It’s a nice morning today. The sun is shining bright and hot, but there’s a nice cool breeze to act as a buffer against the unrelenting heat. There’s not a cloud to be seen. 

“Elara, hurry up.” My twin called from ahead of me. I glared at my sister who had turned to face me, her hands on her hips and a smirk on her face. “When did you become so slow?” 

“Oh shut up, Ravyn.” I laughed as I shoved past her. She huffed in annoyance before hooking her arm with mine. “I’m not in any hurry. We haven’t been on this trail in years, I want to take my time.” I felt Ravyn lean her head on my shoulder. We both were silent as we walked, simply just taking in the sights around us. 

I’ve always loved the woods, there’s something almost magical about them. Especially the woods around our house. I’m not sure what it is, exactly, but there’s something about it that just draws me towards it.

Ravyn and I have always been surrounded by nature. Our house is far from the city, and we’re smack dab in the middle of nowhere. Due to that, my sister and I entertained ourselves by exploring the woods and making friends with the animals. You’d be surprised by how many animal friends you could make with just a little patience and kindness. 

I halted on the trail. 

“Ravyn?”
“Yes, Elara?”

“Let’s go off the path.”

Ravyn was silent, as I knew she would be. This went directly against our parent's orders, and Ravyn was always a stickler for rules. She followed every rule to a T and the thought of disobeying them made her panic. 

“...You know what mom and dad say about going off the trails. These woods can be dangerous, Elara.” She sighed and brushed a strand of night-black hair behind her ear before wrapping her arms around her body. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea.”
“Oh, come on Ravyn. We’re almost 18.” I studied her as we came to a standstill. We might be twins but we are complete opposites. While she was all pale skin and short black hair, I was tan skin and long brown curls. I looked exactly like our mother and she was the epitome of our father. Ravyn was a goody two shoes and followed all the rules. She stayed inside when it got dark and never did anything bad, except stay up late to read. Which, in my opinion, didn’t even count as breaking the rules. She was reading for god's sake! And not even anything remotely bad or interesting; not one hint of smut or murder or dark fantasy. 

I, on the other hand, think rules are idiotic. Well, not all of them. Some rules are put in place for a reason, like, you know, don’t murder people. But some rules are meant to be broken, like don’t wander off the path. That’s a rule that’s just asking for someone to break it. I saw a flash of pity cross Ravyn’s grey eyes as she glanced at me. I scowled. I know exactly what that pity is for and I hate it. 

“Whatever. You can stay here if you want, but I want to explore.” I turned away from her and walked directly off the path. It wasn’t a path, necessarily. More like a well-walked trail. Ravyn and I used to come up here as often as we could and then life happened. I haven’t been back here in years. It’s not like it’s a difficult trail or anything, it’s just farther away from the house than our parents liked. The rules were stricter when we came over here. No going off the path and keep your phone on at all times (service may suck out here but we have a tracking app on our phones in case of an emergency). Those were the rules, and normally I actually followed them. But now, I don’t really give a shit.

I broke off a decently long branch from a nearby tree, it went from the tips of my fingers to my elbow and stabbed it into the ground. Hopefully, it will stay and I’ll be able to find my way back. While I wanted to go off the path and explore, I didn’t want to get lost. 

“Elara, wait up.” Ravyn walked up behind me. She sighed as she grabbed my hand. “We go together, okay?” I looked at her with a smile and squeezed her hand in response. We continued deeper into the forest. Every few feet we stabbed sticks in the ground, deep enough not to budge. 

The canopy of leaves was thicker off the trails, though sheaths of sunlight still stabbed through the thick leaves. The trees grew closer and closer together as we got deeper into the woods. Ravyn and I walked in a decently straight line as we squeezed between the trunks. I struggled to choke down a laugh as she tripped over a root that peaked up from above the dirt. She glared at me before lightly shoving me, trying and mostly failing to hide her laughter as well.

We hadn’t been walking for long, maybe ten to fifteen minutes, when the trees suddenly stopped. In front of us, there was a clearing; it was absolutely breathtaking. A small creek flowed through and wildflowers dotted the grass. It was the greenest grass I’d ever seen. There were clumps of bright-colored mushrooms hidden within the multitude of flowers. There were some of which I’d never seen before, and that’s saying something considering I’ve read every book on flowers and plants that I could find. The sun shined down on the ruins of what looked like an arch that stood towering over us in the middle of the clearing. Ravyn and I looked upon it in awe as we slowly walked around the cracking marble. 

“What is this place?” She muttered under her breath. 

“I don’t know,” I whispered, “but it’s absolutely beautiful.” And kind of strange, I thought to myself. How was this here? Regardless of how it got here, this place seemed almost magical. The two of us stood to the front and a little to the left side of the arch. We weren’t looking directly through it but we could still see the other side. From this angle, the area within the arch almost shimmered. 

“Woah, what the hell?” Ravyn muttered. She grabbed onto my arm and pointed into the arch. Through it, I could see someone on the other side. His eyes were slightly narrowed as he looked all around him before walking closer and closer to the ruins. Ravyn walked around the arch, to the area that was supposed to be on the other side. Her eyes snapped to mine as she mouthed, There’s no one here. 

I waved her back over to me, keeping one eye on the guy in the arch. Ravyn grabbed my hand and we watched as he sighed in relief, and walked through. 

He shivered as he walked through the gateway, but then he stretched and smiled and looked up at the sky and I was frozen. 

This was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. 

His hair was dark brown and wavy, curling around his slightly pointed ears in the most adorable way. His eyes were green, not a bright green, but a deep forest green that held secrets and mischief and laughter and stars. It looked like there were literal stars in his eyes. His skin was dark and he had a few freckles that covered his nose. He had the biggest, brightest smile in the world. I was ripped from my gawking when his eyes met mine and he began to scream. 

And then I screamed and then Ravyn screamed and we were all screaming and it was chaos. 

“Why are we screaming?” The guy shouted. A deafening silence fell around us as our screaming abruptly stopped. 

Ravyn darted to stand in front of me. “Who are you?” She demanded.

“I’m Greysen, who are you?” He asked. The guy brushed an invisible piece of lint off his shoulder. There was not a piece of dust nor a wrinkle to be seen on his outfit. He was wearing an outfit that seemed perfectly tailored to his body; a slightly cropped dark green top that was cut off at the shoulders and a pair of loose brown trousers, just slightly darker than his skin. 

“I’m not telling you,” my sister scoffed. She grabbed my hand and said, “Let’s go,” as she began to tug me away. 

“What? No, I want to stay.” I pulled my hand from hers. 

“Dude, that guy came out of nowhere. He could be a murderer or something. Let’s go. Now.” She spits out through clenched teeth.

“No, Ravyn. There’s obviously something going on here that is not… normal. And plus, I’m going to die eventually. So, might as well make it interesting and done by the hands of a hot guy.” My sister rolled her eyes. I heard a laugh behind me that sent a shiver down my spine.
“Fine, we’ll stay.” Ravyn crossed her arms and came to stand beside me before sending a glare in the stranger's direction. He mimicked her position and crossed his arms, but instead of glaring, he smiled. 

“So,” he laughed. “I’m not going to kill you, you know. That’s very illegal in both of our worlds. And as a prince, that wouldn’t go well if I broke the law.” I stepped forward almost without my own consent. 

“Two worlds, huh?” I said. I feel like I should be surprised, or screaming and running away. I mean, a random guy with pointed ears and eyes with stars just appeared out of nowhere and is talking about different worlds. But I can’t help but only be interested. Life was so boring, and now something was finally happening. “I’m Elara.” I walked up to the guy and reached out my hand. “Nice to meet you, Greysen.” He grabbed my hand softly in his and brought it up to his lips before placing a soft kiss on my knuckles. 

“The pleasure is mine, M’lady.” I laughed even as I felt a hot blush covering my cheeks.

“Is that how you greet all the women you meet?” I placed my hands on my hips and looked up at him. 

“No, not really. Just the ones who take my breath away.” He winked at me and I rolled my eyes before walking around him. 

“So, is this a portal or something? Where does it lead?” Before I could reach my hand through the gateway, I was gently pulled back. 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, love. Humans can’t survive if they try to travel between worlds. Some have tried it before and there was so much death that almost every portal was closed. This is one of the only two remaining on this planet.” 

“Oh, well that’s unfortunate.” 

“Yeah, and technically I am not supposed to be here either. But there was this stupid council meeting that was making me fall asleep. It’s not like I needed to be there either. I’m not even in line for the throne.”
“Why not?”
“I am the youngest of 12 brothers. The oldest, who is 210, will probably get the throne unless he’s killed before my father dies.” He shrugged as if that was a normal thing to say.

“210?” I shouted. “210! How old are you then?” I swear if this man is like 100 I am leaving and never coming back. I can’t believe I’m flirting with someone who’s probably decades older than me. 

“Oh, I’m 19.”

“...How long have you been 19?” I muttered. Ravyn barked a laugh. 

“Elara you did not.” She continued to laugh as she walked up to us. 

“I had the opportunity and I took it. Twilight is iconic.” Greysen looked between us and raised his eyebrows. 

“Okay. One, what’s Twilight? Two, I’ve been 19 for two months.” Ravyn grabbed my arm in shock. 

“Elara, he’s never seen Twilight.” 

“I’ve never seen any films. Those are things here, right? I’ve heard of it, but we don’t have anything like that.”

I looked at Ravyn and we made eye contact. We immediately knew that this must be fixed. I looked back at Greysen. 

“Okay, your Highness. How often can you sneak out here?” His eyebrows rose. 

“Quite often. No one really looks for me unless it’s for school, and that’s only on weekdays. And also, no formalities, please. I kind of hate them.”

“Okay then, Greysen, meet me here at the same time, same day, next week. And I’ll introduce you to the joys of modern media.” 

*    *   *   *

“Please tell me I didn’t hallucinate everything that happened today.” Ravyn looked up at me before she continued painting my nails. We were both sitting down on my bed, listening to Taylor Swift’s new album. 

“No,” she replied. “It was all real. And I can’t believe you agreed to meet him again! He’s strange and weird and he’s not even human.” She let go of my hand and looked up at me. “I don’t want you to go. You could get hurt.” The tears welling in her eyes made me sigh.

“Ravyn, I’ll be okay. As I said, I’m dying anyway.” I forced out a laugh. “Are you sure you don’t want to come? This is something that shouldn’t be possible. Other worlds? People that aren’t entirely human? It’s all so interesting. And plus, he’s cute and funny.” Ravyn softly smiled and roughly rubbed her face before pulling me into a hug. 

“No, I have homework to do, remember? And I like women. But, if this guy is good, maybe this is your chance for romance, hm? First kiss?” She raised a single eyebrow suggestively, a smirk on her face. “ Anyway, take your pepper spray, okay?” I laughed as I wrapped my arms around her. 

“I will.”

It wasn’t long before Ravyn went to bed and I fell into a dream-filled sleep. I dreamt of magic and castles and boys with green eyes filled with stars. The entire week went by like this: I spent my time daydreaming and listening to intense classical music that made it feel as if I was in another world. Before I knew it, it was Saturday morning and I was slipping out of the house with a white sheet, a projector, blankets, and pillows. It would be annoying to carry it all, but it would be worth it. My parents didn’t object when I left. They knew I would be home at the agreed time (9 pm) and they knew I would be safe. And if I wasn’t home, they could track my phone if they needed. However, they didn’t know that I was meeting a boy. They just thought I wanted time to myself.

I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face as I slowly but surely made my way to the clearing. I found the sticks that led the way and followed them until I came across the open glade. Greysen was there, leaning against one of the pillars, twirling a rose in his hands. His head slowly lifted and when he saw me he smiled and started to walk my way. 

“Here, let me help you with something.” He walked towards me and grabbed the bag with blankets and pillows. “This is a lot more than I thought you would bring.”

“Well, Greysen, if you’re experiencing a movie date for the first time, it has to be the best,” I said as I began hooking the white sheet in between two trees so I could project the movie onto it. 

“Date, huh?” I spun around to see that he had walked back up to me. I blushed. Did I really call this a date? Barely ten minutes into today and I’ve already messed this up. “Good, that’s what I was hoping this was.” 

Wait, what?
“Really? You were hoping this was a date?” Greysen nodded and held out the rose in his hands. 

“Here, this is for you.” He rubbed the back of his neck and blushed. “I enchanted it so it won’t die until you do. Sorry, I know that’s strange but I didn’t want to give you a flower only for it to die within a week.” I gently took the rose from him. It was beautiful. It was a deep, vibrant red that contrasted stunningly with the dark green leaves. 

“Thank you,” I said. “And it’s not strange at all. I’ll keep it safe.” Greysen smiled and reached down and grabbed my hand, before leading me to the blankets he set up in front of the screen. 

“So, what are we watching today?”

 I gave him a devilish grin. “Twilight.”

*    *   *   *

I didn’t expect Greysen to like the movies as much as he did. We’re laying on the blanket, just having finished the first two Twilight movies. 

“Okay, I’m all for Edward but that was a d*ck move to leave like that. And in my opinion, Jacob is way hotter.” I turned my face to look at him. 

“Agreed.” He started to laugh as he propped his head on his shoulder and looked down at me. 

“Can we do this again, next week? To finish the series?” I nodded as he brushed a strand of hair out of my face. 

“Of course. But do you have a place where I can leave the stuff I brought? It was annoying dragging all of that from my house.” He nodded. I looked at my phone to check the time and sighed. I have to leave soon. 

“Are you okay?” Greysen asked. 

“I have to go, I have a curfew I have to meet.” 

“Oh, okay.” He stood up and reached down a hand. I grabbed it and he pulled me up beside him. “Is it creepy that I don’t want you to leave?”

“No, not really. I don’t want to leave either.” I looked down at my hand still in his and intertwined our fingers. “Now, this might be creepy. I know I haven’t known you for more than like, a week. But I already find myself wanting to tell you everything. So far, I’ve liked hanging out with you more than I have with anyone else.” My voice was soft as I spoke. I didn’t expect myself to grow so fond of this guy so quickly and it scared me to admit that I can already feel myself falling for him. 

“Elara, my people have this belief that for every person, they have someone that is their ‘perfect’ match. Their soulmate, so to speak. It was already chosen by the gods that they would be together. Now, not everyone finds their other half, but when you do it’s said you’ll know at first glance that they’re the one. You’ll feel a click and you’ll just know.” I held my breath as his other hand tilted up my chin. “I don’t mean to freak you out. I know that finding out about magic and other worlds and princes can be overwhelming, especially when someone from another world starts to have feelings for you. But Elara, the minute I laid eyes on you I felt that click and it terrified me.” 

“Is that why you screamed?” I chuckled. He blushed and smiled down at me. 

“Partly so. But I also didn’t expect to see two human girls in a clearing that is normally deserted.” He laughed, and oh gosh was his laugh contagious. My smile grew and grew until I began to laugh as well. Our laughter died down until we were both simply smiling at each other, a charged silence between us. His hand moved to cup my cheek, his touch sending sparks to every part of me. He stepped closer to me, so close that I could see the constellations in his eyes, and my heart began to pound. 

“Can I… can I kiss you, Elara?” He whispered and I felt his breath softly fan against my face. I nodded and tilted my head. He leaned down and I reached up and suddenly his lips were on mine and I was flying. He was hesitant at first, the kiss was soft and slow. I had one hand gripping him and I rested the other around his neck, before pulling him in closer and deepening the kiss. I felt him smile against my lips before Greysen pulled away and leaned his forehead against mine. His arms wrapped around me and pulled me into his embrace. “Don’t forget about next week, okay?” He whispered into my hair and I nodded against his chest. He moved away and kissed my forehead, “I’ll see you then.” I smiled as he backed away. 

“I’ll see you soon,” I said as I turned. Before I got too far, he grabbed my waist and spun me around, and pressed a soft, chaste kiss to my lips. 

“Okay, now I can say goodbye.” I softly shoved his shoulder.

“You’re a dork.” He rolled his eyes and I laughed as I left. 

I kept my emotions in check the entire walk back. I kept the smile on my face and the thought of his lips on mine in my head. I kept that smile as I walked into my home and said hello to my parents. I kept that smile as I placed my rose on my bedside table. I kept that smile until I walked into my sister’s room. She looked up from her book when I walked in. Her lamp was on, giving the room a golden glow. “How was your date?” She asked me. And that’s when I broke down in sobs. “Oh my god, Elara.” She walked up to me and held me in her arms and we collapsed to the floor. “What happened? I swear if that ass hurt you, I will break him.” I grasped onto her with everything I had. 

“It was the opposite, Ravyn,” I said through broken breaths. “He’s amazing. He was kind, funny, and sweet. I think I want something with him,” I paused as my throat constricted. “And I know it won’t last.” 

“Oh, Elara.” She sighed as she held onto me. “Well, that just means you have to make the most of the time you have, okay?” Her voice cracked at the end and I felt her start to shake. “Make the most of now.” 

“Come with me to my room and I’ll tell you about it all,” I told her. We both stood up and left. We jumped on my bed and I told her everything. 

This became our routine. Every Saturday I would meet up with Greysen at the exact same time. Then I would go home and tell Ravyn everything. This went on for months, even in the cold. Greysen had magic that kept us warm. 

And over time I fell completely in love with him. He made me want a future with him. He gave me hope that I never wanted. 

We met up for months, almost an entire year. We learned every inch of each other’s bodies and minds. I knew everything about him, and he knew everything about me. Well, almost everything. And just for a moment, life was good.

Until it wasn’t. 

*    *    *    *

It was hot in my world today. Today was a day that I was glad to leave so I could meet with my Elara. It was always cooler in her world, and I much preferred the cooler weather. Even the freezing winter. I loved it, but maybe that was just because I was with her. I don’t really know. 

I grabbed a sweater from my closet that was much bigger than necessary, before sneaking out of the castle. No one really noticed when I left. They never really have. That’s what it’s like being the youngest of twelve. There are so many of us it’s hard to keep track. It’s both a gift and a curse. 

It was easy to sneak into the portal hidden within the royal gardens. There were dozens of magically enhanced rose bushes and shrubs. The place was a maze to anyone who didn’t spend their entire childhood sneaking away and exploring them. I plucked various flowers as I saw them; roses, daisies, lilies. All of her favorites. I had a decent bouquet by the time I found the marble archway. It was still in pristine condition in my world, it wasn’t crumbling apart like it was in the human realm. I shivered as I stepped through it. It was always a strange feeling as if my body was getting rewired. I sat and leaned against the pillar like I always did. I always make sure to get here before Elara. 

She was the most punctual person I’d ever met, so I always make sure to turn up early so she was not alone. It makes me nervous enough knowing she hikes all the way here and back by herself. She won’t let me escort her home to make sure she’s safe. I tried to follow her once, as a way to make sure she didn’t hurt herself on the way, and she threw a stone at my head. I never tried again. She just has this way of knowing that I’m there. 

I’ve been extra nervous lately, for some reason. Elara has been looking more tired recently. She doesn’t talk as much as she used to, and most of the time she just wants to sit and listen. A lot of the time she’s fallen asleep. There’s this tight feeling in my chest like something is wrong. But I don’t know what it is. 

Minutes go by and she doesn’t show up. The tightness in my chest gets to the point where I have to stand and pace. My grip on the bouquet tightens.

Elara has never been late. She’s told me many times that for her, being on time is considered late. Being early is important to her, and it has always been. Or so she’s said. I don’t know what to do. We’ve never discussed the idea of her not making it. She’s always been here, and I have no way of contacting her to know if something came up. Everything we’ve tried never worked between realms; communication stones didn’t work, nor did my magic work to send her messages. We’ve always simply relied on each other because we knew we could depend on each other to be here. I sighed as I ran a hand down my face. Something was definitely wrong. I heard something rustling from the way she always came. I quickly walked in that direction only to see Ravyn appear. 

Ravyn and I never really got along. She didn’t trust me at first, and even after I gained her trust, she never warmed up to me. Which is why it shocked me to see her appear where her twin always did. 

“Hey, Ravyn.” I gave her a slight wave. I wonder if she noticed the panic in my eyes as I frantically scanned behind her for my person. “Is Elara coming?” She silently shook her head and that’s when I really noticed her. She had deep bags under her puffy eyes as if she’d been crying. 

“No,” she whispered. “She’s not coming.” Her voice broke on the last word. She lifted her hand in front of her and that’s when I saw it. Elara’s rose. 

It was dying. 

The petals were starting to darken and fade. The stem was weak and crumbling. I felt my breath catch. 

“Ravyn, what’s happened?” I struggled to ask. I knew something was wrong, I knew it. 

“I told her to tell you. I told her it was messed up to keep this from you.” She walked up to hand me the rose. “She didn’t listen. But I shouldn’t be the one to say. So you need to come with me, okay?” I nodded as I watched her try to keep her voice steady. “Let’s go.” Ravyn turned and I followed, holding Elara’s rose gingerly in my hand. 

She couldn’t be dying. I must have enchanted the flower wrong. It has to be something else, some other explanation. My throat tightened. It has to be something else. I can’t accept the alternative. Ravyn’s pace was quick as she manuevered through the woods. I could barely focus on what we were passing as my fear grew. 

She can’t be dying. 

Before I knew it, we came upon a house with a large garden in the back. Greenery was growing up the brick walls and there was a large veranda surrounding the cottage. Ravyn led me up the front steps and through the door. I was blind to my surrounding as I followed Ravyn through a long hallway. 

“My parents are upstairs; I told them to get some rest. They haven’t been able to sleep all week.” Ravyn fell quiet as we came to a standstill. “Elara’s in there.” She nodded towards the door. “I’ll leave you guys alone.” Ravyn walked away without another word. I turned to face the door and let out a tight breath. The handle was cold as I turned it and stepped in. My sight immediately fogged with tears as I beheld her. 

She was motionless in the bed, tubes stuck in her arms with some sort of liquid flowing through. Different machines incessantly beeped around her. I saw the beat of her heart on one of them; it was slower than it should be. She was thin; she looked like a shadow of her old self. 

“Elara?” I whispered as I kneeled beside the bed. Her normally tan skin was pale, though her cheeks were flushed with red. I laid the rose beside her still hand. She was so quiet, so still. I could barely hear her breathing. “My love? Can you hear me?” I softly tucked her hair behind her ear. I watched with bated breath as her eyelids slowly fluttered open. 

“Greysen? Is that you?” Her voice was so soft as she spoke. I grabbed her hand in mine. 

“Yes, it’s me. I’m here, my love. I’m here.” Her light brown eyes met mine and I frowned as they welled with tears. 

“I’m sorry.” She said in a broken whisper. “I’m so sorry, Greysen.” I wiped the tears that escaped with my thumb. 

“What’s wrong, Elara? What is going on?” She leaned into my palm and covered my hand with one of hers. She gave my palm a gentle kiss before removing my hand from her face. 

“I’m sick, Greysen. I’m really si-” Before she could finish, her body was attacked by coughs. It seemed like forever before she was able to get a deep breath in. She sunk into the bed and sweat beaded on her forehead. “Will you hold me?” She sighed. “Please?” I silently nodded before standing beside the bed. She moved to the side to give me room and I slid onto the bed next to her before wrapping her frail figure in my arms. How is it that she was hiking through the woods just last week to meet me? And now she can barely move on her own? She rested her head against my chest and grabbed the rose, holding it beside her face. 

“It was so pretty. I kept it beside my bed in a jar.” She let out a soft breath. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I fell in love with you. I’m sorry I gave you hope for a future we could never have. I knew that I was sick. I’ve known for years I wouldn’t make it past 20. And yet, I still let myself get close to you. I couldn’t help it. And I’m sorry because doing that, getting close to you and letting you in, is unfair. It was the most cruel thing I could’ve done. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry for giving you the chance to love me.”

“Don’t apologize.” I whispered into her hair. I held back the tears as I tightened my grip around her. “It was an honor to fall in love with you, Elara. It has been the highlight of my life getting to know you, and letting you become a part of my world. You’ve marked me, Elara. You took my heart with your hands and you can’t ever give it back. For my heart now belongs to you, my love. And even when both of us are ashes in the wind, I will always be yours. I can’t let you apologize for something that has given me life.” 

“I love you, Greysen.” She wrapped her arms around me. “But I’m so tired.” 

“I love you too, Elara.” I ran my fingers through her hair. “And it’s okay, my love. You can rest now.” She nodded against me and I pressed my lips to her head. I finally let the tears flow as I realized I’d have to live the rest of forever without her. The tears continued to fall as I felt her chest stop moving and I heard the monitor with her heartbeat go flat. 

Beside me, the rose wilted and turned to ash.