Chapter 4: The road to Freedom
384 Words
Elara’s car hummed steadily along the empty roads, the soft vibration filling the silence around her. The world outside was dark and endless, broken only by the faint glow of distant lights and the occasional stretch of trees passing by.
Inside, it was just her… and Lunaris.
Lunaris stirred again, her presence more noticeable now—no longer quiet, no longer distant. A soft, steady voice in the back of her mind. Guiding. Watching.
Comforting.
Be cautious, Lunaris murmured.
Elara tightened her grip on the steering wheel slightly, her eyes flicking to the dark road ahead.
“They don’t know what you are,” Lunaris continued. “They don’t know your strength.”
Elara frowned, confusion settling in. Her brows pulled together as she let out a quiet breath.
“What do you mean—what I am or my strength?” she asked aloud, her voice barely above a whisper in the empty car.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then—
You are stronger than you think, human.
The words settled deep within her, heavier than she expected.
We have much to learn, Lunaris continued, her tone thoughtful… almost uncertain. But I know this—we are more than they imagine.
Elara swallowed, her thoughts drifting despite herself.
Her family.
Her sister’s cruel words echoed faintly in her mind. The way she had always been treated—like she didn’t belong, like she was something less. Her parents, distant and unmoved, never stepping in. Her brothers, always just out of reach, never truly there.
Did they ever think she would leave?
Did they ever imagine she would survive without them?
A small, bitter feeling twisted in her chest—but she pushed it down. That life was behind her now.
Or at least… it would be.
The road stretched endlessly ahead, hours slipping by as the steady rhythm of driving gave her too much time to think. Too much time to wonder.
About Lunaris.
About what she meant.
About what she really was.
The palace wasn’t just a destination—it was something more. A chance. A risk. Maybe even the only place where she could finally get answers.
It would not just be her asylum.
It would be the beginning of everything.
The gateway to discovering who she truly was.
- Writer
