I took a long, shaky breath, trying to process my mother's words. Royalty? The thought of it felt so absurd, yet the glint in her eyes, a strange mixture of sadness and pride, made it hard to dismiss. My chest tightened, and questions tumbled out faster than I could think.
"Why now? Why am I hearing these whispers, feeling this… pull? Why didn't I feel it before?"
She hesitated, her gaze drifting to the stone in the center of the clearing. "Because you've reached the age when the bond to your true heritage awakens. I knew it would come eventually, though I hoped it would be later. The pull you're feeling is your power calling to you—calling you home."
The word "home" felt foreign, yet something about it stirred a strange longing within me. I swallowed hard, looking from her to the stone. "Home… where is it?"
She sighed, brushing a hand over her cheek. "Far from here, beyond the rivers and mountains, lies a land called Eldorahn. It's hidden from the eyes of those who don't belong, a kingdom protected by ancient magic. Your father was its ruler… and one day, it was meant to be yours."
The weight of her words crashed over me, heavy and relentless. My father? A king? But why had she kept all this from me? What happened to him? My mind flooded with questions, but I forced myself to take it one step at a time, my mother's face so full of quiet anguish that I didn't dare press too hard.
"How do I get there?" I asked, finding my voice.
She looked away, her fingers tracing faint patterns on her cloak. "The journey will test you, Raemir. It's not a place anyone can find on their own. The kingdom has been shrouded in magic since… since I left with you." Her voice trembled slightly, though she quickly steadied herself. "But you're of Eldorahn's blood. You'll feel its call, just as you felt tonight."
"But what am I supposed to do when I get there?" I whispered, the enormity of it all sinking in. "I don't know anything about kingdoms or magic… or power."
Her hand came to rest on my shoulder, firm and reassuring. "No one expects you to know everything now. You're still young, still learning. Eldorahn's power may be in your blood, but its secrets will reveal themselves slowly, in their own time. And as for the rest…" She managed a small, sad smile. "You'll find a way. You're stronger than you realize."
The intensity of her gaze made something flicker within me—a kind of warmth, a sense of belonging I hadn't even known I was missing.
"All I wanted was to give you a chance to grow up without fear," she continued, her voice soft. "But now that your power has begun to wake, you can no longer hide from the world. There will be those who can sense it, even from a distance. You must be ready, Raemir."
A chill ran through me. "So… I'm not safe here anymore?"
She shook her head, her face taut with worry. "Not like before. Now that your power stirs, it's like a beacon. Some would recognize it and seek you out—for good or ill."
I took a shaky breath, looking down at my hands. "Then I have to go, don't I? To Eldorahn."
She nodded slowly. "Yes. But not alone." She reached into a pouch at her waist and pulled out a small stone, smooth and polished, a faint blue glow emanating from its center. "This is a guide stone. It will light the way, but only for you. It will carry the energy of Eldorahn, and as you travel, you'll feel it guiding you."
She placed the stone in my palm, and a tingle ran up my arm. It was like a heartbeat, faint but steady, a rhythm that felt strangely familiar.
"Follow the stone," she said, her voice steady. "It will show you the path as you need it. And remember, Raemir… trust yourself."
I closed my hand around the stone, the warmth from it pulsing in tune with my heartbeat. The task ahead felt overwhelming, but as I held the stone, some of that fear ebbed, replaced by a flicker of courage.
"And you?" I asked, looking up at her. "Will you… come with me?"
Her eyes softened, and she reached out to touch my face. "I can't go with you. My place is here now, in Dawnveil. But I will be with you in spirit, in every step you take. And Raemir… there are people in Eldorahn who will recognize you, who will remember you. You won't be alone."
The finality of her words pressed down on me, but there was no anger left, only acceptance. She had given up everything to protect me, to give me a life without the chains of a crown. And now it was my turn to find out why.
We stood together in silence for a moment, the only sound the faint rustling of leaves around us. I wished I could stay like this forever, with my mother's hand on my shoulder, the forest calm and still. But the pull I'd felt all day surged within me, like a compass turning toward true north.
"When should I leave?" I asked, my voice breaking the quiet.
Her expression turned somber. "Tomorrow at dawn. It's best to start early and put as much distance between you and the village as you can. The journey will be long, and the path… uncertain."
I swallowed, a knot forming in my stomach. Dawnveil had been my home, my whole world. Leaving it felt like stepping into a void. But I wasn't a child anymore. This was something I had to do.
"Thank you," I said quietly, feeling the words were too small, too simple for all she had done for me.
She just smiled, pulling me into a tight embrace, and for the first time, I felt how small she was, and how much she had given of herself to make my life what it was. We stood that way, wrapped in the quiet comfort of each other, until finally, she stepped back.
"You should rest, Raemir. Tomorrow begins a new journey, one I've waited a long time for you to start."
With one last look at the stone in the center of the clearing, I followed her back toward our cottage. We walked in silence, her presence a calming anchor to the storm of thoughts raging within me.
That night, I lay awake, the guide stone resting on the small table by my bed. Its faint glow filled the room, casting soft shadows that danced along the walls. I stared at it, feeling its quiet rhythm pulsing in time with my own heart. Tomorrow, I would leave Dawnveil, following a path I couldn't yet see, heading to a land that was as much a mystery as my blood.
And yet… a strange certainty filled me. I didn't know what waited for me in Eldorahn, but whatever it was, it was a part of me. The whispers in the forest, the flashes of light beneath my skin, the distant memories—they weren't just strange occurrences. They were threads leading back to who I truly was.
At some point, exhaustion pulled me under, and I drifted off into a restless sleep. My dreams were filled with fragments of memories that weren't mine, glimpses of people and places that felt like echoes of something ancient and beautiful. I saw glimpses of a great castle, towers rising like mountains against a sky painted in shades of twilight. I felt the weight of a crown, cold and heavy, pressing down on me.
When dawn finally broke, a sliver of golden light seeped through my window, pulling me from sleep. I rose, slipping on my tunic and boots with a sense of finality, and tucked the guide stone into my pocket. Downstairs, my mother waited, her face calm but her eyes bright with unshed tears.
"Be safe, Raemir," she whispered, touching my cheek. "And remember, no matter how far you go, you are loved."
I nodded, swallowing back the lump in my throat. With one last, lingering glance at the cottage that had been my home, I turned and stepped outside. The early morning air was cool and fresh, the village still quiet and asleep.
And then, with the guide stone warming in my hand, I set off down the path, my heart beating in time with its pulse.