Requiem of the Forgotten

Mornings in Dragontown had become… manageable.

That didn't mean they were good. Just manageable.

I groaned as I sat up, stretching my sore back. Sleeping on the ground sucked. Sure, some people had started making primitive bedding, but I was still at the 'pile-of-leaves' stage of survival. Not exactly five-star comfort.

As usual, I could already hear movement outside. People were busy, either setting up new shelters, gathering food, or complaining about how terrible their current situation was. Progress.

I stepped out of my barely-standing wooden shack, rubbing my eyes. Near the fire pit, Carmen and Daisuke were already bickering.

"You're hoarding the good firewood," Carmen accused, pointing at the neatly stacked pile beside him.

"I am organizing resources efficiently," Daisuke replied, not looking up from his notebook. "Unlike some people, I plan ahead."

"Oh, bite me."

I sighed and approached them. "It's too early for this."

"It's never too early for justice," Carmen shot back, crossing her arms.

"Justice for what? Who died and made you queen of firewood?"

Before she could come up with a snarky response, Amina joined us, holding a few fruits she had gathered. "Aleks, you should probably check on your weird elf friend."

My brain stalled. "Who?"

"Caelith."

Oh. Right. Him.

I turned my head, scanning the camp. And of course—

There he was.

Still standing in the exact same spot he had been in last night.

Motionless. Expressionless. Just watching people as if they were test subjects in some grand experiment.

"Has he… moved?" I asked.

"Nope." Amina popped a berry into her mouth. "It's kinda creepy."

Carmen grinned. "I love how he just showed up, declared himself superior, and then became a glorified statue."

I sighed. "Guess I should check on him before someone throws a rock at him."

I approached Caelith, who turned his head slightly as I neared.

"You still alive?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Cool. Doing anything?"

"I am observing."

"Right. You said that yesterday. Observing what, exactly?"

Caelith's silver eyes flickered toward the camp. "Your species."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "You realize how weird that sounds, right?"

"I have been informed of this."

"…And?"

"I do not understand."

Of course he didn't.

Caelith suddenly straightened and spoke in the most robotic tone possible: "I have observed that humans engage in laughter upon waking. Therefore—ha. Ha."

Carmen dropped her fruit. "Please never do that again."

Daisuke adjusted his glasses. "That was physically painful."

Before I could explain to Caelith why he was a walking social disaster, I felt it.

A presence.

I wasn't the only one who noticed. Amina straightened. Carmen stopped arguing with Daisuke. The air itself felt heavier.

And then we saw them.

At the edge of the camp, near the treeline, a group of Elves stood watching us.

There were five of them. Two with golden hair, one with dark brown, and the other two so eerily similar that I assumed they were twins.

Their clothing was pristine, flowing like silk, embroidered with patterns I didn't recognize. And their expressions?

Pure judgment.

One of them stepped forward. His golden hair practically glowed under the sunlight, and the way he carried himself screamed 'I think I'm better than you.'

"I am Vaelion of the Elven High Council," he announced, loud enough for the entire camp to hear. "And I demand to know why an Ascended Elf has chosen to lower himself by staying among… humans."

Oh boy.

Caelith stepped forward with his usual, emotionless grace. "I am here of my own will."

Vaelion's lip curled. "That much is clear. The question is why."

Caelith tilted his head slightly. "I am studying human survival mechanisms."

Vaelion's expression darkened. "For what purpose?"

Caelith blinked. "Curiosity."

The silence that followed was painful.

Vaelion's eye twitched, as if the sheer stupidity of that answer was physically hurting him.

I decided to step in before he had an aneurysm. "Alright, so what's the real reason you're here? We don't exactly get a lot of royal visitors."

One of the Elves behind Vaelion, a woman with dark brown hair, stepped forward. "I am Seris," she said, her tone much calmer. "We were sent by the Council to assess your… settlement."

I folded my arms. "Assess? You mean, check if we're dangerous?"

"Among other things."

Vaelion scoffed. "Your kind has spread unnaturally fast. In mere weeks, you have gathered in numbers that threaten the balance of this land."

I narrowed my eyes. "Threaten? We're just trying to survive."

"And in doing so, you consume resources recklessly. Your people have no structure, no hierarchy, no purpose beyond existing."

Carmen muttered under her breath, "Wow. Okay. Just say you hate us and move on."

Vaelion ignored her. "Your kind breeds conflict."

I frowned. "I think you mean 'people' in general. Humans aren't the only ones with problems."

Seris nodded slightly, as if acknowledging my point. Vaelion, however, was having none of it.

"You are invaders," he declared. "Your existence here is unnatural."

I clenched my fists. "Listen here, you arrogant elf—"

"Vaelion," Seris cut in sharply. "Enough."

Vaelion exhaled through his nose, clearly displeased, but said nothing more.

Seris turned back to me. "Our people do not all share the same opinions. Some believe the humans should be left to their own devices. Others…" She glanced at Vaelion. "Believe otherwise."

I raised an eyebrow. "And you?"

She smiled faintly. "I prefer to make my own judgments."

That… wasn't an answer, but I let it slide.

The tension hung thick in the air. Eventually, Vaelion turned on his heel. "We have seen enough."

Seris hesitated, then gave me a slight nod. "We will return. Whether as allies… or something else, depends on what happens next."

And with that, they left.