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The Moments Before

Penulis: Bella Moondragon
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-05-15 22:05:05

*​​River*

After the revelation that Queen Kimalissa’s magic is gone, everyone disperses to deal with the implications. Brook and Permiton have disappeared to the library to see if they can find any precedent for what’s happening. Akin has disappeared to the barracks to be of service to the other soldiers in any way he can. Once again, I’m left without any real purpose.

So, I stand on the balcony of the palace, stone cold beneath my hands, and watch as the enemy armies spread across the distant hills. The blue and silver streamers of the Oceana flags catch the wind, their metallic edges reflecting the sun like blades. They aren’t alone. Direken’s forces from Ambrosia march at their flank, cloaked in crimson.

The barrier hums weakly in the distance, stretched thin and ready to break at any moment. It’s holding for now, but barely. One bad blow, and the whole thing could collapse. Maerilee doesn’t think she’s strong enough to fix it. She doesn’t trust herself, and maybe she doesn’t trust
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  • The One   The First Wave

    *Akin*The sun sets behind the trees, turning the sky the color of blood. I shudder to think what this battlefield will look like when the sun reemerges. How many of us will still be standing?I’m at the front line, shoulder to shoulder with the generals, watching the tree line just beyond the barrier. The wind rustles the leaves like a sinister whisper, the promise of death. My fingers tighten around the hilt of my sword, ready to strike any target at a moment’s notice. As much as we’ve trained for years, this is the first time many of us will ever face direct conflict with another kingdom. The burden of that knowledge settles on all of us as we wait with anticipation for the coming armies.Behind us is the barrier. We are the last defense to keep the Oceanans and Ambrosians from destroying it. If it falls now, all will be lost. We’ve got all of our strongest men ready to sacrifice their lives to keep the opposing soldiers back. And still, I don’t know if it will be enough.River sta

  • The One   The Moments Before

    *​​River*After the revelation that Queen Kimalissa’s magic is gone, everyone disperses to deal with the implications. Brook and Permiton have disappeared to the library to see if they can find any precedent for what’s happening. Akin has disappeared to the barracks to be of service to the other soldiers in any way he can. Once again, I’m left without any real purpose.So, I stand on the balcony of the palace, stone cold beneath my hands, and watch as the enemy armies spread across the distant hills. The blue and silver streamers of the Oceana flags catch the wind, their metallic edges reflecting the sun like blades. They aren’t alone. Direken’s forces from Ambrosia march at their flank, cloaked in crimson.The barrier hums weakly in the distance, stretched thin and ready to break at any moment. It’s holding for now, but barely. One bad blow, and the whole thing could collapse. Maerilee doesn’t think she’s strong enough to fix it. She doesn’t trust herself, and maybe she doesn’t trust

  • The One   The World Turned Upside Down

    *Seraphira*Thick smoke coils through the air, darkening the skies with its power. It burns my nostrils and lungs as I breathe in, leaving behind the unpleasant feeling of choking. My people are suffocating under its weight, and I am the only one left with the power to save them.I look across the fields where the ground is littered with the dead, both ours and our enemy’s. Blood slicks the soil in muddy rivers, soaking into the roots of this land I’ve inherited to lead. We are now a nation that will be built on blood and bone, if we even survive this war. It’s gone on for too long. Enough is enough.I walk to the center of the battlefield, where soldiers have become too weak and sick to really put their hearts into the fight. My people are exhausted, starving, likely days away from death. If I do not put an end to this war, all will be lost. Altinna will have no future beyond me, and that is not a weight I am willing to bear.Behind me, my Four wait in silence, ready to protect or a

  • The One   The End of the Road

    *Maerilee*My barrier hums around us, seemingly unnoticed by everyone but Permiton. His hand squeezes mine and the tension in my chest eases as I realize the barrier may not even be necessary. Permiton hasn’t led us wrong yet, and I know that he’s seen something in the future that makes him confident the rebel’s aren’t hear to harm us.I drop the barrier as a measure of good faith, my fears easing as Caelan steps forward, his sword sheathed, and drops to one knee. The other rebels follow suit, their heads bowed in reverence, their arms crossed over their chest in a sign of Altinnian allegiance. Tears spring to my eyes as I realize that Caelan didn’t come to attack us. He’s here to help us.Caelan looks up at me, his expression steady and filled with deep respect.“Princess Maerilee,” he starts, his voice carrying a weight that quiets even the rustling trees around us. “I apologize for the

  • The One   Unwelcome Guests

    *Maerilee*The morning light filters through the canopy of trees, casting soft golden rays over our little shelter. Through the leaves, I can see the waters shimmer, still and peaceful, as though they’ve forgotten the chaos of the day before. River is still sleeping soundly, his arm draped around me as his chest slowly rises and falls. There’s nothing left on his skin but a faint silver line from where his wound healed.I carefully extract myself from his arms, surprised at how reluctant I feel to leave him. His face is peaceful, an innocent smile playing on his lips as he dreams. I place a gentle, chaste kiss on his forehead before I dress.Once I’m decent, I go to stand at the edge of the river, the sound of the waterfall a soothing backdrop, but my mind is anything but calm. Something inside of me has irrevocably changed since this journey began. It isn’t just my relationships with my Four, but there’s a growi

  • The One   Words Unspoken

    *Maerilee*The world around me blurs into chaos as the guardian rises from the water, its iridescent form casting a ghostly glow over the riverbank. It advances toward our group, though it seems done with me now that River has been shot. I hear the sharp, metallic twang of arrows and the clash of magic as Akin and Brook fight it off, but my focus is solely on River.He’s sprawled on the ground, his face pale and his chest heaving as blood pours from his wounds. My hands press desperately against his chest, trying to staunch the flow, but the crimson warmth seeps through my fingers, relentless and terrifying. I can’t make it stop, and he’s fading fast.“Stay with me, River,” I demand, my voice trembling. “Please, don’t do this.”His skin is cold to the touch, his breaths shallow and ragged, raspy and labored. Panic claws at my chest, threatening to choke me, but I force myself to focus. I tear a strip of cloth from my tunic, pressing it against the wound near his heart, but it’s not en

  • The One   The Guardian

    *River*The air shifts as we cross through the remnants of the barrier, its hum of magic dissipating behind us. For a moment, I can only focus on the ache in my legs and the burn in my lungs, the physical strain of the journey catching up to me. But as the path widens, my breath catches for an entirely different reason.Past the barrier Permiton’s just broken is a large, expansive grotto. It stretches before us, a breathtaking expanse of green and blue, shimmering like something out of a dream. A massive waterfall cascades from the mountain above, its waters glowing faintly in the dim light. The air is thick with moisture, cool and refreshing, and the sound of the rushing water drowns out everything else.A sound like rumbling rocks comes from behind us, and we turn to see that the barrier we’ve just come through is back up. My heart falls, crushed by the thought that we’ll have to go through that again. Though Permiton did most of the work, he still drew a lot of power from all of us

  • The One   All Our Strength

    *Maerilee*The sun shines down brightly on us as we press forward, the air thick with the promise of something monumental just ahead. My chest feels heavy, not from the climb or the journey, but from the weight of everything riding on us reaching Bright Waters. Time feels like a noose tightening around my neck, pulling tighter with every passing moment. This journey has already taken much longer than I’d ever anticipated. If we don’t get back to Altinna soon, I fear what we’ll find when we return.Brook walks by my side, quiet but focused. Recently, I’ve come to rely on his calm, steady presence, in his new sense of confidence and authority. And now, my heart swells with the love I have for him, something I did not expect at all. It took me by surprise, knocking the wind out of me, but it makes trusting him, relying on him, that much easier.“How much further?” I ask, my voice a whisper against the rustling leaves.Brook glances at me, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Less than a d

  • The One   Reality Check

    *River*The path winds endlessly through the rocky terrain, the air thick with the hum of magic. I should feel some sense of triumph, I suppose. After all, we’re nearing Bright Waters, the mythical source of all of the power in Oceana. Legend has it that it is the single greatest source of power in the entire realm, maybe in all of the realms. But all I feel is frustration, a simmering anger that burns low and constant, its flames licking at the edges of my thoughts.For days now, I’ve watched Maerilee grow closer to everyone but me. Akin is always at her side, a steady rock she leans on without hesitation. He, at least, I can understand. He has been her bodyguard for so many years. There’s been a trust there that runs deeper than Bright Waters themselves. Even if I don’t exactly like Akin, I can respect their bond.But how the hell has she allowed Permiton to worm his way back into her good graces? None of us missed the way

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