Crown Of The Shadowborn

"You were never intended to endure. " The voice resonated from all directions. From the ocean. From above. From deep within me. I found myself standing ankle-deep in murky water that extended into infinity, chillier than winter, darker than nights without stars. Countless figures knelt around me in silence. Their heads were lowered. Their hands marked with crimson. Before me, a throne glowed. Not with flames. With darkness. The shadows shifted as if they were alive, crawling over ancient stone. Above the throne hovered a crown crafted from a material even darker than iron, its edges keen enough to rip apart stars. The murmurs returned. Softly at the beginning. Then increasing in volume. Then echoing in my mind. Seek the Crown of Shadow. Locate it. Discover The crowd raised their faces in unison. Thousands of visages. None were human. Their vacant eyes were fixed on me. And another voice came from behind me. Deep. Timeless. Recognizable. "Aeliana. " I tried to pivot. Unable to move. "You were never intended to endure. " Just then, the ocean opened beneath me. I plummeted and awoke gasping for air. The blanket wrapped around my legs. My chest heaved sharply, each inhale scraping against my ribs. Darkness enveloped my room. The sound reached my ears first. The ocean. Furious. The waves slammed against Sylvan's Reach as if a tempest waited offshore. But tempests announce their presence. Thunder. Wind. Rain. Tonight, only the sea could be heard. Fuming. I sat up. Pain shot through my wrist. I inhaled sharply. The mark. Even before rolling back my sleeve, I sensed it. Burning. Again. The peculiar lines spiraled around my wrist, faintly glowing beneath my skin silver at the edges, dark at the center. Like veins flowing with moonlight instead of blood. My fingers quivered as I concealed it. The dreams had intensified over the past months. Longer. More vivid. Excessively real. I never confided in anyone. The residents of Sylvan's Reach dreaded oddities. And oddities had a tendency to disappear. Outside my window, another wave surged. I turned my gaze to the ocean. For one fleeting instant I believed I glimpsed something massive beneath the surface. Observing. Then the distant lightning flickered, and the shape vanished. I did not sleep again. Morning came clad in salt and commotion. Sylvan's Reach felt different during festival days. Children sprinted through narrow paths, carrying woven crowns of black reeds. Merchants shouted over each other while suspending lanterns between the structures. Fishermen dragged nets laden with shimmering fish towards the docks. The Moonfall Festival. Our longest-standing celebration. The day when our forebears supposedly banished darkness from existence. I carried fresh rope toward the shore where my father worked. Not my biological father. Though blood mattered less than time spent together. He sat next to a tattered fishing net, hands weathered and skilled. "You look awful," he muttered without raising his gaze. I sank down beside him. "You mention that every morning. " "Most mornings, you're less convincing when feigning otherwise. " I smiled despite myself. Small. Brief. His eyes flicked to my face. Paused. Worry settled in his expression. "Are you dreaming again? “ The inquiry hit me unexpectedly. My attention shifted to the net. "No." A falsehood. He scrutinized me for another moment before making a low sound. My father had long since perfected the skill of remaining silent. Nearby, villagers busied themselves with preparations. Some offered greetings. Others remained silent. An elderly woman vending herbs looked too long at my covered wrist before averting her gaze. I caught that. I always paid attention. People recalled odd details about me. An orphaned child. Discovered after a tempest. A mark which no healer could elucidate. In small communities, rumors spread quickly. By noon, I ascended the cliffs located east of the village while carrying a basket designed for herbs. The sea lay below, vast and gray. Typically, the wind in this area never ceased. Today Silence reigned. I frowned. The grass remained still. No seagulls flew above. The air felt stagnant. Something was off. A shiver crept along my spine. Then the ocean fell quiet. Not calmed down. Frozen. Every wave halted the moment it reached the land. My basket slipped from my grasp. Herbs tumbled out. The world paused. Even the insects ceased their buzzing. I took a step back. Then I heard it. A soft murmur. Close enough to graze my ear. "The final one awakens. " My stomach plummeted. I turned quickly. Nothing. Just bare cliffs. An empty sky. A sharp pain shot through my wrist. I inhaled sharply and knelt down. The mark burned with the intensity of fire. Not merely pain. Awareness. As if something had extended across a vast distance and made contact with me. The world tilted. For one horrifying heartbeat I glimpsed another realm. A war zone. Corpses. Dark flags. Then it vanished. I blinked forcefully. The sea began to move again. The wind picked up. Birds cried out above. Everything returned to normal. Everything except for my breathing. "Aeliana. " The voice caught me off guard. I turned abruptly. Elder Rowan was standing a few steps away, leaning heavily on his intricately carved staff. I had not detected his arrival. His pale eyes narrowed as they regarded me. "You appear unwell. " "I'm fine. " Another untruth. His eyes dropped. To my wrist. The fabric had shifted slightly. The mark was partially visible. Just enough. A shift occurred in his expression. Not curiosity. Trepidation. Ancient trepidation. His grip on his staff tightened. "When did the visions begin? " he asked softly. A chill spread throughout my chest. "What? " "The dreams. " His tone sharpened. "When did they start? " I hastily pulled down my sleeve. "I don’t understand what you mean. " The lie slipped out too quickly. He caught it. Naturally, he caught it. The elder held his gaze on me for so long that the silence became intolerable. Then he said: "If they have commenced. . . " He halted. His jaw became tense. For the very first time in my existence Elder Rowan appeared alarmed. Not for his own sake. But for mine. He retreated. Gradually. "You need to inform me if they show up again. " Before I could respond, he pivoted and departed. His speed increased. Nearly rushed. I observed until he vanished beyond the foliage. A knot formed low in my abdomen. The night came, illuminated by lanterns. Music reverberated through Sylvan's Reach. Joyful sounds erupted from residences. Kids twirled around, wearing reed crowns at awkward angles. For a period I nearly convinced myself that everything was fine. I stood by the water while villagers congregated around flames. The sea appeared normal once more. My father was disputing with another fisherman over drinks. A voice rose in song, singing an old festival tune. The lyrics melded together. Until one line resonated with me: "When shadow dons a crown. . . " I frowned. That section didn’t ring a bell. The performer continued before I could ponder it. Then Every lantern extinguished. All at once. Darkness enveloped the village. The music ceased. No breeze. No forewarning. Silence descended more forcibly than any sound could. A scream pierced the air. Followed by another. I faced the ocean. And became still. The water began to move. Not towards us. But away. The sea receded from the coastline. Further. Further still. Unbelievable. Fish floundered on the bare ground. Boats tipped at odd angles. The ocean continued to withdraw. People cried out. Children wailed. Someone shouted prayers. Then I noticed them. Stone staircases. Ancient. Gigantic. Descending into the uncovered ocean bed, leading into darkness predating time. No one shifted. No one inhaled. The mark on my wrist flared to life. I screamed and dropped onto my knees. Voices erupted within my mind. Not just one. Countless. Layered. Ancient. Fragmented. "Shadowborn. . . " "Come back. . . " "The Crown awaits. . . " My eyesight faded. The unveiled seabed tremored. Something stirred below it. Massive. Slow-moving. Awakening. The darkness beneath ruptured. An eye appeared. Larger than vessels. Older than empires. And in that unfathomable gaze Familiarity. The entity beneath the waves recognized me. My blood ran icy. Because somewhere deep down I recognized it too.