowns faintly lit by the last traces of sunlight as dusk approached. I whipped my head left and right in panic.

Alice and Karen were still there, alive, their heads still intact. Even the winged bear-like beast, which remained lifeless on the ground, its body still frightening even in stillness.

"Are you okay, Elias?"

"What's wrong, Elias?"

The sisters placed their hands on my shoulders, worry etched on their faces. In my grip was the small pouch the elf girl had given me.

“…Weirdo.” Her voice came from above. I glanced up just in time to see her leap from the treetop and vanish into the fading light once again.

Did… I just... die?

"..."

I stayed silent, mind reeling. Alice and Karen shook me gently, their voices rising with concern until I managed to whisper, "Sorry, sorry… let me just catch my breath."

"It's alright, Elias. Take it easy. Speak when you're ready," Alice reassured, patting my back.

I nodded, throat still too tight for words. A deep, long breath steadied me before I straightened, ready at last to explain.

"..."

"What happened, Elias? Is something the matter?" Alice pressed.

"I know what it is!" Karen cut in, hostility in her voice. "That elf must have slipped some poisonous herb into that pouch!"

"No, no, Karen... It’s not that!" My voice came out sharper than intended, and my expression twisted with dread. "It’s something else!"

The two sisters fell quiet. Karen looked down, a little hurt by my outburst. "Sorry," I added quickly, "I didn’t mean to shout." They nodded in forgiveness, waiting patiently for me to continue.

"..."

"It’s—" I stammered, chest still tight with fear.

Alice caught on quickly. "It’s your 'premonitions' again, isn’t it, Elias?"

"Yes," I said hollowly. "There’s something in the house. Something I can’t quite describe."

"It was terrifying," I shuddered. "It… lopped our heads off. All of us. I didn’t get a clear look, but it was large, and its eyes glowed red in the dark."

Alice’s lips tightened. "You mean Grandma’s house?"

I nodded.

"But how is that possible?" she whispered.

"I don’t know either. But whatever we do, we must stay away from that place."

"But where can we go?" Karen asked. "It’s getting dark."

She was right. Whether inside or outside, danger lurked. Perhaps outside was safer, but what if the creature was already waiting there? How many times would I have to die before we learned the truth? At least this time, my 'checkpoint' seemed fixed after the elf killed the bear. That spared me the agony of starting over again from the unknown… yet, I still couldn’t bear to see Alice and Karen die like that.

"..."

"How about we…" I hesitated. "tend to Karen’s injuries here, then move closer to the house, but wait outside. Hopefully by then, Grandma and Father will have returned."

"But what if the ‘creature’ you saw is outside?" Alice asked, finger to her chin.

"I thought of that too," I admitted. "But my premonition felt… confined. As if it were inside, waiting for us, despite the locked doors. I think it's a safer gamble waiting. Plus, Grandma did say that she cleared all the beasts near the area. Surely, we could just—"

"Elias…" Alice squeezed my hand, and Karen placed hers atop as well. "It's fine, you don't have to describe anymore. Whatever you decide, we’ll follow. We trust you with all our hearts. You saved us once; we believe you'll save us again."

Their trust warmed me, but weighed heavily on my shoulders too.

"..."

"Thank you, Alice. Thank you, Karen," I murmured. "Let’s treat your wound then, Karen. Sit down."

I guided her gently to a stone slab and looked to Alice for instruction.

"Since we don’t have tools to grind the herb into a paste, I’ll just rub it by hand," Alice explained with calm expertise. "Luckily, this plant is delicate and works easily when applied." She crushed the leaves in her palms until they softened.

"Here, Elias. You try." She handed me the mashed herb.

Karen slipped off her shoe and sock, revealing a pale leg with a swollen ankle tinged red and blue.

"Don’t stare too much, E-l-i-a-s," she teased.

"I won’t!" I retorted, embarrassed.

Slowly, I rubbed the herb onto her ankle, careful not to press too hard.

"!"

"Ahhh!" Karen yelped, her voice carrying a strangely suggestive tone. "Not there, Elias. Not there!"

"Why are you making noises like that?!" I groaned. "If you keep it up, I’ll stop!"

"Hehe, sorry, Elias." She stuck out her tongue playfully.

I shook my head but kept going. This time, she only winced, her expression betraying the pain.

"Right. Now your knee, please," I said.

Karen lifted her gown just above the kneecap. "No peeking, okay?"

"I won’t!" I exclaimed again, sighing. She only smiled in response. Alice, meanwhile, stayed unusually quiet, her gaze lingering on us.

"..." 

"There. All done."

"Thanks, Elias," Karen said softly, wrapping her arms around me in a brief hug.

I looked at Alice. "Should we head back, or let her rest?"

Alice jumped slightly at the question. "O-oh! Let’s give it a few more minutes. Then, she should feel a lot better."

"I see." I narrowed my eyes. "You sure you’re okay, Alice? Something on your mind?"

"Huh? Oh, no. Just… thinking." She waved it off quickly.

"..."

By the time we set out again, dusk had already surrendered to night. The world turned dark, filled with the cries of nocturnal creatures, not beasts, but the natural chorus of the forest shifting from day to night.

"Let’s go," Alice said softly.

Karen leaned on my shoulder while Alice supported her other side.

"How’s your ankle now?" I asked.

"Better," Karen smiled. "Still swollen, but the herb seems to be working. Thank you." Then, with a mischievous grin, she added, "It must be the power of love."

I sighed. Alice and Karen giggled, their laughter lightening the heavy air and warming the darkness around us.

"..."

The closer we drew to Grandma’s house, the slower and more cautious our steps became. Every few paces, we glanced to either side, checking the shadows, though the forest gave no strange sounds, only the usual chorus of night.

"!"

The windows glowed with light.

Had Grandma and Father returned already?

But… if they had, shouldn’t the wyvern be nearby as well? There was no sign of it. Was it stationed elsewhere?

A chill of unease crawled up my spine. Something didn’t feel right.

Before I could speak, Alice suddenly broke into a run, leaving me struggling to support Karen.

"Wait, Alice—!" I called out, reaching a hand.

"Don’t worry, Elias! It must be Grandma and Father, surely it has to be!" Her face shone with expectation as she hurried to the door.

Karen and I followed as best we could, my heart pounding harder with every step.

Alice threw the door open.

And inside was...