Chapter 143: Elf

Kei waited until the sound of his father’s footsteps faded into the distance.

Certain that Julius had departed, he immediately poked his head out to peer through the window.

The lush green forest stretched out limitlessly before him.

Sunlight filtered down through the ancient tree trunks, transforming every leaf into a fragment of green glass. The passing breeze stirred the canopy, bringing with it birdsong and the fresh, crisp fragrance of morning.

Kei stared in a daze.

He desperately wanted to step outside, to run across the carpet of grass, to climb the moss-covered boulders, and to see what lay hidden behind those tree trunks, perhaps a few colorful, pretty bugs?

But Kei knew his body wouldn’t allow it.

He tried stepping down from his chair.

Barely a few steps in, his chest heaved violently. His legs grew weak, and his breathing turned ragged. Kei had to reach out and steady himself against the edge of the table to keep from collapsing onto the floorboards.

He stood still for a moment, striving to weather the wave of discomfort.

Then, Kei looked down at his tiny hands.

"So weak..."

He muttered under his breath.

Julius had never once blamed him for being fragile.

On the contrary, every single time Kei fell ill, his father stayed faithfully by his side to care for him. He would pull all-nighters, swapping out cold damp towels on his forehead, cooking soft meals, and casting magic diagnostics over his body time and time again.

And yet, Kei knew full well that his father worried deeply over him.

He could read it in Julius’s eyes whenever he coughed, in the way his hands tightened instinctively whenever he lifted him up. That was precisely why Julius never allowed him out of his sight for too long.

Kei walked back and sat down in his chair. He couldn’t explore the forest on his own. Thus, his only remaining option was to wait.

Waiting for his sole companion to arrive.

A rare friend whom he yearned to meet every single day at the fixed hour they had agreed upon.

Kei didn’t know the boy’s name, nor could he clearly recall his face.

Yet he knew that person would show up.

Because whenever that visitor appeared, the otherwise silent forest grew immeasurably warmer.

Kei propped his chin upon the windowsill, gazing out toward the narrow trail winding through the woods.

A slow smile blossomed upon his lips.

"I bet he’ll come by today, too."

Far off in the distance, birdsong trilled merrily, followed shortly by the rustling sound of footsteps treading upon the green grass, steadily drawing closer to Kei’s lovely little cabin.

Kei sat beside the window, mindlessly nibbling on a soft sandwich Julius had prepared for him at lunch.

The bread had been baked exceptionally tender, its filling completely devoid of anything hard or tough. Julius always prepared Kei’s meals in this manner, because his frail constitution couldn’t handle difficult-to-digest foods.

Kei chewed slowly, his gaze still tethered to the pathway outside the edge of the woods.

Today’s appointed meeting time had already passed by quite a bit.

*Perhaps my friend isn’t coming today.*

Kei lowered his gaze to the sandwich in his hand, a creeping wave of disappointment blossoming within his chest.

Right at that instant, a familiar set of footsteps rang out from the exterior.

Kei snapped his head up instantly, blurting out cheerfully without even checking who the visitor was:

"Ian!"

Setting his sandwich down on the table, he scurried over to the window in a hurry.

A familiar silhouette quickly materialized amidst the tree trunks.

It was a boy only a few years older than Kei, though far sturdier and more robust in build. Golden hair shimmered brilliantly under the morning sun, and his bright emerald eyes shone like precious jade.

The characteristic long ears of the Elf race poked out from beneath his hair, making him look all the more distinct from anyone Kei had ever crossed paths with.

The boy stood outside the yard, clutching a vibrant bouquet of flowers in one hand while waving toward Kei with the other.

"Kei, how are you feeling today?"

"I’m doing great!"

Kei replied happily, only then realizing he was standing far too close to the window. He hurriedly unlatched the frame and poked his head out.

Ian smiled as he looked at him. "Can I come inside the garden?"

"Yes! Hurry on!" Kei nodded repeatedly.

The tiny yard fronting the cabin was enclosed by Julius with a low wooden fence. To Kei, it represented an insurmountable boundary. But to Ian, that fence was nothing more than a low step.

Ian stepped back a few paces, then lightly vaulted over the fence, landing upon the turf with almost zero sound.

Kei’s jaw dropped as he watched, his eyes brimming with unadulterated admiration.

"Ian, you’re amazing!"

Ian blushed faintly, though he forced himself to maintain a cool, collected composure to rack up points in front of Kei.

"There’s nothing to it. Practice a bit and anyone can do it."

Despite those words, the corners of the boy’s lips couldn’t help curving upward.

Ian walked right up to Kei.

In his hands rested a large, multicolored arrangement of woven blooms. Red, yellow, blue, and purple petals intertwined, looking under the sunlight just like a gorgeous rainbow glowing with brilliant radiance.

Ian extended the bouquet toward Kei.

"For you, Kei."

Kei stared at the bundle of flowers in a daze. "For me?"

"Mhm." Ian nodded. "I picked these right out of the Elven Forest."

"The Elven Forest?"

Kei’s eyes instantly lit up.

Ian squatted down before him, depositing the bouquet directly into Kei’s tiny hands. "There are so many gorgeous flowers there. Some glow in the dark, others only bloom when they hear the singing of spirits, and there are even giant flowers towering way higher than this house."

Kei cradled the bouquet against his chest, listening without even blinking an eye as Ian recounted the tales.

"Did you really go there?"

"Of course." Ian puffed out his chest proudly. "I’m an Elf, after all. That forest is my home."

Kei looked down at the multicolored petals, inhaling the fresh fragrance still clinging to them.

He couldn’t venture outside on his own, nor could he visit the places Ian spoke of. Yet every time Ian visited, he felt as though he had caught a glimpse of a tiny fragment of the vast world lying beyond this cabin.

"So pretty..." Kei murmured softly.

Ian watched the smile grace his face, his gaze softening considerably as well. "If Kei wants, next time I’ll tell you all about the lake sitting right at the center of the Elven Forest."

"There’s a lake?"

"Mhm. It’s huge. There are even glowing fish swimming right across the water’s surface."

Kei widened his eyes, his expression overflowing with anticipation. "I want to see them."

"Then I’ll take you there."

Ian spoke as naturally as though leading Kei across the entire forest was the simplest thing in the world.

Yet the very next second, the boy caught sight of Kei’s tiny hands clutching the bouquet, alongside his slightly pale complexion.

Ian fell silent for a brief beat.

Then, he pointed toward the chair beside the window. "Let’s sit over there first. I’ll tell you all about the things inside the Elven Forest."

Kei nodded vigorously.

The two children sat down side-by-side by the window. Kei carefully laid the bouquet upon the table, while Ian began recounting tales of the Elven Forest in a voice brimming with excitement.

Inside the tiny cabin deep within the deep woods, the young Elf’s voice blended seamlessly with Kei’s crystal-clear laughter.

Sunlight pierced through the window, casting a gentle glow over the multicolored bouquet.

Little did they know that long into the future, the memory of this afternoon would transform into something neither of them could ever forget.