The Light Beneath the Archives

A Promise to Try

Serenya sat on the edge of her bunk, her fingers lightly tracing the rough wood beneath her. The barracks were still quiet, save for the faint sounds of boots on stone and muffled voices in the distance. The stillness gave her too much time to think, her mind swirling with everything she had seen since stepping foot in this place.

The towering soldiers, their piercing gazes that dismissed her before she’d even begun. The cold advice from her escorts, more honest than comforting. The weight of the council’s decree still hung heavy on her chest, and every breath felt like she was forcing herself to hold it together.

She swallowed hard, her gaze dropping to her hands. They were small, calloused from years of work in the Barrens, but they didn’t have the strength of the warriors she’d seen sparring in the courtyard. Her entire frame was built for endurance, not power, and compared to the soldiers here, she felt like a wisp of wind trying to withstand a storm.

Serenya leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees as she pressed her hands together. What are you doing here, Serenya?

For a moment, she let the doubt wash over her. She wasn’t a warrior. She wasn’t strong or skilled with a blade. Every part of her screamed that this wasn’t her place, that she would be crushed by the weight of expectations and die as nothing more than a failure.

But then she thought of Thalina.

Thalina, who had given up everything to keep their family afloat. Who had sacrificed dreams Serenya could only guess at, all so that Nyssa could have a chance at a better future. And Nyssa—her bright, hopeful younger sister who looked at her with wide eyes and trust that burned like a beacon in the darkness.

Serenya straightened, her fingers curling into fists.

You have the chance to grow. The chance to be something more. Yes, you might fail. But you can try. You can give it everything you have, not just for yourself but for them. For Thalina, who’s carried the weight of this family for too long. For Nyssa, so she never has to face the hardships you did.

Her voice was barely a whisper, but it steadied her trembling thoughts. “I have to try. That’s the least I can do. Even if I end up dead, at least I’ll go with dignity… and knowing I gave it my all.”

She hesitated, a wry smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Although, let’s be honest—the odds of dying are very high.”

The humor, however dark, sparked a faint laugh in her throat. It was small, fleeting, but it eased the tension in her chest. She exhaled slowly, letting the moment ground her. Fear was still there, crawling at the edges of her resolve, but she refused to let it take root.

She would try. For her sisters. For herself. For a future that might not even exist—but one she had to reach for anyway.