The child's declaration echoed across the battlefield, a sound that seemed to hang in the air long after it was spoken. Every soldier froze, their weapons half-raised, their shouts caught in their throats. The storm above churned ominously, its energy suspended as if awaiting what would come next.
The princess's gaze locked onto the child. She felt her heart pounding, her breath shallow, yet she took a step closer. "What do you mean, 'not our war'?" she called out, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands.
The child's glowing eyes fixed on her, calm and unreadable. "The war you fight is but a shadow," they said, their voice quiet but carrying. "The real battle lies beyond what you see. Yet you insist on tearing each other apart."
"Do you mean to stop us?" Selene's voice rang out, sharp and unyielding. She had dismounted, her dark cloak billowing as she strode forward, her soldiers parting to let her through. Her steely gaze pierced through the tension like a blade.
The child tilted their head slightly, their expression one of mild curiosity. "I am not here to stop you. I am here to show you."
"Show us what?" Selene demanded, her tone laced with suspicion.
"The truth," the child replied simply.
---
The princess turned to Eldric, who stood ready at her side. "This feels like something more than we've prepared for," she said in a low voice.
Eldric nodded grimly. "It's not just us anymore. Look at them."
He gestured toward Selene's army. Though they stood in formation, their usual precision was fractured. Faces once hardened with resolve now showed doubt and unease. Even Selene's iron grip seemed to falter, if only for a moment.
"This child is breaking the battlefield," Eldric said.
The princess tightened her grip on her sword. "And yet we all stand here, caught in their orbit."
---
Within the temple, the seeker watched from the shadows, her breath shallow as she took in the scene outside. Her eyes lingered on the child, standing exposed yet unfazed under the scrutiny of hundreds.
"Do you feel it?" she asked softly.
The child turned to her, their glowing eyes dimming slightly. "The weight of everything?"
"Yes."
The child paused, their expression clouded. "I don't think they'll listen. Not all of them."
"They don't need to," the seeker said. "Fate has already chosen. You just have to endure long enough for it to reveal itself."
---
Selene took another step forward, her blade unsheathed. Its edge glinted in the fading stormlight, a deliberate display of power.
"You speak of truth and shadows," she said, her voice steady and commanding. "But words are meaningless without action. What is it you want, child? What do you offer that is worth more than the survival of my kingdom?"
The child's gaze didn't waver. "I offer understanding. A chance to see beyond the storm."
Selene's lips curled into a cold smile. "Then show me."
Before the child could respond, a sudden tremor shook the ground. Gasps and shouts erupted as soldiers stumbled, the earth beneath them groaning as though something ancient and powerful stirred.
The seeker's voice was sharp and urgent. "They're coming!"
The child's glowing eyes flared brighter than ever. "It's begun."
---
At first, it was a whisper, carried on the wind—a sound like distant footsteps. Then it grew louder, a pounding rhythm that shook the air itself.
From the far horizon, figures emerged. They were not human, nor beast, but something in between: towering shapes cloaked in shadow, their forms shifting and writhing as though they were made of the storm itself.
The armies recoiled, their fear palpable. Even Selene took a cautious step back, her confidence wavering.
"What are they?" the princess whispered.
The child turned toward her, their voice steady but tinged with sorrow. "They are the reason this war means nothing. And they are what you must face together—if you can."
---
The battlefield erupted into chaos as the shadowed figures advanced. Soldiers screamed, swords clashed, and the storm roared back to life, its fury unrelenting.
The princess found herself beside Eldric, their backs against the temple's stone walls. "What do we do?" she asked, her voice rising over the din.
Eldric glanced at the child, who stood unmoving in the center of the chaos. "We follow the one who seems to know what's happening," he said grimly.
"Are you sure they do?"
"No," Eldric admitted, drawing his sword. "But what choice do we have?"
---
In the midst of the chaos, the child raised their hand, the crescent mark on their palm glowing brighter than ever. The shadowed figures hesitated, their forms flickering as though caught between existence and oblivion.
The armies, too, faltered, their focus torn between their enemies and the strange, radiant force emanating from the child.
The child's voice rang out, clear and commanding: "This is the truth you sought. And it will break you, unless you stand together."
But whether the armies would heed this call—or fall to their own mistrust—remained to be seen.