Prologue
Entry 1 - October 17th
Dear diary, my day started off as it always did. I joined the guard on their daily patrol; I B̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶e̶d̶-
I mean- aided my brother in his daily duties as lord.
And I finished off my evening with Daniel—
well At least that was the plan, today I would learn things never go to plan. Not at all.
Now let's begin where my life should have ended.
— October 17th - the day the sky fell.
———-
Drip, drop drip.
The soft drops of rain echoed in Lilias ears as she lounged lazily on the railings.
Leaning out further, icy raindrops splattered onto her forehead, trailing a small river down her cheeks, then plummeting to the floor. Their chilly touch was a far cry from the earlier morning's heat.
The cool night air pushed back her golden brown hair; that night wasn't too hot nor too cold; just right for a nice walk, even if it was raining.
Music resounded in the air, beautiful harmonies echoing from the village below the hill of her home.
Sounds she knew would last all night till dawn, for
tonight was the night of crystal tears, when stars would dance through the sky and welcome the coming winter.
While the party reigned below, Lilia opted to spend a relaxing night in her home.
She stood further out and caught raindrops with her tongue, enjoying the cool feel on her skin.
A small laugh fluttered through Lilia at the thought of her husband's face if he saw her playing in the rain, the worried scrunch in his eyebrows, the way his eyes would widen; in a way it was adorable how much he worried for her.
A warm brush on her shoulder jolted Lilia out of her thoughts, She peeked over her shoulder to find her husband himself.
'Speak of the devil.'
He smiled gently, as the teal of his eyes met hers. "What are you doing out here, sweetheart? You'll catch a cold."
Daniel murmured into her ear, sealing his message with a kiss on Lilia's temple. His bouncy orange curls tickled her face as he pulled back.
"Oh, please, you know I never catch colds." Lilia straightened up from the balconies railing and faced him with a smirk. Daniel wasn't much taller than she was, but she still had to look up to meet his eyes.
"Let's not start now then." His response was sharp but there was a hint of humor in his smile. Daniel's expression changed, then; his eyes wandered past his wife and towards the horizon, he clenched his jaw, and his eyebrows creased with worry.
In the midst of their little banter, She almost missed the echoing silence that had usurped the rain's constant roar. Almost. Rain doesn't just stop; it wanes until it dissipates. Something was wrong.
Lilia followed his gaze and felt the air vanish from her lungs.
Like crystal tears of a chandelier, thousands upon thousands of raindrops had halted mid-air, all the way to the horizon. Everything was deathly still.
Then, out of the blue, a resounding crack tore through the chilling calm. Dark mounds rose from the hardened earth and gales sharp as blades slashed anything in its path cutting down trees and houses as it pushed through.
The once vast green wood was now overwhelmed by dark mountains, as far as the eye could see and the beautiful star filled sky was now hidden dark clouds of ash.
The force overwhelmed Lilia inch by inch, like water filling up a well.
A chorus of screams lambasted her ears from the village below. Her throat dried up at the sinking realization. They were all gonna die.
Run. She had to run, somewhere safe to hide from this approaching storm; Daniel seemed to have the same idea, he had disappeared from her side when she turned around and was already ahead of her.
Lilia took one more look outside, before she turned and followed her husband. The inside of their home, once warm and comforting now felt abyssal.
Lilia immediately entered her bedroom, dull lighting filtered through the windows, there wasn't much in their room; a oak bed and small dresser in the corner. Lilia walked to the dresser packed what clothes she could fit into a bag, hers, Daniels and Raylas, then anything else that might be of value.
Lila eyed the decorations in the hall as she left her bedroom. the family portraits, small arts and crafts her child made, and furniture that made this a home. How much would she be able to bring with her, and what would she have to leave behind ?
Sounds of clutter rang through the house as
Daniel rushed into the halls, a measly knapsack on his back, and their daughter in his arms.
Rayla slept calmly despite the anxiety pacing through her father.
"Lilia" he called out to her "we need to leave" he said.
Lilia's feet felt rooted to the ground, she had grown In this village, she had married, she had lived, how was she meant to just leave it all behind, where would they even go.
"I promise you we will come back, just- please we need to go" he begged quietly.
It was a lie, she knew it was, but if she didn't force herself to believe it, she wouldn't have been able to leave.
Daniel held Lilias hand tightly as they swiftly left their home, entering the woods outside. The screams still echoed into the night completely replacing the once bright and festive music.
As they approached a clearing on the hill, Lilia watched as the same Dark mounds she had witnessed before from a distance grow. Black crystallite rocks tore through the ground blocking the way back. this wasn't normal. This was pure and disastrous, magic.
"Lilia, watch out!" Daniel yelled, his eyes wide.
His warning came one second too late, a gnarly ink-black beast with claws as sharp as knives sprang from the trees and straight towards her.
But just as she was within its grasp a bright flash surrounded Lilia.
And then, her world turned dark.
