The skies darkened further, the storm growing angrier as if the heavens themselves bore witness to the unfolding conflict. The world was teetering on the edge, and He watched as the threads of fate began to tighten. The kingdoms, unaware of the greater forces at play, marched closer to their reckoning.
In the forest near the old temple, the air grew colder. A faint hum, like the whisper of a distant melody, seemed to vibrate through the trees. The child sat on the cracked stone floor, tracing the faint crescent mark on their palm. Though the villagers avoided the temple, the child felt no loneliness. The whispers in the air kept them company, soothing and foreboding all at once.
A flicker of light caught the child's eye. A figure stood at the temple's entrance—a traveler cloaked in a tattered gray robe. The child tilted their head, unafraid, as the figure stepped closer.
"You have been waiting," the traveler said, their voice calm and steady.
The child didn't answer, but their eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, reflecting something far beyond this world.
The traveler knelt, lowering their hood to reveal an older woman with silver-streaked hair and sharp, piercing eyes.
"They will come for you," the woman continued. "But you must not fear. Your path is already written."
The child finally spoke, their voice soft but resolute. "Who are you?"
"I am a seeker," the woman replied. "A wanderer of the old ways. And you... you are the key."
---
At the Eastern Battlefield
The princess stood amidst the chaos, her sword heavy in her hand. The clash of armies had grown fiercer with the arrival of the Black Sun forces. Her soldiers, though brave, were faltering against the unrelenting tide.
"Fall back!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the noise. "Regroup at the ridge!"
As her men scrambled to obey, she turned to Eldric, who had ridden to her side. The old advisor looked grim, his face pale with exhaustion.
"This is madness," Eldric muttered. "They outnumber us ten to one. We cannot hold this line."
"We have no choice," the princess replied, her voice firm despite the doubt creeping into her mind. "If we fall here, the kingdom is lost."
Before Eldric could respond, a horn sounded in the distance—a low, mournful note that sent a chill through the battlefield. The Black Sun soldiers paused, their eyes darting toward the horizon.
A new force had arrived.
Through the rising smoke, the banners of Queen Selene's army emerged. Dark and imposing, they moved with precision, their black-armored knights cutting through the field like a scythe through wheat.
The princess's heart sank. "Another enemy," she whispered.
But Selene's army did not strike the Eastern forces. Instead, they clashed with the Black Sun soldiers, their brutal efficiency carving a path through the chaos.
"What is she doing?" Eldric asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
The princess shook her head, unable to answer.
---
From Above
He observed the battlefield with unblinking eyes, noting the convergence of forces. The princess, Queen Selene, and the armies of the Black Sun—all drawn to this moment, as if by some unseen hand.
The threads of fate were pulling tighter, drawing the players toward the child who sat in the temple, unaware of the storm that approached.
He did not intervene. It was not His role to shape the story, only to witness it. Yet even He could feel the subtle shift in the fabric of reality. The child's presence was like a gravitational force, bending the wills of men and women, altering the course of kingdoms.
And fate, as always, had a plan.
---
At the Temple
The seeker led the child to the temple's altar, her hands trembling slightly as she uncovered an ancient sigil carved into the stone.
"This place is older than the kingdoms," she said, her voice hushed with reverence. "Older than the wars, older than the prophecy. It was here that the first truths were spoken, and it is here that your journey must begin."
The child placed their hand on the sigil, and the crescent mark on their palm began to glow. The light spread through the cracks in the stone, illuminating the dark temple with an otherworldly brilliance.
The seeker stepped back, her expression one of awe and fear. "They will come for you," she repeated. "But you must decide what you will be. Savior or destroyer—your choice will shape the fate of this world."
Outside, the storm raged. The armies drew closer. And the child, marked by the eclipse, stood at the center of it all, unaware of the forces that sought to claim them.