Chapter 3 : Forbidden Bonds

"I don't like to lay hand on girls, but on you, I will definitely not, because hitting small wild cats is a sin. They don't have brains, they just bite everyone, so I don't mind it," Daniel remarked, his tone laced with a hint of amusement despite the situation.

The elf girl narrowed her eyes at him, her expression fierce. "Hey boy, what do you think of yourself, hmm? Shut your mouth if you don't want to waste your pretty face," she retorted sharply.

Daniel couldn't help but chuckle at her fiery response. "So you accept that I'm handsome. Never mind. By the way, what's your name?" he inquired, attempting to defuse the tension with a touch of humor.

"im lyra and your's ? "

"I'm Daniel," he replied with a grin, relieved to finally exchange names after their tense encounter. "Lyra, huh? That's a beautiful name, fitting for someone as fierce as you."

"so whats your age wil- uhmm ..pretty girl?"Daniel's question caught Lyra off guard, her expression shifting from defiance to surprise. She hesitated for a moment before answering, "I'm fourteen, not that it's any of your business." Daniel chuckled softly at her retort, sensing a slight thaw in her demeanor. "Fair enough, Lyra. fourteen , huh? You're practically younger compared to me," he teased, hoping to lighten the mood further.

Lyra's lips twitched with the hint of a smile at Daniel's remark. "Yeah, but don't let my age fool you. I can still handle myself just fine," she quipped, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. she smells something in air,

Without a moment's hesitation, Lyra seized Daniel's hand and bolted away from the lake, her urgency palpable in every stride.

Daniel stumbled at first, caught off guard by her sudden movement, but quickly found his footing and matched her pace, his heart pounding with adrenaline.

"What's going on, Lyra?" he gasped, struggling to keep up with her swift pace as they darted through the underbrush. "No time to explain, just keep running!" Lyra urged, her voice tinged with urgency. With every step, Daniel's mind raced with questions, but he pushed them aside, focusing instead on keeping up with Lyra's determined stride. Whatever danger lurked in the shadows of the forest, he knew one thing for certain—he trusted Lyra to lead them to safety.

Daniel's words echoed through the dense foliage as they raced deeper into the forest, Lyra's grip on his hand tightening with each passing moment. She skidded to a stop, her breaths coming in ragged gasps, and turned to face him, her eyes wide with urgency . "wait i cant cross dark forest this is restricted for brighthooders " Daniel hesitated, his gaze flickering to the forbidding expanse of the dark forest looming before them. The warnings of his parents echoed in his mind, cautioning him against venturing into the forbidden depths. Yet, in the face of Lyra's unwavering determination, he found himself torn between loyalty to his kingdom and the trust he placed in his newfound companion .Taking a deep breath, Daniel met Lyra's gaze with a determined nod. ."I know, Daniel, but trust me, we don't have a choice. We have to keep going," Lyra insisted, her voice urgent yet resolute .' Alright, I trust you, but what happend" lyra said" i can smell that we were chased by humans "

Lyra's eyes widened in exasperation as Daniel's laughter rang out, his amusement at odds with their perilous situation. "Daniel, this is no time for jokes!" she hissed, her voice tinged with frustration as she urged him to focus on their escape. Struggling to contain his laughter, Daniel attempted to compose himself, his breaths coming in short bursts as he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Lyra," he managed between giggles, "but what do you mean humans ,are you ghost? or something else"

Without a moment's hesitation, Lyra seized Daniel's hand and bolted away from the lake, her urgency palpable in every stride. Daniel stumbled at first, caught off guard by her sudden movement, but quickly found his footing and matched her pace, his heart pounding with adrenaline. "What's going on, Lyra?"."Daniel, this is no time for jokes!" she hissed, her voice tinged with frustration as she urged him to focus on their escape. Struggling to contain his laughter, Daniel attempted to compose himself, his breaths coming in short bursts as he spoke. "I'm sorry, Lyra," he managed between giggles, "but what do you mean humans?im also human come on"

Lyra's eyes widened in disbelief, her frustration momentarily forgotten as she leaned closer to him, her senses heightened. In a swift motion, she took a deep inhale, her nose twitching as she caught his familiar scent. Realization dawned on her as she pulled back, a mixture of relief and surprise washing over her features.

"You are human," she confirmed, her voice filled with disbelief. "I can't believe it." Daniel nodded, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I know, it's hard to believe, but it's true," he reassured her, his tone soft. he was gigling

but lyra was worried ..." daniel , get out of Evergreen Enclave this place is not for humans, its elves territory , they will kill you" .Daniel's amusement faded as he processed Lyra's words, a sense of unease settling in the pit of his stomach. "Elves? But they're just creatures of myth and legend, aren't they?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Lyra shook her head, her gaze intense. "No, Daniel, they're very real, and they're dangerous. you need to get out of here before it's too late," she insisted, her urgency evident.

"Okay, but this small adventure was intersting, when will we meet again?" Daniel asked, his tone tinged with uncertainty.

"After five days, exactly at this time, beside the lake. Now go," Lyra replied, her voice firm as she urged him to leave.

Daniel nodded, a sense of determination settling over him as he prepared to part ways with Lyra. "I'll be there," he promised, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer before he turned and disappeared into the shadows of the forest, his mind racing with thoughts of their next meeting.