Ophelia found herself in an endless expanse of white, the emptiness stretching out in every direction. The ground beneath her feet shimmered faintly, like frost kissed by moonlight, but there was no sky, no horizon. She turned, her heart pounding, and saw her.
The woman stood with her back turned, her long blood-red hair cascading down to her waist, a sharp contrast to the radiant blue robe that seemed alive, flickering like flames in an unseen wind. She exuded power, a presence so overwhelming that Ophelia felt rooted to the spot.
The woman's voice echoed, low and melodic, but it carried a weight that made Ophelia's chest tighten.
"The Harbinger is in trouble," the woman said, her tone sharp and urgent. "Without her, the prophecy cannot come to pass."
Ophelia tried to step closer, but her feet refused to move. "Who are you?" she called, her voice trembling.
The woman didn't turn. "Remember this: to win this battle, you must be as one—not just with your sisters, but with everything. And beware the cost for while it may be high the alternative us worse."
Ophelia's surroundings began to blur, the white fading into darkness. The last thing she heard was the woman's voice, faint now, like a whisper carried by the wind.
"Find her, save her, or all will be lost."
Waking by the Campfire
Ophelia jolted awake, her heart racing. The crackling of the campfire and the chirping of night insects replaced the eerie silence of her dream. Around her, her sisters and friends lay sleeping, their forms curled up beneath blankets.
"Ophelia?" Pip murmured groggily, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. "What's wrong?"
"It was a dream," Ophelia said, her voice shaking. "No... a warning."
The urgency in her tone woke the others. One by one, they sat up, blinking sleep from their eyes.
"What did you see?" Alex asked, already alert.
Ophelia explained the dream in detail, her words tumbling out as she described the endless white, the woman with the blood-red hair, and her cryptic message.
"She said the Harbinger is in trouble. If we do not find her and save her, the prophecy will not happen," Ophelia finished, her hands trembliAntigone frowned, her brows knitting together. "Did she say where to find her?"
Ophelia shook her head. "No, but she said we have to be as one—not just with each other, but with everything."
"What does that even mean?" Freya asked, her voice soft with worry.
"It means we have to figure it out," Pip said, her expression determined. "If the Harbinger is in trouble, we can't waste time."
Ophelia clutched the magic book to her chest. "Maybe there is something in here that can help us."
With a deep breath Ophelia opened the magic book and found nothing. Just page after page of vast emptiness. "Oh" Ophelia said "Please book show me something to help the Harbringer."
As Ophelia turned paged a slight blue line appeared on a page. Just a whisper of a line, that showed nothing. Seeing this Ophelia's brown furrowed. "This does not help." Ophelia thought. It was just a line nothing else and then she had an epiphany.
"Pip bring the map here." Pip makes her way to Ophelia and hands her the map.
Ophelia tried putting the map on top, bottom and sideways, to no avail. "Mybe I have to help?" Pip suggested as she reached over and touched the map.
As soon as her fingertips touched the map it came to life showing the blue line headed Northeast for about a mile.
"Good thinking Pip!" Ophelia exclaimed "pack up we have to find the Harbringer."
Following the Clues
The group quickly packed their belongings and set off, their pace brisk as they moved through the dense forest. Ophelia's mind raced, replaying the dream over and over, searching for clues in the woman's words.
Hours passed before they found the first sign: a patch of scorched earth surrounded by shards of obsidian-like stone. Freya knelt to examine it, her hand hovering just above the ground.
"This... this feels wrong," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Alex nodded. "It's like the air here is heavier, and colder" He said as puffs of white exhaled from his mouth.
"It must be from the Fallen," Pip said, clutching the glowing map. "We're close."
The group pressed on, the forest growing darker and more foreboding with each step. Finally, they came upon a clearing, and there she was—the Harbinger.
She lay crumpled on the ground, her wings shattered and her body covered in deep gashes. The once-intimidating figure of the Harbinger now looked fragile, her pale skin almost translucent in the faint light.
Freya gasped, rushing forward, but Alex grabbed her arm. "Careful," he warned. "This could be a trap."
"It's not," Ophelia said with certainty, stepping closer. She felt a pull, an undeniable connection. "She's the one the queen meant. We have to save her."
The Magic Book
The group gathered around the Harbinger, their faces pale as they took in her injuries. Ophelia opened the magic book, flipping through its ancient pages. The symbols and words swirled before her eyes,never settling into something decipherable, but something deep inside urged her forward.
"There," Pip said, pointing to a page. The words finally came into being and words began to form on the page.
The spell was titled Reviviscere, a word none of them recognized.
"What does it mean?" Freya asked.
"It's a spell of restoration," Ophelia said, the knowledge blooming in her mind as if it had always been there. "It will heal her, but it's risky. It requires... us."
"Us?" Antigone repeated, frowning.
Ophelia nodded. "We have to combine our magic. All of us."
"But we barely know how to use it," Pip said, her voice rising.
"We do not have a choice," Ophelia said firmly. "If we do not try, she will die."
The Spell
They formed a circle around the Harbinger, each of them holding a piece of the magic they had been given. Alex gripped his sword, Pip clutched the glowing map, Antigone raised her staff, Freya placed her hands over the Harbinger's wounds, and Ophelia held the book open, chanting the words of the spell.
As they began, a faint glow surrounded each of them, their individual colors merging into a brilliant white light. The air crackled with energy, the forest falling silent as if holding its breath.
The Harbinger's body began to mend, her shattered wings dissolving into ash as her human form emerged fully. The gashes on her skin closed, leaving only faint scars.
"Keep going," Ophelia urged, her voice strained as the magic drained her energy.
Finally, with a surge of light, the spell was complete. The group staggered back, panting, as the Harbinger's eyes fluttered open.
The Harbinger Wakes
The woman sat up slowly, her movements hesitant. Her wings were gone, and her once-fiery gaze was now soft and confused.
"Where... where am I?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"You're safe," Ophelia said, kneeling beside her.
The woman looked at them, her brow furrowing. "I don't... I don't remember anything."
Antigone exchanged a worried glance with Alex. "Nothing at all?"
The Harbinger shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "I don't even know who I am."
Ophelia placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You're the Harbinger. And we're here to protect you."The Harbinger looked at each of them, her expression a mixture of fear and gratitude.
"I do not know what.is happening," she whispered, "but... thank you."
The group helped her to her feet, the weight of their task settling over them once more. They had saved the Harbinger, but the journey ahead was only beginning.
Ophelia glanced at the book in her hands, its pages now blank where the spell had been. The words of the dream echoed in her mind.
"To win this battle, you must be as one."
She looked at her sisters and friends, determination hardening her resolve.
"We're in this together," she said softly. "All of us."
As they set off once more, the Harbinger walking hesitantly beside them, Ophelia knew their path was far from over—but they were ready to face it, together.