Gamble It All

A New Friendship

Aralyn was too scared to move. She had no choice but to follow what the voice told her to do. She stood there while shutting her eyes closed and grinned her teeth.

The footsteps got closer and closer.

"Uh, old man, I told you there's no living here. You were just hearing things again."

Aralyn could not believe what she's seeing and hearing. The living was before her and yet, he could not see her. She tried waving her hand in front of the living's eyes but there was no response. It was like as if she was invisible. Maybe, she really was invisible!

The hunters went back into the woods to do their own work.

Aralyn sat down on the ground as her legs were shaking. Then, she remembered that there was a voice. She turned her head to look for a clue. But no trace was left in the bushes.

"Up here!"

She looked up to the direction the voice came. It was a male living, sitting on a branch of the tree. Aralyn was shocked to say any word.

"You know that it's rude to stare at a living and say nothing, right?"

The boy lifted one of his brows.

"Ah, I-"

Before Aralyn could say a word, the boy jumped down from the tree, light as a feather. He landed on the ground without any sound being heard.

"I'm Keith."

Aralyn kept looking at the boy even when he introduced himself, blankly. Keith lifted one of his brows once again meaning "what about you?". He cleared his throat to make a sound.

"Oh, I apologize for my actions. I'm Aralyn. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Aralyn, huh.. Ah, aren't you the one who's been famous for cards around here?"

Aralyn chuckled nervously as she didn't expect to hear that.

"By any chances, did you helped me earlier?"

"Aw, I did. I've always wanted to try using invisibility for once. So I kind of used it on you."

"So, I was used as a test object..."

Aralyn smirked as she replied.

"You could say."

"But how?? You're a living, right? And livings can't use magic!"

"I'm half living..."

He looked away and continued his sentence.

"...and half fairy."

He pulled up his sleeve to show the mark on his hand. The mark which represents "Fairy"

It was surprising to hear that Keith was a half fairy. It was against the rules of Livings. Aralyn stepped back as she was scared.

"I knew it. Every living is the same. No matter how much I do for them, they despise me."

Keith turned around to head back into the woods. But, then,

"-What are you doing?"

Aralyn pulled Keith's arm meaning not to go. She looked up to Keith to talk. The Aqua hues in her eyes was sparkling with tears.

"I don't despise you. But if I say I'm not scared, it'd be a lie. Even so, I can promise you that I'll never let you be alone."

Keith knew that she was scared. Her hands were cold and they were shaking. Of course, any living would be scared. But she was different. It was the first time someone held his arm tight and told him he wouldn't be alone. He knew that he could trust her.

It took a lot of courage for Aralyn to speak up. She was shivering. She was afraid she would make a wrong action. She didn't want to hurt Keith but she was also worried that her action would make it worse. She shut her eyes as she was worried about her action.