Elek grinned at the sight of his wish finally being fulfilled. Elara pouted as she held her guitar case in her hands, carefully removing the instrument from that thick, black bag. The sight of the golden strings tightly wound above the glossy black surface and the brown fretboard instantly made her smile, and she lightly strummed all six strings to see how out of tune they were.

Elek wore a mellow smile as he saw Elara immerse herself into tuning the strings, doing so with ease without requiring any additional support other than the tuning pegs. She strummed the strings again, now smiling with satisfaction.

"This is a very simple fingerstyle piece I learned a long time ago. I like to play it whenever I'm thinking since it's so simple and serves as good background music."

Elek's smile brightened and he brought out his notebook, opening a blank page with a swift movement of his hand. It then brought his pen to the paper, making some quick strokes that were now out of Elara's focus.

The girl leaned on her guitar, perhaps getting a better sense of the sound through the wood as it vibrated against her ear. She was careful to play softly, not wishing to disturb anyone or anything. She took a deep breath, sat up slightly straight and looked at Elek.

"You mentioned you have a friend who plays the piano, right?"

Elek nodded enthusiastically, his eyes momentarily glinting.

"Do many shadow-trappers play musical instruments? Do they use other human inventions?" Elara asked, her fingers still moving from her muscle memory.

"A few do. We use books, pens, some material for furniture, I suppose, but not too many other things. Practically no technology, no fancy versions of most things, no vehicles and so on."

Elara nodded. "Hm, well what about..."

Elara's fingers continued as the two friends talked endlessly, hopping from one topic to another, often seemingly unrelated ones. It was then that Elara noticed his left hand remained in his pocket for the entirety of their interaction that day. She stopped playing the guitar, sitting up straight.

"Elek," Elara started slowly, a little shy. "Do you know what a high five is?"

Elek nodded, a little surprised at that sudden question.

"Gimme one with your left hand!"

Elek frowned. "Why the left hand?"

"I've always wanted to see how my aim would be with my left hand since I'm right-handed, hehe."

"That is so random," Elek said with a chuckle. "Do you get random thoughts like this often?"

"Oh yes," Elara replied quickly, and the many instances of such a fluctuation ran through her mind. "One time I was playing a piece on the guitar, was thinking about the piece, then started thinking about other things and by the time I came out of that fazed state, I was playing an entirely different piece."

Elara raised her eyebrow funnily and Elek laughed. Elara smiled, observing her friend and her attention once again came to his hand.

"Hey!" Elara said with a frown, once again catching Elek by surprise. "You're avoiding this, aren't you? What happened to the high-five?"

"Randomness," Elek said with a shrug, and Elara laughed.

"I see what you- wait, you're doing it again! Show me your hand this instant."

Elara's tone was firm, her eyes fixated on Elek, and the Shadow there was no getting out of that situation. He reluctantly removed his arm, revealing a thick ring of something that looked like black dust on his wrist. It didn't seem like it could come off, and a yellow glow surrounded the patch as if it was taking energy from its surroundings.

"What's that?" Elara asked softly, not taking her eyes off it. Elek now let it hang loosely by his side, and the glow seemed to brighten.

"Just a little mishap while doing something with some demonic creatures. Don't worry, neither they nor I am hurt seriously. This will heal on its own, with little time."

Elek smiled, his voice mellow and assuaging. By that point, Elara knew Elek wasn't always honest - perhaps hiding his wrist demonstrated that - but she decided she could trust him on at least this. Still, everything couldn't help but remind her of him. That smile, that tone, that aura, that... response.

"You really are a lot like my father..."

Elara's voice trailed off softly, her fingers gently plucking the guitar strings again.

"I think he'd love to meet you."

Elek didn't have to turn to feel Elara's distant gaze as her fingers stopped, bringing the world around her into a numbing but profound silence.

"Hmm. Maybe."

Elara smiled. "Maybe indeed. I suppose we'll never know."

A sadness shone in Elara's eyes, something Elek didn't quite understand. The aura that radiated was painful, but somehow Elara was holding it back.

"Do you want to meet him?"

Elara looked up towards her friend, surprised at his empty tone.

"Hah sure, I do that every night in my dreams." Elara chuckled.

"I'm serious."

Elara opened her mouth with a nervous smile, but closed it, unable to think. She stared at the strange shadow, wanting to see his facial expressions, but she could see nothing.

"I don't understand."

Elek turned towards her with a smile. Then she realised it wouldn't mean anything. She couldn't analyse him.

What a stupid thought that was.

"I can take you wherever you want, whenever you want. Your father's childhood, a moment you've already spent with him, the moment exactly after his death, the place after his death..."

Elara nodded slowly. For once, her curiosity was very little.

"Do Shadow Beings have the power to travel in time?"

"That's a little odd question for us, but I understand what you mean. No, we do not have the ability to time-travel. However, our abilities are a meagre form of our true potential. The power that is unique to us even in our physical form is our Yuran - I think I've told you about it before, briefly.

"My Yuran is essentially the power of time and space - I can enter the place where everything meets through which I can exit and go to any point in spacetime."

Elara nodded once again, surprised at her lack of awe.

"You've got some problems going on with your people, don't you? Some saving the world sort of business that goes on in stories?"

"Well, sort of," Elek said with a chuckle seeing which Elara smiled.

"Why don't you use your Yuran and end it, then? Or maybe stop it from happening? Wouldn't it be better?"

Elek wore a solemn smile, shaking his head. "This isn't a war or something that can simply end. I cannot even stop it from happening because it began in a place out of time. It would be futile and only cause more chaos."

Elara nodded slowly. "Yeah, okay. I think I understand."

Time passed as silence replaced the world's activity. For a moment, Ekara felt like she wasn't on Earth.

"Would you like to go?" Elek asked softly.

"No, I don't think any good would come from it," Elara said with a small smile. "I'll meet him when the time is right. Through nature."

Elek smiled.

"Okay."

- - - - -

"Have you ever imagined what you'd be like as a human?"

Elek looked up from his notebook, his eyebrows furrowed. "Not really, I can't see myself as one. If I was I'd definitely be a scientist, though," Elek said with a playful grin.

"I don't doubt that," Elara chuckled. "How similar are Shadow-Trappers to Humans?"

Elek thought for a while, but no concrete answer came to mind. "At this point of time, somewhat. Same appearance and a somewhat dependence on our senses. Most get a sense of fulfilment from food even though we don't need to consume anything. Different social structures. Different teaching and correspondence with age, perhaps. But if you ask about the 'original' Shadow-Trappers - when we first came - then the answer would be very different."

"So you've learned human behaviour?" Elara asked in a surprised tone.

"Sort of."

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?

Elek sighed. "Perhaps."

Silence fell and Elara realised she should change the topic, but she was still a little curious.

"What about your piano friend? How would she be as a human?"

Elek smiled and he turned back towards his notebook, his mind drifting into an endless thought.

"Audrey is really brave but... she wouldn't be right as a human. It would be too much for her. I mean she's strong and she would handle everything no matter how terrible it was because that's just how she is. But she would overburden herself."

"Do you know what an empath is? In my view, Audrey is the definition of it. No, she is beyond that."

"She would be an introvert and all but she would meet countless people. She would take their suffering and make it her own until she solved their problem or helped their mindset. Whatever she could do to make things better for them. She would do it and do it until she is stopped the only way possible.

"Of course, I'm talking about Audrey as she is now. I'm sure someday that will change, but still, she wouldn't be able to be a human. Materialistic existence wouldn't be able to handle her energy."

Silence fell, and Elek's expression was unreadable. Elara was unsure what to make of this, but she felt like she learned something.

"Audrey is quite different from humans, then? Even though she understands them very well?"

Elek sighed. "Audrey fluctuates because she understands. She feels a deep sense of responsibility towards the Shadow Beings in general but also thinks she needs to do the best for human beings because of her ability of mind-control. It's a morally confusing ability so she always wants to do good from the information she gains."

"She sounds amazing," Elara said with a smile, at which Elek's face lit up.

"She is."

- - - - -

"Does the perfect Shadow exist?"

"Yes. There is one. But talking about them would defeat the purpose of being the perfect Shadow."

"Do you know them?"

"Very closely. I think I understand them very well. However, there is one that knows them beyond anything else possible.

"That entity..."

Elek's voice trailed and for the first time, Elara saw an expression of melancholy on her friend's face. He began drifting into endless thoughts, endless emotions. At the time, most of them seemed unpleasant.

"Okay."

-----------

"This might be an odd question," Elek started hesitantly, immediately catching Elara's intrigue. "Would you rather be happy and live a nice, long, 'ordinary' life, or be miserable but craft something meaningful that helps people?"

Elara hesitated, looking surprised, but still thought deeply.

"The second one. Life will always be a mix of good and bad, but with the second one, I know that my craft will give me happiness. It wouldn't be all miserable."

Elek wore a wary smile, nodding slowly, and a gleam of curiosity shone in Elara's eyes.

"What about you?"

Elek chuckled. "I admit this is an odd question for me, but maybe I'd want the second one, too."

Want... I don't think I've ever wanted anything... Elek thought, a strange feeling settling in his mind.

Elara nodded, smiling a little. She thought his answer would be like that, and she realised she was right. Elek took too many risks, putting himself in danger of too many things. She wasn't sure if this was all primarily for his friends or for the world? But by then she understood that a being investigating the delicate factors of their world would either be dangerous for the environment, or for the being. She was sure that if anytime, anything went wrong, Elek would fix the situation using his own energy.

She could only hope that her questions gave him some clarity, help him find easier paths of investigation. Help him untangle the mess of information that was their world. 

"What's on your mind?" Elek asked softly, a hint of curiosity in his mind.

"You," Elara replied without hesitation, wearing a small smile, and that response surprised Elek. He didn't think anyone worried about him in that manner, and he didn't want to admit but it felt slightly nice. Still, he didn't wish to be a burden to anyone.

"Nah, that's a boring topic. Want me to tell you more about the seven lands?"

Elara's eyes glinted sharply and she nodded furiously, immediately forgetting everything else. Elek chuckled, starting his little lecture without hesitation.

- - - - -

https://youtu.be/0SVa2qOKleI

Elek sat a few feet away from the fire. The marble beneath him felt especially hot on that summer day and his vessel seemed to mimic the phenomenon of sweating. He took a deep breath, letting go of all that physical sensation.

Being human is an odd experience, he thought. He stared at the fire, avoiding the lone woman weeping beside it.

The water was oddly clean in that large lake. A gentle breeze blew over its surface, the swans fluttering along with it. A child held her phone towards the view and Elek noticed her taking a slow-motion video.

Of course, he could see the world in any pacing he wished.

The mother's timid figure cast a weak shadow by the side of the lake as she clutched the vessel containing her Elara's ashes. Elek looked towards the ground, struggling to keep his sorrow inside. This wasn't the time or place to invite any demonic creatures.

Sometimes humans must face their inner struggles alone.

But he couldn't stay away. And anyway, he could sense Elara linger around her mother. Would it be so bad to let her see her daughter one last time? He could easily pull them into the Shadow Dimension and the universe wouldn't hurt. Just a small, last moment. He was still amazed by how Elara managed to fight her disease for as long as she did without anyone knowing. Somehow, he wasn't curious enough to investigate it.

I need to let her be.

She probably didn't want to spend her last few months with her mother in agony, put her through the pain of accepting the end before time. But Elek didn't like this consequence. He didn't want Elara's mother to lose someone else so suddenly. No goodbye.

Elek shook his head, a sorrow unlike all glinting in his yellow gaze. He might not have known his mother, but he still cared deeply.

What an interesting quality to inherit from humans. To care. I wonder if it helps us in any way.

Elek closed his eyes, concentrating on Elara's ashes and her mother. The particles wouldn't be nearly enough this time, he needed to recognise all of it. Each vibration, each energy that sparked - physical or abstract. The world faded away as their outline burned in Elek's mind. Their thoughts, emotions, physicalities, memories...

Elara clung to her mother. As he separated them, Elara's mother gasped. Her little girl's silhouette stood beside her, holding her arm. She still clutched her daughter's ashes, wishing to never let go.

Silence surrounded him as Elara said something to her mother. The latter's eyes widened as Elara faded away, and she returned to reality. She finally opened the vessel, staring at the horizon. She took a deep breath in sync with the wind around - almost as if it was Elara's flight out of the living - and let the ashes go.

Elek's eyes widened. He walked forward, now standing only a few feet away from Elara's mother. Silence surrounded the two, and it was as if only they and the lake existed at that moment.

"Ashes aren't nearly as graceful as they seem in stories."

Elek surprised himself. He didn't mean to say that out loud, but it wasn't as if anyone was listening, anyway.

Elara's mother turned towards him and Elek immediately sensed that movement. He stood up straight, nervous. He hesitantly looked towards her, immediately regretting his words. She seemed confused, but after seeing Elek sighed and relaxed.

"'Pretty' would probably be a more accurate word, but you're right. Not that my daughter cares much for things like that."

Elek smiled. Elara's mother observed him for a while and Elek suddenly felt flustered, turning towards the ground.

"Have we met before? Somehow it feels like that, though I'm sure this is the first time I'm seeing you."

Elek shook his head, suppressing his surprise. He sighed, smiling. "My name is Elek."

The woman smiled, blinking slowly. "My daughter's name is Elara. Her father initially named her Eleanor, but somehow her name was changed in the birth certificate. You'd expect the people responsible to be more careful, but of course, that's impossible with humans. Anyway, we ended up liking the sound of this name better and her father liked the thought of having his daughter in the sky or something."

Elek stared at no place in particular, both names hitting him with a wave of nostalgia he never expected. He smiled, nodding to show his interest.

"Both names sound lovely, and I'm sure she was too." Elara's mother gave a proud nod at that, but the increasing sorrow in her eyes was unmistakable. She turned towards the lake, bowing her head towards the ground. Suddenly, streams of tears flowed from her eyes, falling in that clean lake.

The woman forced herself to take a deep breath, wiping her eyes. She turned towards the blue sky and time passed, an eternity passed. The summer seemed gentler now, the light grey atmosphere inviting rain.

She turned towards Elek, wearing a small smile, and he returned the gesture.

"Well, it looks like it's time for me to head home. It was nice meeting you, Elek."

Elek nodded, smiling. "Goodbye."

Elara's mother returned the smile. "Until we meet again, Elek."

Elek's eyes widened as she turned away, her bare footsteps soft. He suddenly felt the heat of the ground beneath him, but the grey weather had alleviated it considerably since his first step on it. The lake reflected his surroundings quite clearly, painting the human world for his understanding. The wind blew, running his memories through his mind.

Elek smiled.

- - - - - - - - -

The two friends sat in a blank space, their vicinity holding the aura of Sylva Vita. The ground was a messy green and the surrounding atmosphere wore the lightest shade of blue. Everything was fuzzy, unclear, other than the two. 

Elek rested his head on Audrey's shoulder, the tears streaming softly.

"I'm just afraid that if I die now, I'll have wasted everything Elara gave me. This might sound odd but I think she has lived before - her soul I mean - in a way that would free her of this world. I know for sure that she didn't come back to live because she likes life. So what... did she come back for me? I'm too experimental and go out of hand and I might end up breaking a very important rule that will end up undermining everything we're doing. Then this life of hers, her suffering will all be useless. Everything will be useless. "

Silence filled the air and an ugly myriad of emotions filled Audrey's head. The two sat in a vast field, no stimuli affecting them, open to all of their thoughts and emotions. She sighed, trying to remain as neutral as possible.

"Oi Elek, why are you thinking about death right now? You're not going to die, no one else will die. Okay?"

Stop trying to mimic Elek, idiot, what are you doing? Audrey thought as she wore an awkward smile.

Elek took a deep breath, and those tears had stopped now. "You don't know that. Holly's gone... and I just have a feeling."

"I'm serious. I'll protect you. And get rid of that feeling."

Elek smiled, sitting up now as he wiped his eyes. "Don't make that kind of promise, Audrey. As a large team, we'll have to split up, we always do. Anyway, it's my job to protect and I already failed once. If I had just come a few minutes early..."

The timid voice faded into a regretful aura, the mind stuck in the past. Audrey had never seen Elek in such a situation; his mind was always free from such constraints of time, and she would make sure it always was.

"It took me some time to admit, but Holly's death wasn't preventable. Why else would that letter be there? The one she wrote to me about Alesund. She knew she was going to die. There's a lot going on that we - or at least I am - not aware of, so we need to factor that into all of our situations."

Elek took a deep breath, slowly turning towards his friend. His thoughts wandered the possibilities, and perhaps he didn't want to admit it because he felt something similar, but he eventually nodded.

"I suppose you're right. We need to keep an open mind."

Elek sighed. Audrey smiled. The scene faded away.

----- -------

Audrey tightly held on to Elek's book, and it was as if the book replayed memories of her friend in her mind.

"I won't ever leave you all empty-handed."

Audrey knew that Elek had a great sense of time, but she just realised that he could pick out things from the past that no one realised, and intuitively felt certain things of the future.

That must've felt lonely, Audrey thought. He'd always been alone in a sense. From birth to childhood, even while he was in the team - always exploring individually, stringing along the others only a small percentage of the time. With that thought guilt started to settle in on her mind, that familiar heaviness dulling her mind.

Now... where is he?

Audrey very vaguely remembered that dream... Elek crying on her shoulder, a scene she thought was never possible. But if this was being shown to her, did that mean it actually did happen? Just not physically, but perhaps in a mental image, similar to her goodbye to him alongside Trina after his passing?

Audrey sighed, and more thoughts began to fill her head. She realised this story wasn't over, she was merely given a break.

Let's see what else is there.