Chapter Ten: Eliza

“The sunset is nicer in Thear.” The girl with the pastel blue hair said as the wind passed. She was sitting on the back of Albert’s bike like the princess she is. Her green eyes shone bright, as if it was a planet filled with trees and grass. Filled with life. But somehow, filled with melancholy. She remembered the vast orange sky from the roof of their castle’s library. She’d often sneak out with his brother, Ermond, just to look at the sunset. His brother would often point at the Forgotten World and tell her the old tales of it. How the animals turned into man-eating monsters and how humans become one of them too. Eliza never believed a single word of it.

“How was it like?” Albert asked. “The sunset in your world?”

Eliza stood up from Albert’s bike and walked next to the lamp post of the bridge. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Albert kicked the stand of his Japanese bike and parked it near the pavement of the bridge so that the cars won’t hit it although there are hardly any cars on this part of Bulacan.

“You see...” She pointed out next to the sun. “There’s this planet next to that sun. Some says that it’s where my people came from. It’s called the Forgotten World. I don’t believe it though. Books are just filled with handwriting that people wrote. And most people lie.”

“That’s cool. I want to see it too.” Albert smiled as if he didn’t heard the last thing that Eliza said

“Hey hey!!!” Milly shouted as she pedaled her black mountain bike towards Albert. She put her bike next to Albert’s and took her phone out. “Let’s take a picture together.” She smiled.

Eliza shifted her gaze on the other side of the bridge. She found Cezille punching Matthew, Alexandria drinking a sports drink, Claire staring at her phone and the new girl talking to Alexandria. I should be at home, watching my Koreanovela, but instead, I’m here. I want to go home. And then she remembered how everything came to this.

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“Biking?” Eliza said as she sipped her warm glass of milk. She was wearing Albert’s white shirt and a really short pair of shorts. Albert’s shirt was so big for her that it covered her shorts that one would think that she’s not wearing anything beneath. Just looking at her made Albert blush. Eliza knows that he is staring at her white and flawless legs. She’s just letting him. I’m letting you stare all you want because I like you...

“Yeah. You should come.” He smiled as he put a plate of fried eggs and corned beef on the table.

Eliza sat on the chair and placed her warm milk on the table. “What for?”

“To watch the sunset, they said.”

“You mean, Alexandria?” She asked as she rolled her eyes. She stayed long enough to know that Alexandria is the mastermind of every stupid thing that her group is doing.

“Yeah.” He took the rice cooker from the kitchen and placed it on the table. “She said that she’s going to introduce someone to us. She’s from the… uhmmm…” Albert was trying to find the words to describe that she’s a friend from a game. “...a friend from another school.” In the end, he forgot the name of the school.

“I see.” She took a plate and filled it with rice and eggs and corned beef. The rice was emitting white steam.

“You going?” He asked as he took rice.

“Yes. I’ve got nothing to do, you know.” She lied. Why did I say that? Now I’m going to miss My Love from the Star!!

“Cool.”

Then the two of them ate breakfast together.

It has been two weeks since she had stayed in Albert’s place. She often spends her leisure time by sharpening her sword and dagger. Sometimes, Eliza practices her swings. But most of the time, she watches the “people inside the magic box.” She was amazed by the things that her world doesn’t have. There were times that she doesn’t even want to go back to her own world. If it’s not for Gretzel, I’d rather not leave this place. She’s the only one that I have left. And I don’t intend to lose her.

A week ago, when the group visited Albert after school, Claire Svartsevich told her that she is seeking a way for her to go back to her world and back to this world. Eliza thought that Claire might be a witch or some noble aristocrat who knows one. It was Claire’s hair that made her think of this. She and Alexandria had an Alswell’s hair. They might be relatives in some way...

Whenever Eliza got bored from watching TV, she often thinks of her family. Especially her father. She would try to think of who ordered those group of men. And then she would give up in the end telling herself that she’d just kill everyone that she suspects. Down from the bandits to the noble families that her father knows. I’ll kill them all. She thought while eating a popsicle with Albert’s name on it.

She lied down on the couch and had her arm on her forehead as she took another bite on the popsicle. Why didn’t she come with me? The two of us could make it together. Then the legend of the Faerie Woods came back to her. It felt like a distant memory to her. A very memorable, yet, distant memory.

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It was a long, long time ago. After a year or two since the humans from the Forgotten World arrived on the world they called Thear. The Faerie Forest was filled with faeries and their dragons by then. It was a huge magical forest. Where the trees were sixty to seventy feet tall (The huge trees are still there though.) and dragons were ruling the sky.

Faeries. They are creatures who looked like teenage humans but had transparent butterfly like wings and long elf-like ears. The first humans say that the faeries could change size. From small butterfly-like size to human-like size. They had magick as well. May it be healing, invoking creatures, drawing elements from thin air and other powerful spells. And as for dragons, they were flying lizards who ruled both the sky and the land. Taming and breeding one was difficult. But some succeeded and ruled the nine cities with them. Unlike what the other books says, there were also different kinds of dragons. There were more than one kind of dragon unlike others believed it to be. Some breathe fire, water, ice, toxic gas and crystals. Legend says that those dragons still exist in both Thear and the Forgotten World. Even after Haldren's Rebellion.

At night, the Faerie Forest would have these small colorful balls of light. The books says that it was the Faeries itself, illuminating the forest for humans for their safe travel.

The Faeries didn’t have a ‘Leader’ of themselves. They treat everyone as an equal. Even the humans who were still unfamiliar of the world. From magick to alchemy to science and even language, they taught the humans of it. However, such bond ended after a human rebelled against the Faeries, which was later called the Haldren Rebellion. Haldren wanted control over the world. He was a great warrior. He could even slay a dragon on his own, but he never tamed one. And thus, a Faerie cursed him. A curse of never ending life. For it is life that he wanted, it was life that he obtained. Some says that Haldren is still alive.

Such fools they were. Eliza bit the last piece of her Popsicle and stood up to take a bath. She missed reading such books, so she asked Albert to lend him some books. He gave her books about the history of the Philippines. Though she found it not that ‘entertaining’ while being hyped upon reading it. “The revolution was good. But… there aren’t any dragons in it!!!” So she’d ask Claire to bring her books about folklores and myths. She liked the folklores in the Philippines a lot.

“I’ve always wanted to ride them dragons….” She said to herself as she filled her dipper with water and poured it unto herself.

“Eliza.” It was Albert. “You here?”

“I’m taking a bath.” She answered as she scrubbed her pale white skin with a loofa.

“Really?” Then the door was opened. It opened enough for Alexandria’s head to enter. “Wooohoooo. Nice boodeey~”

“Get out!” She said as she threw Alexandria the dipper with water in it. It hit her hard in the face.

After a few minutes, she was ready.

“We should take turns on pedaling.” Cezille said to Matthew.

“I’m the guy so-“ Cezille didn’t let Matthew finish his sentence as she pinched the cheeks of Matthew.

“So what?” She smiled.

Claire took a photo of the two of them without then knowing.

“You haven’t met Roxanne yet, right?” Alexandria said.

“Pervert.” Eliza frowned as she shielded her breast.

“Now, now.” She smiled as she called the girl wearing a red shirt with camouflaged shorts. “This is Roxanne.”

“Hi! I like your hair.” Roxanne smiled.

“Yeah, I like it too.” She forced a smile. People really find my hair nice, huh?

“This girl here is Eliza.” Alexandria smiled.

“We should get going before the sunset starts.” Albert said.

Eliza stared at Albert’s bike since it was her first time seeing one.

“Hop in.” He smiled.

“How?”

“Just sit like a princess here.” Albert tapped the backseat.

She blushed and sat.

“Just follow me guys.” Alexandria said as she strode with her bike with Claire on her back, still staring and pressing on her phone.

The couple Matthew and Cezille followed suit. Then Roxanne.

“Hold tight.” Andrew smiled.

“Where?” She asked.

“To that post.” He said as he started to pedal.

Eliza hugged Albert due to instinct. “That’s right.” Albert said without looking back.

“Idiot.”

Albert could feel Eliza’s chest on his back. It made him uncomfortable. But of course he felt delighted feeling the chest of a beautiful girl behind him even though they were a bit small. He felt like they were the only ones on the road. Like it was made for the two of them. Everything and everyone disappeared. Does she feel the same way? He wondered. Eliza and Albert did spent the last two weeks together. Watching TV together, eating together. I wonder what she feels about me. Eliza was quiet. It was her first time to go somewhere far in this unfamiliar world. The farthest place she went was the store outside their house whenever she felt like eating junk food. She liked it. There was nothing like it in her world, she would say.

She was bored. I should be watching T.V. right now... but at least, I get to hug him. Eliza felt uncomfortable because her chest is hitting Albert’s back. I wonder if he feels my heartbeat?

That was until they reached Bulacan. She didn’t know if it was a river or an ocean. But she liked the view. The sun was almost setting but they still haven’t reached their destination. They came across a bridge. They got off on the second one.

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“But I think, the sunset here is fine.” Eliza told Albert. ”Because here, I am with you.”

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