Power Awakened.

My father remained silent for a few moments.

His gaze was steady, but... empty.

After a few seconds.

"I accept," Dad took a deep breath and said with a determined voice.

Elfherinsei smiled slightly, as if he already knew what he would say.

"Then please come with us," he said . Elfherinsei .

Dad looked at me and Filna .

Before I could say anything, Karina came closer and placed her hands on our heads.

"Don't worry. You'll all be together again today," she said , her tone too sweet to be true.

My heart warmed.

I smiled without thinking.

"Yes... Mommy's coming back!" I shouted happily.

"Let's go," said Elfherinsei , raising his staff.

Dad looked at us one last time.

"Goodbye, my daughters," said Dad.

"Dad is coming back with Mom," I said.

And then, in a flash of white light, they disappeared.

The room fell silent.

Only the sound of the wind entering through the window filled the emptiness.

"Our mother will come back..." I whispered, feeling a lump in my throat.

Suddenly, I was punched in the shoulder.

"Oh! Why did you do that, Filna ?!" I asked, confused.

"Because you're just as stupid as your dad!" he replied . Filna .

" Huh ?! What are you talking about?!" I asked.

"They were lying, Yumi !" she shouted angrily.

"They were after Dad's intelligence!" Filna continued shouting.

I stood there, completely confused.

"Are you saying that... they lied?" I asked, shocked.

— Yes. — Filna lowered her head.

"They're going to enslave him and force him to work for them," he explained . Filna .

I felt my eyes burning. Tears began to fall uncontrollably.

That's a lie... it can't be a lie...

The hours passed.

Night has fallen.

The silence in the house was heavy… almost suffocating.

Suddenly, we heard the sound of a door opening.

Clack .

— Filna ! See?! It seems it wasn't a lie! — I smiled .

But when I looked…

The smile disappeared.

— Yumi … Filna … Run! — said Dad, his voice weak.

In his hand... there was a piece of glass covered in blood.

His body was trembling.

—Dad?!— I yelled .

He staggered… and fell to the ground, lifeless.

— NOOOOOOO!!! — we both screamed.

I felt the world collapsing.

My chest hurt.

The air seemed to disappear.

— Yumi ! — Let's hide! she shouted . Filna , pulling me.

"Okay... there's a trunk in our room..." I said.

We ran, tripping over our own feet.

My heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to explode.

We went into the room, opened the old trunk, and huddled inside.

The air was stuffy.

I could hear the sound of my own tears falling.

Please… let no one find us…

Then we heard footsteps.

Two.

One light… and one heavy.

"Look at that. He managed to get all the way here. He held up quite well," said a female voice. It was Karina.

She laughed.

"And to think he actually believed we'd bring his wife back... pathetic," Karina said mockingly.

"It doesn't matter. See if the children are here. If you find them... kill them both," he replied . Elfherinsei , coldly.

— Understood. — said Karina.

Footsteps echoed through the house.

The sound of the doors opening made my heart stop for a moment.

— (Nothing in the master bedroom.) — he murmured. Elfherinsei .

And Karina went upstairs, heading straight to our room.

I could barely breathe.

— (They must have run away… children usually hide under the bed or in the closet…) — she thought quietly.

So… silence.

And then…

The trunk lid opened.

The light came in.

And I saw her.

That smile.

Cold.

Cruel.

Empty.

She looked at us for a few seconds… and smiled even more.

Then… she closed the trunk slowly.

"Unfortunately, no clues. They must have escaped using some kind of teleportation skill ," she said aloud.

— I understand. Let's go, then. — he replied . Elfherinsei .

"Okay," said Karina.

Then, a wave of energy swept through the house.

And in an instant, they disappeared.

We stayed there inside, embracing each other, in absolute silence.

Just listening to the sound of our own fear.

Dad… Mom…

Why is the world like this?

I closed my eyes and promised myself :

One day... I would understand everything.

And I would do the impossible... so that no one else would cry like we did.

The next day, we returned to the throne room to tell the queen everything.

My voice trembled as I spoke; Filna , even with her eyes still red, remained calm.

"Are you sure the elf who killed your father is called Elfherinsei ?!" he asked . Galadriel , frightened.

"Yes," Filna replied firmly.

The queen murmured to herself thoughtfully, as if remembering something from afar.

— (So… Elfherinsei-sensei has become evil?) — I heard her whisper, almost imperceptibly.

Galadriel looked up at us.

"Once again... I apologize for what happened," Galadriel said.

Those words... again. Always the same.

Something inside me exploded.

"All you know how to do is apologize?!" I yelled , unable to contain myself.

"Unfortunately... at this moment, yes," she replied , without raising her voice.

"Please forgive my sister. She's nervous," he said . Filna , looking down.

I grabbed the collar of my sister's dress.

"Why are you defending her?!" I asked angrily.

"Because the queen isn't to blame for Mom's death... or Dad's," Filna replied seriously.

Her words kept echoing in my head.

Galadriel , for a moment, seemed to tremble. Her eyes shone as if she saw something we could not see.

— (Wait… Yumi … what incredible potential. Could she really achieve peace between the worlds?) — he thought , and I could feel the weight of that thought.

Celebrian , the Queen's son, approached.

"Mother, is everything alright?" asked Galadriel 's son .

Galadriel took a deep breath.

— Yumi , Filna … listen to what I'm going to say. — she said Galadriel .

I covered my ears with my hands.

"I can't hear anything, hehehe ," I tried to disguise my fear with a forced smile.

— Please, be respectful. — he said . Celebrian , frowning.

"Go ahead. I'll pass the message on to that fool," he replied . Filna .

"I see in you two the minds that one day may bring peace between all worlds." Galadriel smiled slightly, and then said in a soft voice.

Filna's eyes widened in surprise.

— I understand. — he said. Filna .

"If you wish, you may stay here in the kingdom. Have some fun, you deserve it," the queen added .

— Okay. — he said Filna , turning to leave.

I took my hands away from my ears.

"Little sister, wait for me!" I ran after her.

We wandered aimlessly through the gardens until we came across a group of five elven children, two girls and three boys.

One of them approached, smiling.

Do you want to play with us?

— Seriously? — I asked , trying to smile too.

"Of course," he replied .

Filna looked around suspiciously.

Nevertheless, we followed them to the Ebarrilerf forest .

The place was shrouded in a light mist, and ancient trees seemed to whisper secrets.

Ebarrilerf forest . It was created by the queen herself, and no one but her can enter here. Doing so is certain punishment…) — Filna whispered, frightened.

"Shall we play here?" I asked , trying to hide my nervousness.

"Yes," one of the girls replied , smiling strangely.

Filna began to tremble.

"This is a trap..." he murmured.

— Huh ? What are you talking about? — I asked .

Then everyone started laughing.

Long, cold laughs.

"You're laughing because it's a joke, right?" I asked , feeling my stomach churn.

One of the boys replied, in a cruel tone:

— Let's start by killing her little sister.

— What?! — I yelled.

Before I could move, two boys and a girl grabbed me.

The others grabbed Filna .

"Stop! Please!" I yelled , struggling to break free.

But they didn't stop.

The blows echoed, dry and painful.

Filna was crying, her face stained with blood and dirt.

"Enough!" I pleaded .

"I'll do anything, just stop!" I pleaded.

One of the girls raised the blade.

"Anything?" he asked coldly.

"Yes!" I replied without thinking.

Filna looked at me, almost without strength.

"Let her go," the girl ordered .

I want you to kneel down and act like a dog. Lick our feet.

I felt the ground spin. I didn't know what to do. My mind screamed at me to run, but my legs froze.

— STOP THIS NOW!!! — Before I could move, a powerful voice echoed through the forest:

The queen emerged from among the trees, surrounded by silvery light.

For a second, I thought we were saved.

Filna 's throat .

Time stood still.

— Noooooo !!! — I screamed .

The sound came out raw, as if it were coming from the depths of the soul.

I ran, but I arrived too late.

Galadriel knelt down, shocked, holding my sister's body.

— Filna … — she whispered, her voice trembling.

Everything became blurry.

The forest seemed to spin.

I felt the ground disappear beneath my feet.

"Why...? Why does everything we love have to die?"

Filna 's body lay there, motionless.

My knees hit the ground and the world seemed to collapse along with me.

The tears flowed without stopping.

— I wanted to… — my voice faltered.

"I wish I could go back a few minutes... because at least then... I wouldn't lose the only thing I still have left..." I said, crying.

The pain was so intense it felt like it was burning from the inside.

Then, something happened.

A pale purple light began to emanate from my body.

She was trembling, alive, pulsating.

My heart stopped for a second.

And then, everything went white.

When I opened my eyes, I heard voices.

The same voices.

— Let's start by killing her little sister.

My blood ran cold.

I looked around, and saw everything repeating itself.

The elven children.

Ebarrilerf forest .

A Filna , viva.

— (What… what is this…?) — I thought , my chest pounding.

I saw the boys and girls holding Filna .

The blows, the screams. All the same.

— (Don't tell me I... went back in time?!) — my hands were trembling.

— (But… I don't have the strength. I'm going to see the same scene again… without being able to change anything…) — I thought.

I closed my eyes and started to cry.

But then, I heard a familiar voice.

" Yumi ... you can open your eyes," said the voice.

The Queen's Voice.

Galadriel .

I opened my eyes suddenly and it seemed like the air returned to my lungs.

"That was your plan, wasn't it, you damn bitch?!" I yelled , in pure despair.

— Yumi ! — Filna glared at me furiously.

"Have you gone mad to speak to the queen like that after she saved me?!" she shouted. Filna is annoyed.

— What?! — I looked at her, confused.

"You... you're alive?!" I asked.

"Are you wishing for my death, is that it?!" Filna scoffed.

— N-no! I just… I can't explain it! — I said, completely confused.

Galadriel stepped forward, serene.

"You went back in time, Yumi . And, without realizing it, you saved your sister," he said . Galadriel .

— What?! — my heart almost stopped.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"Because your power didn't affect my memories. I saw what happened before. I used that to act before them," she explained calmly.

"I didn't expect those children to be capable of such cruelty..." Galadriel said, looking downcast.

Shame gripped my chest.

"So... you weren't to blame for everything..." I said.

"Of course not, you idiot!" she said . Filna , crossing her arms.

I laughed through my tears and fell to my knees, exhausted.

"Is everything alright, Yumi ?" he asked. Galadriel , approaching.

"I... want to ask you something," I replied.

— Tell me. — he said. Galadriel .

"Do you have someone you trust in World Two?" I asked.

The queen hesitated.

— I do. But why do you ask? — he asked . Galadriel .

Elfherinsei and Karina's plans ," he said firmly.

Galadriel 's expression hardened.

"That's impossible, Yumi ," he said . Galadriel .

"Why?!" I asked.

"Her elven ears would give her away anywhere," Galadriel replied.

— Tsk … don't be like that. — I smiled and said.

I closed my eyes, focused my energy, and channeled magic into my hands.

A bluish glow took shape, and before anyone could react, I cut off part of my own ears.

The blood trickled slowly.

The sound of Filna screaming seemed distant to me.

"Are you crazy?!" she yelled.

Galadriel approached, casting a circle of light around my body.

"Can you hear me?" he asked . Galadriel .

"Yes. Is this... some kind of spell for someone who has lost their hearing?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied , tensely.

"We call it Heirn-Call . It allows you to hear by magic, even without natural hearing," she explained.

"I will give you the book with the enchantment, so that you can use it when my magic ceases to function. In the other world, my blessings will not reach you," Galadriel said.

— Understood. — I said.

"I have a trusted friend in World Two. Her name is Léa Emma . She lives in Kyoto, Japan. Look for her when you get there." Galadriel took a deep breath and said:

— Thank you. — I bowed, the pain still throbbing in my ears.

"Please... take care of Filna for me," I pleaded.

Finna held my hand.

" Yumi ... don't go," Filna pleaded.

"I need to go. It's the only way to stop it all from happening again," she smiled , even while crying.

The next morning, I packed a small bag.

The sky was cloudy, and the wind carried the scent of rain.

I put the grimoire , my mother's amulet, and an old photo of us inside the bag.

I looked out the window one last time, at the elven kingdom that saw me born and bleed.

It was time to go.

And this time, I wouldn't go back on my word.