A Home

Zell awoke with a start. He was disoriented, not knowing where he was or what time it was. He sat up and looked around.

Everything was dark. The only illumination source came from the moon high in the sky, shining through the trees.

Even though it was dark Zell could see clearly as if it was day, maybe even better. His vision was sharper than that of a normal human.

Zell rose unsteadily to his feet and looked around. Where was he? What happened to him? What had happened to his friends?

Then the realization hit him, they were dead.

But he still couldn't feel anything! The emotions associated with death were absent from his mind.

He glanced at his hands. Was he still a human? He remembered his past life but he wondered if he would forget his past life and who he used to be in due time.

No, that can't be true! I'm Zell! He shouted in his head.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder if that was the case. He felt different now, but he wasn't sure how he knew this.

What am I supposed to do? he thought, feeling helpless.

***

Zell watched as the sun rose behind the horizon, casting long shadows across the land. The air was damp and cold. He was standing near a small stream.

He couldn't remember how long he had been there. It must have been several days. He had fallen asleep and hadn't woken up since then. He was hungry, thirsty, and exhausted.

He needed to eat something first, he remembered the feeling of drinking blood. He wanted to do it again.

Could he hunt by himself?

He thought about it for a moment. It wouldn't be easy, but he could do it. It was worth a shot. Besides, he hadn't eaten anything substantial yet.

He looked around for the perfect animal to hunt.

Then he caught sight of a deer.

It was grazing on some bushes when it noticed him. Its eyes widened and it froze in place, sensing something was wrong. It lowered its head slightly, preparing to flee.

This was his chance!

He dash towards it and grabbed a hold of its neck to stick his fangs on its neck. Just before he bit down, he froze. Something inside of him told him not to attack the deer.

Why?

He didn't know why, but there was something he should know.

He held back his urge and let go of the deer's neck. It was fortunate that he did because the deer's reaction was swift.

It swiftly darted away from him, disappearing into the forest. It seemed to sense that it was in danger.

Zell chased after the deer, but it escaped from him easily.

He sighed. I guess it's okay to hunt this thing, he thought.

He looked for another prey but found none. It was getting late, so he decided to return home.

As he walked back, he saw something strange.

The grass on the hilltops had withered and died. It was as if the ground itself had turned into a desert.

His curiosity piqued, Zell approached the dry lands cautiously. He leaned forward and sniffed the air.

There was definitely something unusual here. It smelled awful.

He lifted his head up and was surprised to find a swarm of flies circling around his head.

Is this a disease?

Suddenly a sound echoed in the distance.

It was an eerie sound, like a scream.

Something was terribly wrong! Zell snapped out of his trance and ran away from the hilltop.

A moment later, he collapsed with a thud.

Zell woke up in a bed.

He looked around and saw that he was in a large bedroom. The room was covered with dust and cobwebs. There was a single window overlooking the garden outside.

He got out of bed and looked around his room. He saw a mirror, a table, and a chair.

His clothes were neatly folded next to the bed.

Did I take my own clothes off and put these on? he thought. He couldn't remember doing that.

He took a closer look at the mirror and saw his reflection.

It was him all right, but his skin was pale white instead of warm ivory. His hair was black and glossy, rather than reddish blond, there was also this powerful and charming look.

While was staring at his reflection a beautiful young woman entered the room.

She wore a dress decorated with jewels. She was tall, thin, and graceful, almost like royalty. Her golden locks cascaded down her shoulders and glimmered in the sunlight.

"Who are you?" Zell asked the pretty woman. "Where am I?!"

The girl smiled softly and replied, "You're safe."

Her voice was sweet, melodic, and enchanting. Despite its beauty she spoke in a calm manner without showing any signs of emotion. Zell liked listening to her speak.

"Safe," he repeated.

Wasn't he just attacked by flies while checking out the hilltop?

How did he end up in such a nice mansion anyway?

And who was that beautiful lady?

Questions filled his thoughts.

After a brief silence, the lovely woman said: "I'm glad to meet someone new!" Then she bowed elegantly toward him.

"Oh…" Zell stuttered. How embarrassing! Did he make that awkward smile too?

He quickly recovered and returned the gesture. "Nice to meet you... What's your name?"

"Please call me Elisabeth," the mysterious woman answered.

Elisabeth… That sounded familiar somehow. But he couldn't recall where he heard it before.

Now that he recalled, he had seen this type of person before. Once upon a time he had read books about fairies, elves, and other supernatural beings called "fey". He remembered reading about elven maidens with blonde hair wearing dresses adorned with jewels.

So that meant…

She was an elf, her pointed ears and beautiful blond hair seemed to prove his point. And she was beautiful indeed!

"Are you alright?" Elisabeth asked concerned.

Zell nodded. "Y- yes." He paused briefly. "My name is Zell."

"Well met, Zell. You may call me 'Elisa'."

Zell smiled. "Okay, Elisa..."

They both exchanged names and continued chatting. Soon enough, the conversation flowed freely between them, making it difficult for either of them to stop talking.

When they finished speaking, Zell thanked Elisabeth for helping him.

Elisabeth blushed prettily and responded, "Not at all, please don't mention it. We shall talk more soon!"

"I have to leave now," Zell told her causing her to adopt a saddened face. "Goodbye Elisa."

With that, he left the room and headed downstairs.

Once he reached the bottom floor, he opened a door leading to the gardens. As he stepped onto the veranda, he gasped. A magnificent view of the valley spread out before him. It reminded him of the picturesque views he had seen in paintings.

Flowers bloomed everywhere; roses, lilies, irises, tulips, daisies, poppies, and many others.