Darkness. Darkness was all she had ever known. She didn't know where she was, or how she got stuck in the first place. Sometimes she heard voices. Whispers in the darkness that she could never understand. She could see distorted faces staring back at her, but she could never see them clearly. She'd given up trying eventually. It didn't matter anyway. She would never see more than shadows and darkness around her. This was forever.

A loud crashing sound broke the silence through the shadows. She jumped, startled, but then she saw something from the corner of her eyes. A light... A very dim light, that had never been there before. Curiously and confused at the same time she stepped towards it. Whether it was safe or not, she couldn't tell, but something was calling her. It was as though the light pulled her towards it, beckoning her to come closer. And so she did. Every step she took the light got brighter and brighter. Squeezing her eyes shut to protect herself from the brightness, she never stopped walking. She wanted to see what was beyond the light. Was there more than the darkness she had always lived in? Determined, she took another step. And another... One more...

The cold and eerie darkness vanished without a warning, replaced by warmth. The warmth she'd always only been able to imagine. A cool breeze blew against her skin and through her hair. She could hear happy chirping above her. Something she had heard in the distance often, but she had never imagined how it would sound close by.

She slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the bright sunlight. It took her a moment before her eyes adjusted and she could see clearly again. Her eyes widened with awe as she looked around. Vivid, bright colors now filled her dark world that had always been filled with mist. The sky was bluer than she'd ever seen before. The colorful flowers mixed with the soft grass made for an almost picture-like place. She felt as though she was in a dream. And she didn't want to wake up.

"Where... Where am I?" she softly brought out.

"Where did you come from?"

She gasped and spun around when she heard a voice behind her. A young, broad looking man with black hair barely touching his shoulders was standing behind her. He stared at her surprised and shocked, as if it was the first time he had seen someone like her. She stared back at him, anxiously taking a step back.

"Who are you?" she asked.

The wind started to pick up slowly as if there was a storm arriving. Yet there was no cloud in the sky. Her heart and mind started racing as she took another step back. Had she made the right choice to go towards the light? She didn't even know where she was...

"Woah, easy," the man said as his expression changed. "Please don't be afraid. I didn't mean to startle you. My name is Rowan. Who are you? You just appeared out of nowhere when the mirror broke."

Her eyes widened as he spoke and she started to breathe heavily. The wind around them became stronger and stronger.

"M-Mirror?" she brought out confused. "Who am I... I don't... I don't know!"

She started shaking as she realized. She knew nothing. She didn't even know who she was or where she came from. It was just... Emptiness. Complete darkness and emptiness as if she was just a shell with no soul inside. The mirror... Was she just a reflection? A ghost from inside?

She took another step back and let out a gasp as her foot hooked behind something. Before she could regain her balance, she fell backward. She let out a hiss as her hand hit something and she was met by a sharp pain. Dust and sand started to swirl around her as she looked at her hand. It had a small red streak, that slowly darkened.

"What... What's happening?" she brought out as tears filled her eyes.

Rowan stared at her with wide eyes. She could see a mix of fear and worry, though which one was stronger she couldn't tell. He took a step back, as though he was about to run away. But then his expression softened, and he took a few steps forward. He shielded his face with his hands against the wind which became stronger and stronger.

"Please!" he called out to her. "It's alright. I'm not here to hurt you. Let me help you."

"How can you help me?" she asked, her voice breaking. "I... I don't know who I am. I don't know where to go!"

"I know! But we'll figure it out. You need help. At least let me try to help you. I don't want to hurt you."

She stared back at him, scrambling back, but his gaze never left hers. He held out his hand to her and took one more step closer. He smiled, and she could see kindness in his eyes through his worry and fear. He hesitated, but then slowly lifted her hand. Her hand shook as she slowly placed it in his. Then, just as suddenly as it picked up, the wind calmed. It returned to the soft summer breeze it had been before.

Rowan smiled and sighed relieved as he pulled her up.

"There," he softly said. "That's better. Now let me see your hand for a moment."

Rowan reached out to her injured hand, took it and examined it carefully.

"Is it... Bad?" she asked him anxiously, still feeling the sting.

"It's just a small cut, don't worry," Rowan assured her with a kind smile. "It will be healed in no time. My cottage isn't too far from here. I can get that patched up and get you something to eat if you'd like."

Something to eat... Why did that sound so good to her? She hesitated a moment, wondering if he could really be trusted. But she couldn't help but feel more comfortable around him. He didn't seem like he wanted to do anyone any harm at all. She watched as he picked up the broken mirror and gathered the shards lying around before looking back at her. She smiled faintly and nodded, taking his offer.

Soon after, she sat at the table, her hand wrapped in a bandage, and a bowl of warm stew in front of her. The smell made her mouth water. She couldn't remember what it tasted like, but it smelled delicious. She quickly took a spoonful and swallowed almost without chewing it. She took another spoonful, eating it almost just as quickly. She glanced at Rowan, who was sitting opposite of her, studying her with a faint smile on his face.

"Thank you," she said with her mouth full before she swallowed. "This is really good."

Rowan chuckled and waved her compliment away.

"It's just some leftovers from yesterday, but I'm glad I could help you," he told her.

She smiled, finishing the last bite of her food already. She sighed, feeling satisfied and happy. This was still all new to her, but it was a start. She was slowly starting to adjust to the new world already. It was certainly better than the world she had been trapped in for forever.

"Do you remember anything?" Rowan asked her curiously after a short silence. "Do you remember anything about the mirror? Or about who you are?"

She bit her lip, trying to think about the question. But it didn't matter how much she tried to dig deep into her memories. There was nothing to dig through...

"I really don't," she softly said, shaking her head. "I... I'm sorry I don't remember anything. All I remember is darkness... Then I saw a light that I followed, and then I was where you were. That's all I remember... Did I really come from that mirror of yours? Don't you know more about it?"

Rowan shook his head.

"I only just bought the mirror," he answered honestly. "I dropped it and it shattered to pieces. And that is when you appeared. I don't know what happened either."

She sighed, running her hand through her hair. Well that didn't help at all... They both knew nothing.

"Well... I guess I'll have to figure something out," she said with a soft, sad chuckle. "I've taken care of myself this long, I'm sure I can find another place to start a new life."

She looked down. She honestly had no idea what to do or where to go, but she would have to figure it out one way or another.

"You know..." Rowan then slowly said, and she could see a hesitant look in his eyes. "You could stay with me for a while if you need to."

Her eyes widened by hearing the suggestion and she bit her lip.

"You don't have to do that," she softly said, shaking her head.

"It's alright," Rowan assured her. "You can stay here for as long as you need too. Get yourself adjusted to the world at least a little bit before you leave. The world can be very dangerous especially when you don't know anything."

She looked down thinking about his offer. She didn't want to be a burden to him... But she had nowhere else to go. Maybe having someone who could help her wouldn't be a terrible idea. She took a deep breath and gave a nod.

"Okay," she said with a sigh. "Thank you for your kindness... I hope I can repay it to you someday."

Rowan shook his head. "Don't worry about it, really."

She smiled, but in the back of her mind she kept wondering what she could do to repay him. After everything he had already done for her, she refused to seem ungrateful, even if he told her he didn't want anything in return. Surely she would find a way to repay him for his kindness. As she thought, her eyes fell on a small vase standing on the table and she tilted her head lightly.

"What are those?" she asked curiously, making a gesture to the flowers in the vase.

Rowan froze for a moment when she asked.

"Oh... Those are Lilies." he answered, his voice sounding a bit off. "It's a flower called a Lily."

"Lily..." she repeated softly. "They are beautiful..."

Rowan looked down and sighed softly.

"Yes," he softly muttered. "Yes they are..."

She tilted her head as she saw the sadness in his eyes.

"Is something wrong?" she asked him confused. "Is it something I said?"

"No!" Rowan quickly said, shaking his head. "No of course not... I'm fine." He cleared his throat, looking up at her. "You know, even though you don't remember your name, we are going to need something to call you. Do you have a name in mind?"

She stared at him for a few seconds and blinked. She couldn't help but wonder why he looked so sad before. But she decided to change the subject and thought for a moment. A name... A name that other people could call her... Her eyes went back to the Lilies on the table.

"Lily?" she then slowly asked. "Is that a good name?"

Rowan's eyes widened when she said it and she could see his muscles tense for just a second. But then it went back to his usual soft expression again.

"Yes, Lily works," he softly said, and she could hear a soft crack in his voice. "Lily is a wonderful name."

Authors Note:

Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed this very first chapter of Whispers Of Shadows! Please let me know what you think and if you have any theories. I would love to hear your interpretation. The next chapter will be in Layla's POV, so we will shift away from Lily a little bit. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll be interested in seeing either girls' story unfold.

I will try to update every week, so keep an eye open for new updates ;).

Edit: Another quick note I forgot to add. Rowan is the Huntsman from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I know it might seem like there are no disney characters, but a lot will appear. In the next chapter some better known characters will make an appearance.