CHAPTER 3

    Elara watched me quietly for a moment, then asked,

“ What is your name, child?”

    “ My name is—”  The word caught in my throat. Panic flared as I tried again. “ It’s…”

    Nothing. A hollow silence filled my mind where my name should have been.

    Tears stung my eyes. “ I—I don’t know.”

    Elara frowned, placing a hand on my shoulder. “ You must have hit your head harder than I thought. Memory loss is common after a fall like that.”

    I felt small beneath her gaze, lost and hollow. “ I can’t remember anything,” I whispered. “ Not even who I am.”

  She gave me a sad, thoughtful look. “ Then perhaps you should choose a name. Until your memories return.”

    “ A name?”

    “ Yes.” She smiled gently. “ Something to call you by. Let’s see…” She paused, eyes distant for a moment.

“ What about Liora? It means light in the old tongue.”

    Liora. The name lingered in the air, soft and delicate, like the glow of the crystals surrounding us. It felt warm. Familiar, even.

    “ I like it,” I said quietly. “ Liora.”

    “ Then Liora it is,” Elara said with a smile. “ Rest now, Liora. Your strength will return soon enough.”

    But as I lay back against the pillow, my mind refused to rest. The faint hum of the crystals filled the silence, matching the rhythm of my heartbeat.

    Lunara. Crystal guardians. Elara. Corin.

    None of it made sense.

    If this wasn’t a dream… then where exactly was I?

    And why did it feel like something—or someone—was waiting for me just beyond the tent walls?

    The healer had left to fetch more herbs, leaving me alone with the faint hum of the crystals. Their light pulsed gently against the beige canvas walls, casting soft waves of color that danced and shimmered like twinkling stars.

    I tried to sit up, testing my strength. My head throbbed, but not as badly as before. The blue elixir Elara had given me was working. I traced my fingers along the blanket’s rough stitching, my mind a storm of questions.

    Lunara. The Crystal Kingdom.

    It sounded like something out of a fairy tale.

    I must’ve hit my head harder than she thought. There was no other explanation.

    A sudden movement caught my attention. The tent flap lifted slightly, and sunlight spilled inside, touching the healer’s silver braid as she stepped through. The light shimmered along the strands, making them gleam like polished moonlight. But then—just as she bent forward to set down a basket—her braid slid over her shoulder, revealing the shape of her ear.

    I blinked.

    It was long and pointed.

    Not just slightly—but truly pointed, tapering like the tip of a leaf.

    I blinked again, rubbing my eyes. Maybe it was the glow from the crystals, or the way the sun hit her hair. I told myself it had to be. The air here felt heavier, stranger. Maybe I was still hallucinating from nearly drowning.

    She straightened, her braid falling neatly back into place, and the illusion—or whatever it was—disappeared. I let out a shaky breath, pressing my hand against my temple.

    “ Feeling dizzy?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder.

    I forced a small nod. “ Just a little.”

She smiled kindly. “ That will pass soon. Rest while you can. Someone has come to see you.”

    Before I could ask who, the tent flap lifted again. A tall man ducked inside, his presence filling the small space like a shadow stretching across sunlight.

    He was broad-shouldered, built like someone who spent most of his life outdoors. His tunic was dark grey, marked with faint silver threads that caught the light whenever he moved. His hair was a sandy brown, messy as though the wind refused to leave it alone.

    But it wasn’t his build or his sharp green eyes that froze me where I sat.

    It was his ears.

    They were the same as Elara’s—long, curved slightly upward, their tips just visible beneath his tousled hair.

    My breath caught.

    I glanced between him and Elara, my heartbeat racing. “ What… what are those?” I blurted out, pointing at them both.

    Elara blinked in confusion. “ What are what, dear?”

    “ Those!” I said again, my voice rising slightly. “ Your ears! They’re… they’re pointed!”

   The man arched an eyebrow, exchanging a look with Elara. She seemed caught between amusement and concern.

    “ Ah,” Elara said softly, touching the tip of her ear as if realizing what had startled me. “ You mean these?”

    “ Yes!” I said, still staring. “ People don’t— we don’t have ears like that.”

    The man tilted his head, studying me as though I were the strange one here. “You don’t?” His voice was deep, smooth, with a tone that carried quiet strength.

    I shook my head. “ No! Not where I’m from.”

    “ Then you are not from Lunara,” he said simply, his gaze narrowing slightly.

    “ I—I guess not,” I stammered. “ But where am I really? I mean, what are you?”

    The man stepped closer, and though he didn’t touch me, his presence alone was enough to make my breath hitch. There was something ancient in his eyes, something that made the air feel charged.

    “ I am Corin,” he said finally. “ Guardian of the Crystals. And this,” he nodded toward Elara, “ is Healer Elara, one of the oldest in the kingdom.”

    Elara smiled softly. “ You owe your life to him, child. He carried you here himself.”

    My heart skipped. “ You were the one who found me?” I asked, looking up at him.

    He gave a small nod. “ You were nearly gone by the time I reached you. The river runs cold this time of year.”

    I tried to find words, but my mind was still tangled in disbelief. “ I don’t understand any of this. You—your ears—this place—it’s like I fell into another world.”

    Elara’s expression softened, but she said nothing.

    Corin studied me for a long moment. “ Perhaps you did,” he said quietly.