Chapter Four – Magic?!

Javen carefully lowered Taliya onto a wooden stool, his movements swift yet strangely gentle.

"Thank you." she murmured, offering him a small, hesitant smile.

But he didn’t respond.

Without a word, he turned on his heel and walked away, disappearing from her sight as if she didn’t exist.

Taliya frowned. What kind of man is he?

Elara let out an awkward chuckle. "Hehe, sorry about him. Javen isn’t exactly… sociable."

Taliya sighed but gave a small smile. "It’s no problem. And… thank you, really. I didn’t mean to trouble you both."

Elara waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, please. It’s no trouble at all! I’m just glad we found you in time."

Taliya’s smile softened. Despite the bizarre situation she found herself in, she couldn’t deny how grateful she was. Elara had been nothing but kind.

Javen, on the other hand… was a mystery.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, Javen suddenly reappeared, his sharp gaze locking onto her. Before she could process it, he was kneeling in front of her.

Taliya blinked, taken aback.

"Uh…?"

Javen didn’t speak. Instead, his intense eyes flickered to her injured leg, his jaw tightening slightly. His gaze trailed from her exposed thigh, down to her swollen ankle, and for a brief second—he hesitated.

Something flickered across his face.

Then, he clenched his jaw, his fingers twitching before he finally reached for her leg.

Taliya jerked slightly. "W-what are you doing?"

"Fixing your ankle." he stated flatly, as if it were obvious.

She hesitated, glancing at his hands. He wasn’t holding any bandages or herbs. How the hell is he planning to—

"Just trust him." Elara interjected with a reassuring smile.

Taliya's confusion deepened, but something about Elara’s expression made her nod hesitantly.

Javen exhaled softly, then—without another word—he lifted her leg with one arm, his grip firm yet careful. His other hand hovered over the swollen area before settling against her skin.

A sharp hiss escaped her lips at the pressure.

"I’m sorry." Javen murmured, his voice unexpectedly rough.

Taliya swallowed hard, nodding slightly.

Then, his eyes slid shut.

A strange warmth bloomed against her skin.

Taliya gasped as a soft, glowing light—pale and almost ethereal—began to seep from Javen’s palm, casting a faint white shimmer over her injury.

Her breath hitched.

What the—

"Relax." Elara whispered.

Taliya barely heard her. The tingling sensation spread through her leg, and then—just like that—the pain began to melt away.

Javen gently lowered her ankle back onto the ground, his movements deliberate, almost hesitant.

"How does it feel now?" His voice was deep, but there was something unspoken beneath it.

Taliya’s breath hitched as she flexed her foot. The pain—completely gone. No throbbing, no sharp ache. It was as if she had never been injured in the first place.

Her eyes widened in disbelief, her lips parting slightly. "I… W-was that… magic?" Her voice came out choked, barely above a whisper.

Javen's jaw tensed. Something in his chest twisted painfully at her reaction.

"You don’t like it?" His voice was quieter this time, almost unreadable.

Taliya gulped, her mind racing. She should be terrified. Magic wasn’t real… right? But it just happened. She felt it.

"I-I… um…" Her words tumbled out clumsily. "Thank you."

Javen held her gaze for a moment, then, without another word, he turned on his heel and disappeared through the wooden door.

Taliya exhaled, shoulders slumping. What the hell just happened?

Elara sighed, settling onto the stool beside her. "That was… unexpected." she mused. "It’s rare for my brother to use his magic on anyone, let alone a stranger."

Taliya turned to her, still trying to process everything. "So that was real?"

Elara simply gestured toward her healed ankle.

Taliya hesitated, then stood up carefully. No pain. Nothing. Her leg felt as good as new, as if she had never been hurt in the first place.

"Wow…" She whispered, awestruck.

Elara grinned. "Shocking, isn’t it?"

Taliya sat back down, still overwhelmed. "Do you have magic too?"

Elara's smile faded slightly. "No. Javen is the only one." She paused, then blinked as if realizing something. "Wait—I never got your name."

"Oh. Sorry, my name is Taliya."

Elara’s lips curled into a warm smile. "That’s a beautiful name."

"Thank you."

Despite the strange situation, Taliya found herself relaxing. But then her gaze flickered toward the wooden door Javen had walked through.

She knew she should be freaking out more. She was freaking out. Nothing about this made sense—being in an unknown place, encountering a man who healed her with magic…

Her head was an absolute mess.

Elara sighed, pulling Taliya’s attention back. "Javen’s magic… it’s meant to be a secret. No one must know about it."

Taliya frowned. "Why?"

Elara hesitated, watching her carefully. Then, she asked, "You’re not from around here, are you?"

Taliya’s stomach twisted. Slowly, she shook her head. "No, I’m not."

Elara sighed. "That explains it. No one in this town is allowed to practice magic. It’s considered forbidden—a symbol of darkness."

Taliya’s brows furrowed. "But… why? Javen used it to heal me. How is that dark?"

Elara hesitated again, as if choosing her words carefully. Then, she said, "Because, Taliya… magic here doesn’t come without consequences."

"My mother had the gift." Elara murmured, a shadow passing over her face. "She passed it down to my brother, but…" Her voice trailed off, and she let out a soft, almost bitter chuckle. "Happiness never lasts long."

Taliya opened her mouth to ask more, to dig deeper into the weight behind Elara’s words, but before she could, Elara plastered on a bright smile and stood up, effectively ending the conversation.

"Come, you need to rest." she said, her tone lighter now, as if shaking off the heaviness of the moment.

Taliya hesitated but eventually nodded, standing up as well. Exhaustion was finally creeping into her bones.

She had been through too much today—or tonight? She wasn’t even sure how much time had passed since she touched that strange black object on the beach.

Just as they began to walk, Elara suddenly paused and turned to her, curiosity flashing in her eyes.

"Oh, and Taliya…" She tilted her head slightly. "Are you a princess or something?"

Taliya stopped mid-step, frowning.

"Princess?" The word sounded so absurd that she almost laughed. She was as far from royalty as one could get. In fact, she was pretty sure her ancestors didn’t even have a drop of noble blood in them.

Her brows furrowed. "No. Why?"

Elara stared at her for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, a smile curved her lips—one that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

"Nothing," she said lightly. "Come on."

Taliya wanted to push for an answer, but she was too tired. Instead, she followed as Elara led her through a wooden door to a small room—a place for her to rest.