Sigranole glanced backward at her for a few moments, staring deeply into the pendant. How could this have happened? Will things be as bad as they say they will be?
Lucia looked down at the angelic wings. Of course they will.
Lucia pondered whether she would ever wake from this dream. The nightmare of this cold, dark destiny had gripped her into an ever-growing sadness that felt eternal. Slowly, the woe of reality settled in and she began to understand that it was not her father who had chosen this fate for her.
Eventually, Leo opened the doors ahead of them and Lucia stepped into a lengthy library. The basilica was composed of panels of stained glass supported by arches that crossed over many layers of bookcases. Dozens of ladders and staircases scaled upward beneath a gigantic rose window. Cut like a diamond, it beamed down light from outside and reflected it through a network of mirror-like pillars that lit the walkways surrounding them. Leo’s eyes sparkled as they walked farther into the corridor. Never would he tire of this library. Just like this place, his own memories here were profound and monumental. As they stood in silence, Leo honored his domain with a quaint smile, breathing deeply to absorb its ambience.
“These mirrors are so efficient. I could imagine how they make reading much easier,” Lucia said, jumping ahead of Leo and onto the stairs. She ran her hand over one of the pillars, feeling its smoothness while bathing in its light. It rotated slightly, moving the light toward her and into the Light Wings. She gasped as the light lit the stained glass and refracted colored light toward her, filling her with a new electric energy.
“They were innovated to light even at night. The angle can catch the moonlight and some starlight, believe it or not. I could spend hours here.” Leo proudly pointed to the window above them. “I can’t imagine any place more peaceful.”
“I don’t know about that,” Lucia said, smiling politely as she admired the sparkling light glistening up the platform. “The sanctuary back home was my favorite place.” She bowed her head as the images of flames nearly brought tears to her eyes. She shook it off before looking back to the pillars and wondering if she could see her reflection in their light. Instead, she found numerous reliefs of lions cut along the stone’s reflective surface. Lucia placed a finger to her lips. “And at night, do they always work? I mean, the moon doesn’t always shine.”
“When it doesn’t, we do use candlelight.” Leo pulled Lucia forward and onto the top step while bringing her closer to him.
Lucia’s hand fell on his chest, where she felt the warmth of his heartbeat. She pulled back and blushed. She rushed past the stairs after Sigranole. Keeping her hands clasped together, she stepped softly over the royal blue carpet, following it. She looked back as Leo followed behind her, his hand sliding along the rail.
Leo watched his father cross in front of them, preoccupied. Sigranole held a worn leatherbound book below his disoriented face. The book was brown, its cover fragile with age. His eyes moved wildly about its yellow pages as if searching for something important. “Never in the seventeen years had I regretted my decision, but now I think it is the worst I’ve ever made.”
Lucia held her breath as the weight fell back onto her shoulders. The pressure built within her, pushing up against her chest as her hands tingled with blood flow. Here it came, a fraction of the truth, like a wave ready to crash.
“The force was thought to have been destroyed in the war. The chief elder of the Carist tribe had warned us, telling us that the force was legendary. His knowledge was not to be mistaken. However, when it faded away, it felt as if it would never return. No one could feel its presence. But now, it seems that your father’s prophecies are coming true. The Light Wings are indeed here.” Sigranole pointed at the page and huffed. Then, suddenly overtaken by anger, he threw the book out over the stairs. The pages rained from its spine, falling down the levels like snow caught in still air, drifting in the light. He grunted as he drew back his wrath, hiding his face in his palms.
Lucia did not understand—how could she? How could so much agony derive from something so beautiful? She caressed the pendant and then walked forward. “What exactly are the Light Wings?” She doubted her decision to ask, dreading the truth no matter what it was, yet she longed for answers. The pendant was powerful, its influence intoxicating. If Lucia hoped to survive, she would need to know what the relic was capable of. She did not want to lose control.
Sigranole looked up to her and tried to breathe. “The Light Wings are fabled among Terestria, spoken of only in ancient mythology.” He could not find his words easily, stammering as if he himself could not fully believe what he was saying.
Lucia could not blame him.
He continued. “They were created by the light as a means to call upon the creator if the world was to face the perils of the other—darkness. The pendant holds the essence of all that is good in our world, the power of life’s virtue. It is said to be so pure that it can cleanse away any sin and shine an unbreakable light through any darkness. Its beacon can shatter all that is evil. Its purpose: sanctification.”
“But that does not explain why you should fear this.” Lucia lowered her head. “If the Light Wings are holy or divine, why fear anything at all?”
“The Carist chief speaks of a balance that exists in Terestria beyond our understanding. Legend states that the Light Wings would emerge into the known world once that balance was threatened, but only would they . . . ” Sigranole hesitated while realizing the truth in his own words. He shuddered.
“Keep going.”
“Find their master if the balance were broken. For once the balance is gone, the savior will be needed to restore balance to the world, using the power of the Light Wings.”
“The savior?” Lucia asked quietly, touching her lips with the tips of her fingers.
“You.”
Lucia stepped back, shaking her head fiercely. “No,” she said, her heart sinking. “That can’t be true. I am no savior. I cannot—” She questioned her ability to lead her own people. How could she be the savior of all humanity, or life for that matter?
“Lucia, the Light Wings found their way to you, the only one destined to control their powers. They chose you for a reason. You are the only one capable of holding the light that dwells within them. Your faith is strong, the strongest of anyone.”
“They couldn’t have chosen me!” she shouted. “My father left this for me. He chose me. Not fate or destiny, but my father.” Lucia could hardly believe this. It could not be true, but then how could she explain what had happened at the manor, the light that had flashed right in front of her from within the pendant. She cowered at the thought of all of this. Lucia did not want to accept it, but the truth was wrapped around her neck. Sigranole was right, and her father was too. Yet still, she doubted. How could she be the savior, when her faith was fractured?
“I believe not.” Sigranole placed a hand on his temple. “Your father knew more—things no one would. Not even the Carist chief, the proclaimed keeper of knowledge. Stello could see the future. How? I cannot say.” He broke eye contact as he continued. “But everything has come to pass. He spoke of your arrival with those wings around your neck. His prophecies didn’t end there either. The rest are disasters waiting to happen . . . ” Somehow, Sigranole’s voice became more powerful with every word as a bitter fierceness rumbled beneath a roar. “Disasters beyond our control. Outside the mortal reach of man!”
Lucia could not fathom these words, nor could she ignore them. With every ounce of her will, she sought to reject them, but was bound completely. This was not the role her mother had worked so hard to prepare her for. She knew her faith was strong, but not strong enough to hold and use this power. Lucia knew not even the proper ways to defend herself. The chime of a bell echoed inside her head, the call of destiny ringing as she slipped into another fate shift. Her future was changing right before her eyes.
�
�Lucia, your father believed in you,” Leo said.
Lucia looked into his sapphire eyes as her face flushed with heat and emotion.
“Where could he have found them? Not there . . . ” Sigranole asked slowly, his voice cold and still. “He spoke of catastrophes across the entire world. Across every province, a dark age of sin is about to begin.”
“But”—Lucia stumbled on her words—“did my father know I would be attacked?”
“Attacked by what?”
“In the sanctuary back in Moz, this monstrosity confronted me. Shadows covered every wall, swarming about. They clung to me like a gripping cold, and I was trapped until light emerged from the pendant as if from nowhere. It helped me escape, and I ran as far as I could from there. The Light Wings protected me, but my home was destroyed.” Lucia shuddered as a chill ran down her back from the memories frozen within her mind. “It follows me. I can still feel it watching within the shadows. I can sense it even here.” She bowed her head as guilt filled her heart as if making it moisten with thick, red blood. “And it has my mother within its clutches.”
Sigranole pinched his nose, swallowing hard as his eyes moistened. “It is as I feared. The darkness has returned. Lucia, this world will no longer be a safe place for anyone.” He paced forward, pointing to the stairs. “We must hurry in our preparations. Do not worry, I will send word to Moz and let them know you’re safe. Let’s hope word reaches your mother in time.”
“You can’t,” Lucia shuddered. “The nobles are dead. I don’t even know who’s in charge anymore. The city fends for itself.”
Sigranole’s eyes went blank. “You mean Ara . . . she’s gone?”
“It’s unlikely she survived,” Leo said, “but Lucia believes she’s still alive. She may be out there somewhere.” He tried to choose the right words, not wanting to cause Lucia any more suffering, knowing her burden to be too great. “Still, send word.”
Sigranole was caught in a daze, but soon nodded. “Right, my son.”
“You must brace yourself,” Leo said to Lucia.
Lucia’s face was void as the words left her lips, “For what?” She blinked. “Another war?”
“Worse.” Sigranole hurried to the front of the library, stopping only for a moment to stare up and out into the moonlight above them. “Cherish these moments. They won’t last long.”
“Nothing lasts forever,” Leo said. “Not even peace.”
“Lucia, your father was here, and I shunned him in disbelief because I had not trusted his motives. Our provinces had been rivals. To me, he had taken my honor, my pride, and all that was dear to me. I thought his words were nothing more than a feign to form a false allegiance, but I see now those words have become his prophecy.” Sigranole blew out a deep breath. “And still, I’m left with nothing but memories.”
“What am I supposed to do?!” Lucia stomped her foot. Her patience was thinning just as her blood began to heat to a boil. “All of these prophecies, regrets, and cries for help are getting us nowhere. Tell me, what exactly are we fighting, and how do we defeat it?”
The two men stopped in their tracks, shocked by her voice. Its firmness still echoed about the chamber.
She continued, “We don’t have time to loathe, grieve, or sulk in our self-pity. I’m scared, and I don’t think we’re going to win. Not like this.”
Sigranole turned to her as Leo approached from behind. Sigranole had one more secret he was willing to tell, a lead for attempting to prevent what he still, like Lucia, hoped was nothing more than a strange nightmare. There was nothing he wanted more than to neglect the truth and to deny the darkness ever existed, but as Lucia’s words hung over them he remembered. “I do know where your father was headed,” he said, his voice bold. “He had mentioned that the opening act in this calamity would fall soon, so he was going to seek guidance in Aldric, from the Carist chief—Talon Renon.”
Lucia’s heart bumped upward. “Aldric, the land of scholars?”
“Aldric lies on the cliffs to the west, past the Pinean hills and beyond the southern forest border. That is where Stello’s prophecy continues. The Carist tribe, for eons, have been the keepers of knowledge. The chief elder is trusted with many secrets, many of which have been lost through the ages. He alone could possibly tell you how this all started and, more importantly, how to bring an end to it. Seek out Talon and plead that he share his secrets with you. They should prove to be most useful.”
For a moment, it was as if the weight lifted, giving Lucia the chance to breathe. A glimmer of hope seemed to shine within her eyes and she brought her hands to her chest.
“This darkness will spread. The balance that once protected Terestria is gone. Life as we know it will cease to exist with each passing day as the people will be left unprotected and subject to their own corruption. Sin shall reign.” Sigranole touched her shoulder and turned to his son. “Leo, you will assist her to Aldric until you both find a way to stop Stello’s prophecies.”
Leo nodded, touching the dagger at his side.
“Lucia, that force you witnessed will do anything to tear those wings from your neck. With the balance broken, it will grow stronger as it feeds on the sins of men, and will destroy everything.” Sigranole’s eyes looked into hers as the light within them faded. “Pray, my dear. Summon the will to fight and stop at nothing until the darkness threatens the world no more. Do what your father couldn’t do. Save the world. I beg of you.”
A ball of terror built up in Lucia’s throat again. She couldn’t ease the tension rising within her. She still couldn’t make anything of the cards that lay before her, but she understood one thing—she had to make a move. Though, she felt more cursed and weak than blessed and powerful. She wanted to break down, to weep, but she couldn’t. Her body was numb, torn by the sudden burden that fell onto her. She was once the beautiful high maiden of Moz, and now she was something more, or maybe even less—but ultimately something she never wanted to be. Even so, a sense of duty rose from inside as if a piece of her mother was still there with her. For some reason, the word balance meant everything.
“This was not the first time it emerged. I should have seen this coming. Why do you think we fear it so much? It was born from our sin, this darkness,” Sigranole shared. “The war twenty years ago gave birth to something just as you described. During the last battle of the war, Pinea and Moz were locked in conflict. Blood stained the outskirts of the hills when it rose from the earth, shrouding the heavens and blocking out the sun. It stormed over us, killing thousands of soldiers from both sides, until a woman came before the beast, kneeling as the dark mass rose as a heavy gust. She stood with her hands to the heavens, pleading and praying loudly for all to hear. Oddly, as the people joined together to pray, the force subsided. It weakened as light broke through the clouds. No longer fighting but praying together as one, the people followed this woman as she led them into song. Their rage had turned to faith, and I cannot tell you why or how, but their faith manifested itself, summoning a light that drove away the force.”
Lucia and Leo were dazed as he told his tale. Why had they not known this? Why had Pinea and Moz remained enemies still, if this were true? How many sides were there to this story? It was not at all how Lucia had imagined it to be. It was all lies.
Sigranole continued, “After it disappeared, we noticed the price of our bloodshed, of our hate and our pride. We saw what it caused. That day, we witnessed a darkness neither province could define. It left a scar upon our cities, and after we had lost so much, I had no choice but to sign the Treaty of Tranquility surrendering on my behalf only to prevent something like that from happening again. The Carist chief explained to us the consequence of Frailty’s War, but somehow balance was seemingly retained. Though most of our own history is lost, the ancient tribe holds what is left within their records, but all that remains is a heavy mystery to us. The tribe will guard their secrets, and at first th
ey will not trust you. Even I, being of nobility, could not convince them to share what they know—but you will have to. You will have no choice. I never forgave Moz, for taking the glory and for bringing such chaos into our world at that time. But I thought it was over, and as part of the treaty we swore to keep the truth from the people, and even you. We could not let them know of the beast we had seen. We could not speak of a war that started over sin, only of peace and of what had ended. Such things should only exist in myth, but now it has returned, and by the looks of it, the legend speaks of only worse to come.”
“But who defines the truth when it remains so hidden right before our eyes,” Leo said quietly. “To whom does the final judgment lie?”
Sigranole’s eyes found Lucia.
“But if our history is all but a hidden secret,” she asked, “who are we to call such things myths? No one knows for sure. Every story could be part of a larger one. That’s the story we need to find, the one that started it all.” Lucia’s heart eased as she let go of the unknown and tried to accept the world for what it truly was, one big mystery.
“I promise you, if you follow your father’s trail and seek out this man Talon, you will find the answers you need. I’m sorry for rejecting your father, and for feeling such anger toward your family, but now it is I who comes to you pleading. You hold the key to banishing this darkness, and you must redeem us from the chaos that will soon fall onto the world. Please, Lucia. This is something you must do.”
Lucia glanced up into the light above and felt its warmth falling onto her face. Duty above all else. How much longer would this last? She didn’t desire to feel anything less than the warmth of the coming dawn, the beginning of something grand, of something beautiful. So, she couldn’t refuse. How could she? This was her duty.
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