I didn’t want to show it, but I was scared. Mum had gotten increasingly worried over the last few days. She said humans got dangerously close to our hideout, and their presence prevented her from going outside to gather more food. Our supplies were far from exhausted, but they would run out, eventually. At least we still had access to running water.

We were in the middle of eating dinner when we heard footsteps coming from the roof above the beds. They were standing right next to the small river that ran over our home. I looked at Mum, waiting for her instructions. She brought a finger in front of her mouth, and we quietly listened. She kept telling me there was no way they could find us. The entrance was sealed, and a small waterfall covered the only exposed wall.

Minutes passed, and we heard them walk closer to the entrance, then past it. They were leaving. We sighed in relief, knowing the worst was over. With some luck, they would never come close to this area again.

Our hopes were shattered when we heard a voice coming from outside. “We know you are there,” the voice said in fluent Gelspræn. “Come out peacefully, and we swear by the eight gods not to harm you. If you fail to comply, we’ll drill our way in.” The man was using a loudspeaker, and he was aiming it right at us.

“Hide under the bed,” Mum whispered, grabbing out her hunting knife and bow.

I nodded and did as she asked. Peeking from my “safe” location, I watched as she cast her magic on the wall, parting stone and water to reveal a bearded man in a black uniform. A sword sheathed into an overly ornamented scabbard hung from his waist. His left hand was empty, while the right held the device he used to call us.

Mum stayed just outside the entrance of the cave where the walls still protected her back. The man smiled and bowed to her. He was weird. Mum told me humans didn’t believe in the gods. They weren’t supposed to know our language or greet others this way either. “Good evening, Madam. My name is Stefan Fuchs, Knight Representative of the Spectres of Schwald. And you are?”

She reluctantly returned the courtesy. “Lystida Brändyll. May I ask the reason a human knight came to my door?” she asked back, using the common tongue. I knew she did it so I wouldn’t have trouble understanding. I was still learning, after all. “Have you finally decided to search and kill the last remaining Dræll?”

“Oh not at all. Quite the opposite, in fact.” The black knight shook his head and bowed once more. “On behalf of my ancestors, I deeply apologise for the events that took place so many centuries ago. We know a simple apology won’t be enough to fix the damage they caused, but we hope for you to find it in your heart to accept our apology and cooperate with us now and in the future.”

Mum sighed. “We’ll see about that. So? What can an old lady like myself do for you?”

The man reached for one of his pockets. Mum took a step back and raised her knife, only to lower it when all that came out was a picture.

“This is Kara Druren, a fellow citizen of Schwald. She, along with her parents, went missing a few days ago. We have our reasons to believe she’s here with you.”

“What makes you think I would keep a human girl with me?” Mum asked him.

“Nothing at first,” the man replied. “You see, we’ve known about your existence for a while now, Madam. Your actions over the last few decades have quite the reputation, to put it mildly. I don’t think there’s a single citizen in Schwald that hasn’t heard of the shadow people that supposedly inhabit the Black Forest.”

Hearing this, Mum’s grip on her knife increased. The man noticed it and raised his now empty hands. “Ignoring your nightly visits to our citizens’ campsites, you tend to completely avoid humans. That combined with our previously unsuccessful efforts to locate your hideout, led to the decision to leave you alone.”

“Well, it certainly doesn’t look like that.”

He nodded. “That’s because our orders have changed. This happened when the search party, tasked with finding this girl and her family, located an unusual grave. It’s not every day that you come across a drællyn burial, much less one with human remains in it. Upon examination, however, the girl’s remains were nowhere to be found. We believe you managed to save her and that she’s currently in your custody. All clues point that way.”

Mum never told me anything about burying any humans recently. She didn’t like them in the first place. I couldn’t understand what made them think a human girl lived with us.

“I’m afraid your clues were wrong,” she replied. “I am the one responsible for the grave, that much is true, but I brought no human girl with me.”

The knight raised an eyebrow. “Well then, could you explain why I can see two beds and two sets of dishes with food on your table?”

She looked back at the things the man pointed to. I saw the worry in her eyes as they made contact with mine. She took a deep breath. “Nyx, come out, dear. The knight wishes to meet you.”

They had sworn an oath to the gods; I knew it was technically safe for me to go, but I was still scared. I crawled out from under the bed and scurried my way behind her, taking her hand when she offered it. The man’s eyes widened when he saw me. I could see other knights keeping their distance behind him.

“Sir Fuchs, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Nyggry Brändyll. As you can see, there are no humans here. Just the two of us.”

He brought the picture out again and stared at me in silence. So long that it made me feel uncomfortable. “And the father?” He asked.

“Unfortunately, he died in an accident,” she answered, looking down. “Not too long ago.”

It was the first time I heard about it. I had thought his death was the reason Mum didn’t like humans. It never occurred to me that they weren’t involved at all. For some reason, it didn’t feel right to ask, so I waited until she told me.

Was that the same accident that made me lose my memories?

Why don’t we have any portraits of him?

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Sir Fuchs said, taking off his hat and placing it over his chest.

“Don’t be. He’s in Gelrilk now.”

“I’m sure he is, Madam.”

I heard a short cough coming from a woman behind him. She stood the closest to Sir Fuchs. He turned to her and nodded. “Right. If you don’t mind, I’d like to continue with our investigation.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what else is there to say,” Mum replied curtly.

He lifted the photo once more. “Are you sure you didn’t see this girl around when you found her parents? We determined that she was too injured to move, and there are no traces of anyone but you in the area. We were hoping that you felt pity on her and took her in.”

Mum crossed her arms and stepped aside. I moved after her. “Feel free to search my home if you don’t believe me.”

The knight smiled gently and shook his head. “No, that won’t be necessary,” he said, waving his free hand. “We’ll continue searching for her for a while longer, just in case. Setting that matter aside, there is one more thing I’d like your help with.”

“And that is?”

The woman from before walked closer and pulled out a tablet and some papers from a case she carried. She stood next to Sir Fuchs and bowed. “Greetings, Madam and young miss Brändyll. My name is Sabine Schreiber. I am a Record Keeper of the Spectres of Schwald.”

Mum and I silently returned the gesture.

“According to the Law of Global Life Preservation, established in the year 492 of the New Era, we are required to keep a registry of any survivors from the Race Wars that we find. This is necessary to guarantee your freedom and wellbeing as well as to name you official citizens of Schwald. By having that title, you are placed under our protection by law, and we can provide you with the minimum necessities for a comfortable life. We also promise not to misuse your information in any way.”

Hearing what she said, Mum and I glanced at each other. “You mean there’s more of us?” She asked once the lady was done talking.

She nodded. “Correct. Although scarce, there are a few confirmed survivors living in seclusion, just like you two were.”

“Dræll?”

“Only two survivors, I’m afraid. A couple living southeast of here, in a cave at the border with Rosivar. Both of them are over 800 years old with no children.”

That meant it was too late for that as well. They were too old. Mum taught me that the best age for a dræll to have children is somewhere between 100 and 600 years of age. Before and after that, it becomes too difficult. Past 700 years, it’s no longer possible.

“Can we meet them?” Mum asked.

“We can arrange something, but you’ll need to go through a short probation period before we can do that,” the lady said, smiling.

“What do we need to do?”

“First, you must abide by our law system. You are responsible for multiple cases of robbery in this area, some of those of considerable value. So far, we have turned a blind eye and exempted you from any charges since we understand your needs. However, you must refrain from continuing those activities in the future. Second, we will assign a member of our order to supervise your family. They will make sure to come visit you once a week, both to confirm your wellbeing and to bring you any items you request, within reason, of course. Last, but not least, you must remain hidden as you have been so far. This third requirement is due for some changes in the near future, but it’s important that you stick to it for now, for your safety.”

It sounded easy enough. We already did one of those on our own. And stealing would be no longer necessary if they offered to bring us food and other goodies. The only inconvenience was having a human watch over us, though I was sure Mum wouldn’t mind it too much. Despite her opinion of them, we knew it was a small price to pay for all the good things they promised. There was still a possibility they would be scheming something, but I couldn’t see any reason for it. If they wanted us dead, it wouldn’t have taken them long. Human weapons are scary, and, from the sound of it, there were enough of them present.

“Very well. We agree to those terms,” Mum finally said. “Though I would like for you to swear an oath to the gods, just to be safe.”

The knight nodded and was about to speak when another man came running, getting our attention. “Sir, there’s something you must see.”

Sir Fuchs excused himself and followed the newcomer away.

“Don’t worry, we’re almost done here,” Sabine said as the men walked away. “We’ve got most of your information already, so all we need now is your age and for you to read and sign a document that we’ll use to get your ID cards. It’s written in Gelspraen for convenience. If you don’t have a signature, we can get you an ink pad for you to sign with your fingerprints. The cards will be delivered with your wellbeing supervisor in a week.”

“Very well,” Mum responded, bobbing her head once. “I’m 611 years of age. Nyx is 15.”

The woman took note of the numbers, and then we walked in and sat by the table while Mum read the documents. Once she was done, Sabine gave her a pen, and she signed the paper. They offered me the ink pad when my turn came, but I had my signature. I grabbed the pen and swiftly signed it.

Right then, Sir Fuchs walked in with a frown on his face. “You have some explaining to do, Madam.”

She turned to look at him wide eyed. “What do you mean?”

“We just received the results of the blood analysis from the samples we sent to the laboratory. They confirmed one of them belongs to Kara Druren.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re getting at.”

“The tests also confirmed the presence of MAV, a virus capable of turning humans into other races. And it just so happens that Kara had the right genetics to become a dræll.”

As he said that, Sabine grabbed the paper I signed and showed it to him. He eyed it and turned it so Mum could see it. “Her signature confirms it.”

It was my turn to be confused. Somehow, I had used that name when signing the paper. Something clicked in my mind then.

“Did you mess with this girl’s memories to make her think she was your daughter?”

“No!” Mum? shouted. “I wouldn’t do such a thing!”

“Then you better explain what happened, because this girl is clearly not who you claimed.”

She fiddled in silence, looking at the floor. Everyone stared at her. I wanted to support her, but I also wanted to know the truth. I needed to know. She sighed and opened a hidden compartment in the wall, taking a small box from it. She then got her diary from the bookshelf and took a seat at the table. “Nyx, dear, come. We need to talk.”

“Is that even my name?” I asked, sitting down. I felt guilty from the way she looked at me when I did.

“No. Sir Fuchs is right. Your real name is Kara. I just didn’t know until now.” She opened the box and grabbed a picture from within. “I kept this safe for you. Thought you’d like to have it if you ever recovered your memories.”

I took it and examined it. The people in it looked familiar, but I could not remember them. Between both parents stood a girl holding a notebook. It was the same girl from the picture the knights had. Mum… Lystida grabbed that same notebook from the box and placed it on the table. I opened it, revealing hundreds of sketches. Animals, buildings, scenery, there was a bit of everything. I traced my fingers over them. I recognised them; they were mine.

Lystida opened her diary and began reading it out loud. I watched the scene she narrated. Not from her point of view, but within the car as it fell. It was all a blurry memory, but it matched her words. I remembered a pair of glowing amethyst eyes staring back at me in the darkness of the night. I looked at the portrait that hung over my bed. I did look like her sister, but how?

Her theory about me being a descendant of her sister made sense at first, but I was human until recently. Even though most of it was still obscure to me, I was certain of that much.

Lystida took my hand and gently squeezed it in hers. “I… I was no older than you when I lost both my parents. When I lost everyone.” She sniffed, and I looked at her face. She was crying for the first time since I met her. “All those years of solitude. Of sadness. I couldn’t let you go through the same pain I did. I knew I could never replace your family, but I hoped to give you the love they were no longer able to. Even before your transformation, I was ready to go against my prejudices and give you a place you could call home.”

She chuckled and cleaned her face with her sleeves. “I admit I was a bit selfish. I’ve always wanted a daughter, you know. I never had that chance. That’s why, to me, you were a gift from the gods. A chance to have something I could only dream of. I’m sorry for lying to you. I really am. Just know that I never did it with the intention of hurting you. I love you!”

It was a lot to take in. Nobody else said anything, giving me time to think about it. Once I had made up my mind, I turned to Sir Fuchs and asked, “Can you take me to my parents’ grave? I need to see it.”

He nodded. “We’ll be outside. Come out when you’re ready.”

Lystida didn’t move, she remained seated, holding her head low and almost touching the table. I couldn’t see her face. I took her hand and pulled so she stood up. “I want you to come with me.”

She lifted her head to look at me, the jewels that were her eyes stared right into mine. “Yes.” She inhaled deeply and stood up. “Let’s go.”