Prologue: The Rift
Deafening metallic screeching ripped through the land, nearly mangling any eardrums that registered the brutal sound. A violent earthquake shook the castle and tore tall towers into rubble and dust as the ground cracked beneath their feet. Sudden blinding lights shattered the stained glass windows, shards shooting in every direction.
Otherworldly horrors slithered into the throne room, and no one moved or uttered a word. The room dimmed slowly as the glowing darkness engulfed the light, leaking out of the gaping rift before them, growing larger with each panicked breath. Hearts pounded in existential dread, scarring the minds of witnesses unable to escape the mystical sight of an incomprehensible terror.
“Witness the power your pathetic people squandered for thousands of years!” Plague-ridden flesh burned and peeled into disintegrating flakes as dark energy seeped into rotting cells. Blood dripped from ears that refused to listen to reason. Tyronia ignored the thick black liquid staining her decayed teeth and pouring from dry, bloody lips.
“Tyronia, stop!” A desperate plea rang out, panic latched onto each word. “The balance between the Realms—” Ehela struggled against her metal restraints, its heavy iron digging into her bloody wrists. “You’ll destroy everything!”
“THE SHADOW CRYSTAL IS MINE!” Tyronia bellowed, her orotund voice warping and twisting out of her mouth. Darkness threaded through each thin line of crusted flesh and sank into her sickly white skin. The black crawled into her veins, traveling across her pale complexion. Blood flowed from the corners of her eyes, merging with the black sludge spilling down her face and chest. “I WILL RULE OVER THE REALMS FOR ALL ETERNITY!”
"No! Tyronia!” No matter how much she fought against the restraints of Tyronia’s soldiers, Ehela was too weak to escape their grasp. Panic overwhelmed everyone’s senses as the rift expanded. Tyronia’s distorted, demonic laughter filled the room, the sound chilling every witness to the bone.
In the blink of an eye, the air was sucked out of the room and blown back, knocking everyone down and throwing them against the walls. Tyronia collapsed to her knees and shrieked with the power of a banshee, fingers clawing at her throat and face. Her body trembled violently, and her earsplitting wails grew to impossible volumes. The only comprehensible word coming out of Tyronia’s mouth was, “EHELA!”
The Shadow Crystal clattered on the floor, and Ehela fished out the cuff key from the pocket of a collapsed knight. Quickly freeing herself from the restraints, Ehela scrambled to her feet and ran to the crystal. She stumbled and snatched the crystal in front of Tyronia, and the pitch of her outraged and shrill screams rose higher. Tyronia extended her arm to steal it back, but Ehela held it out of reach. With her free hand, Ehela grabbed Tyronia’s head and pushed her flat on the ground. Ehela reached out next to her and took hold of a large shard of stained glass. She stared down at Tyronia and raised her arm. Tyronia’s eyes widened and her shrieks cut off with a wet gargle of blood flooding her mouth when Ehela stabbed her jugular, burying the glass deep in her throat. Blood sprayed from her wriggling body, her animalistic instincts giving a final push for survival until she finally went limp. Cries of shock rang out from the knights, who dragged themselves over to Ehela and their slain queen, but the rift impact ravaged their bodies too much to stop her.
Ehela stood, swaying on her feet, releasing her grasp on the glass, and limped weakly as it clattered to the floor. She curled her fist around the Shadow Crystal and raised both arms. The Shadow Crystal burned her skin, and she closed her eyes with a serene smile on her face as if to soothe the stone, and chanted a prayer with loving kindness in each syllable. The outpouring darkness of the rift dissipated, slowly crawling back to whence it came. Light shone through Ehela’s fingers, and she opened her hands, revealing the crystal shimmering with an impossible array of swirling colors.
The light radiated onto Ehela’s face, reflecting against her obsidian skin and white hair shining in holy brilliance. Her rose-gold eyes glowed as her final chants calmed the shaking earth beneath them. When the rift finally stitched itself together, the earsplitting sounds of terror ceased immediately, and the cold air returned through the shattered windows.
Wails of grief and sorrow rang out from the decimated city encircling the castle, breaking the deafening silence in the throne room. Collapsed homes buried thousands of bodies. Cracked streets littered with the mangled corpses of innocents who could not withstand the initial impact. The living ran to the streets to find someone, anyone, who might have survived. Emergency sirens drowned out the helpless screams of the living.
Ehela steadied herself against a broken column. With trembling hands, she clutched the crystal over her racing heart, and each breath she took was more labored than the last. Two men bursted through the door, and Ehela raised her head as they sprinted to her. Ignoring their panicked concern, she asked, “Is she safe?”
“Yes,” her most trusted guard replied. “She’s outside.”
Ehela nodded, allowing them to assist her escape from the castle. She placed the crystal in her chest bandages, securing it long enough to reach her end. “How is she?”
“Scared and shocked, but resilient and waiting for you,” her second advisor answered. “She said she’s ready.”
A tired smile grew on Ehela’s lips. “Of course she is. She’s the bravest girl I know. I’m forever honored to have been her mother.”
Her head guard frowned slightly as he carried Ehela down the long flight of crumbling stairs. He readjusted her position to ease pressure on her wounds, and she tightened her hold on the front of his bulletproof vest. Voice almost wavering, he pleaded, “Don’t say that, my chief. Don’t give up.”
Ehela huffed a laugh, exhausted beyond belief. “You two have always been the most sensible people in my life. Let us not lie about my condition. The crystal drained me, and my power was not enough to end the chaos. It will return one day. My wounds won’t heal. The plague weakened me too much.” Her guards set her down carefully, and she smiled at them. “Don’t fret. For now, it’s settled, and you can finally let out a breath of relief. You know what to do. I mean this from the bottom of my heart: thank you for everything you’ve done for me and our people. Your efforts will never be in vain. Thank you. Truly, thank you.”
They tried to hold back their grief and sorrow, but they couldn’t hide the tears welling in their eyes. The three of them shared a final hug, and she let out a long sigh, grateful to feel love at her unfortunate end.
Separating from their embrace, she held their arms again and said, “Let’s go. I need to see her.”
They reached the broken castle gates, and Ehela spotted her daughter on the armored unicorn, carrying her backpack with bare essentials. Her daughter’s struggles to reach the castle tore the ends of her white dress, and the fires singed the tips of her white dreadlocks in her escape. As Ehela approached, she called out, “Mommy! You’re back!”
Ehela’s relieved smile grew, her heart overwhelmed with love. She pulled out of her assistant’s grasp and wrapped her arms around her daughter. “My sweet girl. My brave, beautiful, wonderful daughter—I love you so much. You’re so strong. You made it, and I’m so proud of you.”
Her daughter whimpered, and her small hands gripped the back of Ehela’s shirt. “Please don’t go. Stay with me. Please, Mommy. I need you.”
Ehela pulled back and kissed her forehead. “I will always be with you, khelmahe. Do not be afraid. You will never be alone.” She reached into her shirt and pulled out the Shadow Crystal. Carefully handing it to her daughter, she closed her hand around it tightly, showing her to keep it safe and close. “You know what to do, baby.”
Bottom lip trembling, her daughter nodded. “Yes, Mommy. I know. I remember.”
Her smile growing wider with pride, Ehela pressed two kisses on her cheeks. She wiped her daughter’s tears away, but noted the tracks marking her soft, deep onyxy skin. “Stay safe, my love.” To her assistants, she said, “You must leave now. Stick to the plan. Do not look back.”
With heavy reluctance, they nodded in understanding, and they gave her their final bows.
“Yes, my chief,” her guard said. “We will protect her with our lives and do as you have instructed.”
“Thank you, my chief,” her advisor said. “You led our people to glory.”
“And may we live on forever.” Planting a final kiss on her daughter’s forehead, she said, “Stay strong. Never give up. Be true to yourself. Share your love, always fight for justice, and protect the weak. I love you, khelmahe.”
Through her tears, her daughter nodded and sobbed, “I love you, Mommy.”
Turning to her assistants, she ordered, “Go. Now. Keep her safe. Do what must be done.”
They nodded and wasted no time in mounting their armored unicorns, leading her daughter between them. Her guard flicked the unicorn’s reins, and they galloped off into the city, escaping through the chaos to safety. Ehela watched as they disappeared into the distance, blending in with the panic of the city streets. Once out of sight, Ehela let out a final, long breath and collapsed on the dirt and ashes beneath her feet.
