The tavern remained dead silent.
Elara could feel her heart pounding in her chest. The knights—because what else could they be?—stood at the entrance, scanning the room. Their violet-eyed leader had a predatory stillness, like a wolf before the hunt.
Lucienne, ever the brilliant strategist, whispered, “Sooooo, we run, right?”
Jax hissed, “No, dumbass! Running makes us look guilty!”
Kaela barely breathed. “We are guilty.”
The knight took a step forward. His armor barely made a sound, which was somehow worse than if he’d been clanking around like a walking tin can.
“We were informed that outsiders have arrived in this city,” he said, voice smooth but firm. “Strangers. Unfamiliar with our customs.”
Elara tried to act casual. She leaned on the counter, gripping a rag she’d been using to wipe mugs. “Yeah? Sounds like you’re looking for some lost tourists.”
The knight’s violet eyes locked onto her. Too sharp. Too knowing.
Lucienne cleared her throat. “Well, this is a tavern. Travelers come and go all the time.”
The knight didn’t move. Didn’t blink. It was like staring down an unfeeling statue.
Jax, sensing disaster, quickly slammed his hand on the counter. “Hey, speaking of travelers! How about a drink? On the house! Nothing like a good ol’ mug of ale to—”
Kaela kicked him under the table.
Jax wheezed. “—to absolutely not bribe you because that would be illegal and we are law-abiding citizens.”
Sylas pinched the bridge of his nose.
The knight studied them for a few long, agonizing seconds before finally speaking.
“Be that as it may,” he said, “I advise you all to be careful. The kingdom is on high alert.”
Sienna, who had been watching silently, suddenly spoke up. “Why’s that?”
The knight’s gaze flicked to her. “There are whispers of… anomalies. Creatures not meant to exist in this world.”
Elara’s stomach twisted.
The knight turned back to the group. “If you see anything unusual… report it.”
And with that, he and his men turned, walking back out the door.
It was only when the heavy wooden doors shut behind them that Elara realized she had been holding her breath.
Jax was the first to break the silence.
“Sooooo… we’re definitely anomalies, right?”
Lucienne flopped onto the bar. “I don’t know, Jax, let’s see. Are we from this world? No? Then yeah, pretty sure we’re on their hit list.”
Kaela groaned. “This is bad. This is so bad.”
Valeria muttered, “We need to leave. Immediately.”
Elara turned to Sienna, who had been oddly quiet.
“…You knew they were coming, didn’t you?”
Sienna didn’t answer. Instead, she grabbed a rag and casually wiped down the counter, her face unreadable.
“You should rest,” she said instead. “Tomorrow, I’ll explain.”
Elara exchanged glances with the others, but no one argued. They were too mentally fried to push for answers.
Later That Night
Elara couldn’t sleep.
She lay on a lumpy mattress, staring at the wooden ceiling, her mind racing.
Anomalies. Creatures not meant to exist in this world.
Her gut told her those knights weren’t just looking for anyone. They were looking for them.
And why wouldn’t they? No normal humans were supposed to be here.
She turned her head to look at the others. Jax was already snoring. Lucienne had curled up in a ball. Kaela, Valeria, and Sylas were awake, but silent.
Elara sighed and sat up.
She wasn’t staying in this room.
She needed air.
The tavern was quiet at night. The only light came from the enchanted lanterns, casting flickering shadows along the walls. Elara tiptoed downstairs, careful not to wake anyone, and stepped outside.
The city looked different under the moonlight. Less overwhelming. More… dreamlike.
She leaned against the tavern’s stone wall, taking a deep breath.
Then she heard it.
A whisper.
“…Princess.”
Elara’s blood went ice cold.
She whipped around, heart hammering.
The alley beside the tavern was empty.
The wind picked up, sending a chill down her spine. She swallowed.
“…I’m just sleep-deprived,” she muttered to herself. “Yeah. That’s it.”
And yet—
The wind whispered again.
“You’re not supposed to be here.”
Elara bolted.
The Next Morning
If the group had been hoping for a peaceful breakfast, they were out of luck.
Sienna set down a plate of bread and meat, crossed her arms, and immediately started talking.
“You’re not normal.”
Jax choked on his drink. “Gee, thanks?”
Sienna rolled her eyes. “You’re not from here.”
Kaela tensed. “…What makes you say that?”
Sienna gave them a flat look. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the fact that you stared at everything in the market like lost puppies? Or the fact that you didn’t know basic currency? Or how you act like you’ve never seen a non-human before?”
Silence.
Then:
“…Okay, yeah, fair,” Jax admitted.
Sienna sighed. “Look. I don’t know how you got here, but you need to be careful. That knight? He wasn’t just looking for strangers. He was looking for mythbloods.”
Elara frowned. “Mythbloods?”
Sienna hesitated. “People who aren’t… fully human.”
Elara’s stomach dropped.
Before she could say anything, Sienna continued.
“And guess what? No full-blooded human has ever stepped into this world.”
The table went silent.
Lucienne blinked. “Wait, wait. Are you saying… that one of us isn’t human?”
Sienna stared at them. “I’m saying none of you are.”
Elara’s brain short-circuited.
Sylas muttered, “That’s impossible.”
Sienna raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Then explain how you’re here.”
Silence.
Jax, ever the problem solver, slowly raised his hand.
“…Does this mean I get cool powers?”
Kaela groaned. “Jax, focus.”
But Elara wasn’t listening anymore.
Because deep down, she knew.
She’d always known.
There was something wrong with her.
Something different.
She just never thought she’d be forced to face it.
And now?
Now, she might not have a choice.