Chapter 8 of Elara story

Chapter 8 of Elara story

Time crawled painfully slow for Elara. Most of the lessons had become a mere formality; she'd mastered the material a week ago. Thanks to her ability to process information at lightning speed, it felt like her mind moved in a state of entanglement—rapid, interconnected, and far ahead of the class.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the school day came to an end. Elara looked eagerly at Maya, who met her gaze and said, "Grab my hand." 

Without hesitation, Elara reached out. The moment their hands touched, a force shot through her, and in the blink of an eye, they were at the school gate. 

Nearby students stared in awe. One whispered, "Did you see that?"

Another chimed in, "I know her secret. It's not teleportation. She's using telekinesis to propel them forward."

"How can she have mastered such a technique so quickly?" a third added, disbelief in their voice.

Elara and Maya overheard the murmurs as they continued to sprint with the aid of Maya's telekinetic force. Despite the astonished looks from other students gathered at the gate, they paid no attention and pressed on. Elara took the lead, guiding Maya toward her aunt's house.

Just thirty minutes later, they arrived. Elara rushed to the front door, calling out, "Aunt Asia, I'm home! I've brought a friend. Can we come in?"

From inside, her aunt's voice responded warmly, "Come on in."

When Elara stepped inside the house with Maya following closely behind, the first thing they encountered was Amaga on the stairs. Her long, dark hair fell over her face, obscuring most of her features, while she clutched a worn book in her hands. Dressed in full white, with long sleeves that seemed to extend past her wrists, she had an eerie presence. Maya showed a brief flicker of surprise at Amaga's sudden appearance, her eyes widening as she took in the girl's mysterious form.

Elara, however, smiled warmly at Amaga and asked, "How was school today, sister?"

Amaga returned a faint smile, though it was barely visible behind the curtain of her hair. "I can't wait to tell you another story I was inspired to write. It's based on something from school."

Elara chuckled softly. "I'm looking forward to it, but my friend is here for the first time. I want to make sure she's settled in."

Without hesitation, Amaga bounded down the stairs, her movements sudden and almost too quick. She stopped directly in front of Maya, her face now inches away. Her intense gaze pierced through the veil of hair, her eyes wide with excitement. "Then let both of you listen to my story!" she exclaimed.

Before Maya could react, Elara gently grasped Amaga's hand, guiding her back towards the living room. "Please, sister, let me serve my friend first. You can share your story with everyone else."

Amaga's enthusiasm dimmed slightly, her shoulders slumping in mild disappointment. "Alright…" she muttered before heading back upstairs, clutching her book tightly to her chest.

Elara watched her sister for a moment, then turned to Maya with a smile. "How about we go to my room first?"

Maya nodded, still absorbing the odd encounter. As they passed the living room, they spotted Amansah at work, completely absorbed in the process of drawing another realistic portrait. She looked up, her fingers smudged with graphite, and smiled at Elara. When her gaze shifted to Maya, she gave a playful thumbs-up before returning to her art.

Elara finally led Maya to her room, just beside the living room. Without hesitation, she opened the door and immediately took a seat on a chair, gesturing for Maya to explore.

Maya's attention was drawn to the large painting on the wall—an eerily lifelike depiction of a one-year-old Elara, eyes bright with innocence. Amansah's work was unmistakably striking, capturing not just the physical form, but a sense of something deeper. 

"That painting caught your eye, huh?" Elara mused. "It's funny—Amansah captured me before I even knew how to think for myself. But every time I see it, I wonder if that version of me already knew something about the future. Maybe you'll see it too. My room is full of little pieces of me like that, fragments waiting for someone to understand them. Feel free to explore… if you're ready to see beyond the surface."

Maya shifted her gaze from the painting back to Elara, still processing the mix of mystery and warmth radiating from her friend. She took a seat on the small chair opposite Elara and raised an eyebrow. "So, what do you want from me? Questions, I assume?"

Elara's eyes lit up with excitement. "Actually, yes! I prepared a series of questions during school. Take your time answering them."

Maya's phone buzzed, and as she glanced at the screen, her jaw dropped. "Wait… a hundred questions?" she blurted out, scanning the long list that had arrived in her inbox. "If you're that curious, why not just use a DNA scanner to figure out whether we're related or dig up whatever else you want to know?"

Elara's eyes widened in sudden realization, a gasp escaping her. "How could I forget? Of course! There is such a device!"

Maya smirked, amused by Elara's reaction. "So… where do we find that device?" 

Elara leaned forward, eyes sparkling with a mischievous glint. "That, my friend, is what we'll have to discover together."

Elara looked at Maya in surprise as she held out her left hand, revealing the sleek smart device nestled on her wrist. "Here's one DNA scanner of mine," Maya said. "But we'll need one more to cross-check and match the results, just to be sure whether we're related or not."

Elara leaned in, intrigued as Maya tapped on her smart device. It blinked to life, projecting a small hologram that hovered above her hand. The device was impressive, capable of scanning DNA, making calls, sending messages, setting alarms, tracking heartbeats, acting as a voice assistant, and even controlling things like gates and TVs remotely. But for now, Maya was focused on one specific function.

She tapped a button, and a small holographic image of Thalaya, her mother, appeared. "Hello, Mom, how are you doing?" Maya asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and urgency.

Thalaya smiled gently. "Hi, Maya. It's rare for you to call me. What's on your mind?"

Maya cut straight to the point. "I need some help. Could you bring your smart device? I want to use the DNA scanner to see if Elara and I are related."

Thalaya's expression shifted slightly as she nodded, her tone calm yet knowing. "Oh, you mean Elara?"

Maya froze, her eyebrows knitting together in surprise. "Wait… How did you know?"

Thalaya chuckled softly. "No, I didn't read your mind, sweetheart. I just knew this moment would come eventually. You see… Elara is your separated sibling."

Maya's heart skipped a beat as confusion swept over her. "Separated sibling?" She glanced at Elara, who looked just as bewildered. "But we don't even look alike. How are you so sure?"

Before Thalaya could answer, her device beeped. She frowned and glanced at something off-screen. "I'm sorry, Maya, I need to take another call. We'll talk more about this later."

And with that, the hologram flickered and disappeared, leaving Maya staring at the now-empty space above her hand. The silence that followed was thick with unspoken questions. 

Maya turned to Elara, her face still reflecting the confusion and surprise from the conversation. Elara mirrored the expression, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.

"Well…" they both said simultaneously before pausing, each waiting for the other to continue.

Elara, ever polite, gestured toward Maya. "You first."

Maya took a deep breath and shook her head slightly, as if trying to make sense of what had just been said. "Thank you… but I think we need another option to find a second smart device if we're really going to figure this out. My mom's response just… made things even more complicated."

Elara nodded thoughtfully, but there was a spark of curiosity in her eyes. "It's strange, right? The way your mom just knew about me, and about us being siblings…" She trailed off, her voice calm but laced with an undercurrent of intrigue. "Maybe she's known something all along. Something bigger than just a DNA test."

Maya, still reeling, sighed. "If that's true, it explains nothing and everything at the same time."

Elara stood up and paced her room for a moment, deep in thought. "We could go looking for another smart device," she said, pausing to glance at Maya. "Or we could try to find answers in other ways. Maybe even learn more about how we got separated in the first place."

Maya looked up at her, her mind racing. "Do you think there are other people who know the truth about us? About why we were kept apart?"

Elara gave her a thoughtful smile. "It's possible. But if your mom knew about me all this time, I'm guessing there are more secrets out there… secrets we're going to have to uncover."

Maya nodded, slowly standing from her chair. "So where do we start?"

Elara crossed her arms, looking out the window as if considering all the possibilities. "We could start by asking around. Maybe Amaga or Amansah have overheard something that could help. Or… we could confront Thalaya directly."

Maya hesitated. "She didn't seem ready to talk about it just now."

Elara smirked. "That's because she's hiding something. But we'll find out what it is—one way or another."

Maya, lost in thought, fell silent for a moment, her brow furrowed as if trying to piece together the puzzle in her mind. Elara, sensing the tension, broke the silence. "I know," she said suddenly, her voice a little more energetic. "How about we ask my Aunt Asia?"

Maya looked up, her eyes thoughtful but curious. "That's not a bad idea. Let's go."

Without another word, they headed downstairs and made their way to the backyard, where Madam Asia was tending to her vegetable garden, carefully watering each plant with a mixture of fertilizer and water. The earthy smell of soil filled the air, and the garden looked vibrant and well-tended, a reflection of Asia's care.

When she was done, Madam Asia finally noticed Elara and Maya standing by the door. She wiped her brow and looked at them with a bemused expression. "Why are you looking at me like that, as if you owe me something?" she teased, her tone playful but sharp, always able to read Elara's emotions with ease.

Elara smiled nervously, stepping forward. "Aunt Asia, do you happen to have a smart device? One with a DNA scanner?"

Madam Asia paused for a moment, wiping her hands and feet with a towel before straightening up. "Hmm, let me think… I might've stashed one away a long time ago."

Without waiting for a response, she quickly moved toward the house, her movements deliberate and efficient. Maya and Elara followed closely as she walked through the kitchen and into the living room, her eyes scanning the familiar space. Passing by Amansah, who was still engrossed in her drawing, she gave her a quick reminder, "Make sure you tidy up after you're done with your drawing."

Amansah didn't look up but nodded in acknowledgment, her focus unbroken.

Madam Asia knelt down in front of the bookshelf and began searching the bottom shelves, brushing her fingers over old books and forgotten gadgets. Finally, she pulled out a dusty smart device, the screen cracked but still functional. She pressed the power button, and to her surprise, the device flickered to life, the battery showing two bars after all these years.

Standing up, she handed the device to Elara. "Here. If you need to keep using it, go ahead. If you're done, just put it back where you found it."

Elara's face lit up with excitement, her eyes sparkling with gratitude. "Thank you, Aunt Asia! This is perfect!"

Madam Asia smiled softly, the corners of her eyes crinkling with warmth. "Don't mention it," she said before turning back toward the kitchen, leaving the two girls alone with their newfound tool.

As Elara clutched the device in her hands, she and Maya exchanged a glance, knowing that they were one step closer to finding the truth.

They both stood there, an awkward silence hanging in the air. Elara, feeling the weight of it, finally broke the tension with a nervous chuckle. "What are we waiting for? How do we even use this thing?" she asked, holding up the smart device with a puzzled look.

Maya, who had been staring at Amansah's surreal and mystical drawing on the wall, snapped out of her daze. "Oh, right!" She blinked a few times, gathering her thoughts. "It's simple. You turn on the DNA scanner settings, I'll turn on mine, and then we put our hands together—like this," she explained, holding up her hand with the smart device. "The scanner reads both our DNA, and that's it. It's as easy as scanning your face for a lock screen but with our hands."

Elara's eyes lit up with excitement. "Alright, let's do this!" she said, her eagerness palpable.

They both turned on the DNA scanner settings on their devices and, with a moment of hesitation, pressed their hands together, aligning the devices for the scan. The air was thick with anticipation as the devices began to hum softly, their screens glowing with scanning animations.

Just as the scan was nearing completion, Amanda wandered into the room, fresh from her reading session about plants. Without her glasses, she squinted at the two figures in front of her. Seeing Maya from a distance, she confused her with Elara and blurted out loudly, "Ah, is that a second Elara? Are you twins now?"

Her voice boomed just as the smart device beeped, signaling the results. A mechanical voice cut through the moment, announcing, "99% non-fraternal twins."

Both Elara and Maya froze, eyes wide, their jaws practically hitting the floor. In unison, they both yelled, "What?!"

Amansah, hearing the commotion from her seat, grabbed her sketchpad and quickly began sketching the two of them, capturing the shock and disbelief on their faces in a rough, expressive drawing. The room buzzed with the weight of the revelation, a moment suspended in disbelief and confusion.

Created with Sketch. 

Elara stood frozen, the words echoing in her mind: *You and Maya are twins.* Her pulse quickened as she stared at Maya, who was equally stunned. Neither of them spoke at first, their eyes wide as they tried to process the truth that had just shattered their understanding of everything.

Maya was the first to break the silence, her voice trembling. "Twins? How—how is that even possible?" She rubbed her temples, pacing a few steps before stopping to face Elara. "We've spent years in the same school, in the same town, and no one ever said anything."

Elara felt the world around her blur for a moment. It was as if the ground had shifted beneath her feet. "It doesn't make sense," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "We're nothing alike… or at least, that's what I thought."

She recalled the fleeting moments of connection she had always dismissed—the strange sensation whenever she was near Maya, as if there was some invisible thread binding them. Elara had never given it much thought, chalking it up to coincidence. But now, every odd glance, every shared instinct, every unexplainable familiarity seemed to click into place.

"I don't know if I believe this," Maya continued, her brow furrowed in frustration. "How could they keep something like this from us?"

Elara shook her head slowly, still trying to make sense of it. "Maybe they thought we wouldn't understand… maybe they thought it was for the best." She didn't sound convinced. The idea that their entire lives had been built on hidden truths felt too heavy to grasp in just one moment. 

Maya's hands balled into fists. "So what now? What are we supposed to do with this? Do we just… pretend like nothing's changed?"

Elara's mind raced. The weight of this discovery hung between them like a thick fog, yet amidst the confusion, there was a faint spark of hope. "No," she said firmly, stepping closer to Maya. "We can't just ignore it. We've spent so long living in the dark, separated from each other. But now… we're here. Together."

Maya's eyes softened as Elara spoke, the anger in her face slowly giving way to something else—something deeper. "You're right," Maya admitted quietly. "We can't undo the past, but maybe we don't have to. We can decide what happens next."

Elara nodded, a new determination settling over her. They might have been lied to, kept apart for reasons they didn't yet fully understand, but that didn't mean they had to remain strangers. She reached out, her hand trembling slightly, and Maya hesitated for a moment before reaching back.

"Whatever happens from now on," Elara said, her voice steady, "we stick together. No more secrets. No more lies. We face this… as sisters."

Maya smiled weakly, but there was a glint of resolution in her eyes. "As sisters," she agreed.

For the first time since the revelation, Elara felt a sense of calm wash over her. They didn't have all the answers, and the road ahead would be difficult, but they weren't alone anymore. Whatever their mother's reasons had been for separating them, whatever dangers still lurked in the shadows, Elara knew one thing for sure—together, they were stronger.

The air between them felt lighter now, the initial shock beginning to fade. They had spent years walking parallel paths without ever truly crossing, but now, for the first time, their journey would be shared.

Elara and Maya stood side by side, looking out toward the future—no longer just classmates, no longer strangers, but sisters, ready to face whatever came next.