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I was the master of my own game.
Fate was cruel.
Fate was unforgiving, and Fate had no power here. Not over me. I would win in the end, and I would have full access to the powers I had been blessed with. Magic would be unrestricted to me. And nobody, not the sisters, not the Immortal Gods, not even death, nothing would be able to stop me.
Because of who I was, who Itrulywas.
And I should be feared.
ChapterNineteen
SERRA
My decision to run was a hasty one, and now my sides throbbed with each breath I took. I gasped for air, hoping to fill my lungs with enough oxygen to continue running. I grasped at my aching sides, but the pain only intensified. As I stumbled forward, the world around me began to change again. The endless prairie grasses slowly gave way to a lush forest, but it was not a daunting and ominous place. Instead, the trees and foliage intertwined in a captivating display of natural harmony. The enchanting beauty that enveloped me was nothing short of mesmerizing.
The trees intertwined with vines and moss, radiating a faint ethereal light. The air was heavy with the sweet and earthy scent of magic that emanated from the wood. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before; a powerful force that commanded respect.
The forest exuded an air of mystique, yet the sounds of the prairie still lingered faintly in the distance. I could hear the chirping of crickets and the rustling of the breeze, but they were no match for the rustling of leaves and the creaking of branches in the wind. The forest was alive, with a pulsing heartbeat that resonated through the trees and the dirt beneath my feet. I felt the ancient magic in the air, a power born with the forest itself.
The serenity of the area was reminiscent of home, of the peaceful nights I spent in Rothnia. As I breathed in the cool night air, I was filled with a refreshing calmness that carried the scent of enchanted flora- hinting at the mystical world surrounding me. The sky above was a canvas of indigo, with the last remnants of sunset still visible on the horizon, casting a warm orange glow on everything. The clouds were low, as if they were perched on the horizon, creating an ethereal effect. The stars were starting to emerge, sparkling like diamonds in the dark.
The humidity had yet to set itself upon our continent, making the nights comfortable. Inirea and the Fae Realms were in that odd transition just as Rothnia was. Where winter had yielded to spring, and spring would soon yield to summer. While last night had felt cold, tonight felt marvelous. A cool spring breeze caressed my face, fluttering in my hair as it said hello. So unlike the wind that had whipped at me for most the day, as if it was angry.
The castle sat off in the distance, waiting and taunting me with itself. The sun was sinking down behind it, casting it all in an eerie darkness. It would take me another full day to reach it.
Tomorrow. . .
Tomorrow I will get my answers and end this madness. End this game of his, I would be triumphant. He would have to answer my questions and return what was rightfully mine.
Return me to Rothnia.
Despite being out of breath and my legs about to give out from under me, I did cover quite a bit of ground by sprinting. Knowing full well that I was racing against the clock, I was racing against the sun. Every hour I lingered, every second I wasted, counted against me. The longer I stayed here, the longer it took me, the more people would notice my absence, my disappearance. Not that it mattered, I had been invisible for most of my life. But did I want to remain invisible?
Did I want to remain on the outskirts, in the dark?
No. I did not want to be that girl anymore. I did not want to be just a nobody, someone else’s victim. Maybe coming here had helped, maybe coming here was the right choice. Even if it felt like it wasn’t.
Closing my eyes and taking in the sounds of the world around me, the smell. Listening closely to what was around me. This was peaceful. My eyes fluttered open to watch the last of the sun’s rays. The bright orange disk was dipping lower and lower. Even as it finally sunk below the horizon, its rays flaring across the sky. The moon shone brilliantly as it said good night, taking over for the time being.
A timed dance between them.
I filled my lungs with more of the night air. The moment passed as I looked at the scenery around me. The trees beckoned to me once more, their branches sparkling with thousands of tiny fireflies. Swarms of them crowded the entrance as I peaked in. Swirling back and forth in a dance to music with little notes. Against my better judgment, I took a step forward. Only glancing back once to the world behind me, these woods did not seem dangerous.
In fact they were lovely and inviting.
The trees towered above me, their branches stretching out like skeletal fingers, casting eerie shadows on the ground. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, and I could hear the rustling of leaves and the scurrying of small animals in the underbrush. But the fireflies lit the path before me, weaving in and out of the trunks. The branches above sparkled like the night sky.
As I wandered, a soft hum sounded as if it emitted from the trees themselves. A song of such happiness, as if they were content here. In here, I felt safe. Cocooned in the trees as if they wanted to protect me. The fireflies danced around again, swirling around me as I pushed forward.
The path that I had been walking on finally opened up to a breathtaking sight. In front of me was a dark cenote nestled in a grotto, its still waters reflecting the night sky and the faint light of fireflies that floated around it. The water had risen to the rocky ledge's brim, displaying a brilliant shade of bright blue and crystal-clear clarity.
The sight of the cenote made me forget about my tiredness. I couldn't help but be awed by the serene beauty of the place, and yet a sense of eeriness lingered in the air. The cenote stretched out beyond the point where I stood, disappearing under rocks and greenery. It was an odd sensation being here, standing before this body of water that held so much mystery and history.
As I stood there, I couldn't help but feel as though time was slowing down, giving me the chance to take in everything around me. The longer I lingered, the farther I traveled, the more memories surfaced, some of which I had long forgotten. The veil of forgetfulness had lifted with each passing day, and this moment was no different.
Standing before the waters of the cenote, a particular memory came to mind. It was a legend that I had heard as a child, a fairytale story about another cenote, similar to the one that I had just come across. I remembered hearing it from an old storyteller in the center of Rothnia while waiting for Nona to finish her appointment.
In the story, the cenote was said to be the gateway to the Underground, home of the Death God. It was said to be so deep that the water appeared black, and no one had ever been able to find it. No one had seen it for centuries. The story had always fascinated me, and being in this cenote made it feel as though I was one step closer to that magical world.
