Reynard raced through the dense forest, the sound of General Cedric's pursuit growing fainter with each desperate step. His breath came in ragged gasps, pain searing through his body from the dark orb's impact. He knew his time was running out.
Bursting through the last line of trees, Reynard stumbled to a halt at the edge of the forest. Before him lay the magnificent floating islands of Valaraeth, their majestic forms suspended in the sky by ancient magic. He felt a surge of relief and joy—he had reached the Kingdom of Beasts.
With a grim smile, he looked down at the baby in his arms. He knew the dark orb magic Cedric had used was wreaking havoc on his internal organs, slowly draining his life force. He didn't have much time left. He carefully placed the baby on the ground, her tiny form looking so fragile against the vast landscape.
From his cloak, Reynard drew a beautiful pendant, its gemstone shimmering with a soft, ethereal light. He placed it around the baby's neck, whispering a protective incantation. The pendant would ensure her safety and mark her as a ward of Valaraeth.
Gathering the last of his strength, Reynard raised his hands and began to chant, summoning his remaining power. The air crackled with energy as a portal began to form, its edges glowing with a bright, golden light. Sweat dripped from his brow, and his vision blurred, but he focused solely on his task.
The portal solidified, revealing the other side—the island of dragons, a place of sanctuary and legend. Reynard gently lifted the baby and placed her at the portal's edge. "Be safe," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "You are the hope of your Mother."
With a final burst of energy, he pushed the baby through the portal, ensuring her safe passage. As the portal closed behind her, Reynard collapsed to the ground, the toll of the dark orb magic and his exertion finally catching up to him.
Lying there, he heard the distant shouts of Cedric and his men approaching. He knew he had done everything he could to protect the child. A sense of peace washed over him as he closed his eyes, the sounds of the approaching enemy fading into the background.
The last thing he felt was the warmth of the pendant's magic resonating in the air, a sign that the child was safe. With his mission complete, Reynard allowed himself to drift into the darkness, his final thoughts a prayer for the child's future.
~~~~~~~
Her heart pounded with a desperate rhythm, echoing her fear and anguish. Every step in that abyss felt like an eternity, the suffocating void offering no respite, no glimpse of hope.
"How much longer?" She whispered into the void, her voice a frail echo of her former resolve.
She staggered on, her movements heavy with weariness, haunted by the repetition of the same bleak landscape.
"Darkness... always darkness," she muttered bitterly, her breath catching in her throat as tears mingled with the shadows around her.
"Why am I here? How did it come to this?" The questions were like blades slicing through her sanity.
Suddenly, with a scream, She snapped awake, her eyes snapping open to find no solace in light, only the continuation of the endless darkness.
Doubt clawed at her mind relentlessly. "Am I awake? Or am I still trapped within this nightmare?" She reached trembling hands to touch her face, to verify her existence, yet uncertainty clung to her like a second skin.
Time lost meaning in that timeless realm—was it a year, a decade? Memories blurred and faces faded, slipping away beyond her grasp.
"Why?" she cried out to the unseen forces, her voice tinged with bitterness and rage. "What did I do to deserve this torment?" Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, her laughter a hollow echo of despair.
"Pathetic," she spat the word with venom, her voice laced with self-loathing. "To fall for their lies, to shed tears for those who caused this darkness."
Her gaze pierced the void with a mix of anger and unquenchable sorrow, her deep purple eyes reflecting a tumultuous storm of emotions. "I will not be broken," she declared through gritted teeth, defiance shimmering amidst her tears.
"I will endure, and when I return, their hell will begin." Her words echoed into the emptiness, a vow etched in pain and determination.
As she sank deeper into the abyss, the darkness threatened to consume her very soul. Memories slipped away like grains of sand through her fingers, each loss a knife in her heart.
"I won't forget," she whispered, her voice barely audible amidst the oppressive silence. "I won't let them fade away. Not until I make them pay."
As her endurance wore thin in the relentless darkness, her despair grew deeper, mingling with a burning resolve to confront those who had brought her to this abyss.
"They think they can bury me here," she muttered bitterly, her voice echoing faintly in the oppressive silence.
"But when I break free, they will face a reckoning like no other." Her words carried a chilling certainty, born from the raw anguish of betrayal.
"They will beg for mercy," she continued, her voice trembling with a mixture of rage and sorrow. "But there will be none. Not after what they've done to me." The darkness seemed to absorb her words, amplifying their intensity.
Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, nails digging into her palms. "I will tear down everything they hold dear," she vowed, her voice now a fierce whisper.
"Just as they shattered my world, I will dismantle theirs." Each syllable dripped with venomous determination.
Memories of their deceit flashed before her mind's eye—promises broken, trust betrayed. "They thought they could silence me," she seethed, her breath hitching with unshed tears.
"But I will scream their sins to the world. Let everyone see the monsters they truly are."
Her hatred burned within her, the intense pain surged like a slithering snake, constricting her entire body. A gasp escaped her lips as she looked down at the glowing mark on her wrist.