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The Endless Mist surrounded all of Edenvale—a great barrier that allowed no one to leave—a dungeon, a cell, a prison that kept us locked away from the outside world. For years, people had tried to bring the Endless Mist down, but nothing worked, and any hope of doing so was now lost to the past.
According to Ezra, the Endless Mist did not always surround Edenvale. Hundreds of years ago, mystical beings with extraordinary abilities arrived in frightened droves on the continent. They seemed desperate, as if they were fleeing something. Some came with their families, utilizing ships called knars—large cargo vessels with square-rigged sails. Others flew here, carried by their own wings. They were given many different names—angels, demons, monsters, fae—but one stood out the most, especially when it came to the ones who had wings—Demi Gods, the children of the Old Gods.
Seconds after the very last of the Demi Gods arrived, the Endless Mist appeared. The stories passed down explained it as a deep groan from the earth that quaked the entire continent, birthing the black, endless beast—a black serpent curled around its nested egg—Edenvale.
Although some Edenvalians blamed the Demi Gods for the Endless Mist, most were quite struck by them. The Demi Gods were enchanting, after all. They were beautiful and powerful, the likes of which Edenvale, a land of mortals, had never seen. Spellbound, the men and women of Edenvale mated with them, their offspring birthing the Cursed—sons and daughters with elemental powers.
For a time, there was peace.
But people began to abandon the religion endorsed by the royal family ruling Edenvale during that time. The people turned to the religion of the Demi Gods, known as the Old Religion, filled with tales of the Old Gods.
Like wildfire, the Old Religion spread.
Threatened by this, the royal family proclaimed the Old Religion illegal, and they started to push their endorsed religion on the people. The New Religion followed the New Gods. They demanded that all citizens of Edenvale worship the New Religion, that they be baptized under it. During this time, the Crown deemed the Demi Gods evil, utilizing the timing of the Demi Gods’ arrival and the creation of the Endless Mist to further push their agenda.
The Demi Gods were hunted down, but their kind were not easy to kill. Some were dragged into dungeons, tortured, and tormented—until the Crown learned that the combination of fire and iron was what made them weak. That was how the Cleansing began, although originally, it was intended only for the Demi Gods—not their offspring.
The ironic part of it all was that both the Old Religion and the New Religion shared common beliefs. Both consisted of a variety of gods and goddesses, with one separate entity who reigned supreme. Both religions referred to this being as the Creator.
I believed in the Creator, even though I didn’t really follow along with either of the religions. I knew more about the New Religion because information was easy to find—the king allowed it to be so.
As for the Endless Mist? I didn’t think about it a whole lot. It was here long before my birth, and it would probably be here long after my death.
I slipped out of my clothes, my feet quickening in pace before I launched into the lake.
Despite the chill of the early morning, the body of water was not cold, but warm. The lake was fed by an underground heated stream, which meant it never froze or dried up. This meant two things: it was a great place to bathe and a terrible spot to fish—the heat made them extra slimy.
After a long day of training and chores, Ezra used to bring us here when we were young, dirty, little gremlins. Not much had changed since those days—I’d seen her haul Kaleb’s grown ass down here more than once.
A smile touched my lips as I moved to the deepest part of the lake, my hands slowly swishing back and forth, feeling the smooth water glide between my fingers, over my skin. Inhaling a deep breath, I allowed my body to sink, my hair reaching towards the surface as I sank down into the dark abyss.
Sunlight held no dominion here.
The muddy bottom squished between my toes, coating them in lake floor essence, welcoming me home.
Here in this soundless world, I found peace.
Here in this soundless world, I could let my Curse be free.
I straightened my arms, my wrists touching as my left hand pointed upwards and my right hand faced down. I summoned my Curse, and like an old, faithful mare, it nudged against me, yearning to be let free—to play. I gave in and let my power out. A circle of water shot up around me, my power hurtling it upwards. I glanced up to the soft blue sky, my feet settled on the lake floor, as I inhaled a deep breath of air. With a flick of my wrist, the water twirled, creating a slow-motion hurricane that swirled playfully around me. I lowered my hands, untethered my will, and the water came crashing back down.
After I finished my morning dip, I stood on the shore, wiggling into my pants, the fabric like glue against my wet legs. I slung on my cotton shirt and buckled the thin leather band to my thigh that holstered my knife.
Something spooked amongst the trees and a flock of blackbirds took to the sky. I watched as they glided on the wind, carefree and safe and out of reach. I wondered what it must feel like to be unshackled from gravity. Free. And although I would never know until I was a soul floating in the Spirit Realm, an answer appeared as it drifted in front of me.
I reached out, my palm open-faced as a sleek black feather fell into my hand.
I marveled at the silken plume colored the blackest of black. The feather was huge, three times the size of my hand. And for a feather that should be light, it had considerable weight. I picked it up by the quill and raised it to the sky, slowly turning it. The rays of the sun shone against it, catching on golden, glittering fragments embedded in the plume—like starlight amongst an onyx sky. Beautiful.
This was not the first time the sky had gifted me one of these unusual, exquisite feathers. I had a small chest full of them back home—a chest Kaleb frequently asked why I kept empty. But it was far from empty. He just couldn’t see what was in it.
But Ezra could—I’d show her this one before I added it in with the rest of its kin.
Carefully, I tucked the feather into my back pocket and returned to the cottage, the trek taking close to an hour.
When I opened the front door, I paused midstep—the woman we brought home was sitting up, her mouth popped open, her horrified gaze locked on Ezra.
Ezra, being Ezra, had chosen this morning, of all mornings, to sort through her collection of bones. Big bones. Little Bones. Bloody Bones. Fleshy Bones. Smelly Bones. Riddled with worms bones.
