A story to spark your inner childhood dreams - The Flight to Freedom : Sai Shradda

 The Flight to Freedom

By Sai Shradda | September 2025

The door whispered, each creak chorusing together like thunderclaps in a storm. Ellira unbolts the door in a flash of lightning, the cold wind gushing through the cracks. Everything stills as she slowly turned the knob and entered.

This is it. She stepped closer to the table, beholding the sight of the necklace glimmering in the dark. She takes it in her hand, the locket radiating warmth despite the lingering chill in the air. Her fingers traced the words Project Emberaya engraved on it. 

Emberaya. A beautiful, innocent name, a cover for something so ugly and traumatic, to avoid suspicion. How clever.

The key to freedom sealed within, is waiting for Ellira to finally open it for herself.

The moment of truth, in three, two, one-

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you”, said a deep voice, interrupting Ellira’s thoughts. Startled, she shoved the necklace into her pocket. “I suggest you put it back down”, the guard commanded coldly. Without a moment’s hesitation, she prepared to run out of the room. As she stepped back, she felt her head hit against a muscular chest. “Ow”, she yelped, turning to see the very guard standing behind her. “What do you think you’re doing?”. His words sent chills down her spine. She could feel adrenaline rushing inside her, but her body didn’t seem to respond to fight or flight.

“Did you take the necklace, Ellira?”, the guard further pressed. “Uhh no….”, she managed to say, her voice trembling. Then, the guard removed his mask, revealing Aiden’s smug smile planted on his face. Ellira sighed with relief and slapped him playfully across his cheek. “Much of a scaredy cat, aren’t you?”, he asked, smirking. “Aiden, this isn’t the time for jokes! I got the necklace. It’s time to go. The world is waiting for us," she said. “Wait, I got this for you. Put it on. No one will recognise you”, he said, tossing her a guard’s uniform he had stolen. “Thanks.”

“Ready?”

“Yes.”

Aiden and Ellira walked slowly through the cells, ready to get out of the hellhole of a science lab they were trapped in since their childhood. Project Emberaya, a revolution in the way the world treats people with magical powers. It was an innovation which would positively affect the community. At least that’s what the scientists claimed. Test subjects were kidnapped, dragged away from home and family, and were kept in cages where the scientists would experiment on them every single day. Young children suffered from harassment, slavery and starvation, and they dreamed of nothing but a normal life.

Two of those victims were Aiden and Ellira. Now, they are doing something no one would dare to do - escape. They stood, facing the gate. The gate to freedom. With a deep breath, Aiden took the locket from Ellira and opened it, devouring the sight of the shiny, golden key. His fingers shaking, he turned the key, and the gate unlocked open with a click.

The two escapades were in awe at the scenery around them. Birds chirped cheerfully atop trees swaying in the wind, and the afternoon was beckoning the dance of the sunflowers.

“Wow”, exclaimed Aiden, dumbstruck. “I had forgotten what the planet looked like. It’s lovely.” In the distance, they saw a group of children, probably the same age as Aiden and Ellira, happily playing around in the grass.

The sight brought tears to their eyes, as they recalled the memories they had spent with their friends and families before they were kidnapped. They walked slowly, drowning in the beauty around them.

“Ever since I was captured by the Project Managers and put to suffering, there is only one thing I wished to do,” said Ellira, breaking the long silence.

“Now that we have a normal life ahead of us, we can do whatever we dreamed of doing.”

“Well, I want to fly a kite.”

Aiden was stunned by her reply, but didn’t question her. “Alright then, let’s go find a kite.”

“Really? You don’t think my idea is silly?”

“No, of course not. We have stood together for so long, having each other’s backs. You are almost like a sister to me. If the time has come for us to go our separate ways, the last thing I want to do together is to make your wish come true.”

Ellira caught Aiden in a tight embrace. He chuckled, ruffling her soft hair as he held her, like every older brother would do.

Throwing their arms around each other, Aiden and Ellira wandered around the valley, in search of a kite. After hours of strolling through the sunlit hills, they come across a boy in distress, barely eight years old, struggling to get his kite down, which got tangled in the branches of a tall tree.

Aiden gently lifted Ellira up the tree. With the agility she gained from being a subject of Project Emberaya, she swiftly climbed the branches and untangled the kite.

“Here you go”, she said, smiling and handing it to the boy, who now beamed with joy and gratitude.

As the blue afternoon melted into the pink and orange glow of a sunset, the children just stood there in silence, watching the magic. Pure and natural magic, unlike the tortured one at the lab. Together, they found an old kite resting in the grass and launched it into the sky.

The soft wind now picked up speed, billowing the kids’ clothes. The kite pulled Ellira with it, slowly lifting her in the air. Aiden followed, holding on to Ellira’s back as they began soaring into the twilight. Their faces flushed with joy - real joy, the one they hadn’t felt for years.

Aiden and Ellira were just kids, and they were finally free.

© 2025 DEECODE Blog. All rights reserved.