Chapter 9 - Visions of the Future
1049 Words
"This connection—whatever it is—feels like a curse, not a prophecy," Elara said quietly as she traced the cracked lines of a flaming rune with her fingertips. She sat cross-legged in the sanctum's middle section, her ceremonial gown replaced with a simple, flowing cloth. Her energy was barely boiling around her, like a restless wave, and her silver hair was wet with sweat.
Elena said softly, leaning against one of the moonstone pillars, "You cannot keep fighting it." Her friend, who is normally calm, showed anxiety. The sanctum addresses your connection with Kael. Ignoring it will not cause it to disappear.
Elara's hand jerked to a stop, and her silver eyes sharpened. Elena, what would you propose I do? Allow me to say it: Come and embrace it. Allow it to shape my life going forward.
Elena stopped, choosing her words carefully. "I want you to listen to it. Perhaps it's worth investigating whether the sanctuary's magic is attempting to reveal anything to you.
Except for the faint hum of its fading power, the temple was silent; moonlight flowing through the skylights glowed dimly in the fractures in its once-perfect walls. Elara closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. Her power pulsed gently, reaching out a wary hand to probe the delicate balance of energy in the sanctum.
She had conducted lunar rites before, but this time felt different. The magic of the sanctum appeared restless, its pulse irregular, as if it was seeking to communicate something she couldn't understand. The tension in the air felt almost oppressive, pressing against her skin like an invisible weight.
Her surroundings began to disintegrate as her might blended with the energy of the sanctum. Rather of the soothing light of the moonstone walls, her vision was blocked by whirling silvery mist. Her breath paused as the mist parted, revealing fractured pictures that flickered and moved like a dream about to fade.
The first image was really bright. Elara stood on the edge of a crumbling cliff, gazing down at a land shrouded in shadows. Wolf's Crest's once-thriving woodlands had been turned into desolate wastelands, and the light in the sanctum had faded. The stench of smoke filled the air, and the desolation was accented with distant combat screams.
Her heart beating, she turned to see Kael standing next her. His face was covered with filth and blood, and his armor was battered. His amber eyes reflected a mix of shame and determination. "We failed," he said quietly, his voice rough and controlled. "The equilibrium has disappeared." There's nothing left.
Her vision shifted before she could react, and the weight of his words crushed her.
The following image was brighter, but just as frightening. Elara stood in the center of the sanctum, the walls mended and the light hardly fading. She wore a moonstone and silver crown, and the elaborate run-throughs on her robe cast a brilliant radiance. Standing behind her, Kael's dragonfire might, combined with her lunar energy, kept the sanctum's rebuilt heart in place.
The council gathered around them, their expressions full of reverence and wonder. Nonetheless, the air transmitted an unsaid strain. Their precious peace felt dangerous, as if it could be shattered with a simple turn-off.
"This isn't balance," Elara said, her voice tinted with pessimism. "This is survival," they explained.
Kael's palm touched hers, anchoring her. "It surpasses what we had before."
The vision vanished, and Elara began to shake as the energy of the sanctum rushed about her.
The most intense and frightening vision appeared last. Elara was in the midst of a battle, her robe tattered and her strength raging around her. Both dragon shifters and werewolves left their dead forms as a somber reminder of the prophecy's earthly implications.
Kael, his body covered in a fiery aura that flickered wildly as if he were barely holding it together, was at the center of the chaos. Though quiet, his voice was urgent. You must make decisions, Elara. The shrine is also known as me.
The weight of the decision pressed down on her, making her heart ache. Her fingertips brushed against his as the light around them grew blindingly bright. She contacted him. The vision stopped, and she was returned to the present moment in the sanctum.
Elara exclaimed and opened her eyes as the silvery mist dispersed. Her heartbeat accelerated as she put her palms to the cool moonstone floor. She shook them. Her imagination carried the visions, and they remained vivid.
"Elara?," Elena asked, her voice quiet yet forceful. She knelt next to her companion, her hand lightly touching on Elara's shoulder. "What did you discover?"
Elara shook her head and spoke gently. "Fragments." Dark shadows of what might be.
"Was it around Kael?" Elena asked gently.
Elara halted, her throat tight, taking in the sights. They were all related to Kael, the prophecy that brought them together, the destruction, the tenuous peace, and the inability to choose. Indeed, she responded finally, her voice becoming more steady. Also referred to as the sanctum.
Elena whimpered, her brow twisted with dread. "What does it mean?," asks
Elara returned my stare, her silver eyes full of terror and determination. "It seems that the magic of the sanctum is warning me. And I need to figure out why.
The air in the sanctuary grew colder as Elara approached her feet, and the enchantment's soft hum became a faint, resonant vibration. She shifted rapidly, her magic blazing defensively, as a shadow formed at the chamber's edge.
The harbinger rose and looked at her with brilliant molten gold eyes. Elena flinched and automatically reached for the dagger on her belt, but Elara raised a hand to stop her.
"You've seen what lies ahead," the harbinger said, his voice low and resonant. However, visions are simply threads of possibilities formed by your judgments.
Elara gasped as the shape of the harbinger changed, its shadows swirling menacingly. Moon Weaver, your equilibrium is unstable. Your path is unpredictable, thus your decisions will effect not only you but also the fate of the kingdom.
The harbinger vanished into the darkness before Elara could answer, leaving the chamber silent. She stood motionless, her mind racing with the ramifications of her words; her power radiated faintly about her.
- Writer
