Dawn's Ballad Novels & Stories

The day dawned crisp and clear. The sun poured through her window. Another day had dawned, bringing with it new hopes and aspirations. The light of dawn seeped into Diana's room. She rubbed her bleary eyes and walked to the window. There was a pearly glow in the sky. The first rays of sunlight lit up her room. The dawn chorus of melodic birdsong drifted in. She yawned loudly using the back of her palm to cover her mouth.

Then she remembered that in Lyle’s absence, Adam has been acting as the leader of the village. “It’s good to see you all here. Our village, and all the people of this mountain have been waiting for this night for a long time. Tonight is the night that we welcome the daughter of the goddess at her first full moon. And tonight is the night that she will choose her life mate.” Many of the people that were standing at the back of the room turned around and looked directly at Amaris. Anna and Amaris stared at one another. Amaris mouthed to Anna ‘choose a life mate!’

Clara inhaled sharply, excitement immediately returning to her face. “It’s time.” Miranda’s stomach tightened. Colin offered her his arm. “Do you want to walk upstage with your amazing brother?” Miranda looked at him, then at Clara. She placed her hand on Colin’s arm first. “How about we go together?” She asked Clara. “Really?” Clara was excited by the offer. “Sure.” She immediately grabbed Miranda’s second arm. The ballroom lights dimmed slowly. A hush swept through the crowd. At the top of the grand staircase, two doors opened. Golden light spilled out first, bright and theatrical, and then Mr. and Mrs. Jones appeared below, standing at the centre of the ballroom with pride written across

Celia Dawn is a lie behind the tinted windows. A gray glow without warmth, promising nothing. I surface from sleep the way one drowns in reverse, struggling upward toward a surface made of awareness and pain. The weight of yesterday falls over me before I even open my eyes. The unfamiliar room. The locked door. Him.

[Dawn] “Dawn?” he asks, his voice soft but sharp, cutting through the quiet. His forest-green eyes lock onto mine, and the heat in them is devastating. It’s like they’re burning through every layer of my defenses, leaving me bare. The air between us feels alive—crackling, dangerous, and impossible to ignore. “Oh, I need the snacks… down… here.” My words stumble out, half a thought, because my brain is already foggy. I can feel his gaze on me, heavy and deliberate.

Meals were brought to me three times a day, but the place felt like it had been forgotten by the outside world. That night, Rosie appeared in a silk nightgown. Her beautiful face was bare of makeup as she gazed at me with a look of tender sorrow. “Evan, don’t blame me for this! I had no choice but to do things this way to make sure nothing went wrong!” Her eyes shimmered with tears. Her pitiful expression was designed to tug at the heartstrings of any man.

Dawn closed her hand. Went to sleep.

“It is a tide. It waits. It hungers. And in the moment of coronation, it will strike again. That is the true eclipse.” The words chilled her, but before she could speak, Kaelen’s hand steadied her back. His expression was unreadable, though his voice was low. “Then we prepare.” By nightfall, the great hall of Dawnspire was restored as best as hands could manage. Tattered banners were rehung, bloodstains scrubbed from the tiles, and a dais raised at the far end where once the throne had stood. The people gathered, voices hushed, faces lit with the glow of hundreds of candles.

He has given up getting me to walk faster, and I trudge slowly, following his lead, gripping the life-saver and I whisper to myself that I am strong and will make it to Imperator Seth’s estate. I was born strong, my very name, Dawn, meant to strike fear into the hearts of men. I became brave, realizing that I had seen something that none at the palace had gazed upon; daylight. The closest they would ever get would be whispering my name that demands respect. I smile at the thought of this Just Ray stops, interrupting my plans for dominating the court once I arrive. I bumped into him and we’re at the edge of the forest, which for him is the edge of the world. I pity Just Ray, the skinny, filth

It was her first smile. "Dawn." --- That night, I wrote in my journal. The shard is gone. The Eclipse is mortal. She chose a new name. Dawn. The followers are free. Some will come south. Others will not. The Circle is strong. Dax is holding me. The stars are rising. And Dawn is learning to live. Slowly. But surely. We will wait. As long as it takes. ---