Stranger from the East

Alene's POV

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It is strange.

I felt empty when I arrived in this city as if the fear and panic that hog along were gone.

No homesickness, no hatred, not even a slight tremble at heart.

I lie on my bed, reflecting every night, trying to figure out what's wrong with me. I start to doubt myself; why does everyone miss their family so much? All I did was listen quietly, looking engaged with their conversation, but unfortunately, I didn't feel the slightest throb.

Could it be that the cold wind of autumn has paralysed my emotions? Maybe... I'm just such a cold-hearted person.

A few months ago, everyone was busy looking for accommodation. Chattering words of persuasion and mumbling about my choice of future path buzzed through my ears. There is also a hint of persecution and threat.

Again, I listened quietly and bluntly expressed my disagreement before dropping the call.

I found a two-story house ten minutes away from the campus in a small place. The maple tree in front of the door coincides with the season of falling leaves. It did what it had to and brought sadness to many wanderers. However, I am not one of them.

It is a fine morning. I sat under the maple tree, admiring this little courtyard I have. It's not a thriving place, but the bit of glittering effect from the sunlight that pierces through the maple leaves made me feel at ease.

Since I wasn't in a particular mood, I decided to skip all the activities. I just bought milk and some eggs in the store and returned home. Chen Yang happened to be in the kitchen, and it seemed he had just woken up.

He is a tall, fit man from South East Asia. He used to join the illegal street racing using his DIY underbone motorcycle. One day, he figured out he needed to change for a bit and here he is in York, pursuing his drop-for-long e-commerce study.

He is also one of my housemates.

"This is a serious matter. Brother Kang is working tonight, and we need to prepare our dinner." Cheng Yang said. He took two eggs from my bucket and put them in a small stainless steel pot, the one your nanny used for soup.

"Well, what should I do then?" I took an Earl Grey teabag from the cabinet; I just wanted to make a cup of hot tea to quench my thirst. It's not the thirst, maybe. It simply reminds me of his excellency Gong, whom I haven't seen for a long time. I can do nothing for him except reminisce for half a day indulging in the aroma he used to carry.

"Braised eggplant and tomatoes, scrambled eggs, and some rice... dok-gong?" Cheng Yang asked.

I gave him a thumbs-up, "Well, very dok-gong!" I didn't find out what it means, but judging from his expression and how he sounded often, it seems to suggest "amazing". It was a Hokkien dialect that said almost nothing similar to mandarin.

"Alright, Alene, go and get a rest. I can handle it from here," said Cheng Yang with a proud smirk. He got his apron on, one with a Hello Kitty at the front. Oh, how it contrasts with his muscles and athlete vest - almost unbearable to look at.

I tried to hide my laughter and returned to my room opposite the kitchen. It is a medium room that links the courtyard, which I believe was meant to be a living room before the owner decided to rent it out for good.

I leaned quietly by the bed, listening to the radio playing "Yellow River" by Lang Lang. I shook my head and smiled, remembering how much effort I had put into myself to hide from the sniff dogs and informants around the world.

I cut my hair short and dyed it brown. Then I introduced myself to my tutor the other day: "Hi, my name is Alene Fu Govun. Ally, in short."

- - - - - - -

It is a chilly night of autumn.

I took out the ingredients I needed from the jars I placed in my cupboard, which my housemates thought they look very antique. I opened the door to the courtyard and got some water out to make sure they stuck to the ground when I drew the magic circle.

It's been my daily routine since I got here, and the tricky part is I must complete it before the clock strikes twelve. It's when the connection from the realm gets stronger as the town falls asleep, as there won't be many interruptions from the radiowaves and less mundane on the street.

The chilly wind swept through as the white shadow flickered.

A strange feeling grabbed my heart in a trance, and I didn't come back to my senses until a few "stray kids" looked at me behind the fences. The elves here are distinct, filled with different kinds of essence and energy. They probably wonder where I came from or what a strange refugee tried to be like one of them.

There is an old saying: An elf binds to nature and where they belong. They get cursed and devasted when they leave the circle.

I left home.

"Alene, I need a piece of advice!" Cheng Yang shouted from outside the door.

"Just a minute!" I responded casually as I finished the last stroke of the circle, closed the back door, and went straight to the kitchen.

The aroma of the spiced eggplant is tangy, like Indian paprika. I'm not used to spicy food at all. When I was in AnLing, I tried to get used to it, but my face will end up flushed from the choke. His excellency Gong once said that wine burns your throat, but I don't know if it has a similar taste to this.

"The task of saving the earth is upon you." Cheng Yang gave himself a big bowl of mixed rice and left the rest to me.

"Wait, is this supper?" I looked at the stewed eggplant and scrambled eggs in the pot, and my stomach growled. Well, I thought to myself, saving the rest for tomorrow's breakfast will save some fuss.

"My friends are coming over tonight, and they will just stay for a day or two." Cheng Yang said.

"In your room? On the floor?" I asked him casually.

"Well, there is a living room, a study..." Cheng Yang said, but I know he definitely didn't decide that way. The weather has turned cold these days and will likely drop to two degrees. Were his friends not mundane?

"I think we need a quilt." Cheng Yang said to himself and went upstairs; it seemed he would find a way for his friends.

I look out the window and spot something flutter through the air. It was all dark outside even though it was only four o'clock, I can barely see the maple tree in front of the house. It's not a good day for the mundane, the nightwalkers will be active tonight. They started coming out even before the sunset.

"The is a really nice place. You found a good spot to hide."

I turned around in shock, but I didn't see a figure, not even a sense of human breath. My heart was pounding so fast that it felt difficult to even breathe. I know this voice.

"Abi, how are you doing? You have the heart to leave Zenthor..."

A ghostly voice resounded in mid-air, and it woke up a particular secret buried in my heart like a rattle. I returned to my room, locked the door, turned my eyes to the long mirrors beside me, and smiled bitterly: "You found me."

Amber eyes, pointy nose, and long soft goose-yellow curly hair fell to the neck, covering the print on his left neck. His name is Goyang Jen, and he was a hunter sent by the headquarters to assist the Zenthor branch.

I used to be his assistant when he went out for the hunts, but now I am on his top list on hunts.

"You should know the headquarters very well, they won't let you leave in peace. You are their leverage to get 'that man' back." Goyang Jen said lightly and put down a long white knife beside my bed. It was a strange weapon, a blade made of crystal-like material, with a delicate glazed handle, all inlaid with gold rattan and silver leaves.

"You are kidding me. Since when are they ever so desperate? Anyway, using me as a chip is just... a wrong idea, they should have investigated the people from Zenthor." I turned around, not wanting to see his face. "You should have known me well. You should have believed me. He is gone, but he wasn't guilty at all."

"Of course I had... Otherwise, I wouldn't have come around." Goyang Jen said. His voice got closer and eventually stopped behind me. He went on to say, "You disappeared after him. The timing, Abi, it's too coincidental. You have got no one to blame."

"I merely left Zenthor, and it's not a crime," I said softly, still not looking at him. Then I heard him let out a helpless sigh.