𝒟𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓, ᵛᵃʳᵍᵃˢ ᶻᵒᵐ...

( 𝓓𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 )
chapter five. all a dream

        "𝓓AD, LISTEN━━"

        "don't you understand now? this is why you could never be the leader, why your sister has always been a step ahead of you!" he yelled in rage as they went through the cave into brightside. the elders were staying there after addison ordered the young leaders to rule to figure out the keys. at this moment, elysia wanted nothing more but to run back to camp.

        "there's a way we can split the harvest without one of the sides dying!"

        "they are going to do the same what we were to them, elysia. there's no splitting here."

        "that's not true. we've all worked together to find the final keys! it will all be okay!" she tried to smile, but her dad paced by her, shaking his head.

        "that boy has you fooled, honey. we don't care about vampires. he doesn't care about a daywalker."

        elysia bit her cheek. how could he say that? after the way vargas was looking at her like she was the brightest star than the ones above her. they weren't so different after all ━━ with the way they acted and the way they teased each other.

        "you're wrong," elysia retorted. she couldn't believe she was here, yelling at her father and trying to defend the beings they've been after for years. she's never felt so good about it and it made her stomach queasy. "he helped me so many times since you left."

        "it's all an act, elles." commander bright pointed to his head. "we agreed to side with the vampires until we got our hands on that bloodfruit and who knows if they will do the same. we have to be ready for war."

        she swallowed. "just let me go back to camp."

        "no," he shut her down. "you're staying with me until further notice."

        "dad, you can't do that!"

         "yes, i can." his eyes were wide. she was scared to say another word. "you are my daughter. i know what's best."

        elysia stood frozen in place, her fists trembling at her sides. her heart was hammering against her ribs in rage. there was so much she wanted to say, but couldn't. she felt helpless, just like she's always been under her father's fearful gaze.

        "you will stay right here," he continued slowly, "until we get that bloodfruit, do you understand?"

        no ━━ she didn't understand. she didn't understand anything! she didn't understand why the world was made to separate daywalkers and vampires when they had one common goal. she could see the picture now, the way nova and victor and the councillors are always enforcing the friendship between everyone at the camp.

        she didn't understand why her heart beat so fast the first time vargas held out his hand when she got hit against the tree, why his eyes that were supposed to be cruel were soft and curious. caring when he offered to help her walk. her chin wobbled in defeat, closing her eyes.

        "yes."

        her dad was gone when she turned around, and she wouldn't let her tears fall, not in front of him ━━ weakness. she sighed, running down the steps of their home until she reached the beach, dark skies blooming of puffy clouds under the moon's spotlight. water hit the rocks in the distance by the cave, and she stared at it for a lingering moment. she could run away, live with freedom. who was to say the daywalkers wouldn't be the ones dead in a few days anyway? atleast elysia could die in peace.

        "a million thoughts, in my head. should have let my heart keep listening." she turned, hair flying as she pulled it out of her hair tie. she watched their side of the cave from the beach where they always trained. where nova would watch the waves and the moonlight before they even came across a vampire. "cause up till now, i've walked the light. nothing lost, but something missing."

         she imagined vargas alone by the field, spinning in anger as her father watched her sing from on top of the hills at their balcony. he gave her one last look before he turned away, disappointed. "i can't decide what's wrong, what's right. which way should i go?"

        her chest clenched as her voice grew powerful, the wind picking up like vargas was calling her. her arms are outstretched, like she's being pulled by two sides.

        she ran towards the cave. "if only i knew what my heart was telling me! don't know what i'm feeling. is this just a dream? oh ━━ oh, yeah."

        she halted in front of it, remembering when she first crossed, wanting to hunt every vampire. she'd been so blinded in wanting to impress her father that she forgot to be the sunshine she was ━━ be human and kind and soft like her mother. she put her guard up with vargas because it was easier than betraying her people, but she would be betraying herself if she let him slip away. "if only i could read the signs in front of me."

        "i could find a way to who i'm meant to be, oh ━━ oh, if only." she'd be betraying her heart. vargas showed his care, and she almost pushed him away ━━ almost. "if only, if only."

         "every step, every word, with every hour i'm falling in." she stepped closer to the dimness of the cave, knowing she couldn't pass. her dad would see she's gone, so she staggered back, twirling. "to something new, something brave. to someone i've never been. i can't decide what's wrong, what's right, which way should i go?"

        "if only i knew what my heart was telling me." a tear fell down her cheek as she sang, conflicted. her sister had victor, but that means she wouldn't be enough for their dad either, that his own children betrayed him. although he's never believed in her ever since her mother died, she couldn't leave him, too. "don't know what i'm feeling, is this just a dream? oh ━━ oh, yeah. if only i could read the signs in front of me, i can find a way to who i'm meant to be, oh ━━ oh."

        "if only, yeah!" she ran back towards the beach, bending down to let her fingertips graze the water in pain. she fell to the shore, legs wet from the soft waves as she threw her hands in the air, salty tears matching the ocean. "am i crazy? maybe, we could happen, yeah."

        she looked to the moon, making her tear glimmer. "will you still be with me when the magics all run out?"

        her voice cracked, chest heaving deeper as she leaned back, blonde hair mixing with the sand. the tide rolls in, dampening her back as her hand plays with the grains of crystallized sand.

        "if only i knew what my heart was telling me," hummed elysia, barely a whisper. "don't know what i'm feeling .   .   . is this just a dream?"

        her voice goes lower, closing her eyes as she makes peace with her reality. she didn't say she had to like it. the wave crashed again as the sound to her soundless harmony.

        "elles?"

        elysia blinked, sun shining into her eyes, putting an immediate smile on her face by habit. when she rolls around against━━

        sand.

        "what are you doing?"

        it was ray.

        she blinked against, sitting up as her head pounded in pain. she must've fallen asleep. how long had it been?

        "sleeping."

        "no shit, really?" ray scoffed. "we were all worried as hell, but when vargas came back, he said commander bright took you. what's that about?"

        she sighed. "there's twenty-four hours in a day but i can not find the time to explain my family problems to you, ray."

        "ouch." ray gave her a look. "who took your light from you?"

        "everything!" she groaned, head still pounding. she didn't feel like herself, like she's out of her body, watching a broken girl crying and singing on the beach. she was grumpy but she turned to him. "what are you doing here?"

        "to warn commander bright," he voiced strictly, brows furrowing. "there's too much hugging at the camp and nova's not sticking with her word to steal all the bloodfruit."

         oh no. elysia's eyes widened. "what were you planning to do? tell my dad? because if you do, you know how that's gonna end."

        he shrugged. "us getting the bloodfruit and surviving."

        "no! ray, this means we're killing them. i thought you agreed we could all get along to share the harvest," she fought, voice remaining soft so she wouldn't raise it at her friend.

        "there's no sharing when it comes to both our sides," he spat. "us or them."

        elysia shook her head, pressing her palm to her temple as if she could physically push the ache away. her chest felt extremely tight. "you sound just like my dad."

        he smiled like it was a compliment, but the angry shake of her head shot him down real quick. "that's not something to be proud of. yes, i love my dad to pieces. but when he's in command, he only cares about ruling. he's manipulated our minds into thinking the vampires are people they're not. we have proof that we can work together, so why can't you see that? you don't have to keep listening to him if it means peace. if it means no bloodshed over this fruit━━"

        "well, there will be bloodshed either way. i'm making sure we get our fair share, for the daywalkers," he hissed. "there were people counting on you and nova. you're just letting him down."

        she bit her cheek. it must be the remaining tears from last night filling her eye. his words struck a nerve, like strings being pulled in the wrong direction. "gee, thanks, ray."

        ray scoffed and kicked the sand beneath his boot, like he was trying to shake the weight of her words off. "you've changed."

        she didn't have time to reply. she didn't know what to say as he ran towards the city. she let her tears fall, coating the sand below her. she just wanted what was right, but what if what was right was just for her heart and not the people who were 'counting' on her? was she being selfish? vargas was right for her heart because he helped her when no one else would. he made her laugh when she was feeling down, and he annoyed her just enough to bring her energy back ━━ feeling a thrill.

        she was breaking down, and she didn't have vargas there to annoy to make her feel better, to watch across the fire pit because it was easier than pretending his stare didn't burn into her. her 'handsome human crutch' ━━ elysia chuckled to herself at the memory, sniffing and wiping her tears staining her face.

        it wasn't long before ray returned.

        with her dad.

        she grimaced, his face angrier than before. she hoped he didn't think of elysia as a distraction from the real motives at the camp, but she couldn't let nova get in trouble! he'd always believed in her, at least.

        more of the elders joined at the beach in front of the cave. commander bright called elysia over from the shore and she jogged to catch up.

        "did you know about everyone agreeing to side with each other?" he asked.

        she nodded.

        "and you let it happen?" his voice dropped an octave ━━ low and cold.

        elysia froze. "they're not our enemies anymore. they're surviving. just like we are."

        "we're going, now," he commanded. ray was watching her dad with pride, but when he caught elysia's gaze from across the crowd, he looked down before stepping up his pace.

━━━━━━ 𝓛𝐈𝐋𝐈 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐒

- poor elysia omg</3 i made commander bright an asshole in this but i hate him so