I set the mirror aside and just get ready for bed. Tomorrow is going to be a rough day. I need to find a way back home.

The next day, I hear someone repeatedly calling out my name. "Alaire... Alaire...! ALAIRE!" I quickly spring up and look around, wondering what's going on. 

I'm met with Merle's stern gaze while he holds my shoulders for a bit longer before he lets go, keeping his expression stern and a bit annoyed.

"Wake up, you lazy ass." He says and then walks out of the room, closing the door behind himself. 'How weird he is.' I sigh and get out of bed sleepily.

Today, I need to find out how to get back to Earth. But first of all, let's eat. Perhaps a full belly will help me concentrate. I'm famished.

I sigh once more despite the early morning hour. I change my clothes and head into the lobby to meet with Merle.

I sit down next to him and think about how to strike a conversation. He's a bit difficult to talk to.

"So-" "Do what you want." Before I can even finish barely one word, he already gives me an answer. He doesn't even seem interested in what I want to do... I don't blame him, though. I'm basically still a stranger.

"Alright. Thanks." I nod and start heading back to my rented room. But before that, I grab a fresh sandwich from the lobby diner. It looks delicious... The bread is soft, the vegetables juicy, and the bacon is perfectly crispy.

I head back to the room and close the door, munching on the sandwich. "Now... How do I get back?" I ask myself and take the mirror from the small nightstand next to the bed. 

"It obviously acts as a medium in your dimensional travelling!" Hewie says out of nowhere as I almost scream in surprise. "Jeez... don't speak out of nowhere!"

"Wait. Dimensional travelling?" I look at her and give her a confused look before I look at the mirror. I turn it around and examine it. 

Let's try to recall what happened before I got here. I remember that I was looking at it and ran my fingers over it. The symbols are indeed fascinating.

'That's it!' I touch the symbols on the mirror frame, which spell H. P. in Elaris, and I wait for a moment.

Nothing.

"Not the letters... Then what?" I mutter quietly before I notice a small crack on the glass. Oh, did it crack while I was travelling?

I wipe off the dirt and touch the crack, trying to see how deep it is and if I can repair it. Ah, I feel dizzy...

I open my eyes and groan. I look around and find myself in my real room. 'So it's the crack? No... It's the glass.' I feel relieved that I'm finally back.

It's good to know that I can return whenever I want. I place the mirror on my bed and go to the kitchen to ask my grandma about the mirror.

I walk into the kitchen and see the familiar view. 'It's really good to be finally back. Although Elarion isn't that bad either.' I look for grandma, ready to shower her with questions, but there's something off.

It's too quiet. Not a single living being in sight. "Grandma...?" I call out and wait for a reply.

Nothing. The only answer is the deafening silence...

I search the whole kitchen, hoping that grandma isn't passed out anywhere. She is quite the old lady. 

I find a note lying on the counter and read it. "I'm buying some groceries. I'll be at the store - Grandma."

Now, what? There's the option of going after her and asking her, but knowing her, she won't say anything about it. 

I leave a note for her, mentioning the mirror. I then take some things with me and go back to my room. I touch the mirror, going back to Elarion.

I go outside the tavern and notice Merle waiting there, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. Is he resting?

He opens his eyes, his gaze turns towards me, and a gentle graces his already handsome face. 'Seriously... How can a man be so pretty?'

I curse him silently in my mind and walk towards him. "Finally back, I see." He says, patting my shoulder once I get closer.

'How suspicious...' I think and look him over. "What do you want from me, Merle?" I get straight to the point and cross my arms. He can't fool me with that handsome face.

"You saw right through me." He admits with a small shrug and smile. However, his gentle smile disappears and puts on a more serious expression and looks into my eyes.

"The Village Elder wishes to meet you. Your skills piqued her interest." He says, making my eyes widen.

'My skills? Does she mean my dagger fighting style or my ability to identify different plants?' I think it through, but I can't wrap my head around it.

"What exactly does that mean?" I question him, but Merle simply shrugs and grins mischievously. "Exactly what I said." 'Tsk. That bastard.' I frown a bit and just let it go.

"Alright, you rascal. If she wishes to meet me, so be it." Despite my positive words, my tone implies that I'm not too happy with this turn of events.

Merle just gives me a snicker, and I scoff at that. My nerves...

He leads the way as I follow him. Suddenly, Hewie chirps in out of the blue. "This halfling is quite sly!" She says in an almost excited and amused tone.

I raise an eyebrow at that but decide to ignore it. I have a feeling that I don't want to know what that means... 

Once we arrive at the elf village, I'm once again taken aback by the view. 'This world is really built differently.' 

I smile a bit before I glance at Merle, and we lock eyes. He flashes me a smile, and I grimace a bit, trying to figure out what's running through his mind to make him smile like that. 'He's really odd.'

"Welcome to Silvailia, Alaire." He says and shows off the breath-taking village in front of us. Is it just me, or is the air a bit different here?

I look around, noticing all sorts of forest beings here. I can see elves, presumably half-elves, spirits, faeries, deers... everything. 

I enjoy the surrounding view while blindly following Merle as he leads me somewhere. All of a sudden, he stops, and I bump into him. "Sorry." I apologise as I look at him.

He randomly hands me a solid wooden bow, and I cock my head in confusion. "What's that fo-" "Archery." I frown at him as he cuts me off once again. 

'Like I don't know that.' "You'll be learning it from now on." He says, catching me completely off guard.

"The reason?" I ask him, but he doesn't give a reply and just takes a bow himself. He takes an arrow and aims at an old target.

He lets go of the bow string, and the arrow swishes through the air. "..."

I watch him as he lets go the bow string, the arrow swishes through the air, and the apex buries itself into the old target. Bullseye.

He motions for me to come over, and I silently obey with a small nod, trudging myself next to him. Then, I give him a puzzled look.

"What is it?" I ask him, my voice steady and calm despite my slight nervousness. I hope he won't use me as a target. That wouldn't end well...

"Your turn." A simple answer to a simple question. I sigh and take the bow, making sure that I avoid touching or ever so slightly grazing his fingers.

I take the bow and examine it for a moment, trying to see how to hold it comfortably. I remember his pose... I imitate his pose, although my pose is sloppy and unstable.

I draw an arrow and aim, taking a while as I try to figure this out. I stare at the target and let go of the bow string after a few seconds.

The arrow cuts the air, darting towards the target. It hits the very edge of the whole target. Right between the string that binds the straw together.

Obviously, it didn't hit the middle. I'm not an excellent marksman. Even when I went to a shooting range once, I didn't hit the target at all except the head once. And that was a complete accident...

"Is that good enough?" I turn towards Merle as I hold the bow carefully, not trying to destroy or damage it. 

All he does is just give me a look that seems to judge me before he nods and seems to think for a moment.

"Not bad for, I presume, your first time. Though you need to get your form more proper." He answers after a while and moves closer to me.

He helps me adjust my form as I follow what he does with my body. I burn this position into my mind, making sure to remember it for later.

'I see. My elbow was too low, and my legs were also positioned wrong. It feels different now...' I make a mental note to think about my elbow. It seems important not to have your elbow too high nor too low.

"Now, try shooting again. Keep both of your eyes on the target, and make sure to keep your form steady. Stay calm and release the string once you're ready, but don't aim for too long."

He guides me, and I follow his instructions. I raise the bow, aiming with both eyes while keeping my breath steady. I release the string after around 7 seconds.

The arrow curves a bit off, though. It hits the target, but off the bullseye. 'Nobody can perfect anything just by doing it once.' 

"Haha, your aim and hold are still unsteady. You did well, of course. A small tip, though. Don't try to aim too fast and take some time. Also, don't hold the string for too long. About 2-4 seconds the most."

He says with a small laugh and pats my shoulder, taking the how back. I suppose it's not too shabby, considering that it's my first time shooting from a bow. It's quite fun...

This is a new beginning for me. I'm learning a lot of new things here in Elarion. I also met new people and have started learning archery. 

I can this as a new destiny for me. I'm excited to see what happens in the future. I'll have to wait and see...