The Visitors (1)

Elena awoke from her deep slumber with excruciating pain on her left side to greet her. She tried to make out her current location but it was futile for her eyesight was blurry.

'Just where…am I…?' she pondered.

She tried to move her fingers but that too was deemed useless as all of her energy had diminished.

'So…so tired…'

As she continued her attempts at moving—she heard the sound of door creaking from nearby. Although blurry, she noticed a woman carrying a wooden bowl within her arms entering the room.

Elena tried to open her mouth but yet again—it was in vain.

"Oh! You're awake. There's no need for you to move, dear. Just rest and take care of yourself." the woman said to Elena.

Elena was confused with her current situation. However, she sadly had no choice but to comply for all of her vitality had declined.

Sitting down on a stool the woman had placed beside the bed—she began to generously spoodfeed Elena with the mushroom soup she had cooked for her husband and daughter.

The warmth and the taste of the soup slowly but surely revitalized Elena's frail body. She savored every single bite she took and recollected the memories that drifted away.

She recalled all the memories she had forgotten and carefully connected the dots.

'Right…I fell down that canyon with Tain…'

'Then, I arose to the voice of a stranger calling out to me. He saved my life. Before I fell asleep again, I decided to entrust my life to him…

'I don't remember what had transpired afterwards. But by judging the woman who's feeding me and my surroundings…I'm most likely in his house.

'As for the woman…perhaps, she is a relative. But something feels off about her.

'Anyhow, once I'm able to move, I ought to thank him for the hospitality he had granted to me…'

…

Elsewhere,

As Andre searched every crack and nook for a healer—all of them rejected his request. The rumors of Andre bringing strangers into the village had already spread into the ears of the villagers.

Most of the healers refused to treat the strangers for the chances of them bringing nothing but doom and destruction onto their magnificent town was a possibility.

This didn't also apply to the healers. The residents too all distanced themselves away from Andre, his family and his house. The prejudices they held for foreigners that they had heard from their ancestors—depicted strangers as people who leave trails of annihilation and massacres.

For this reason, the inhabitants felt certain fear towards his family. Should a problem ever occur right now—all the blame would be put onto Andre's shoulder—whether he is proven innocent or not.

Just as all hope seems lost, an angel offered her hand to Andre and accepted his zealous request. The sincerity of his pleas had touched the angel's heart. She could no longer bear to witness such a devoted man leaving without having his prayer answered.

Touching Andre's head, she stuttered "I-I can l-l-lend a ha-hand, A-Andre…"

Andre looked up to see the angel that had bestowed him such a fortune. His eyes widened to see the village elder's adopted daughter, Lily, offering her magical powers for him to utilize.

Andre took her hand and asked "Are you sure, Lily?" with worries and uncertainties in his eyes. After all, as the village elder's daughter—for people to witness her assisting the strangers Andre had brought would undoubtedly bring a lot of controversy amongst the occupants.

Lily—albeit being shook by his sudden action—tried to respond as calmly as possible. "I-I'm cer-certain…"

Andre sighed and said "I see…thank you. Truly…thank you…!" as tears began to stream down his face. He was rejoiced at Lily's proposal and will forever be grateful to her.

"U-uhm…c-can you…l-l-let g-go no-now…?" a blush could be seen spread across her face.

"Huh? Oh, sorry." Andre quickly retracted both of his hands away from her.

"I-it's f-fine…" she mumbled.

Lily—adopted daughter of the village elder, and the one who shall inherit the position of the village elder should no one rebuke her due to her timid nature.

While she is easily frightened, Lily coincidentally enough also happened to be one of the very few beauties that resided in the village. Her stature is short, but her figure is very voluptuous and her complexion is fair.

Her brown hair barely reaches her shoulders and her pair of emerald green eyes had enticed many before.

She was once just an average person living amidst the townspeople. But disaster struck as her parents died while their house was up in flames when she was only 6. The only reason there's no visible scars located anywhere on her body was because while her house was being burnt—she was busy playing with her friends.

When the news of her parents' death reached her ears—she was left devastated and homeless. That also happened to be the beginning of her stuttering.

The village elder pitied the poor girl and offered to take her in as he was indebted to the girl's parents. If it weren't for them—he would never succeed at acquiring his current position within the village. Their support played a vital role with his goal of earning the right to be entrusted with the position of village elder.

During her time with the village elder—she randomly encountered Andre out of the blue one day. It was love at first sight. His fearlessness along with his smile truly made her heart thump.

His dazzling arrival snatched her out of the cocoon of solitude she had enclosed herself within. Her days of anguish came to an end as he showed her the beauty of life.

Thus, when she discovered that Andre was getting married—Lily was distraught by such news. But, if she refused to accept his marriage—the friendly relationship they had built might be broken and he might severe the ties he has with her.

She definitely didn't want that to happen. Alas, whether she liked it or not—she had to acknowledge it. That her crush now had a partner for life.

Although painful, all she could do now was move on and forget about the past. Though a few of her feelings still linger to this day—she is now strong enough not to be swayed by them.

'If it's you, Andre, I'll gladly give everything for your sake. You freed me from the darkness. So, it's my time to repay the debt I have for you.'

…

"Why did you let them in?" a mysterious voice inquired.

"...Because it's necessary." the village elder responded.

Presently, situated inside of the village elder's dimly lit bedroom—he appears to be conversing with the darkness itself.

"Necessary? Please, don't make me laugh. The moment you step over your boundaries, everything you care for will cease to exist."

The village elder frowned. Sadly, what the mysterious voice said was undeniable. In the face of the enigmatic entity—the village elder is simply powerless and it was a clear fact.

"Anyways. Get rid of those visitors tomorrow. If not, the worse will come. Got it?"

"...Got it." the village elder responded despondently.

"And-" as a male humanoid figure encompassed in darkness emerges from beneath the bed "Don't you dare speak to me that way, mortal." he said as he held the village elder high in the air by his neck.

The village elder struggled to inhale air as the grip of the being tightened around his neck—closing his airway. Fortunately, today wasn't the day the village elder would meet his demise and the man promptly dropped him after strangling him for a few moments.

"Tch! Lucky bastard. Be grateful for my master's orders. If it weren't for her, you would've long been dead. I'll check tomorrow. And beware, should those people still live or reside in the village, I won't hold back anymore."

The mysterious figure then vanished into the darkness—not leaving even a speck of evidence that he was here.

As the village elder gasped for air, he recalled the precious memories he had built with the natives.

'What…what should I do?' he contemplated.

Should he kill the travelers without an apparent reason—his position as the village elder would surely be chastised by the people.

But, should he let the foreigners live—a greater disaster might befall on his domain. Now, he was in a dilemma—stuck between choosing the option that he wouldn't want to regret.

Cautiously, he scrutinized the choices he was given and made sure to inspect all of the downs and ups he may gain from them. With his choice now set in stone—all he needed to do was wait for the opportunity to commence his scheme.

'I hope…you'll forgive me, Lily…If you don't, then it's alright. For I should atone to the sins I have committed myself.'

…