Her eyes locked onto mine, unflinching and fearless.Her voice was low, laden with pain.“I know more than I should.My father is a destroyer...a ruthless hunter of Timebornes and Timebounds.He’s merciless.Cold.Obsessed with eradicating them, like they’re a plague that needs to be wiped out.”Her gaze faltered, a flicker of confusion breaking through her bravery.“But I don’t understand why.I don’t understand his obsession.And as for time travel...it’s just a myth to me.A fairy tale.”
Her words hung between us, a cruel twist of irony that cut deeper than any blade.Time travel was a fairy tale.To her, maybe.But to me, it was everything—the reason for every scar on my body and soul.
I looked at her, really looked at her.Her innocence was a knife to my chest, a purity I could never touch without staining.Yet, she was tangled up in this darkness—in my darkness.Her father was a monster, and I was no better.
A cringe tightened my muscles, a bitter laugh threatening to break free.It was incomprehensible to me—this disbelief of something so intrinsic and vital to my existence.“How can you not believe it?”my voice was a whisper, low and splintered.
“It’s as natural as breathing.It’s in my blood, my bones.It’s who I am.”
She leaned closer, her curiosity tinged with awe and just a hint of fear.“Can you...can you time travel?”Her voice was fragile, a whisper that shattered the walls around me.
“Of course,” I breathed, the truth tasting bittersweet on my tongue.My curse.My gift.My prison.
Her gaze softened, fascination swirling in her eyes.“How?How is that possible?”
A shadow passed over me, ancient and insistent.“When a Timeborne is born...so is the darkness,” I confessed, my voice raw, haunted.“We are two halves of the same coin.A black dagger appears by our side, born of shadows and blood.The blade is etched with sacred inscriptions intertwined with a curse and a blessing.And when the full moon rises, we speak the words...time bends to our will.We slip through the cracks of reality, defying fate itself.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened, her lips parting as she absorbed my words.Her pulse raced, her heartbeat echoing in the heavy silence between us.I could almost taste her fear...her awe.
For a moment, she was silent, her mind weaving through impossible possibilities.Then, with a voice that trembled with wonder and hesitation, she asked, “Where have you traveled in time?”
My chest tightened, memories crashing into me—images of worlds lost, and futures shattered, faces long gone, and battles fought in the shadows of time.A bitter smile twisted my lips.“The real question is...where haven’t I traveled?”I met her gaze, letting the weight of my past sink into the space between us.“I’ve seen empires rise and fall.I’ve watched the birth of legends and the death of hope.I’ve stood in the ashes of worlds that no longer exist.And through it all...I remained a shadow.A ghost passing through time, never truly belonging.”
Her breath hitched, her eyes wide and shimmering with an emotion I couldn’t quite name.She wasn’t just looking at me—she was seeing through me, and it was terrifying.I had built walls so high that I sometimes forgot what was on the other side.Yet, at this moment, her gaze reached places I thought were long buried.
My hand moved almost instinctively, fingers tracing the soft skin of her arm.It was a grounding touch, delicate and unconscious as if I needed something real to anchor me to this world—to this moment.Memories began to surface, uninvited and unending.I felt the shadows stir within me, restless and uneasy.
“Alina,” I began quietly, my voice softer than intended.Her name felt heavy on my tongue, like an old wound reopening.“The dark queen of Solaris...she was powerful.More powerful than any ruler before her.And she craved more.Always more.”
Elizabeth’s eyes remained locked on mine, wide and curious.Her gaze had no fear, only a genuine need to understand.It made my chest tighten.She deserved better than my darkness, better than my past.But she was here, warm and steady, and for once, I didn’t have the strength to push her away.
“She wanted the Blade of Shadows,” I continued, my fingers still absentmindedly brushing her arm.“A weapon of unimaginable power.With it, she could have ruled all of Solaris...and beyond.Nothing could’ve stopped her.”A chill ran through me, the old fear resurfacing.“She would have destroyed everything to get what she wanted.”
Elizabeth’s lips parted, her breath catching at the weight of my words.But her gaze softened, compassion flickering in her eyes.She reached up, her fingers tracing my jawline, and the gentle touch made my chest tighten painfully.It was too tender, too kind.I didn’t deserve this.
“Her daughter, Isabelle...”I swallowed, the memory bittersweet.“She saw the darkness in her mother and feared what would happen if Alina got her hands on the blade.So she did the only thing she could—she separated the blades, breaking their power...and she ran.”
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.Isabelle’s choice had changed everything.She had been brave and selfless.And I had failed her.
I glanced at Elizabeth, expecting pity, maybe fear.But her eyes were filled with understanding, a quiet strength that made something inside me ache.Her fingers traced light patterns across my chest, her touch grounding and calming.She shifted, facing me fully, her expression open and curious.
“What was your role in all of this?”she asked, her voice gentle but firm.She wasn’t demanding answers; she was inviting me to share them.
I hesitated, the words heavy on my tongue.I had spent so long hiding the truth, even from myself.But she felt safe and honest.She was willing to listen, even if she couldn’t understand, and I found myself wanting to tell her.
I took a steadying breath, my fingers tightening slightly against her skin.“I was the leader of the House of Darkness,” I admitted, my voice quiet, almost fragile.“I commanded the darkness army.I followed orders from Lazarus, who protected the last king and queen—Isabelle and Armand.”
The names felt distant, like echoes from another lifetime.Saying them aloud felt strange, almost surreal, like speaking of ghosts.
Her expression softened, sympathy flickering across her delicate features.But she didn’t interrupt.She listened, her hand resting over my heart, a silent reassurance.
“I thought I was doing the right thing,” I continued, my voice wavering.“I thought I was protecting Solaris...protecting them.But I was wrong.I was so...blind.I didn’t see the darkness growing.I didn’t see it until it was too late.”
Her fingers tightened over my chest, warm and comforting.Her eyes held no judgment, only quiet understanding, which made the pain a little more bearable.
“And how did you end up here, in this world?”Elizabeth’s blue eyes searched mine as if trying to unravel the mysteries of Solaris hidden within their dark depths.
My hand found hers against my chest, stilling the hypnotic motion of her fingers.“When Isabelle shattered the Blade of Shadows, chaos followed.We were cast from Solaris—flung into this world with no way back.All of us, scattered like ashes on the wind.”I hesitated, the weight of my next words pressing against my ribs.“The book in your alchemist’s cottage—Sacred Alchemy of Solaris: Secrets of the Celestial Forge—comes from my realm.”
