Dusk

'Sometimes, our true families are those we trust deeply and not those we know by blood alone.'

The next morning, practically everything was beginning to pour back to me. A hand over my face, mercifully shields me from the suns blinding rays. I manage to sit up, surprisingly less painful than yesterday.

As I stare out the window, out there I here a familiar cry. Instantly I'm filled with relief.

"Austen," I whisper and he dives smoothly into the room and lands on my shoulder.

A smile appears on my lips, I was happy he was safe.

He seemed to be tensed too. My brows furrow in worry, "you okay, boy?" I ask, a finger under his beak, gently rubbing his neck feathers. He doesn't respond.

"fine then." I say with a pout, obviously sad that he wasn't telling me. Well if it was to keep me safe I'll accept it.

"you speak to birds?" I hear Luna ask in wonder from my side. I groan internally, of all faces to see in the morning. On my shoulder, Austen flaps his wings vibrantly. I arc a brow at the action, well, it seemed to me that he liked her a lot but I didn't.

"of course not." I say with a strong restraint to roll my eyes. "I just happen to understand them better than anyone else." I say, turning to her. I nearly stutter on seeing her. If I were standing, I would have surely fallen on my knees.

She was wearing a royal blue robe today, and her hair was tied roughly with a water blue pin sticking through it. She had the look of awe in her eyes, I quickly avert my gaze and suddenly the fluttering birds and the blooming trees were more interesting to stare at.

I hear her walk in with a tray, which she places on the stool beside me.

"morning." she beams.

I don't reply.

"I was told to give this to you, and oh. These clothes as well." She says, and I slowly turn around to see her seated on the side of the bed I was currently laying on. And indeed she was giving me some clothes, which she places beside me.

"we're having a celebration tonight, my mom thought it would be lonely for you to stay alone. So she insisted on you coming along." Luna narrates.

"I appreciate the gesture." I say stiffly, due to the surge of emotions that I'm filled with at the moment. Because where I come from no one cares if you're alone or not. But here, things were different, plainly different.

She nods before leaving. And I'm left lost in my own thoughts.

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Later, during the evening Luna helps walk me down the hill.

Yes, she and her small family lived on a hill. I must say it was perfectly beautiful from up there, one could see the entire landscape from above it.

We reach the base of the hill quicker than expected. As soon as I step foot in the small clearing, I wince. One, the lights were too bright, two a shudder went down my spine.

And if I didn't know better, it was my senses telling me something was off. But I don't push it, not as I find myself being pulled by Luna further into the celebration.

What we were celebrating, she didn't say.

I manage to suppress a groan of annoyance, as I find myself surrounded by lights, and food. Strange ones at that.

I am happy for the fact that we are alone, but I shouldn't have been to relieved. But I guess everything in my life is short lived because soon after faces I've never seen before. With smiles so big, I was afraid I'd get blind.

"Save me" I mutter under my breath, just as they close in. "hey, Luna." I hear a high pitch voice yell, I close my eyes for a split second and find huge green eyes staring back at me.

"oh, hey Blair." Luna says a tad weakly with a little wave of her hands. "happy Yuan Xiao Festival." The blonde haired lady I assumed was Blair chirped.

"the same to you." Luna says softly, and the blonde haired rolls her eyes.

"oh come on Luna, cheer up and have fun for once. Would you?" She says with a soft smile, she meant well. I could feel it.

Luna nods. "I'm afraid that would be impossible at the moment. Am I right Luna?" a deep voice asks from a distance. I was sitting now with Luna's hand lightly on my shoulder. Now I could feel it tense as Blair's face goes pale.

"Wren," I hear her whisper, just as Blair turns around. A tall guy, just as tall as me. His grey eyes were narrowed at me.

"It's not..." Luna starts but his smile suddenly has everyone freezing.

"I'm just joking, don't you have to take care of him. We'll be back before you know it." Wren says with a smile, though it doesn't quite meet his eyes. Its my turn now to narrow my gaze at him.

He turns around and begins to walk away but I just stare back at his silver hair, as he walks away. Though there seems to be less tension in the air.

"I'll go with him, you take care." Blair says to Luna reassuringly before she goes off after Wren. And then I feel it, like a sharp knife to my senses. Just before an ear piercing chaos erupts.

"Damn it." I curse.

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