Aella stumbled through the mist, her tears blurring the path ahead. Her brother's cruel words echoed in her mind, cutting deeper with each step. How could he? she thought, her heart heavy with despair. How could he just abandon me like that?
These though raddled her brain as she had been outcasted both in body and mine this left her feeling more alone and vulnerable than ever before. This was the first time she had ever felt so low, so utterly abandoned.
She was barely 17, an owl-woman of striking beauty, her appearance a blend of ethereal grace and youthful innocence.
Her feathered wings, usually the pride of her family, shimmered in shades of silver and gray, each feather perfectly aligned like the scales of a mythical beast.
In the sunlight, they would glint and catch the light, giving her an almost celestial appearance, as if she were a creature of the stars themselves. However, they were ruffled and dirty, the once-pristine feathers marred by mud and debris from her frantic escape.
Her delicate features were marred by the streaks of tears, her soft, pale skin flushed from crying. She looked every bit the lost and frightened girl that she was, despite the strength that lay hidden within her.
She felt as if the world had turned against her, the vast forest around her amplifying her sense of isolation. "I was only trying to help," she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible over the rustling leaves. But he didn't see it that way. He never sees it that way.
Her steps faltered as the realization hit her harder than before—she was truly alone.
"What do I do now?" she murmured, her voice trembling as she glanced around at the towering trees. The forest seemed to close in on her, the shadows growing darker, more menacing. Where am I even going?
She tried to hold back her tears, but the fear and loneliness were too overwhelming. "I'm lost," she choked out, her breath hitching. No one will find me here. I'm all alone.
As she walked, her mind raced, trying to find a glimmer of hope. Maybe I can find shelter... Maybe if I just keep moving... But the rational part of her mind knew that she had no supplies, no direction. "What if I don't make it out of here?" The thought sent a fresh wave of panic through her, her tears falling more freely now.
When her foot caught on the root and she tumbled into the ravine, it felt like the final straw. The impact left her dazed, the pain in her head dull compared to the ache in her heart.
Why does everything have to be so hard? she thought bitterly, struggling to sit up.
As her vision cleared, the sight of the skeletons around her sent a chill down her spine.
"No... no, no, no," she whispered, shaking her head as if denying the reality in front of her. I can't stay here. I have to get out. I have to keep going. But as she tried to push herself up, her hand brushed against a ribcage, and she froze.
The spider emerged from the bones, its appearance so sudden and terrifying that Aella could barely think. "Spiders... why did it have to be spiders?" she muttered, her voice shaking. Her fear of them was deep-rooted, and now it was paralyzing her.
When the creature lunged at her, her scream was pure instinct, her magic flaring in desperation. "Stay away!" she cried out, her wind magic pushing the creature back. But the movement only disturbed more of the bones, and with them, more creatures.
A creature with eight long, spindly legs crawled out from under the bones, its body a ghastly white, its carapace adorned with a red, skull-like marking.
Aella's heart nearly stopped at the sight. Spiders—anything but spiders. She would have preferred to be eaten alive by dragons than to face a spider, let alone one as terrifying as this. The spider, feeling threatened by the disturbance, lunged at her with terrifying speed.
Aella screamed, a high-pitched, panicked cry that echoed off the ravine walls. In her desperation, she summoned wind magic, instinctively pushing the creature away with a gust of air.
The force of the wind sent bones scattering in every direction, and with them, more spiders emerged from the piles, disturbed by the sudden movement. Their beady eyes, black and glistening, locked onto Aella's trembling form, hunger evident in their every movement.
Oh gods, no," she whimpered as she saw the swarm advancing. Her mind screamed at her to do something, to run, to fight, but her body wouldn't obey. I'm going to die here, she realized, the thought filling her with a cold, sinking dread. "This can't be how it ends," she whispered, her voice barely audible as the spiders closed in.
They moved in unison, their legs clicking as they advanced on her, a nightmarish swarm of skittering death. Aella's fear was palpable, her body frozen with terror as she realized she was surrounded.
Tears streamed down her face, falling onto the creatures that now encircled her. She tried to summon her magic again, but her terror had her paralyzed, her thoughts too scattered to focus.
One spider lunged, its chelicerae sinking into her flesh. The pain was immediate and excruciating, ripping a scream from her throat as she felt the venom burning its way into her veins. Her strength failing as the spiders closed in, their numbers overwhelming.
When the first spider bit into her flesh, the pain was blinding. "Please... someone... anyone..." she gasped, but she knew no one would come. I'm really going to die here... alone, in the dark...
As her vision blurred and the venom spread through her veins, Aella felt a deep, crushing despair. This is it. This is my grave. The thought was too much to bear, and as the darkness closed in, her last conscious thought was of her brother. Zephyr...