Malar
The corner of the dimly lit room felt suffocating as I sat there, my thoughts plagued by the possibility of losing Asvlumina. Images flashed through my mind—vivid, haunting memories that had long remained buried.
I was six years old, trapped in a dark room with only a small window letting in light. I had drawn on the cracked walls to pass the time, but that day was different. A magical circle suddenly appeared in the corner, and two shadowy figures stepped out of it. A small girl followed them hesitantly, her eyes wide with fear.
The memory dissipated as quickly as it came, and reality crashed back in. Keiran and Lumina stood nearby, their faces pale, and Verena was outside, her expression unreadable. For a moment, she looked haunted—like someone recalling a terrible dream.
I turned my focus back to Asvlumina. Her body trembled as her pale hand twitched. Her breathing was uneven, and the greenish hue spreading from her wound confirmed my worst fear: she was poisoned. The arcainet poison was working its way through her veins, and we had no time to lose.
"The only thing that can help her is scartic vera," I said, forcing myself to sound calm. "It's a rare plant I once found in the deserts of Safa. It draws out arcainet poison, but it's delicate work. We have five minutes before the poison spreads too far."
Keiran, ever the optimist, clapped his hands together. "Yes! Where is it? Let's get it right now!"
I sighed, trying to keep my frustration in check. "It's at the shop. I'll go and get it."
Keiran opened his mouth to argue, but Lumina gently tugged at his sleeve. He glanced down, then back at me. "I'll go with you," he said quickly.
"No," I replied firmly. "Stay here and watch over Asvlumina." I hesitated, then admitted, "The truth is... I don't trust you."
Keiran's expression faltered, but I pressed on. "I want to trust you, but it's taking everything I have. Until Asvlumina gets better, promise me you'll stay here."
Lumina started to protest, but I held up a hand to stop him. "Promise me."
The twins exchanged a look before nodding reluctantly. Satisfied, I left the room, my steps quick and determined.
---
A Few Minutes Earlier
When Lumina and Keiran reached the battlefield's edge, they froze. The chaos before them was overwhelming—buildings lay in ruins, and the air smelled of ash and blood. At the center of it all stood Marlic Dyrelis, his presence commanding and unnerving.
Their eyes scanned the scene until they spotted me and Asvlumina. Keiran laughed nervously. "See? Nothing to worry about! Malar is still alive!" He grinned and shouted, "Malar! Asvlumina!"
As he ran toward us, Lumina followed close behind, and Verena trailed farther back, her face tight with concern.
Marlic, meanwhile, had freed Lyrie and her dragon from an arcainet web. He stretched his hand out to her. "Need some help?"
Lyrie slapped his hand away and rose on her own. "I don't need help from the likes of you."
Marlic smirked but said nothing. As she began to walk away, he called after her, "Remember, all ten great family members must be present tonight. We can't have you dying or forgetting."
She stopped, glaring over her shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm not dying anytime soon, and I won't forget." Her dragon faded into the shadows as she disappeared into the chaos.
---
Back near the ruined buildings, Asvlumina collapsed. Blood poured from a reopened wound on her hand, and her skin began turning green as the poison spread. She swayed, her vision blurring, before fainting.
"Damn it!" I muttered, dropping to my knees beside her.
"What happened?" Jack demanded, kneeling beside me.
"She's been poisoned," I replied, my voice heavy with guilt. "The arcainet... it must have been its tail when it struck her."
Jack clenched his fists. "Why didn't you notice sooner?"
I couldn't answer. My thoughts were spiraling as I muttered under my breath, "Why did you have to fight so recklessly?"
Lyrie arrived, looking alarmed. "What's going on?"
Moments later, Lumina and Keiran appeared, their expressions shifting from confusion to shock. Lumina fell to the ground, his hands shaking. "What... what is happening?"
I cradled Asvlumina tightly. "There's still time. There's still time!" I turned to Lyrie, desperation lacing my voice. "You summoned a dragon earlier, right? We need it now!"
Lyrie shook her head. "I can't. Once a dragon is summoned, there's a cooldown period. It'll be at least fifteen minutes before I can call it again."
As Verena finally arrived, she skidded to a halt, horrified by the scene before her. The destruction was one thing, but seeing Asvlumina lying motionless in my arms shattered her composure.
I ripped a strip of cloth from my cloak and tied it tightly around Asvlumina's arm, trying to slow the poison's spread. "This will buy us a little time," I muttered. My eyes darted to a small intact house among the ruins. "We need shelter."
Carrying her carefully, I made my way into the building.
---
Inside, Jack knelt beside me, his expression a mixture of worry and confusion. He looked at me sharply. "What are we going to do?"
I glanced down at Asvlumina, her trembling form worsening by the second. My face tightened with worry as I muttered, "The only way to stop the poison is with a rare plant called the scartic vera"
Jack looked at me sharply. "What is this scartic vera you mentioned earlier?"
I glanced at him, my jaw tightening. "It's a rare plant I once found in the deserts of Safa. It's the only thing that can draw out arcainet poison, but it's delicate work. We have five minutes before the poison spreads too far."
Jack's frown deepened. "And where exactly do we find it?
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. "It's at the shop.
---
Present Time
I sprinted through the streets of Forevemore, the world around me a blur. Shadows flickered at the edges of my vision, and I felt the weight of someone watching me.
But I couldn't stop. Not now.
Time was running out.
-
To be continued