The Last Firefly

A mysterious mist covered the road as Selena struggled to see through the tiny raindrops smearing the windshield. Despite the darkness consuming the highway, a fierce determination filled her spirit. She didn't know why or how, but she was determined to reach Route 33. She had dreamed of it, not just once.

Selena was eight years old when her parents took her on their last road trip. She used to be a happy child who enjoyed simple things like running, climbing, hugging animals, and discovering new and exciting places on family trips. Her constant curiosity sparkled through her green eyes, and her hair, an unusual shade of gray and silver, gave her a mystic and distinctive look.

She was dearly loved by her parents, who allowed her to be herself: joyful, absent-minded, and full of imagination. Her passion was uncovering secrets, whether they were semi-precious stones in rivers or the darkest secrets of people. For she had the strange ability to detect lies and sometimes felt she could hear what others were thinking.

Until everything changed eight years ago, on that unexpected trip. When her parents woke her in the middle of the night.

“Selena, wake up. We need to go,” her mother whispered urgently.

“What? Where to, Mom?” Selena mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

“It's just an adventure, sweetie,” her father said, trying to sound cheerful but unable to hide the fear in his voice.

Selena was well-adjusted to her parents' routine. But she always had so much fun when they decided to spice things up and get out of the city. She thought it was just another exciting family adventure in the making, maybe a camping trip under the stars or a trip to a faraway and fascinating city. But this time was different, and she could feel it. There was a sense of urgency, a sense of threat, as if they were running from something.

The last thing Selena remembered of that fateful night was crossing the border into a strange town, its name lost in the fog of time and trauma. After that, her memories became nothing but confusing fragments, like shards of glass scattered across a broken mirror. She remembered the feeling of speeding through unfamiliar streets, the sound of her mother's ragged breathing, and the sudden, piercing scream that shattered the night like a gunshot.

And then, inexplicably, Selena found herself alone in the middle of a crowded city, her parents gone. Disoriented and dizzy, she clutched the green crystal, its smooth surface offering little comfort amid the chaos. As she tried to get to her feet, she was almost hit by passing cars, their blaring horns adding to the pandemonium around her. Just when Selena seemed more lost than ever, a car screeched to a halt beside her. Its flashing red and blue lights blinded her and stunned her even more. A middle-aged man stepped out of the well-maintained police car and examined the confused little girl before him.

“Are you all right, kid?” the officer asked gently, sensing her distress.

Selena blinked up at him, her vision clearing just enough to see the police car beside the sidewalk. She noticed that the crystal on her hand had stopped glowing, making everything seem like a distant dream.

The policeman made a few gestures, managing to drown out the sound of all the rush-hour horns as he approached her. She stayed still, with a distant look on her face, listening to all the insults she could hear around her, some words she had never heard before. The worst part was that she had no idea if they were actually talking or just thinking all those hateful things. She felt like she couldn't move.

“It's going to be okay; I can help you,” the man assured her. “What's your name?”

“Selena,” she mumbled.

“I'm Rafael, I'm a policeman. Listen to me, Selena, we have to get off the street, okay? It's too dangerous. Please, come with me.”

She took a deep breath and nodded, ready to trust this stranger who seemed to appear out of nowhere like a guardian in the night. She had a knack for picking up on people's vibes, and Rafael's presence helped reduce all that noise. Maybe if she followed him, all the noise would stop.

He offered a steadying hand, and she took it instinctively. Then he led her to the sidewalk. Cars finally passed, and the police officer knelt at her level. Selena finally met his eyes, and his presence felt like an anchor amid the storm.

“Where are your parents?” he asked.

Selena managed to open her mouth. “I don't know, something happened to them,” she whispered, too overwhelmed to say another word.

After that night, moved by her plight, Rafael decided to help her find her missing parents, his sense of duty overriding any reservations about getting involved in such a mysterious and unsettling case. But despite his best efforts, he never found them. And they never came back. Their disappearance remained a shrouded mystery, leaving Selena with unanswered questions that haunt her to this day.

Now back to the present, it was a few minutes before 3 a.m. when she finally reached her destination. Unfortunately, the mist was all she could see through the windshield. Suddenly, all her memories seemed like a distant dream.

What was she doing in the middle of the road? She asked herself again and again. But she knew she had to be brave if she hoped to uncover the truth. The secrets surrounding this place were as thick as the fog, but she wasn't about to give up. She couldn't. So, she kept driving until the car suddenly stopped, and other memories of her parents from years ago flashed before her eyes.

“What the hell?” she remembered her father shouting, his voice breaking the silence as the car came to an abrupt stop.

“It's here,” Fiona, her mother, confirmed.

“Here? How do you know?” Marcos asked nervously.

“Don't you feel it?” Fiona asked, looking around as she hugged herself against the cold. “Why do you think the car stopped here?” she added.

“Are you sure about this? Maybe we should think this over,” Selena's father said as he tried to start the car again.

“It's not safe out there, you know that,” Fiona said, turning back to see if her daughter was still asleep. She seemed to be.

“And this place is?” he asked.

“We have to find out,” she answered.

Suddenly, a haunting howl echoed, followed by an unusual sound that suggested something was arriving at great speed. Selena opened her eyes, startled.

“Don't be scared, Selie. It's going to be okay,” Fiona assured her with a nervous smile.

“It's them!” Marcos shouted, desperately trying to start the car again, but it wouldn't budge. He turned to look at his daughter, then shared a concerned look with his wife, who quickly removed the green necklace with an emerald-like stone from around her neck and handed it to Selena.

“Honey, quick, take this. You have to wear it at all times, do you hear me?” her mother urged as the car began to shake and what looked like wolves began to surround them.

“Mom, what's happening?” Selena asked, still sleepy, as she took the necklace and wrapped it around her neck.

“I'm sorry, we love you,” Fiona said, blowing her a kiss. Suddenly, a bright green light emerged from the emerald stone, blinding Selena completely.

This was the memory she tried so hard to block. What happened to her parents? What would happen to her now? Waiting was the thing she hated most in the world. So, she opted to get out of the car. Selena heard the quick rustling of leaves near her and tried to search for the source. The mist grew thicker until it began to dissipate as she felt a burning sensation in her hand.

She remained, however, determined to find out where the strange sound came from. So, she decided to venture into the lushness of the trees along the road. The darkness of the woods had never frightened her.

A few minutes later, Selena saw the fog uncover a small town in the distance that was not on any map. Confused, she turned to look back at the path she had taken, but the main road was gone.

She walked a few steps until she heard a deafening howl. In the distance, she saw three large, dismembered wolves. It was clear that they were being hunted by something or someone. In the distance, Selena saw a fast-moving figure that seemed to frighten the rest of the wolves. Suddenly it came down quickly from the trees and picked off the huge wolves one by one.

The furious wolves fought back, but the human-like creature was ruthless, tearing off their limbs and throwing them aside. Only one wolf remained. Selena watched from a distance, trying to comprehend what was happening, until she saw the creature descend from the trees again, ready to finish off the last wolf.

“Enough!” Selena shouted, instinctively running into the middle of the fight. She didn't really know why, but she always stood up for others, even if it meant risking her own safety.

When Selena confronted the creature, she found herself staring into eyes as crimson as freshly spilled blood and unkempt black hair that fell almost to his shoulders. The figure wore a large, dark cloak that spread even more shadows over the forest.

Despite the horror she had just witnessed, Selena remained still. She refused to be afraid of this creature, even though she had never seen anything like it before.

As the last wolf took the opportunity to flee, the creature with the gleaming fangs and piercing gaze turned to Selena, eyeing her with a mixture of curiosity and intrigue. His movements were fluid and predatory as he approached her, his senses attuned to her every movement and scent.

“What are you doing?” Selena's voice rang out, laced with defiance and determination.

The strange creature paused, his crimson gaze meeting hers with a hint of confusion. He exuded an aura of danger and mystery with every step he took. Selena wondered what secrets lay behind those blood-red eyes.

“You... you're not on my list,” he said, pulling a piece of paper from the pocket of his black coat.

“List? What list?” she asked.

“What's your name? Where did you come from?” he asked, ignoring her question. He began to circle her, trying to catch her scent.

“Were they on your list?” Selena asked, pointing to the bloody bodies nearby.

“Indeed, they were, señorita,” he said, crossing a few names off the list with his old-fashioned quill, using his own blood as ink. “I apologize that you had to witness such a violent scene,” he added, putting the list back in his pocket. “I was only performing my duty as a guard,” he continued, his eyes fixed on hers.

“A guard?” she echoed, puzzled.

“Yes. They were trying to escape; too much of a risk, don't you think?” The creature asked, stepping out of the shadows. It drew back its fangs and its eyes turned from bloody red to the darkest black Selena had ever seen.

He was a pale, handsome Latin man with a dark, old-world elegance. His long hair framed a chiseled face, and he wore a black leather cloak that complemented his gothic rock look and gave him an unpredictable but elegant charm.

“What do you mean, escape? Were they captured?” she asked.

“I suspect you are not familiar with the laws of the border, señorita. Could you please clarify where you are from?” he inquired.

“I... I seem to have just crossed this border of yours,” Selena confessed as the stranger slowly approached her. Still, she held her ground.

“An outsider, I see, but what kind?” he wondered as he approached her. “A witch! But with a touch of something else...” he continued as Selena felt an unexpected tremor in her legs. “What could that be? I never... What are you?” he asked, too close to her neck, his voice filled with intrigue and excitement.

“Can you stop sniffing me?” Selena interrupted. “I'm...” She looked into his eyes and stopped breathing for a few seconds. “I'm leaving,” she said, turning around.

Selena was in shock from all the blood, the charming yet sinister creature, and the realization that she seemed to be getting closer to finding out what happened to her parents. She knew she couldn't act like someone who didn't know about all this supernatural stuff. That would be too suspicious and might even jeopardize her mission.

In the blink of an eye, the creature appeared before her with superhuman speed, and Selena noticed his long brown hair swaying in the wind.

“I suggest you not venture into these woods alone, witch,” he warned.

“I told you, I'm not a witch,” she clarified.

“You're much more than that,” he said, “but what?” he asked once more.

“I'm sorry. None of your business. I have to go,” Selena said confidently, with a calm voice, as she walked towards the road.

“These grounds are not safe. At least you need to know where you are,” he observed.

Selena paused, then began walking in circles, no longer able to see where her car was. Was she lost?

“Where exactly are we?” she asked. She had a feeling he might help her avoid being eaten by wild wolves.

“Niflheim, commonly known as the Veil, is a wild misfortune that you have fallen here,” he stated.

“Niflheim...” Selena murmured, “Wait, fallen? What do you mean?” she asked.

A deep, eerie howl came from the forest.

“I am serious. Please let me take you out of here. This path near the border can be extremely dangerous. There are more wolves-men, and creatures like... me,” he said, looking deep into her eyes. Normally, she didn't care much for eye contact, but this was... hypnotic. As if everything made sense and yet nothing did.

“Like you? So, you admit you are dangerous?” she asked.

“I thought you noticed that before,” he replied, with blood still on his hands.

“Then what makes it safe to go with you?” Selena asked sincerely.

“You're not on my list.” He assured her with a half-smile.

“Still, I really don't think it's such a good idea to trust strangers,” she claimed.

“Well, let's get that sorted out then: I'm Dante. Dante Romani Castilla. It is a pleasure to meet you,” he held out his hand.

Selena stood there for a few seconds, examining Dante. He looked like a human in his twenties, with perfectly chiseled cheekbones and eyes so deep they seemed to consume her from within.

She knew it was best to leave; perhaps this creature was using some power to lure her, for the only thing she could think of was the unfamiliar tingling sensation his shimmering presence caused on her highly sensitive skin. Still, she slowly reached out to shake his hand, unaware she was about to seal her fate forever.