Chapter 3

I cautiously look up to spot the mysterious person, but instead, I gasp in shock as I look into a sword tip pointed directly at my face. Wow, what is that?

With my heart beating fast, I raise my hands to make it clear to the person that I mean no harm. Then I look past the shining sword to spot the person. A disbelieving gasp escapes me as I look into that familiar face. Oh my God.

The one hovering in the air me, pointing a sword at me, is none other than Mo. The elf prince with whom I have experienced so much. The elf prince who accompanied me for three of the most beautiful years of my life. The elf prince with whom I was in love.

I can only stare at him wordlessly, overwhelmed with all the feelings that make themselves known in me. Joy to see him. Relief that my worst fears didn't come true, and he seems to be doing well. Ignoring the weird look in his eyes, the scars on his one arm, and the fact that he's pointing a sword at me. Disbelief that I can see him again after all these years.

But at the same time, there is fear and doubt. What if he doesn't remember me anymore? What if he doesn't trust me anymore? What if I can't convince him who I am because I look completely different? What if he's angry and can't forgive me for leaving them alone at what seems like the wrong time? And I only now realize how bad it must be, as Mo points a sword at me. Since when do elves fight with swords, deadly weapons in general? A strange fear grips me as I think that the threat to them and especially to their lives must be so significant by now that they fight with deadly weapons.

I lift my eyes and look directly into Mo's eyes. No word has left my lips yet, and he has said nothing either. Instead, he is eyeing me with curiosity, suspicion, and thoughtfulness. Unmistakable is something much darker, something much more profound. Sadness.

"Mo..." I breathe, unable to do more. I feel my voice tremble and sound weak. It's so much. All these feelings at once, triggered by the fact that I'm now facing him in the middle of a destroyed and probably attacked Centopia.

His eyes narrow, as does his mouth. But, in general, he seems different. No longer like the cheerful and funny elf I've come to know. Instead, he looks serious, and his eyes have become so sad. It's a sadness that almost tears my heart.

Other than that, he hasn't changed much. Even his wings are a good bit bigger and more impressive. His dark hair is just as messed up as seven years ago. His face is defined, making him look beautiful. He still wears the same clothes, only now they stretch even more across his chest, as he is taller and, above all, more muscular.

However, another small change that catches my attention is the chain he wears around his neck. Attached to the simple gold chain is a small, red stone. And it seems to glow. Something about it strikes me as odd. Maybe the glow? In addition, he has several scars on his right arm that I can't explain.

"How do you know my name?" asks Mo in a dark voice, snapping me out of my thoughts. I know he won't believe me if I tell him I'm Mia. And who can blame him? I've been gone for so long. I probably wouldn't believe me either.

So I raise my hand with the magic bracelet. Excitement spreads through me. How will he react? Will he even remember?

My questions are answered when Mo's eyes grow wide, and bewilderment and surprise settle on his face. A gasp escapes him as he backs away, lowers his sword, and opens his mouth to say something, but not a word leaves his lips. I don't know if this reaction is good or bad right now, making me nervous. Is he happy to see me?

"Mia," it comes softly and gently from him. Hearing his dark voice say my name is so unfamiliar and so beautiful at the same time. I don't get to respond because the next moment, two strong arms are around my body, pulling me against a muscular chest.

This is the moment when I let go. When all the tension and nervousness fall away from me. I wrap my arms around him and press myself against him even more. My eyes close on their own as I breathe in that familiar smell of the forest. His head is resting on mine, and I feel him give me a short, gentle kiss on the top of my head. His presence calms me so incredibly, the feeling of his arms around me.

And for a moment, in his arms, I can block out everything else. My messy and unhappy relationship with Eric. That my life is so hard. That I don't know what happened to Centopia. And that I don't know how things will go on now. Because right now, we are just two elves who can finally hold each other again after seven much too long years.