The Shadows Of The Past
370 Words
The collapse of the stronghold left scars deeper than stone.
Ariyah and Kael stumbled through endless mountain tunnels, guided only by faint glowstones embedded centuries ago. Her body trembled from the unleashed power; his from wounds that refused to heal quickly without magic he dared not ask her to use.
They emerged into a hidden valley ringed by jagged peaks, where ruins of a long-forgotten city sprawled like bones. Vines choked marble towers etched with constellations—remnants of an era when star-mages ruled openly.
Kael built a fire in the shelter of a crumbling temple. As flames danced, shadows played across his face, deepening the lines of old pain.
Ariyah sat close, wrapping a blanket around them both. The silence stretched until she could bear it no longer.
“Tell me about her,” she said softly. “The one before me.”
Kael stiffened. For a moment, she thought he would refuse.
“Elara,” he said finally, voice rough as gravel. “She was the vessel three hundred years ago. Bright as dawn, kind to everyone—even me, a cursed guardian bound by blood-oath.”
He spoke of how they had fought side by side against the first Purge. How Elara’s power grew until it consumed her memories, her joy, her very will to live.
“In the end, she begged me to let the prophecy take her,” he whispered. “Said it was the only way to save magic—and the world—from endless war. I held her as the stars claimed her light.”
Tears tracked down Ariyah’s cheeks. “And now you’re forced to watch it again.”
His silver eyes met hers, fierce. “No. The oath binds me to protect you, but it does not bind you to die.”
He reached out, brushing a tear from her skin. The touch lingered, warm and tentative.
Ariyah leaned into him, head on his shoulder. “Then help me find another way.”
Outside, wind whispered through ruins like ancient voices approving.
That night, dreams came—not burning skies, but Elara’s face, smiling sadly. “The stars listen to hearts that defy,” the vision whispered.
Ariyah woke determined.
- Writer
