Verena (Two Years Earlier):
I stood in the middle of a vast white room, its emptiness suffocating. Slowly, shapes began to form in front of me—blurred at first, but then sharp and vivid. I saw myself, a child in Morana's arms. Her grip was firm, protective, as if the world around us threatened to shatter.
A shadowy figure loomed nearby, its voice sharp and urgent.
"They're here. I can hear them! Over here!"
The figure turned to Morana. "Run!"
Without hesitation, she obeyed. I could feel her desperation, her fear, as she clutched me tightly and ran. The scene played out like an echo, each footfall growing fainter, until the image vanished entirely.
The white room dissolved, and I found myself standing on a strange, desolate road. The air was heavy with an unfamiliar stillness. Then, a carriage rolled by, its wheels clattering loudly against the cobblestones. My heart froze as I saw two familiar faces peering out of the carriage"Lumina and Keiran".
"Lumina! Keiran!" I screamed, my voice trembling with desperation.
But they didn't hear me. The carriage kept moving, farther and farther away. I ran after it, my legs burning, my throat raw from shouting.
"Lumina! Keiran!"
No matter how hard I tried, the distance grew, until the carriage vanished completely. My knees buckled beneath me, and I collapsed onto the cold, unyielding ground.
"Lumina... Keiran..." I whispered, tears streaming down my face.
As the sky darkened, rain began to fall, soaking me to the bone. I wept openly, my sobs blending with the sound of the downpour, my grief as vast as the emptiness around me.
---
Lumina's Vision (Two Years Later):
I stood frozen in place, the world around me fading into a blur. Images flashed through my mind like a cruel memory dragged to the surface. I saw her—our mother—falling before my eyes. Her screams echoed as if they were happening all over again.
We were running, fleeing Soweto, but no matter how far we ran, we couldn't escape. Her death was inevitable, unavoidable.
My breath hitched as the vision sharpened. I saw her collapse, her body crumpling lifelessly to the ground. I could still feel the blood on my hands, hear her last words.
The vision changed suddenly. Asvlumina appeared, her cries piercing through my mind. She was kneeling beside a lifeless body—Malar's body.
"No..." I whispered.
The vision ended abruptly, and reality crashed down around me. Verena's arms wrapped around me, her tears soaking into my shoulder. She clung to me tightly, her grief a mirror of my own.
"Lumina," she said softly, trying to pull me back to the present. "Lumina, you had a vision, didn't you?"
Her words were a faint echo, barely reaching me through the haze of fear and confusion. My body trembled, torn between the present and the haunting images burned into my mind.
---
Keiran
The shop was quiet, save for the faint creak of the floorboards as I paced back and forth. My gaze flicked toward the door. "Where are they?" I muttered to myself.
The door swung open, and for a moment, my heart leapt. But it wasn't Lumina, Asvlumina, or Malar. Just an old man, stepping inside with slow, deliberate movements. My fleeting hope disappeared.
I sighed and returned to the counter. That's when someone else burst into the shop, panic etched on his face.
"Monsters! They're in the town!" the man shouted.
Before I could respond, a deafening explosion shook the building. My heart jumped.
"An explosion—of all days, it had to be today!" I muttered under my breath, grabbing my things. I dashed outside but quickly doubled back, locking up the shop as a crowd began to gather.
Rushing toward the source of the commotion, I mumbled to myself, "I'm sure they're there. And I bet they've gotten themselves into trouble. I just hope Malar and Asvlumina are okay."
As I sprinted down the street, I collided with someone, nearly toppling over.
"Watch where you're going!" the man snapped.
"Sorry!" I blurted, already running again.
The stranger turned, his gaze lingering on me as I disappeared into the distance. "Keiran Dyears... son of Roegadyn Dyears," he murmured. A shadow passed over his face. "I hope you're ready for what lies ahead."
---
The scene was chaos. The monster towered over the town square, its massive form defiant against the warriors surrounding it.
"Asvlumina!" someone shouted. I turned just in time to see her charging forward.
"Asvlumina, stop!" Malar called, running after her.
But she didn't stop. In a burst of light, she transformed into a griffin, her wings spreading wide as she took to the air.
A man with green hair and amber eyes—Jack—called out to her. His hand emitted a green glow as an axe materialized in his grip. With a mighty leap, he landed on Asvlumina's back, and together, they soared toward the monster.
Malar skidded to a halt beside me. He looked on helplessly. "She won't listen... she never listens."
Before I could respond, another warrior joined the fray. Lyrie Darynth, a petite girl with long black hair and piercing red eyes, threw a card into the air. A dragon materialized in a burst of flame, roaring as it took flight with Lyrie on its back.
The battle was intense, the monster roaring with fury. Jack swung his axe, but it barely scratched the creature's armored skin. Lyrie's dragon unleashed a torrent of fire, but it had no effect.
Malar cursed under his breath. "No! That's an Arcainet! Fire doesn't work on them—they're immune! Their only weakness is water!"
He turned to me, panic in his eyes. "Asvlumina has to use water magic! It's the only way!"
I couldn't move. My feet felt rooted to the ground as another vision overtook me.
I saw her—Asvlumina—kneeling beside a lifeless body. Malar's body. She was screaming, her grief shaking the earth itself.
"Lumina!" Verena's voice broke through, snapping me out of the vision. She was shaking me, her eyes wide with fear. "You had a vision, didn't you?"
I nodded, swallowing hard.
Malar overheard her words, his head snapping in my direction. "A vision?" he asked, distracted.
Before anyone could say more, Keiran's voice rang out.
"Lumina! Asvlumina! Malar!"
I turned to see my brother running toward us, his face a mixture of determination and worry.
"I knew it. I knew you'd be here," he panted.
The monster roared again, its shaking the ground beneath our feet.
--
To be continued