I Have Already Seen You

"I'm…" he began, his voice faltering as if on the edge of confession. After a slow breath, he continued, "Well, I'm human... here on Earth. But… not exactly." He shrugged, watching her reaction. "But trust me, I'm not a monster, if that's what's worrying you."

Mikhaela frowned, her gaze steady. "Not exactly human? What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, frustration in her voice. She studied his face, but all she saw was the same relaxed expression that both intrigued and unsettled her.

Eli grinned, trying to brush off her confusion. "It means just what I said. I'm human... ish." He added, biting his lip, but Mikhaela didn't look amused.

"There's something... different about you, Eli," she insisted, leaning closer. Her gaze held him, as if her words were tugging at a deeper part of him. "Are you somehow… connected to a feather?" she asked softly, remembering the strange vision she'd had when she touched him.

Eli blinked, caught off guard. "A feather?" He hadn't expected that question, and nothing came to his mind. The urge to be honest lingered in the back of his thoughts.

"Yes… well, sort of," he finally said, his tone turning serious. He took a breath as if he might say more, meeting her gaze intensely.

Mikhaela's eyes widened, her heartbeat quickening. She leaned in, anticipation written across her face.

Just as the tension peaked, Eli leaned back with a serious expression. "I'm a bird. A… really big bird. Gigantic, actually."

Mikhaela's face shifted from surprise to irritation as she realized he was joking. She let out an exasperated huff, swatting his shoulder. "I'm not joking with you. Next time, it's your face this hand will land on!"

He laughed, easing the tension, and shrugged. "What? It's kind of true. I may not be like everyone else, but really, I promise I'm no monster."

Mikhaela squinted, a mix of annoyance and amusement in her eyes. "You're impossible," she muttered, though curiosity still tugged at her.

"Didn't you say you were going to see the princess?" Mikhaela asked.

"Yes," Eli replied.

"Then come with me. I'm going to see the princess, too," Mikhaela said.

After a moment's thought, Eli nodded. "Okay."

Mikhaela moved closer and untied the ropes binding his wrists and feet.

Once free, Eli dusted off his clothes and turned to Mikhaela with a grateful smile. "Thanks."

"Ready to go?" she asked, glancing toward the path to the palace.

"Almost," Eli replied. "Could I have some water? I'm really thirsty."

"Sure, one second." Mikhaela handed him a cup of water.

He drank quickly, letting out a sigh of relief. 'That was close,' he thought to himself.

Noticing his reaction, Mikhaela raised an eyebrow. "What's on your mind?"

Eli shook his head, handing the cup back. "Nothing."

"By the way, I'm Eli." He extended a hand, but Mikhaela just looked at it, not sure what to do.

Realizing the gesture might be unfamiliar, Eli pulled his hand back, scratching his head.

"Mikhaela," she replied simply.

—----

After a moment, the two arrived at the palace. And as soon as they spotted the princess, they approached her and greeted her warmly.

"Good day, Your Highness," Mikhaela said with respect.

"Good day, Princess," Eli added, giving a polite nod.

Princess Denise smiled, clearly happy to see them. "Good day to both of you."

Mikhaela and Princess Denise then hugged, as if they hadn't seen each other in years. The two were childhood friends; Mikhaela's grandfather had served as a seer at the palace, so she'd often been there as a child.

Eli watched in surprise, until Princess Denise turned to him with curiosity. "Are you two… here together?" she asked.

"Yes," Mikhaela answered.

"No," Eli replied at the same time.

They exchanged a quick look, and Mikhaela shot him a glare. "Yes," Eli quickly corrected, looking away.

Princess Denise chuckled, then looked back at Eli with a more serious expression. "Eli, where were you this morning? I wanted to discuss something with you, but Ramil said you didn't spend the night in your chamber."

Eli hesitated, but then gave a quick alibi, "Oh… I just wanted to continue the celebration a bit, so I ended up at a nearby tavern. But I drank too much, so I passed out along the road before I could reach the castle." He shot Mikhaela a playful grin. "Luckily, she found me and helped me out."

Mikhaela gave him a knowing look, recalling how she'd actually found him injured but decided to stay silent.

Noticing Eli's torn and dirty clothes, Princess Denise's expression softened with concern. "Are you alright, Eli?"

Eli straightened, giving her a reassuring smile. "Yes, I'm perfectly fine, Your Highness. Thank you for your concern."

Princess Denise looked a bit guilty. "I'm sorry, Eli, for ending last night's feast so suddenly due to the unexpected visitor."

Eli waved a hand, smiling. "Not a problem at all, Your Highness. I completely understand."

With that, Princess Denise turned to Mikhaela with a smile. "Could you wait in my chamber, Mikhaela? I'll join you shortly after I finish speaking with Eli."

Mikhaela nodded, glancing briefly at Eli before heading off toward the princess's chamber.

As Eli and Princess Denise walked through the palace garden, the soft rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds created a serene backdrop. The princess's face, however, was etched with concern.

"Eli," Princess Denise began, her voice steady but laced with worry, "as you witnessed last night at the feast, in four days, during the last full moon, the Lycans will be at the palace to attack. Our scouts confirmed earlier that some Lycans are already at the kingdom's border. Since they can hide in human form, we can't be sure if there are already Lycans inside the kingdom. They could attack any night."

Eli listened intently, his expression serious. The gravity of the situation was clear.

"From this moment, the palace is on heightened alert," Princess Denise continued. She then turned to Eli, her eyes pleading. "I want you to fight for us. This is the favor I ask of you."

Eli nodded, understanding the urgency and the trust she was placing in him, but he did not respond immediately. Seeing his silence, Princess Denise spoke again, trying to convince him. "I have already seen you."

Eli's eyes widened slightly at her words. Princess Denise noticed his reaction and realized she might have phrased it wrong. Her cheeks flushed slightly, as it seemed he thought of and remembered something else, so she quickly clarified what she said. "I mean, I have seen your skill and strength. I know you can help us a lot."

Though Eli maintained a serious expression, inwardly he was laughing. 'Yeah I know, It's not just my skills and strength you've seen,' he thought, biting his lip to control his laughter.

"I will help," he agreed.

Princess Denise gave a small, relieved smile. "There is a general meeting later. Please join me."

"As you wish, Your Highness," Eli replied, though his thoughts were already drifting to Asmodeus, hoping he would encounter the demon during the lycan attack.

As they continued their walk, Princess Denise led Eli to an isolated dungeon where guards stood vigilantly in front of a door. "I want you to see this," she said to Eli. After the guards saluted the princess, they opened the door.

Inside, they saw a man sitting in a cage made of thick iron bars. His feet and hands were chained, and a steel collar with spikes on the inside was wrapped around his neck, pressing into his skin. "He is a palace soldier who was bitten by a lycan," Princess Denise explained.

Eli whispered, "So he's infected?"

The princess nodded.

Eli approached the man, and Princess Denise warned him, "Be careful." Eli nodded in response and sat down outside the cage, close to the man.

Slowly, the man lifted his head to look at Eli. As their eyes met, Eli realized the man's face was familiar. It was as if he had seen him before.

A sudden flash of memory struck Eli, causing his brow to furrow with an intense look.

'It can't be,' he thought.

That man... he was a soul from heaven.