Diary Entry - The Day I Met Yasmine
It began as an ordinary day, I had been by the lake, taking a quiet moment to myself, the water cool against my fingers, the sun warm on my back. I was lost in thought, trying to clear my mind, when I noticed an elderly woman by the shore. She was struggling with a fishing net, her hands shaking as she worked to untangle the mess.
I found myself walking over to her, almost without thinking, and offering my help. She seemed hesitant at first but handed me the net, her eyes assessing me carefully. It didn't take long to fix her problem, and even less time to catch a few fish for her. She was quiet but thanked me with a small, grateful smile.
After I helped her carry her things back to her hut, I figured I'd be on my way. But when she invited me inside for tea, I felt something pull me to stay. It wasn't obligation, not exactly. But I just did.
The scent of herbs filled the hut. The walls were adorned with strange symbols, faintly glowing as if alive. Then something mind blowing happened.
Before my eyes, the frail old woman seemed to straighten, her hunched back suddenly full of strength. Her gray hair turned jet black, her age disappeared in a matter of seconds, and the light in her eyes intensified.
It wasn't just my imagination. I knew, in that instant, that the woman had just transformed!
She smiled at me, a knowing smile, and I realized with a start… this wasn't just some kind old woman. This was Yasmine, the priestess. The one who had saved Eldoria from the Hunger and cast the veil that had protected our kingdom.
She didn't reveal much at first, but it seemed to sense the depths of my questions, even before I asked them.
Yasmine told me that she had watched over the land for ages, and as I listened to her, I couldn't help but wonder if her long existence had been spent in search of hope.
As we spoke further, she shared with me a secret that had not even come up as gossip in the village. Apparently the Hunger wasn't the only threat Eldoria faced. There were forces far darker, plotting to destroy the Songbearers and the Veil bearer.
She mentioned a priestess named Laverna. Laverna had been conspiring for years, planning the deaths of the remaining Songbearers and the Veil bearer. She intended to send assassins, to strike and kill us. This would be to stop us from performing the rituals. Hence weakening the effects of the Veil.
She told me that if we were to stand a chance, we had to become stronger… stronger than we ever imagined.
I didn't know how to respond. How could we fight such evil? How could we, mere Songbearers, stand against a force so powerful, so relentless?
But Yasmine assured me that we weren't alone, that we would have allies, and that the time to grow stronger was now. She didn't give me all the answers, but she promised she would guide us, as long as we were willing to learn and train.
The Hunger might be the visible enemy, but the true battle lay ahead. It wasn't just about surviving anymore… it was about defeating the darkness that threatened to consume everything. We had to be ready. We had no choice.
Elysara closed the journal with a quiet sigh, her fingers lingering on the cover for a moment longer. Her mind whirled with the words she had just read. Her mother, Lyanna, had met the priestess Yasmine. Yasmine's warnings were no longer a warning to just her mother. They were now a warning to her. She was no longer just the daughter of a Songbearer. She was part of this legacy. She was a Songbearer.
She wondered how her mother had lived through knowing there were people out there determined to destroy everything she had fought for? How had she managed to live with that constant fear, knowing it could be the last day every day? Elysara shuddered at the thought. But even so, her mother had never stopped fighting. She had never backed down.
As Elysara looked out at the quiet night, she thought of her mother's strength. It had been so clear in the journal, in the way Lyanna had faced the threats with unwavering resolve. She had faced the darkness head-on, determined to protect her people, her family.
And now it's my turn, Elysara thought, feeling the pressure of the responsibility that seemed to fall onto her. But what could she do? She was still so young, so inexperienced. She had barely begun to understand her own powers. How could she possibly stand against assassins trained to kill the Songbearers and the Veil bearer?
But then again, her mother had been young once too. She had been unprepared, yet she had fought with everything she had.
Elysara's hand brushed over the necklace that hung around her neck, the one that had belonged to her mother. Her fingers curled around the pendant as though drawing strength from it.
She glanced toward where her grandmother, Aureth, slept. Aureth had always been her protector, the one who guided her, the one who shielded her from the harsh realities of the world. But now, as the words from her mother's journal sank deeper into her soul, Elysara realized something: it was her turn to protect.
Her mother had trusted Yasmine, had listened to her warnings, and had fought to protect the kingdom and the Songbearers. Elysara couldn't ignore that call now.
The darkness is coming for us, Elysara thought, a fierce determination beginning to rise within her. I will be ready. I will train. I will become strong, just like you, Mother.
At that moment she decided she would carry on her mother's legacy, and she would fight with everything she had to save Eldoria. For her mother, for her people, for the future.
I won't let them fall, she vowed silently to herself as she closed the journal and tucked it safely away. I won't let you down, Mother.
With a deep, steadying breath, Elysara finally allowed herself to drift off to sleep.