Chapter Song: Happiness is a Butterfly by Lana Del Rey

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Despite everything that had happened, I managed to get the best sleep I've gotten so far in this world. I wasn't blind to the one different thing. Or person I should say. Speaking of that person he was definitely long gone. I let out a long yawn before stretching out my limbs and climbing out of his bed. His room was dark, similar to the rest of the house. I walked over noticing one frame on his dark, intricately carved dresser across from the bed. There was a family, two parents and two boys. None of them were smiling, all stoic as they stared at whoever painted this small portrait.

I took a step back and decided to leave his room, not wanting to invade his privacy.

I closed the door, a small click echoing in the hallway. I hurried down the stairs, warily peeking into the kitchen to see Miss. Dalaris' body very much dead. I was starting to doubt she was coming back.

"Good morning." I jumped to see Julian behind me, I gave him a small smile before turning my attention back to the scene in the kitchen.

He was about to open his mouth to say something else when he grabbed my shoulders slamming me into the wall. I was about to curse him out when I saw why he had done that.

"Tell me girl." She snapped, a knife in her hand. "What did you see?! What was there!" She snapped. Julian was desperately trying to stay in between us.

"Stand down." He growled, any kindness he had shown seconds before was long gone.

"Zayla, how nice it is to see you again." Theo let out a humorless chuckle as he appeared in the kitchen. I need to ask him how he always knows when to just...appear.

"I will kill you!" She roared at him; this was the first time I have seen her so rattled. Well, I guess dying would do that to you. I need to stop.

"Now why would you do that?" He loosed a humorless chuckled. Before I could even blink, she charged at him. He just shook his head and lifted a hand, promptly stopping her in his tracks.

"I am tired of doing this your way." He tsked, briefly meeting my eyes before snapping them back to hers. "You have been doing a shitty job at keeping your side of the bargain." Bargain?

"You are dead, boy." She spat out. Her eyes still vicious and darting around the room.

Before I could even blink the knife she was holding was sent spiraling towards me. A scream bubbled up in my throat but never escaped as a muscled arm reached out gripping the blade inches from my face.

"Poor choice." Theo growled at her before taking steps closer.

"I knew you wouldn't let her get harmed." She spat out. "I just wanted to know if the useless child learned anything in the other world."

"You knew I would be sent there?" I whispered, meeting her hardened eyes. "Not home. That place."

"That is your home." She showed me a wicked smile. I just rapidly shook my head. I knew for a fact it wasn't. I grew up in Wellis. Wellis was the only world I thought existed before everything that has happened in the past few months.

Theo walked up to her and gripped her arm before they both vanished. I looked over at Julian confused when Theo suddenly reappeared behind the two of us causing me to jump.

"You will get used to his irritating ass." Julian mumbled, glancing back at Theo before heading into the kitchen to get a snack.

"Are you alright?" Theo asked softly, stepping closer to me. I had to crane my neck up to meet his stunning silver eyes. I just nodded and gave him a small smile.

"I want to show you something." He spoke sticking his hand out. I hesitantly placed my hand within his, he engulfed my palm, as we interlinked our fingers. It took everything within me to hold back the shudder, that was fighting to wrack through my body at the contact. Get it together.

Tingles shot up my fingertips all the way up to my shoulder and burying its way into my chest. He had an irritating smirk gracing his face, clearly aware of the reactions I was so desperately trying to suppress.

He led me back up the stairs and into what must have been his office. We walked hand in hand until we got up to the large mahogany desk.

I don't know what I expected his office to look like, but it certainly wasn't this.

There were papers and books scattered all over the floor. I could see sketches and pieces of charcoal scattered everywhere as well. I hesitantly pulled my hand from his grip as I bent down to pick up one of the scattered pages.

Streaks of black graced the crumpled paper, shading it with such beautiful and intricate detail. The lines were chaotic and all over the place, but it only added to the uniqueness of the drawing.

"You made this?" I asked him, glancing up at him. He tensed before nodding slightly. "It is amazing." I spoke in awe as I looked at the other pages all over the place.

"Those pictures." I whispered as a thought made its way into my mind. "The ones in the shed. They are yours too, aren't the?"

"What pictures?" He asked with a raised brow.

"I saw a child's drawings in the couch." I told him stepping closer to him.

"Those were nothing." He shrugged. "Just got bored sometimes and I still do." He spoke motioning to the small drawing in my hands.

"You are talented." 

"I wouldn't go that far." He shrugged scratching the back of his neck before walking around to the front of his desk and pulling open a drawer.

"You are." I spoke walking so the front of my legs were pressed against the cold wood of his desk.

He looked at me and his eyes softened slightly as he took the second paper from my hand and shoved it into his top drawer.

"So are you." He spoke. As he continued digging through the contents. How much stuff did he have in there?

"At what?" I asked with a raised brow before situating myself on the cushioned chair.

"Surviving." I nearly choked. I wouldn't go that far.

"Thanks?" I spoke as more of a question.

He just shook his head and chuckled.

"You have been sent through unimaginable things, yet here you are." He finally pulled a small book out and set it out in front of him.

"Do any of these look familiar to you?" He asked flipping through the pages revealing intricate swirls. 

I just shook my head looking up at him in confusion. 

"I need you to really think, Eleia. Do you remember seeing any of these in the Ayer's house?" I really don't remember seeing these anywhere. I just shook my head again. He muttered something under his breath that I couldn't hear. 

"Why?" I asked placing the page I was holding down on his desk. "Should I have?" 

"Evelyn is deadly. She can call upon unheard of amounts of power for someone of her status and age." I looked up at him confused. 

"I-I knew she could go into people's minds but that was all I ever saw." I whispered. 

"Everything you saw there was her doing, Eleia." He spoke softly, waiting for my reaction. 

"What do you mean everything?" I spoke walking around the desk to stand directly in front of him. 

"We don't know exactly, but she is cheating death. We need to know how." He spoke as if this was just another day of work. 

"I-I what?!" I snapped, finally processing his words. 

"Come with me." He spoke walking past me and towards the door. My mind was moving a mile a minute as I spun around and rushed after him. Why was he walking so fast. 

"Theo!" I called out when he turned the corner. I heard him say something quietly before his leaned back around the wall to look at me with a raised brow. 

"What?" He snapped. 

"Stop walking so freaking fast." I sucked in a breath, earning an eye roll from him. 

"Stop walking so slow." He rolled his eyes and slowed his pace so that he was only a few steps ahead of me. 

He pushed open that door in the kitchen that I assumed led to the basement. He pulled it open and motioned for me to walk in front of him. 

"You're not going to murder me down there, right?" I asked stopping just before the first step down. 

"If I wanted you dead, I would've killed you in that prison when I first laid eyes on you." His eyes hardened as he motioned for me to go down. I sighed, what's the worst that could happen? 

I started going down, his suffocating presence so close I felt my skin crawl with tingles and goosebumps. 

"It's just a wall." I muttered, turning to look up at him. This basement was a small cement square resembling a prison cell, with the dark wood staircase smack in the middle. 

"Do you trust me?" He whispered sticking his hand out for me to take. Do I?  I mean he did save me, several times. But he also was responsible for several of the instances where I needed saving. I will never forget that day he helped me in that alley though. So I just nodded my head. 

"Words." He whispered, his eyes hardening. 

"I trust you." I whispered. Why are we whispering?

I hesitantly placed my hand in his and screamed as the whole room around us changed. I crashed into his chest as the whole room seemed to flip and spin. I squeezed my eyes shut, gripping his shirt tightly until the feeling subsided. I stepped back hesitantly and glanced up at him. The asshole looked like he was barely containing his laughter. 

I huffed a breath, tucking my hair behind my ears as I glanced around us. 

"I barely reacted to that." 

"Right." He chuckled. I looked away from his mesmerizing eyes and was ready to curse him out. 

"All of that, just for a door to appear?" I questioned spinning to glance up at him. 

"I thought you were practically a statue, during the shift." He chuckled, rolling his eyes again. 

"I was!" I couldn't help the smile that was fighting its way to my lips. 

"We have some people to talk to." He spoke sticking his hand out again. I eyed it warily earning another one of those deep, beautiful chuckles. "Relax, we are just walking through the door, no magic." 

I hesitantly placed mine in his and he led us to the door. He pushed it open and I nearly collapsed at the sight. Now I understand why he wanted to hold my hand. 

There was an entire new world down here. 

"Theo?" I whispered with wide eyes. "This place is..." We were standing on a grassy hillside overlooking a deep, dark blue sky, with twinkling green lights everywhere. Trees, all leave-less decorated the never-ending expanse. Streams of water looped through various sections of this place. 

"Welcome home, Eleia." I heard before a sharp pain rang through my skull, my vision darkening. 

"T-Theo?" I breathed. 

"Shh." He breathed running his hand through my hair until I let the darkness consume me. 

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I jumped up gasping for air as I brought my hand to my head, my ears were ringing as a brutal headache had a field day in my skull. 

"Hello." I screamed jumping back and hitting my head against the headboard. 

"I will not hurt you." She spoke softly, seeming startled by my reaction. It was a girl who looked around my age with light brown hair and light brown eyes. Freckles dusted her cheeks as well as long lashes. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and she was wearing a light green dress, that reached her ankles. 

"W-Where is Theo?" I snapped looking around the room for anything that could be used as a weapon. 

"He is busy at the moment." She frowned, but didn't step closer. 

"I need to see him." 

"He is busy, I'm sorry." 

"I-I need to leave." I mumbled, pushing myself up to my feet and hurrying towards the door. I was about to reach the door when she snapped her fingers. The room was moving. No. I was moving. I was back in the bed. 

"I am sorry, but I am under strict orders to ensure you do not leave this room." She frowned, seemingly against this.

"Please." I tried but she just shook her head. 

"W-Who are you?" I asked her. 

"I am his cousin, Willow." She spoke, linking her fingers together in front of her as she rocked on her heels. 

Maybe I could knock her out with something. 

But she seems nice. 

I stood up again and tried to make my way to the door, but I heard the faint snap of her fingers sending me back. 

"Please just stay, I don't like having to do this." 

My limbs were shaking as I stood up again. I felt an overwhelming amount of anger bubble in my chest, demanding to be released. I stood up and let out a scream of frustration, squeezing my eyes shut. My head felt like it was being held underwater as I reopened them. I looked with wide eyes to see Willow on the floor, a dent in the wall where she must have collided. The decorations in the room all askew or knocked over. 

I rushed to my feet and hurried over to her. I knelt down and pressed my fingers to her neck, there was a strong pulse, she was just knocked out. I let out a breath of relief as I grabbed her arms and dragged her across the floor and towards the bed. I pulled her up and rolled her body onto the mattress before sprinting to the door. I yanked it open and stepped outside. It looked the same here as it did when we first stepped through the door. 

This was a small shack in the middle of the wooded forest. I gripped at my hair as panic was starting to consume me. I couldn't see anything in any direction. I started running, hoping there was something, some way for me to get back. My hands were shaky and sweaty. What if he sent me back to that world. What if this is just a part of it I hadn't seen the first time?

I was still wearing Theo's annoyingly large clothes, making it hard to move fast. I had to keep gripping the waist of the pants and yanking them back up. 

I could hear streaming water in the distance and charged towards it. 

"ELEIA!" I jumped at the sound of his voice. He sounded beyond angry, but also scared?

I nearly cried at the sight in front of me. I was at the edge of a cliff; the running water was the sound of a waterfall. I was trapped. 

"Eleia?" I spun around to see Theo cautiously stepping towards me. 

"Stop!" I yelled, wrapping my arms around myself to try and stop myself from shaking so much. 

"Step away from the edge, Eleia. Please." His eyes were wide with something, I just couldn't place what. 

"I-I want to leave." I whispered. 

"You can't Eleia." 

"Why?!" I snapped as I felt that familiar rush of anger surge through me. 

"No one can find you here." He spoke, taking another step closer. "You will be safe." 

"S-Stop coming closer!" I snapped. 

"You were going to be killed there, Eleia. It was only a matter of time. Staying here buys us more time." 

"Us?" I whispered. He looked conflicted, as if he didn't mean to say that. He slammed his mouth shut, his silver eyes piercing through mine. "Tell me!" 

"I need you alive." He snapped. 

"Why?" Deep down I don't think I wanted to know. 

"I need to bring someone back. I need to know how they did it and I need you for that." He spoke, his voice softening. 

"I-I don't understand." 

His hands were tightening into fists as he stepped closer. I took another step back, causing him to growl in frustration. 

"They killed my brother, and I need you alive to bring him back." He spoke. 

"I-I can't... I.. What?" I snapped, bringing my hands up to my hair as my fingers shook uncontrollably. "But why here? I don't even know what this place is!" My head was going to explode. 

"This is where my people live." He spoke, his voice softening. But that only pissed me off more. 

"I don't want to stay here, please." I didn't even care that I was crying in front of him. 

"Why?" He asked, looking like he wanted to reach out for me but decided against it. 

I just shook my head and wrapped my arms tighter around myself. 

"It's reminding you of that place, isn't it?" He whispered, stepping closer. "No one will hurt you here, Eleia." 

"You already are!" I snapped. "W-Why couldn't you just talk to me about this like a sane person? Y-You knocked me out, you brought me to a different fucking world and then you trapped me here like some prisoner!" I screamed at him. 

For a moment he seemed at a loss for words as he just stared at me. 

"I needed to make sure I could get you here, Eleia." His eyes darkening. "If I told you that you needed to stay here, do you really think you would have fucking listened?" He snapped. 

"I-I.." 

"You wouldn't have." He snapped. "I have been watching you. I know what you are like, I know how you react, I know everything. I would never have caused you any type of pain if I had another choice. I would like to believe I can protect you from everything, but I can't. Fuck, you almost died there, Eleia. If you hadn't done what you had in that tunnel, I would have lost you for good. Do you understand?" 

I just shook my head repeatedly, willing for the tears to stop rushing down my cheeks. 

"I would do it again, and again and again. If it meant you were still alive." He snapped. 

"To get your brother back." I whispered, feeling defeated. 

"I don't want you to die, Eleia." He snapped, his silver eyes full of anger. He reached out for me but I took another step back. 

I heard him let out what can only resemble a roar, as my hair whipped in the wind. 

I was going to die.