Lost in a chapter

Five

The doors exploded open with a deafening roar. Solis stormed in, his lightning-charged aura crackling around him like a living storm. His piercing gaze landed on Sylvain and Tora, bound by a glowing, pulsing tether.

“What have you done?!” Solis bellowed, fury rippling through his voice. He raised his hand, a bolt of lightning erupting from his fingers and striking the tether. It shattered in a dazzling flash, throwing Sylvain and Tora apart.

Tora lay motionless, her shallow breaths barely stirring. Solis dropped to his knees beside her, shaking her gently. “Wake up, Tora! Please!” he pleaded, his voice cracking with desperation.

Sylvain staggered to his feet, clutching his chest. His lips moved faintly. “Theanna,” he whispered, his gaze fixed on Solis.

Ignoring him, Solis turned back to Tora, shaking her again. “Tora, please,” he murmured, his tone almost breaking. Before he could continue, Sylvain’s shadow loomed over them.

“Don’t touch her!” Sylvain ordered, his voice cold as ice. Solis’s head snapped up; his eyes blazing. “What did you do to her?!” he roared, thrusting his hand forward to launch another bolt of lightning.

Sylvain sidestepped easily, his fire flaring to life in retaliation. Flames danced in a ring around him, encircling his brother. “Do you ever think before you act?” he taunted; his smirk barely visible through the flicker of firelight.

Before another strike could land, Tora stirred, her faint voice breaking through the chaos. “Solis…”

The flames dimmed, and the crackle of lightning receded as both brothers froze. Tora sat up slowly, her movements weak but deliberate. When she opened her eyes, their colour, now identical to Sylvain’s, a shade darker than his. Impossible, she's, my mate. Solis thought as he drew back, his throat tightening.

“I remember now,” she said, her voice quiet but resolute. “I was Theanna.”

The room fell into a charged silence as fragmented memories spilled from her lips. Her parents’ desperate attempt to send her and her sister to the human realm. The war that engulfed their world, and Sylvain the High King and Solis the Prince and Commander, the brothers who ignited the flames of destruction.

Tora’s gaze swept between them, her expression hardening. “You’re both evil,” she said, her voice steely. Rising to her feet, she steadied herself, despite her trembling legs. “I don’t belong here. You made sure of that. I’m going to Aurathen.”

“No!” the brothers spoke in unison. Solis moved first, grasping her hand.

Tora pulled her hand back, her resolve firm. “I’ve done everything you wanted. What more do you want from me? If you want me dead, Sylvain, then kill me. But if you’re not going to, then leave me alone. Both of you.”

Sylvain’s smirk grew, lighting a spark of rage in Solis. In a blur, Solis launched a punch toward his brother, but Sylvain dodged, his flames swirling in amusement. “You’ll never escape me, Tora,” Sylvain said coldly. “No matter how far you run.”

“Enough!” Tora’s shout thundered through the room, and black smoke swirled around her like a gathering storm. Solis and Sylvain stepped back, their expressions shifting from anger to confusion.

“Tora,” Solis said hesitantly, “how are you doing this?” he questioned, as he watched her vanish.

“Our souls are combined,” Sylvain said calmly, his tone a stark contrast to the storm brewing in the room.

Solis clenched his fists, lightning sparking at his fingertips. “Why did you do this?” he yelled, his voice crackling with fury.

“I didn’t,” Sylvain replied, his expression unyielding. “She was always my mate. In her visions, I saw the truth of what her parents did. They made a deal with the Fayb. They knew they’d die by our wrath, so they offered their unborn child to alter their daughters’ fates. Marthos was never meant to be mine.”

“No… it can’t be,” Solis whispered, his disbelief tangible.

Sylvain’s gaze hardened as he continued. “The connection you feel to Tora isn’t yours; it’s the Fayb’s magic,” he said, his words cutting through the air like ice. “We need to find the Fayb and sever its grip on her. Once it's severed you'll be free”

Solis’s breath hitched, his fury sparking dangerously. Before he could speak, Sylvain’s tone grew colder, his command sharp and final. “Solis, gather our troops. I want her back.”

With that, Sylvain strode out of the room, leaving Solis behind, his thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and anger.

Tora stumbled into Aureth’s chamber, her breath hitching, her vision blurred as the darkness clung to her like a second skin. She stumbled forward, her knees buckling, as she fell to the cool stone floor.

Aureth moved swiftly, his wings spreading wide as he approached her. The soft rustle of feathers seemed to soothe the volatile energy emanating from her. His brow furrowed, his copper eyes sharp, scanning her trembling form for answers.

“Tora,” he said, his voice steady, though his concern was clear. “You shadowed. How?”

Tora shook her head, as if trying to banish the chaos that churned in her mind. Her breaths were uneven, and her hands pressed tightly to her temples. “It was Sylvain,” she managed, her voice trembling as though the words themselves burned her throat. “He offered me misery or death...” She paused, her eyes briefly shutting against the flood of emotions. “We ended up… linked. He’s in my head, Aureth!” Her voice broke, frantic and raw. “I can feel him, his thoughts, his anger, I can’t make it stop.”

She looked up at him, her gaze shimmering with desperation. “You and Marthos are the only ones I can trust. Help me!”

Aureth crouched beside her, wrapping his wings protectively around her. The warmth from his feathers seeped into her, grounding her frantic energy. He spoke softly, firmly, his words cutting through the chaos in her mind. “Breathe, Tora. You’re here now. You're safe.”

She steadied her breathing, the erratic gasps slowing as his calm presence enveloped her. She leaned into his hold, the storm within her quieting, though the weight of Sylvain’s presence remained a thorn she couldn’t pull out. Aureth gave her a moment, his silence urging her to gather her thoughts.

Finally, Aureth spoke again, his voice firm but laced with concern. “Tell me everything.”

She hesitated, her hands trembling as they gripped the fabric of his tunic for support. The words felt heavy, but she forced them out, her voice barely above a whisper. “I chose death… and then I saw my life before, it was so quick, but there are parts that were clear, like you and Marthos, where is she?”.

Aureth stiffened slightly, his wings shifting, “She would be with our commander, she was planning on your rescue, she’s annoyed that I let you go. Who are you if you are not Tora?”. He asked. Tora’s voice was low almost fragile. “I’m Theanna” she finally said, her thoughts a tangled storm. “Theanna?” He repeated, as he controlled his urge to know more. Tora continued explaining to him what had happened. “Sylvain, he unleashed power within us… I felt it bend against his will. It wasn’t death that claimed me.” She paused, her breath hitching as the memory clawed at her mind. “It linked our souls,” she said finally, her voice breaking. She looked up at Aureth, desperation shining in her eyes. “Help me stop it, Aureth. Please.” Tora’s voice cracked, the weight of her plea filling the room.

Aureth’s sharp gaze softened as he stepped closer, his feathered wings settling behind him. The faint rustle of feathers broke the heavy silence as he studied her carefully, his expression unreadable. His tone was cautious, steady, but laced with unease. “Theanna…” he began, the name hanging heavily in the air. “We thought you perished. What of your sister?”

Tora’s pulse quickened at the question, her breath hitching as memories clawed their way to the surface. “I don’t know what happened to her,” she admitted, her voice trembling with the weight of her words. “I just know she went with me to the human realm and that we were separated.”

Her voice faltered, and she cast her gaze downward, her emotions threatening to overwhelm her. “My parents…” she paused, pressing her trembling hands together, the words almost too heavy to speak. “They made a desperate deal with the Fayb. When they sent us to the human realm, they stripped us of our identities, changing our fates, and severing bonds, but somehow, Sylvain managed to fight against it.”

Aureth remained silent for a moment, his wings shifting behind him as though they too felt the weight of her words. The faint light of the chamber flickered as he spoke, his voice low and laden with unease. "The Fayb's magic, it's not something that can be undone without consequence."

He stepped closer, the sharp sound of his boots echoing through the stone chamber, his presence both protective and grave. "It seems that your parents made this deal to obviously save you but also to avoid your bond to Sylvain, and now that you have bonded with him, against the Fayb's magic and their deal, I fear the Fayb's magic may claim what it is owed."

Her desperation spilled out, unable to hold back the fear gnawing at her chest. "What?". Aureth shrugged his shoulders, "The Fayb isn't easy to read, his deals have claimed many lives, I suggest you find the Fayb and break it's deal."

"How do I find it? and how do I break it?" Tora asked desperately.

"By offering it something better or killing it. Both are no simple tasks, those who seek the fayb, begin a treacherous journey" Aureth replied grimly. "I'll have Marthos assist you while I prepare my soldiers to hold off Sylvarune, Sylvain and Solis can be a lethal team when pissed. I fear all those involved in your fates, may benefit from it being broken."

Tora swallowed hard and nodded, the flicker of gratitude and guilt in her eyes. "Thank you, Aureth.