Chapter -0004 -Trust or Caution?

Elara stood up, pulling back her dirty hood to reveal large, beady eyes, a face sprinkled with freckles, curly red hair, and, much to Steve's surprise, sharp, pointy ears. Although he felt a sudden urge to ask what she was, given her non-human appearance, he resisted the temptation.

"If I help your friend, then you'll have to help mine," Elara stated firmly. Despite her mature tone, her voice carried a charming innocence, with a hint of pleading. It seemed like she desperately wanted Steve to accept her proposal.

"Who is your friend?" Steve asked calmly.

"He is... he died," Elara's voice choked with emotion. Her large eyes trembled, a glimmer of sadness clear as tears welled up and began to spill over.

"Died?" Steve felt a pang of sympathy for Elara. The raw emotion in her voice was undeniable. But her request left him in a difficult position. Trusting a stranger, especially one with such uncanny abilities, went against his every instinct.

Steve stole a glance at Tony. His breathing remained steady, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary for the moment. However, Steve couldn't accept this situation as fine. He knew his options were limited. While he could try to find help elsewhere, he wasn't sure how long it would take, and he couldn't afford to take that kind of risk.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Steve said softly, his voice gentle and compassionate. "But how can I help him if he's... gone?"

Elara wiped away her tears, her gaze steady as she met Steve's eyes. "I believe there's a way to bring him back," she said, her voice filled with determination. 

"Bring him back? From the dead?" Steve questioned the legitimacy of Elara's words. Everything he knew about science and even magic told him that it wasn't possible.

However, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. The reason they were collecting all the Infinity Stones was for the very same reason Elara was asking about—resurrecting someone.

If he had such faith in his own quest, believing that they could bring trillions of lifeforms of the universe back from the Thanos snap, then why couldn't he believe Elara's words about bringing back one of her friends, he waited for her answer.

"You are holding the key to my friend's return." She pointed at Steve, especially at his back, at the Tesseract Case.

Steve squinted at Elara's words, his gaze shifting to the Tesseract Case securely strapped to his back. Slowly, he pulled the case out in front of him. "The Tesseract?" Steve's voice barely rose above a whisper, disbelief evident in his tone. "But how could it possibly...?"

Steve's uncertainty grew as he realized that this encounter with Elara could not merely be a coincidental chance meeting. 

Feeling increasingly skeptical and cautious, he found himself questioning the true motives behind Elara's request. While he had initially been willing to accept being taken advantage of for the sake of Tony's well-being, the doubts now gnawed at him, surpassing what he could accept or justify.

This little girl, with her fantastical forest magic, somehow knows about the Infinity Stones, about the stone they were carrying. Was it mere coincidence, or was there more to her story than she was revealing?

"Explain yourself," Steve asked, no longer treating her as an innocent child, tightening his grip on the Tesseract case.

Elara nodded solemnly. "My friend had the same light you are carrying right now," she stated, pointing to the case. "His light was stolen from him." Steve furrowed his brow, struggling to make sense of her words.

"What do you mean by 'his light was stolen'?" Steve pressed, his voice edged with urgency. He couldn't afford to entertain vague metaphors, not when Tony's life hung in the balance, and the fate of the universe was at stake.

"Did he vanish into dust too?" Steve's mind immediately jumped to the Thanos snap as a possible explanation. If that were the case, they were already working on reversing it, so Elara needn't worry.

"No, but..." Elara paused, her urgency clear on her face. "Promise me, will you help or not?" Her words held a sense of desperation, as if she didn't know how to assert her wishes or demands, and feared being powerless if Steve refused.

Steve wanted to say yes, but he could sense Elara eyeing the case. "This is not my burden alone," he asserted, raising the case to emphasize his commitment. "The fate of the universe depends on it." Steve carefully avoided mentioning that he couldn't simply hand it over to her because she asked.

Elara grasped the underlying message, her eyes welling with tears as she fought to maintain her composure. Steve felt a twinge of guilt; he was willing to help, but he needed a clearer understanding of the situation first.

"I understand," Elara nodded after composing herself from her emotional moment. "Let me help your friend then."

Steve was taken aback by her words. "But I haven't promised anything yet."

Elara shook her head gently. "You didn't need to. I can see it in your eyes," she said softly, her gaze steady. "You're a good person. I can sense that you wouldn't turn away from someone in need, even if it meant sacrificing something important to you. And I don't want to take advantage of you."

Steve felt a mix of admiration and unease at Elara's perceptiveness. It was true; he couldn't just ignore someone in need, especially when he had the ability to help. However, he couldn't overlook the weight of responsibility that came with possessing the Tesseract, particularly considering the immense stakes involved.

Elara gently lowered her lantern from the ceiling and approached Tony, nodding at Steve to assure him that she was ready to help.

Steve, still uncertain, took a moment to collect his thoughts. Eventually, he stepped aside, allowing Elara to work her magic.

Elara approached Tony slowly, her movements gentle and deliberate. As she reached him, she tenderly caressed her lantern, treating it with a reverence akin to that of a beloved pet or child. In response, the lantern emitted a wave of golden sparkles, enveloping Elara in a warm embrace. It was as if the lantern itself was expressing affection towards her, returning her care and devotion.