As I pass through the House of Hedro’s gates, the city before me appears dark and grim. Even the passing of my father hasn’t removed the stain on this kingdom. The people here don't deserve to live like this—they deserve peace, not fear. Determined to fix this, I realize I'll need to conserve all the magic I can for what's next. Therefore, walking is my only option back to the castle miles away. Most of the kingdom should be sleeping but the things that aren't sleeping concern me the most.
The cool breeze from the sea fills the streets, casting a salty shine on the cobblestone streets as the moon high above peeks behind the rolling clouds. It would be a perfect night if I weren’t utterly terrified of every passing dark alley.
Thoughts of the man I previously encountered with Silas fill my mind. He believed this world would be safer without me, and now, with everything that has unfolded, I can’t blame him. People have looked at me differently over the past five years, as if they’ve always sensed the darkness within me. No one judged me when I was locked in my bedroom for days. Silas immediately noticed something about me—the darkness within me calls to his, like a rope constantly pulling us together. I livedunder my father's nose, yet he never saw what resided within me. Then again, I always knew he was a fool—blinded by power and desire.
A crack breaks through my deep thoughts as I spin toward an alleyway behind me. Mist rolls through the small opening, followed by complete darkness. I narrow my eyes, unable to see even with eyesight that usually allows me to see well in the dark. I continue forward, not wanting to stay too long in one place. With everything that’s happened, maybe it wasn’t wise to take off alone, but I know I can’t wait for the others to wake up. This must happen now.
An elderly woman sits alone on a wooden bench with many books propped around her. She doesn’t notice me as she remains consumed by the book in her hand, turning each white page slowly. As I approach, she settles in her seat, causing a few books to crash and immediately collect dust. I rush to her side. “Let me help you with those.”
I lean down, picking up and dusting off the few books. Her old eyes meet mine, her once piercing blue eyes now turned milky with age. “Oh, thank you, dear.”
I don’t think she realizes who I am. She’s not afraid of me.
“Are you alright, my child?” she asks, her head tilting to the side.
Being a shadow wielder, her once black hair has turned snow white, and her face has many lines embedded in her skin: a laugh, a memory, a lesson.
“No. I’m not. I’ve been dealing with many challenges lately, and I’m unsure how to make it through. How everything is going to be okay.” I lower my head. “I feel a bit lost.”
“My child, you are going to make it. You will make it because you want to. You have the drive, the power, and the will to make it happen. Listen to your gut.” She stands, her curved spine making her wobble as she regains her balance.
I nod, helping her collect her few books into a small satchel. “Can I help you back to your house? I can walk with you if you’d like.”
She places the bag on her shoulder, the weight of the books curving her spine even more. She moves forward, the strength in her legs diminished, likely worse with each passing year. But through her struggles, she smiles, each step a challenge on her own. “You have more pressing matters to attend to than to help an old woman home, Briar.”
She disappears around the corner, and I’m left standing alone again, wondering how she knew my name.
Continuing down the road, the waves against the shoreline provide a symphony of sounds, ones I used to enjoy. I would come to the shore and spend hours staring at the sea, wishing I could hop on a boat and have someone take me far away to a kingdom where I could start over without a king who was my father—where I could experience my own adventures. I never got the nerve to do it. I couldn’t leave my mother here, and when she died, I didn’t care if I rotted in that castle. I should have left years ago. But now, standing facing the shore, everything in my body vibrates. I should stay, fix this mess, and put Daramveer back together.
I move closer to the lapping waves, the moon shining on the water like a mirror reflecting the never-ending sky. The roaring water before me drowns out all other sounds as I close my eyes, the sea breeze hitting my face— I wish at this moment that things were simple and Silas was with me. They will be furious with me when they wake and see that I'm nowhere to be found. I doubt it will take them long to figure out exactly where I've gone and what I've decided to do. A slight movement catches my eye in the water: a turtle. The animal nears the shore, fighting against the crashing waves with all its power—a feeling similar to mine—the fight against an unbeatable force. The waves willcontinue to roll and crash against the shore, and it’s up to the turtle to swim and continue to fight—just as I must choose to fight.
I choose to fight because I never have before. Growing up, my father committed terrible acts in front of me, torturing countless people and even hitting my brother. I remained silent, perhaps because I feared punishment myself, or because I was so numb—I couldn’t care even if I tried. That's changed, and I will fight for my friends, family, and the people of Daramveer. I will bring about change and help this kingdom thrive once more.
As I turn, I realize I’ve lingered too long on the shore when a dark figure that has been haunting me for weeks emerges from the shadows between the castle and the sea. My entire body tenses, shooting tingles down both arms. It floats toward me, and as I freeze—I can’t blink, my breathing becoming jagged as it approaches. The black cloak hangs off its thin frame, with no footsteps sounding beneath its shadow. Its hands dangle at its sides as if both shoulders are dislocated, and the hood of the cloak obscures the creature’s face.
I quickly thank the Gods. I haven’t seen its absence of eyes or wide mouth yet, but my stomach still rolls as I stand my ground. As the creature advances, so does the stench of death. I gag, still unable to move from fear as it approaches closer than ever before—not retreating as it has in the past. A long finger reaches out, a sharp claw touching my chest, inches above my heart. I slam my eyes shut, preparing for it to murder me right here, finally.
The finger moves from my chest, and I crack my eyes slowly open, expecting the creature to be gone as it has vanished many times before. Instead, I'm face-to-face with the creature, its black eyes staring into mine, its black mouth slightly ajar, and I swear for a second that the creature is smelling me.
The creature rises back up, standing over two heads taller than I am, and points its long, bony finger at me. "You smell of greatness and power, but you cannot handle what is to come alone," it shrieks, and the voices of a thousand screams live deep inside, begging to be released.
My ears ring in pain as I cover them, desperate to block out the sound pouring from its wide mouth. "The day will come when this burden must be shared to defeat what lives within. You mustn’t lose focus, for another Great arises. You must remember that light can drown all darkness, but we need both to live in harmony."
Unable to speak, I nod my head as the creature quiets.
"Why do you visit me? Why don’t you hurt me?" I whisper.
The creature begins to distance itself from us as if my louder tone had startled it. "You are destined for many things—you would do me no good dead, Briar Blackbyrne, Queen of Daramveer." The creature moves backward into the shadows like a gust of wind pulling it back to wherever it came from.
I exhale sharply, my lungs burning with airy fire, and I glance toward the castle. Light flickers inside the throne room like a beacon calling my name. Brushing off the fear, I stride off the shoreline and back toward the stone castle.
The castle before me has changed. When I imagined my father dying, I thought a weight would be lifted off Daramveer, as if a sheet were ripped away—revealing the old kingdom I remembered from so many years ago. Instead, it feels like the darkness has deepened around the walls. As I pass through the iron gates, no guards stand watch. I assume they left long ago following the events of the fourth trial.
No wonder my father was always worried about building the strongest armies and gathering more allies if they fled without allegiance to my father at the first sign of chaos. I make a mentalnote that as the queen now, I will have to build a proper army—gathering a following to rule this kingdom successfully.
Stepping into the castle, it’s quiet, like death has slowly crept through the walls.
Where is everyone?
