Chapter 6:The Road Of Elyria
444 Words
At dawn, Roselake was still. The mist rolled over the hills like a whisper from the past, curling around the rooftops as if urging the village to sleep just a little longer.
But Liora and Kael were already awake.
Their bags were light — just essentials, potions, and the silver-bladed sword Kael never let out of his sight. Naiya had packed dried herbs, protective runes, and a tiny glass bottle of moonwater. “For truth,” she’d said. “It reveals hidden things.”
They stood at the edge of the village now, the forest behind them, the road to Elyria ahead.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Liora asked.
Kael’s gaze remained on the horizon. “I don’t know who I was before… but I want to choose who I become now.”
Liora nodded. “Then let’s find your truth. Together.”
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The road to Elyria was long and winding, cutting through golden fields, stone ruins, and abandoned watchtowers. They passed an old monument half-swallowed by vines — a crumbled lion carved in marble, its eyes gouged out.
Liora paused. “It looks like someone didn’t want the past remembered.”
Kael said nothing. But the wind shifted.
By evening, they arrived at a quiet inn near the outskirts of a long-forgotten village. The sign swung lazily on rusted chains: The Hollow Star. The innkeeper, a red-haired woman with keen eyes, gave Kael a lingering look.
“You headed for Elyria?” she asked as she poured their tea.
Kael nodded. “What’s left of it.”
“Not much,” the woman said. “Just ghosts and ruins. And the tower.”
“What tower?” Liora asked.
The innkeeper’s voice dropped. “An old watchtower on the cliffs. Some say a sorcerer still lives there, feeding on memory. Travelers who visit don’t come back the same.”
Kael and Liora exchanged glances.
After the woman left, Liora whispered, “Do you think that’s where the curse started?”
“I don’t know,” Kael replied. “But I think it’s where mine can end.”
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That night, Kael stood by the window of their room, staring at the moon as it rose — thin and silver, not yet full.
Liora lay on the bed, pretending to sleep, but she watched him through her lashes.
He looked… haunted. But beautiful.
Her hand brushed over her Soulmark.
Even if he forgot her a thousand times, she would remember for him.
But deep down, she wondered:
What if breaking the curse meant breaking the bond?
And could she bear it… if their love was the price?
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- Writer
