A note from the Book of Past: "If the Dark is made of negative energy, Ghouls are made of ashes, dead fire and dead lights. They are deadly, as their touch consumes our skins and kills us within minutes."

Ghouls in town simply meant The Dark was there, too.

"We need to go to the Council, Aidan".

"What about Niall?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll hide as you told me to." He was wearing Aidan's traditional cape, and he almost looked like one of us. "Meira, if I can still see you, you probably can see me too. I won't be lost."

We hugged and for a moment I wished we were back in his world, smelling coffee.

Aidan gestured him to let go, and Niall left for the tavern. 

Around us, nothing had changed much, and it was terrifying.

We almost ran to the Council, pressed by the urge to tell the remaining villagers to hide, to tell their High Priestess that time was running out. I was so desperate to save someone, anyone from this madness. Even if it meant saving the one who created it in the first place.

"Aidan. I need to talk to you." I needed to get it off my chest, even if he knew

"Sure." He prepped his bow and arrow, ready to shoot a Ghoul if needed.

I swallowed hard. "What do you know about my father?"

In seven years spent together, we never, ever brought the subject. Growing up, I wasn't fussed about not having a father, and then Mother left.

"I...Can we talk about it later, when we're not fighting for our lives?"

I was not ready to give up. "Aidan, The Dark talked to me, last night. He said..."

"Hold on."

We were at the Council. It was deserted. No Guards, no horses.
No one.

Instinctively, I held up my sword, ready to fight.

A shadow appeared behind Aidan.

"Don't shoot, Archer!"

Mother. Looking so small.

"Elsya," Aidan lowered his weapon,  "we need to talk. No one is safe, the Dark escaped the Human, you need to evacuate the remaining villagers -"

"Aidan, I know" Mother sighed. She looked...defeated.
Nothing like the power displayed during our last encounter.

"He was here. Sent his...creatures. Told me he thanked me for this second chance. " A pause "The Elder left with a few children. The rest of the villagers are basically hostages"

"Did he tell you what he wanted?" I asked. I knew the answer.

"I told him over my dead body." She gestured at her side. She was bleeding.

Aidan rushed to her "You shouldn't be standing. Let's get inside"

"It's nothing, Aidan. I just don't have the energy to heal it at the moment. He drained me."

"Mother-", I began, helping her on her feet.

"Meira. I've made mistakes in the past. I'm trying to amend them."

Once inside the Council, Aidan began to help Mother healing. He took her hands while she sang a curse. It sounded like a prayer.

"Mother, Aidan." I said after a while, when she looked rested enough. I sat in front of them.

"The Dark talked to me last night. He told me..." I couldn't formulate this out loud.

"He told me I was its...child, somehow?"

Mother opened her eyes wide.

And started to smirk, followed by Aidan's big, hearty laugh echoing the walls.

"You really believed that? Oh gosh, you're hilarious sometimes!"

I waited until they recovered. If this was a joke, it was a very bad one.

"Ok, ok, said Mother, oh dear, I need to breathe."

"Meira, she said, suddenly very grave, The Dark is not your father. A twisted, wicked fallen soul, indeed, but not related to you, thankfully."

Part of me was relieved. The other one, surprisingly, was quite disappointed and ashamed.

Ashamed for falling for the Dark's story.

Disappointed because at least I would have known the truth.

"We should have told you." Mother continued.

"Your father was my dearest friend, Meira. Aidan added. He was a Guard from the council."

"The Dark told me about the Guard." I said.

Mother and Aidan looked at each other.

"He died shortly after the Long Night...The Dark consumed him and he never recovered. There was nothing I or anyone could do."

Mother paused. She looked down. I heard a soft cry.

"He had the most beautiful soul. I see a lot of him in you." She added.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Fear. Your powers were growing so rapidly. I was scared of what you would have done if you knew how he died."

"He made me promise to take care of you should anything happen to your Mother." Aidan explained.

I felt empty, again. What a broken family we all were. But that was all I had. Emptiness became comfort, warmth.

I was not alone.

I went to hug them both, Aidan and Mother. It was time to leave the past where it belonged.

Mother reached for my hands, and gave me my necklace back.
Things could change.

After a while, I started to form a plan in my head. It was an all or nothing situation. I had to try.

"Mother. Please gather your troops. We're going to war and we're finishing this, once and for all."

I heard Aidan say "I told you so." as they headed for the exit.

The tavern was a no-go for the Ghouls, and I soon realised this was simply because they thought it was abandoned. Everyone who was loyal to Mother hid there, waiting for her to come back, giving no signs of activity whatsoever.
That meant the place was freezing cold when we arrived.

I recognised a few faces from the past. Former soldiers turned farmers, a few schoolmates, a neighbour. But it was mostly a crowd of  people who celebrated Elsya as a hero. They smiled at her in silence, then motioned us to join them in the basement. Niall was there, drinking an elderflower infusion, and chatting to one of the barmaids.

"So in my world, we have this thing called coffee, and you can make any sort of drink with it. My favourite is macchiato, which means "stained coffee" and -"

"Are you going to run a coffee shop during battle plans?" I couldn't help but mock him a little. He was so lively, so friendly, like nothing happened. I felt a ping of envy, and sadness.

"Did you find your mother? Does she still want me dead?"

"I think we're past that now. Come have a seat, we're about to start."

Mother began to detail the operations, as I told her to on the way. We would all go out in a few hours with weapons, freeing as many fairies as possible and lead them to safety. Mother, Aidan and I would try and defeat Ghouls on our way.

The plan was for me to meet the Dark and kill it. Only I didn't tell them how. They figured my power, the endless energy running through my hands would be enough to stop it.

It was safer to let them believe this.

As we prepared for battle, I told Niall to stay there and help people hide.

"I can't risk having you on the field. You're Human, so basically, you're candyfloss for Ghouls. They love feeding on positive energy as much as the Dark does."

"But he spared me, once" he protested.

"And he certainly won't do it twice, Niall. You're still my mission. I still need you safe."

"Alright Captain. Let me make you a coffee when it's over."

This Human made me smile. That was his power.

Later that day, when people were resting, gathering strength and courage, I looked up around me. I was leading my people to a battle I wasn't sure I would survive. But I felt calm and at peace with myself. I had a purpose.

There was no going back.