A Secret Between Worlds
1456 Words
CHAPTER 3 — A SECRET BETWEEN WORLDS
The forest carried a soft hum that evening, the kind that came only when the wind moved slowly through the leaves. Orange light filtered through the branches as the last of the sun dipped below the horizon. Ariel sat quietly on the fallen log, listening to the strange yet peaceful sounds of the human world.
Birds chirping. Leaves rustling. A distant river murmuring.
None of these existed in the underrealm, where the only sounds were crackling fire, marching soldiers, and the deep heartbeat of molten rivers.
Ariel found herself memorizing each new noise, each new scent, each new feeling—because all of it felt… alive.
And she wanted to feel alive.
Evan arrived at the clearing a few minutes later, slightly breathless as always. His hair was wind-tossed, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up from working.
When he saw her, his face lit up.
“You came,” he said softly, as if he still didn’t believe it each time she stood before him.
Ariel nodded. “I said I would.”
Evan sat beside her, not too close, but close enough that Ariel could feel the warmth from his body. Not heat—just warmth.
A warmth she was beginning to crave.
“I brought something again,” he said, holding up a small pouch.
Ariel blinked. “The sweet bread?”
“Nope.” He grinned and opened the pouch. “Fruit.”
Ariel stared at the red round object he offered her. “What is that?”
“An apple. You’ve never seen one?”
She shook her head slowly.
Evan laughed lightly. “And I thought I was the one who grew up in the middle of nowhere.”
Ariel bit into the apple cautiously. The cool juice surprised her, and she blinked rapidly as the sudden sweetness burst onto her tongue.
Evan watched in silent amusement. “I’m guessing you like it.”
Ariel swallowed. “It tastes… bright.”
Evan tilted his head. “Bright?”
She searched for the right word. “Like the sky feels. Or water. Or wind.”
Evan looked at her strangely, not in a bad way—just curiously. “You talk about things like you’ve never experienced them before.”
Ariel stiffened.
She had to be careful.
“I haven’t… seen much outside my home,” she said quietly.
“That makes sense,” Evan replied, accepting her answer without pressure. “But I’m glad you’re seeing it now.”
Ariel looked down at the apple, feeling something warm settle in her chest.
Evan always understood. Even when she didn’t explain.
Even when she couldn’t.
She wanted to ask him a thousand things about the human world, but one question tugged at her the most.
“Evan… why did you come back again?”
He blinked. “What do you mean?”
“You don’t know me. I don’t know you. Humans don’t usually spend time with strangers. So… why?”
Evan’s hand froze halfway to his hair as if he had been about to scratch it.
He dropped it slowly and looked at her.
“I don’t really know,” he admitted softly. “But when I saw you that night… I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Ariel frowned. “Why? You don’t owe me anything.”
“No. I don’t.” Evan smiled a little. “But I wanted to. You looked… lonely.”
Ariel’s chest tightened.
Lonely.
A word that echoed too closely to the truth she’d never spoken aloud.
She looked away. “I’m not lonely.”
Evan didn’t argue. He just rested his elbows on his knees and stared at the horizon.
“It’s okay if you are,” he said quietly. “Everyone gets lonely sometimes.”
Ariel’s throat tightened again. She wasn’t used to being seen. Every demon around her saw her status. Her flame. Her title. But Evan saw something else entirely.
He saw her.
Ariel hugged her knees closer. “Are you lonely?”
Evan’s smile faded a bit. “Sometimes.”
“How?” she whispered. “You have a village. A family.”
Evan shrugged. “My father works far away. I don’t see him much. And my mother died when I was little. The village is nice, but…” He paused, voice softening. “It still feels empty sometimes.”
Ariel looked at him—really looked at him.
His honesty was gentle. Quiet. Human.
And it made her heart throb in a way flame never had.
“I don’t want you to feel empty,” she said before she could stop herself.
Evan blinked, startled.
Then slowly—very slowly—a small, warm smile spread across his lips.
“That means a lot, Ariel.”
Ariel looked away quickly, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. Her flame ring glowed faintly, betraying her emotions.
Evan noticed it. “Your bracelet… does that happen when you’re… embarrassed?”
Ariel froze.
She looked down. The flame circle flickered softly, pulsing with light. She covered it with her other hand.
“It reacts,” she muttered.
“It’s beautiful,” Evan said.
Ariel stiffened. “It’s dangerous.”
“Not to me,” he said confidently.
But he didn’t know the truth. If she lost control of her flame… if her emotions spiked… she could burn through stone. Through trees. Through—
She swallowed hard.
“Evan,” she whispered. “You shouldn’t get close to me.”
Evan’s expression softened, not with fear… but with confusion. “Why not?”
“Because I’m—”
Her voice faltered.
A demon.
A creature humans feared.
A being her father swore must never reveal her true form.
She inhaled shakily. “Because I’m not like you.”
“I know that,” Evan said simply.
Ariel looked at him in shock. “You… know?”
“I mean—you talk different, you act different, you don’t know basic things like fruit—” He laughed awkwardly. “It’s kind of obvious you’re not from around here.”
Ariel blinked.
That was what he meant?
Relief washed over her like a wave.
She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
Evan continued, voice soft. “But I don’t care where you’re from. I just want to know you.”
Those words sent a warm ripple through her chest.
Suddenly, a sharp cracking sound echoed nearby.
Evan jumped. “What was that?”
Ariel stood instantly, her senses snapping sharp like blades. Her flame ring flared lightly.
She smelled it—metal. The cold scent of steel.
And something else.
Human boots.
A group was moving through the woods.
Two voices murmured.
“She was seen around here.”
“Check the clearing.”
Ariel’s blood ran cold.
Hunters.
Evan looked pale. “We need to hide. Quickly.”
Ariel grabbed his wrist—instinct, not thought—and pulled him behind a thick tree trunk. Her fire dimmed instantly. She held her breath. Evan did too.
Footsteps crunched against the leaves.
“Tracks here,” one voice said.
“Fresh.”
Ariel’s heart hammered in her chest. If they found Evan with her—
No. She wouldn’t let that happen.
Evan leaned close and whispered barely above a breath: “It’s okay. Stay still.”
Ariel looked at him. Even now, he was trying to shield her.
She felt something fierce and protective rise inside her.
I will not let them hurt him.
The hunters moved to the other side of the clearing.
One finally said, “Nothing here. Must’ve been an animal.”
Their footsteps faded into the distance.
Ariel waited until it was silent—completely silent—before releasing the breath she’d been holding.
When she turned back to Evan, he was looking at her strangely.
“Ariel… why were they looking for you?”
Her heart thudded painfully.
She had been discovered. Maybe they saw her pass through the portal. Maybe someone spotted her flame.
She shook her head. “I don’t know.”
Evan didn’t look convinced. But he didn’t push.
He just whispered, “You’re safe now.”
Safe.
The word echoed in her mind.
With him, she felt safer in the human world than she ever had in the underrealm.
She met Evan’s gaze, and for a moment, the world felt still. Quiet. Just them.
But deep in her heart, she knew this was only the beginning.
A secret had begun forming between them—
A secret that tied her world to his.
A secret that would change both of their lives, no matter how hard she tried to stop it.
- Writer
