Chapter 38:Bound by Feathers
Back at the village, two birds were seen hovering above the rooftops. The earlier fear they had felt upon seeing the Shrouded One only intensified. The villagers wondered if the appearance of the birds meant a new enemy had arrived—or if the Shrouded One had sent the birds to wipe out the entire village in a single swoop.
Screams of terror once again engulfed the village.
People scrambled about, each trying to find safety.
Meanwhile, the two birds perched atop a tree.
That was the cost.
Elara and Ariella had survived the Shrouded One's attack but were now trapped in bird form.
They had no idea how to return to their human selves.
Chirping back and forth was their only way to communicate, as they could no longer speak in human language.
Time flew quickly, and soon night fell.
The villagers had retreated to their houses, believing the immediate danger had passed.
However, the mood at the Bristow and Johnston households was tense and heavy.
The parents couldn't find their daughters anywhere.
They didn't know whether the girls had managed to defeat the Shrouded One—or if they had fallen by his hand.
Worry gnawed at their hearts as they paced anxiously to and fro.
On a tree just outside the compound, the two birds perched silently, watching everything unfold below.
Whether they could understand the parents' distress or not was unclear.
Eventually, they decided to fly down and approach the grieving families.
Startled, the parents recoiled at first.
They remembered seeing the birds hovering over the village earlier and now feared the worst: that the Shrouded One or some new enemy had come for them personally.
Fear gave way to despair.
They were now certain their daughters had been defeated.
The sounds of weeping and wailing filled the night air.
The parents blamed the gods for forsaking their daughters, sending them to their deaths.
Sensing their grief, the birds moved closer, each standing next to one of the mothers—one near Ariella's mother, Mrs. Johnston, and the other near Elara's mother, Mrs. Bristow.
The parents paused their crying, momentarily stunned by the birds' strange behavior.
These birds, though feared, had not harmed anyone.
Now, standing so close and offering quiet comfort, a strange thought crossed the mothers' minds—one they hardly dared believe.
"Don't tell me my child has turned into a bird," Mrs. Bristow whispered hoarsely.
And with that realization, she broke into fresh sobs.
"Wuwuwuwuwu, I can't believe my only child is now a bird! What will I do? I can't lose her like this! Wuwuwuwu..."
Mrs. Johnston, on the other hand, though deeply saddened, found a spark of gratitude in her heart.
At least her daughter was still alive, even if in a different form.
With trembling hands, she gently lifted the bird onto her palm and began caressing it with great care.
Then, she softly hummed Ariella's favorite childhood lullaby—the one she used to sing while tucking her into bed.
The bird remained calm in her hand, as though soothed by the melody.
Even though the future was uncertain, Mrs. Johnston was grateful for this small miracle—that she could still hold her daughter, even like this.
Word of the strange event soon reached the village elders.
At first, they refused to believe it.
How could humans transform into birds?
Yet the evidence stood plainly before them.
They had no choice but to accept the truth.
Deep down, the elders prayed the Shrouded One had either been defeated—or at least frightened enough not to return.
For now, the village was vulnerable, their only protectors reduced to birds.
And no one knew how long this new reality would last.