That night, silence enveloped Ravienna's chamber. Heavy black drapes covered the large windows, allowing only faint moonlight to slip through. The cold air of Valerian crept through tiny cracks in the stone walls. In the center of the room, Ravienna tossed and turned on her four-poster canopy bed. Her mind was never truly at peace, always plagued by dark dreams that felt like ominous warnings.
In her dream, she found herself in an unfamiliar place. Before her stretched a shadowy forest, dense and foreboding, with whispers carried on the wind—indistinct yet haunting. At the heart of the forest stood a young man, his body covered in blood. Ravienna's gaze locked onto him—his face seemed familiar, yet obscured by the haze of the dream. The young man extended his hand and spoke in a faint, trembling voice, "Ravienna... please... I can't escape..."
Ravienna wanted to move, to help him, but her legs felt as though they were anchored to the ground. She couldn't speak, only watch with wide, fear-filled eyes. As the young man approached, something terrifying happened. Shadows from the trees around them began to move on their own, encircling him like living creatures. In an instant, the shadows coiled around his body, crushing him in an unseen grip. His screams pierced the air, so vivid that Ravienna's heart seemed to stop.
And then it was over. The young man collapsed before her, lifeless, and the ground around him cracked, as though time itself had shattered.
Suddenly, Ravienna awoke with a start, her body drenched in cold sweat, her breaths shallow and ragged. Her wide eyes scanned the dark room, which was eerily silent save for the faint whistle of wind from outside. Yet, the dream lingered, vivid and close, as if it had just unfolded in front of her.
"Who is he...?" she murmured, her voice trembling. Though the dream should have faded, the image of the young man clung to her mind. More than that, she felt a stirring within her—a power she had long feared. Whenever her emotions surged, the uncontrollable magic within her often erupted, leaving destruction in its wake.
Her hands trembled, and she quickly realized—something was changing in the room around her. The hourglass on the shelf in the corner suddenly shattered, its sand spilling onto the floor in a motion that defied time. The air in the chamber began to quiver softly, as though tension rippled between dimensions.
"No, not now...!" Ravienna whispered in panic. She shut her eyes, trying to calm herself. Yet the more she tried to suppress the emotions, the stronger the power within her fought back.
---
### ** A Desperate Glow**
Outside her chamber, the long and silent palace corridors began to tremble. Statues of the royal family lining the halls cracked in unnatural places. A faint purple light emanated from the gap beneath Ravienna's door, growing brighter and catching the attention of patrolling guards nearby.
"What's happening in there?" one of the guards asked nervously.
"It's... her again. Princess Ravienna." Another guard's face was pale with fear. They knew all too well the power of the youngest princess, and how at certain moments, when her emotions exploded, uncontrollable and immense magic would surge from her.
Inside her chamber, Ravienna was growing increasingly desperate. She collapsed to the floor, clutching her hair, wishing for the dream to vanish and for her powers to be silenced. "Why does this always happen...?"
In her turmoil, the image of the young man from the dream resurfaced in her mind. The familiarity of his face haunted her. Was he merely a figment of her imagination, or someone she had truly encountered?
---
### ** The Lone Confidant**
Ravienna remained awake in her chamber, her knees drawn to her chest, her face filled with confusion. The dream loomed over her like a shadow that refused to dissipate. She wiped the cold sweat from her brow, taking a deep breath before standing on unsteady legs. She knew there was only one person she could trust to share her dream with—a nobleman who held an important role in the kingdom.
Quickly, she grabbed a black cloak from a chair near her bed and wrapped it around herself. "I have to talk to him," she murmured. The dream felt too real to ignore. If anyone could decipher its meaning, it was her confidant.
The palace corridors were eerily quiet as Ravienna stepped out of her room. Only the soft sound of her footsteps echoed, while the flickering light from the torches cast dancing shadows on the walls. After several minutes, she arrived at the west wing of the palace, where her friend usually resided.
"Aurelian..." she whispered as she knocked softly on the large wooden door before her.
The door creaked open slowly, revealing an 18-year-old young man with sharp, aristocratic features. **Aurelian**, the eldest son of the **Kariel Family**, a noble house that served as a pillar of political power in Valerian. He wore formal royal attire, though his slightly disheveled hair suggested he had just woken up.
"Ravienna?" Aurelian's eyebrows furrowed in concern. His worried voice followed as he noticed the pale, shaken expression on her face. "What's wrong? You look... distressed."
Ravienna stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She remained silent for a moment, searching for the right words to explain what had just happened.
"I... I had a nightmare, Aurelian. But it wasn't just a dream. It felt so real, like I was seeing the future." Her voice trembled, filling the room with an air of unease.
"What did you dream about?" Aurelian asked, his gaze steady yet filled with concern.
Ravienna took a shaky breath, her voice faltering as she recounted the dream. "I saw a young man... he was gravely injured. Shadows in the forest ensnared him, and I could only stand there, powerless to save him. I felt helpless, and then... he died right in front of me."
Aurelian was silent for a moment. "Did you recognize him?" he asked softly, his tone gentle but probing, as though searching for clues in her words.
Ravienna shook her head. "No... his face was blurred, but I feel like I know him. I feel like the dream wasn't just a vision—it's a warning. Something is terribly wrong... something is coming."
Aurelian studied her carefully, trying to piece together the meaning of her words. As the son of a noble family entwined with the kingdom's politics, he knew that dreams coming to members of the royal family often carried deeper significance—especially if they involved Ravienna, whose powers intertwined with space and time.
"If your powers are connected to this dream, it could be a warning," Aurelian said at last. "But we need more clues. This dream may hold a greater meaning than we realize."
"But what if it's more than a warning?" Ravienna's voice quivered with unease. "What if it's something real—something that's about to happen?"
Aurelian sighed, his expression firm yet understanding. "Then we have to find out. There are still many secrets we don't understand about your powers, Ravienna. I'll help you, as I always have."
Ravienna felt a glimmer of relief at his words. Despite her family's rejection, Aurelian had always stood by her, the only one who truly understood her..
---
** The Tide of Fate**
Far across the ocean, amidst a brutal and harrowing battle, a young man stood on the deck of a burning ship. Chaos surrounded him—the cries of the wounded, the clash of weapons, and the roar of waves crashing against shattered vessels filled the stormy air. Above, the sky was dark and heavy, with storm clouds threatening to unleash their wrath upon the sea.
The young man steadied his breathing, his eyes ablaze with fury. Before him loomed a monstrous sea creature—a massive, menacing beast with writhing tentacles that tore through ships, destroying everything in its path. Yet it was not the monster that broke his heart, but the lifeless figure lying on the broken deck: the **captain**, a mentor and father figure to him.
The young man's eyes filled with grief, mingled with a simmering rage. **"Captain..."** he whispered, his voice barely audible amidst the cacophony of the battlefield. The captain, who had always led with courage and wisdom, now lay still, his blood pooling and staining the splintered wood beneath him.
But there was no time to mourn. The captain had given his life to protect the crew and stand against the monstrous foe. Now, the burden of continuing the fight rested on the young man's shoulders.
With unwavering resolve, he picked up the captain's sword—a weapon forged with ancient sea magic, passed down through generations. **"I won't let your death be in vain,"** he murmured, his voice low but resolute. Turning to face the creature, he steeled himself for the impossible battle ahead.
With a determined gaze, he leapt toward the beast, striking with every ounce of strength he could muster. Explosions of magical energy and the shrieks of the monstrous sea creatures filled the air. Yet in his heart, there was only one goal—to avenge the captain's death and carry forward the mission that had driven their journey thus far.
Through the thick mist blanketing the ocean, a distant island loomed faintly on the horizon. It was their destination—the place where answers to their quest awaited, a place where destiny would unfurl.
---
Meanwhile, Ravienna wrestled with the unease brought on by her haunting dream. Across the ocean, the young man fought unimaginable forces, driven by a purpose that unknowingly intertwined with her own fate.
Two worlds, seemingly separate, were on a collision course, their destinies bound together by forces greater than either could imagine. The mystery hung in the air: who was the young man in Ravienna's vision, and how did the battle at sea connect to the fragile future of Valerian?