I shook my head in disbelief. "Light and shadow? That's not possible."
"Apparently it is. Her name is Aya."
Aya. The name echoed in my mind like a prayer. Or a warning.
Dawn found me walking the ancient path to the Sacrarium, a temple carved into the heart of the tallest peak. The place where shadow meets light. The place where our ancestors first learned to control the darkness.
The perfect place to prepare for a journey to the human world.
Snow crunched beneath my boots as I climbed higher. The air grew thinner, but my kind didn't suffer from altitude as humans did. Another advantage of our shadow essence.
My mind raced with possibilities. What kind of human could share my essence? Would she fear me? Hate me? Would I be able to awaken her power without destroying her?
And if I succeeded, if we mated, would it save our people?
The Sacrarium appeared around a bend, its obsidian pillars gleaming in the morning light. For thousands of years, our people had come here to connect with both shadow and light, to find balance.
I paused at the entrance, torn between duty and dread. Inside, the elders would prepare me for my journey. They would teach me how to blend among humans, how to suppress my shadow manipulation to avoid detection. How to slowly, carefully, awaken Aya's dormant powers.
Assuming she would let me close enough to try.
That was the part no one mentioned. What if this human wanted nothing to do with me? Our plan depended on her acceptance, her willingness. I couldn't force this connection. She had to give it freely.
I took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold. The interior was in stark contrast to our dark dwellings with floors of white marble shot through with veins of black, walls that shifted between light and dark depending on the angle of the sun through strategically placed openings.
Elder Kora waited alone in the center of the main chamber.
"The others won't be joining us," she said before I could ask. "This preparation is sacred and private."
I nodded, dropping to one knee before her in respect.
"Rise, Varkolak. Today you become more than just a warrior of shadows. Today you become our hope."
Her words should have filled me with pride. Instead, doubt crept in like a morning mist.
"What if I fail?" The question escaped before I could stop it.
Kora's ancient eyes softened. "Then you fail. But the attempt itself matters. For too long, we've hidden in these mountains, watching our people fade."
She gestured for me to sit across from her on the marble floor.
"Tell me what troubles you most about this task."
I considered my words carefully. "The human woman, Aya. What if she rejects me? What if she sees only a monster?"
"And is that what you are? A monster?"
"Some would say so."
Kora shook her head. "Monsters destroy without purpose. You seek to create, to save. But your fear is valid. Humans are taught to fear the dark, to fear what they don't understand."
"Then how?—"
"You must show her that darkness isn't evil, just as light isn't inherently good. They are two halves of the same whole." She reached out, touching my chest above my heart. "Show her the man beneath the shadows."
I looked down. "What if there isn't much of a man left? I've spent so long alone, in the dark."
"Then perhaps she will help you find him again." Kora smiled. "The seekers' reports suggest she is remarkable. Strong-willed. Passionate about her art. And completely unaware of the power sleeping inside her."
