As far as his eyes could see, there was nothing but barren, empty ground. The earth was cracked and parched, like the flesh of a corpse, and the wind howled across it like a dying breath.
The only light coming from the moon, which hung like a blood-red locket in the sky, its sickly light casting a hellish glow over the plain, turning the grass a deathly shade of ebony.
The shadows seemed to coil and twist, dancing to some sinister rhythm, making the air feel heavy and suffocating.
Valthari felt his heart racing as though it were trying to escape his chest. He took a deep breath, trying to still himself. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something moving.
He turned his head, and there, in the distance, he saw a Castle.
The castle floated over the plain like a giant, malevolent shadow, its towers jutted into the dark sky like fangs ready to strike.
The stone walls were black and pitch as though they had been carved from the heart of a dark and ancient forest. The only light came from torches that flickered like dying embers, casting creepy shadows across the ground.
He drew closer, his feet crunching on the gravel beneath him. Stopping in front of the castle he looked up at the archway and saw a symbol carved into the stone above it.
The eerie symbol looked so real, and as he continued to gaze at the twisting shape, he felt as though the crimson eye was staring directly into his soul, causing goosebumps to rise along his arms and a chill to settle in his bones.
Taking a deep breath, Valthari stepped through the mouth-like arch, instantly feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. The overwhelming darkness inside pressed down on him, creating a sense of dread.
As his eyes adjusted to the gloom, something in the distance caught his attention, sending a shiver down his spine. A small figure lay curled up on the ground, its features obscured by the shadows. The closer he got, the more his heart pounded until he was near enough to make out what it was.
"It's a baby," he thought to himself, heaving a gentle sigh of relief, The child was wrapped in red linen, sound asleep.
"How could such innocence be found in a place meant for cruelty?" he pondered feeling so drawn by the calmness and naivety of the child yet confused by its surrounding.
He reached out his hand to touch the child, and as his fingers met its skin, he felt a warmth emanating from the baby— a heat that seemed to push back against the cold, gloomy atmosphere of the castle. The baby's skin was as soft and smooth as velvet that one could think it was charged with a vibrant energy.
Suddenly, the child's eyes snapped open, revealing two brilliant stars that startled Valthari and made him stumble back in shock.
Then, without warning, the entire building began to rumble, and a loud thunderous voice echoed around him;
"Behold the bringer of peace, at whose feet darkness crumbles."
As the words resonated in his mind, Valthari felt a surge of energy coursing through him. The air thickened with anticipation, and for a fleeting moment, he could almost see shadows retreating in fear.
But just as suddenly as it began, the rumbling faded into silence and Valthari found himself back in his study; the world around him unchanged, yet felt different.
He sat there frozen in place, the words of the voice still echoing in his mind…
"Elysia," his voice boomed through the chamber shattering every bit of silence that had been present. "Come to me at once." He spoke, his sightless eyes stilled and his breath slightly ragged, yet his demeanor unusually calm.
A few moments passed before a young woman, burst through the door, her golden locks glowing in the torchlight.
"You called, my Lord." She spoke softly, dropping to her knees with her head bowed and both hands placed on her thighs.
"A prophecy has been given," Valthari said, his face solemn, his voice low and intense. "And I must share its content. Summon the elders, and fetch me the tablet of stone at once!"
The young woman sprang to her feet, rushing to fulfill her master's command. Moments later, she returned breathless with a weirdly carved stone tablet clutched in her hands.
"Here it is, my Lord," she spoke, her voice trembling slightly as she handed over the stone tablet.
Valthari took it; his eyes closed and his fingers gently brushing over its smooth surface as if caressing a long-lost friend.
"The winds of change are blowing," he spoke, his voice soft yet commanding.
"Darkness will descend, and chaos will reign," he continued; voice cold with words echoing through the chamber.
"Write down what I say, this instant!" he commanded suddenly opening his sightless eyes to reveal strange, luminous orbs that made his servant shudder in fear. His voice boomed like that of a god, filling the chamber with an undeniable weight that quickened her heartbeat.
With trembling hands she took hold of stone tablet from her master's grasp; heart racing as she placed quill on its surface ready to write. But just as she was about to begin, strange voices filled the air around her, and the tablet began to glow with an eerie light.
Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her fingers, and blood began to flow, forming a small pool on the stone tablet.
Terrified, she tried to pull her hands away, but they felt stuck. Desperate, she called out for her master, but her voice came out like winds lost in chaos.
Turning her gaze back to the tablet, she saw golden words written in a strange language etched into the stone. Her eyes widened in fear, and a wave of dread washed over her, tightening her chest.
"The prophecy is set," Valthari declared, his face tilted upward, his sightless eyes appearing to gaze into the distance.
"It is written and has been sealed"...