the Yang-Elves

Ayin walked through a serene, mist-filled glade surrounded by towering, ancient trees.

The air is thick with the scent of green earth and wildflowers, and soft beams of light filter through the canopy above, casting everything in a soft, ethereal glow. A gentle breeze passed the leaves, leaving a harmonious, whispering symphony.

"It wasn't our glade, this is too ancient..." She walks slowly, her paws leaving faint impressions on the soft earth.

Right now her heart feels heavy, the weight of betrayal and the anger bubbling within her chest.

Memories flash through her mind: the humans who had slaughtered her father, her brother's face twisted with rage as he vowed to destroy them, her own desperate hope that not all humans were the same. And then the moment that hope was shattered—her trust betrayed, her kindness met with cruelty.

It was then, she noticed something.

"A human?" the thought instantly pulled her from spacing out, only to hesitate, "…no, an elf?"

Yes, a elves.

A being of old, tall and dignified, with the grace and presence of someone who has lived through countless ages. A muscular physique that didn't match his age couldn't be hidden beneath an ancient robes worn by the passage of time. His long ear wrinkled, with long white hair and beard. His face lined with the wisdom of ages, but his eyes—like stars, ancient and knowing—filled with a serene wisdom.

He stands like a sentinel, gazing at the east.

Ayin wasn't surprised to see a Elves, after all she knows from her parents that Pixie Forest was basically their home. But it didn't mean that she "know" them as she was never met or even saw one.

"Who are you? Why am I here? This place... Huh?! I can speak?!" Ayin was flabbergasted, "…it feels like a dream, but it's too real."

"You carry a storm within you, little one." The elf turned with smiles, his gaze kind, "Why don't you come here and keep this old man company for a while?"

Ayin hesitated but she didn't detect any hostility nor malice, thus agreed and took a spot beside the old elf. Just like their glade, this place also located on high ground, thus she could saw an amazing sight.

It wasn't day yet, barely dawn.

But the Moonlight as well as the stars adorned sky above, combined with misty, ancient forest—

"Beautiful, right?" the old elf spoke.

"Yes," Ayin nodded, "It is very beautiful."

"Really? Then why don't you smile?"

"…"

Ayin didn't know how to respond, but thankfully the old man didn't press further. They stayed in silence for a while, just staring to the far east, waiting. But in the end, her eyes betray a deep sadness and she lowers her head, sobbing.

"I… I tried to believe in humans. Even after everything they did to us. I thought… maybe they weren't all the same. That there was kindness in them. But I was wrong. They… they betrayed me. They showed kindness, and then they hurt me again." she sobbed harder, "Why? Why are they like this?"

And why did she even told him this?

To a stranger?

The elf looks at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. "Humans are… complicated creatures. They carry within them the capacity for great cruelty, but also great kindness." his words are deliberate, each one heavy with meaning. "Often, they do not see the harm they cause, blinded as they are by fear, by greed, by their endless need to control what they do not understand. You see their darkness now, but once, you saw their light. Do you believe that light no longer exists?"

"I don't know."

Who's this stranger anyway?

What did he know?

"I want to believe it does." Ayin's ears flatten, her voice trembling with suppressed rage. "I wanted to believe they could change. But all they've done is prove my brother right. He said they'd never stop being evil, that they'd always hate us beast. Maybe… maybe he was right. Maybe we should hate them too."

The old man laughed softly, "Hate is a fire, little one."

Ayin snarled angrily, "What do YOU even KNOW?!"

"…It burns brightly, fiercely, consuming all in its path. But what remains once the fire dies? Ashes. Nothing but emptiness. Your brother has take this path, but you… you still stand at the crossroads."

"You know my brother?" she was shocked.

"I am, and I also know that you still have a choice."

Ayin looks up at him, eyes red with anger and unshed tears, "Choice? What choice do I have? They've taken everything from me... All that's left is my brother."

"No, little one." the elf pat her head softly, "What remains is you. Your brother is not all you are. I see the pain in your heart, the scars they left on your soul, but I also see the hope that still lingers, faint though it may be. You have the power to let that hope grow, or to snuff it out. That is your choice."

Ayin is silent for a moment, her thoughts churning.

She remembers her brother's words, his relentless hatred. She remembers the humans who betrayed her, the pain they inflicted. But she also remembers all the moments of kindness—Nakan's pure smile, Clara's selfless act of treating her, etc.

"But why should I forgive them? Why should I hold on to hope when all they do is destroy?" she met his gaze, "What if… what if it's all for nothing?"

"To forgive is to free yourself from the chains of your hatred, to reclaim the peace they sought to steal from you. It does not mean forgetting. It does not mean accepting their actions. It means choosing not to let their darkness define you."

He pauses, his gaze growing distant, as though recalling a memory long past. "I have lived many lifetimes, seen many wars, many betrayals. I have known hatred that burned brighter than the sun. But hatred is a prison, one that locks you within its walls and blinds you to the beauty of the world beyond. Do not let them rob you of that beauty, little one. Do not let them rob you of yourself."

Ayin looks down at her paws, her heart heavy.

She thinks of her brother, consumed by his rage, his pain, his need for revenge. She thinks of the humans who have hurt her, and of the moments of kindness she once believed in.

Her voice is quiet when she speaks again, "But… how do I move forward? How do I let go of this hatred, this pain? It feels like it's all I have left."

The old elf reaches out and strokes her head like a grandpa to his grandchild, "You move forward one step at a time. You let go not all at once, but piece by piece. And when it feels too heavy, remember why you choose to rise above it. Perhaps for your brother, who has lost his way. Perhaps for yourself, so that you do not lose yours. The road won't be easy, so I will give you something that few are given: my power."

Ayin stands still, her fur bristling as the words sink into her thoughts.

Power of the Elf?

She steps back, a sudden flicker of doubt in her eyes.

"Your power? Why? I am just a small Elden beast. You would give your power to me?"

She was Elden beast indeed—she know that elves were no myth, and they were being of immense magic power among all races. Suddenly appearing here and talking about giving power, Ayin sure that this is wasn't some dream but a true occurrence.

"Power, in the hands of those with a pure heart, can rebuild what has been broken. This power I offer can be the spirit of vengeance or force of healing." The elf smiles softly, his expression serene, "Be as you will."

Zesh's face flashed in her mind, "Wh-what about my brother? Will you give him your power as well?"

The elf chuckled, "No, he will receive different legacy."

"Huh?"

"You are twin." the elf smiled kindly, "You both are reflection of each other. If you're strong, your brother will surely be strong as well."

"….if so.." Ayin nodded, "i will take your power!"

"Good," the elf's smile deepen.

"Uh, so what should I do?"

"Nothing," the elf sighed as he gazed at the slowly occuring sunrise, "Your brother is on it."

"What?"

The old elf didn't answer. He gazed back to the far east as the sun slowly rise up. Ayin was obviously angered, but no matter what she tried, even when she attacked him, he didn't budge like he wasn't even there.

Helpless, she tried to follow his gaze and—

Ayin was stunned.

It was sunrise, it couldn't be sunset or anything else. But what she saw was something entirely different—it was not the sun. No, it was. But instead of pure light, in it, framed in burning light, she saw it.

Her brother, Zesh.

And not just him, but herself as well.

In that very instant, Ayin realized everything—this, all and everything here, even the elf, was but a dream.

"Despite everything I've said, it's up to you whether my words of advices would be of help to you or not. You can listen to your brother or me, but what you'll hear are just words." the old man finally turned to face her, his face serene, a kind smile adorned it, "In the end, you have to figure out yourself what you need and act on it. Choose wisely, little one."

And then he began to fade, gone with passing winds.

Ayin stood there, alone.

Her eyes burned as she stared at the sun, not from heat or light, but purely anger and… sorrow.

As tears stream down her face, her conversation with the old man just now replayed in her behind her ears, and she asked herself hollowly, "To forgive or not to forgive... are those my only choices?"

—

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