Have you ever watched a fire, the different ways it acts, the different ways it comes? A fire fueled by gas, a single component that can fuel the entire fire, passionate and with purpose. A candle, long longlasting with the chance of getting burnt out but nevertheless beautiful. A wildfire, spreading rapidly, igniting excitement wherever it goes. A match, a flame that can be shared to all in need. A lighter, permanent and easily refuled, meant to burn for as long as it can. An ember, an enduring warmth of self-appreciation, grounding and comforting in its steady presence. A campfire, warming and long as properly cared for can last. Lastly a bonfire, regularly rooted in a special occurence, continually being refuled to the point of danger.
In a vast, sun-drenched desert, archeologist Nadia Grant devoted herself to uncovering the stories etched in the remnants of forgotten civilizations. The Avlekian relic, her latest discovery, sat quietly in the midst of her collection—its unassuming presence belying its potential significance.
One regular afternoon, Alex, her eager assistant, rushed into her tent, his eyes wide with surprise. "Nadia, you've got to see this. The Avlekian relic—it's glowing," he blurted out, breathless from his hurried arrival.
Surprised, Nadia left her work behind and followed Alex to the spot where the relic rested. A faint, gentle glow emanated from the artifact, casting a soft, ethereal light that shimmered subtly in the dry, dusty air.
Nadia's heart skipped a beat. The stories she'd read about the Avlekian relic rushed back to her—the last time it glowed, Avlek faced imminent danger.
Filled with a mix of curiosity and concern, Nadia revisited her research, sifting through the scraps of information she had gathered over her many explorations. The Avlekians, a civilization shrouded in mystery, left behind sparse clues about the relic's purpose. But the quiet radiance hinted at an impending threat that couldn't be dismissed.
With a calm determination, Nadia and Alex pored over their findings, sifting through ancient texts and inscriptions, attempting to assemble the scattered pieces of a prophecy that hinted at an ancient force that once jeopardized Avlek.
Days blurred into nights as they meticulously studied the relic, hoping to decipher its significance. With patient diligence, they pieced together an understanding that the relic served as a protective barrier, guarding against a calamity from the past.
As the glow from the relic intensified, signaling potential danger, Nadia and Alex pooled their knowledge, using the wisdom extracted from the ancient scrolls to reinforce the weakening protective essence.
In a final surge, the Luminar Stone flickered and emitted a brilliant, yet faltering, glow, their efforts only delaying the imminent threat. Nadia and Alex exchanged a grave, silent glance as the ancient malevolent force breached the weakened barrier, enveloping the desert in an ominous shroud. With an impending calamity looming, Nadia's heart sank, and the future hung in uncertainty. Their valiant attempts had fallen short, leaving the enigmatic fate of the ancient Avlekian civilization in peril, as darkness began to descend over the horizon.
My dearest, Angelica, I have completed the task you have giving me. The baron will not be heard from again, he’s been discarded of deep under the rolling hills of Chestnutshire as you requested, as is the groundskeeper who stumbled upon the scene. I do truly hope his inconvenience does not put you in harms way. I have decided it best that I don’t come in personal contact now that I’ve been revealed as the murderer of the baron. I apologize for my incompetence Angelica, for you of all people deserve better than I, I know we shall find eachother in another life. A more fortunate life, a life where our love may persevere, now that I have been discovered I fear my next life may come sooner than hoped. I have arranged for you to disappear and start anew, I am sure that this will be the best for you Angelica. I shall never forget you, for to forget you would be to forget myself.
My deepest regrets,
Thomasin.
“Nikolai, go to your room, the castle is reenforced, we’ll be safe.” My mother pats me on the back like I’m still a little boy, like I’m not going to be on the throne in a few months, if there’s still a throne left. “Mother what does it matter if the castle stays safe, there’s people out there, family’s, children! There is little kids who don’t have houses anymore because of us, and we’re what? Just going to sit up here with our champagne and four course meals while they, our people, starve and lose their homes and families!” I retort, brushing her hand off my shoulder. “We told those people to leave!” “And they stayed, because they’re loyal to the crown, loyal to you! Whatever if you want to leave them to their own devices, you do that, I’m going to go find a solution!” I yell and storm off, maybe I’m being dramatic but the apple obviously didn’t fall far from the tree. I make my way to the east wing, my wing, and push the doors open to find three people sitting in my bedroom. An older girl, maybe twenty-something, who had long black hair, wide green eyes, somewhere close to my age, and then two younger kids, both had crystal blue eyes but the similarities seemed to end there, the girl has jet black, shoulder length hair, a pixie like build, and is looking at me like I’m the one that’s not supposed to be in here, the boy on the other hand has short fluffy blonde hair a large frame, and looks like he might cry. And for some reason, all of them are wearing armor? The children’s armor looks like training armor, but the older girls armor looks authentic. She gets to her feet, makes a swift bow and pulls the two children behind her. “My um, my sincerest apologies your highness, I believe we may have found the wrong room. We’ll just get out of your hair.” The group moves for the doors. “Halt. Where did you get that armor miss?” I order. “It’s my issued uniform, your highness. I was given it when I was recruited.” The girl nods her head in another bow. “What are the three of you doing here?” “We were just-” “Okay, I confess, we broke into the castle because we didn’t want to die, but the docks are closed and we don’t have a boat anyway, and the only way we got in here was because we told a guy you wanted to see us and he believed us because Isae scared him half to death and pretty please don’t kill us though!” The blubbering blonde boy confesses. “Aerieth! What did I tell you, when we have big confrontations, you just don’t talk. Come on, let’s check the bags while Lillian figures things out.” The little girl reprimanded. “So what? You scared a guard into letting you in?” I ask, my attention back on the older girl. “Who even are you? ” “Lillian Harkshaw, your highness, and technically it was Isae who scared the guard, but I take full responsibility for anything that they’ve done. So please sir, I really need to keep them safe.” “You’re their….mother?” I ask slowly. “No our parents died of the black pox last year your highness.” “My condolences, and I’m not so cruel I would punish my citizens so harshly. If you agree to help me with something, I can guarantee your family government immunity, and a less charred house.” I offer. “What would this, this thing be, your highness?” “Help me save Avelock.”
“Clara, listen to mommy, okay?” I whisper, holding my palms out, approaching her like an animal, approaching my sweet, 7 year old daughter like an animal. “Okay sweetheart you heard your mom,” My husband, Logan, adds, in a shaky voice. “Hand it over, now!” “That was loud, loud isn’t good. Mommy does dada know I don’t like the loud?” It was my daughter, it was her voice, her face, but it wasn’t really her. She used to be normal, but slowly she became farther from it, her drawings of rainbows slowly changed to what she called ‘the people in the wall’, she still smiled but there was no light, it was a dry, dry, psychopathic smile. And she stopped skipping from here to there, no, now she just appeared, I never hear her coming and never hear her going. Sometimes she comes in and I don’t think the door even opens. This child is not my child. “I don’t like that momma, I don’t like you saying things about me. They aren’t nice to me. I don’t like that at all momma.” Clara says, following by a trail of light giggles. Not the kind of giggles when you beat someone at a board game, the kind of giggle that makes the hairs on your arms stick up. “Clara, mommy didn’t say anything.” Logan smiles, “I think you should-” BANG “There you go, now there’s no more thinking for him.” The words came out of Clara’s mouth but this time it wasn’t my daughter’s voice, this voice was deep, raspy, terrifying. Her shoulders start to shake, she’s not crying, no, Claras laughing. A sob racks my throat, I take in a deep breath, eyes darting to my dead husband, there was still a way out of this nightmare, still a way back to my sweet daughter, my sweet, tiny, perfectly sane, little girl. “See momma, I want to be the old Clara, the Clara you still loved. But the people in the walls told me you don’t love me anymore. They told me daddy wasn’t good for us to be happy again. They told me you want to run away and leave me. Gone forever, never coming back, you want to leave me, your Clara Darling.” “Oh baby, I would never leave you, you are my Clara Darling, forever and ever. I promise.” “I already know that silly,” The voice from earlier laughs through my daughter, “You’re not going to leave me. Ever.” My vision starts to fade. “Bye Clara Darling.” I whisper.
I run forward, one hand clutching a lantern, the other hand full of my dress, the autumn grass crunching beneath my bare feet, my hair whipping across my face, my eyes wider than ever. I had been cooking dinner, my husband was coming home today, I’d heard a noise outside and thought maybe it was him. Instead of the image of my husband returned from war, I was met with a beast. The beast is a nightmarish creature, a grotesque fusion of both fear and curiosity. Its jet-black fur is coarse and bristly, standing on end as if charged with electricity. The beast's eyes are an unsettling feature, large and round, as black as the midnight sky, and they seem to gleam with an eerie intelligence. Something about the dark red that covered the beasts claws and teeth told me Charlie wasn’t going to be joining me for dinner. A sob escaped my throat and I started running, stumbling forward, almost tripping in my dress. Knowing that the second I stop. The second I take a moment to catch my breath or take in my surroundings, find out how far I’d come from home, it’d catch me. And like Charlie, I’d be gone. So I keep running and running and running, and I’ll never stop. I’ll run until I can’t, and further.
Milo and his little brother Kasper were kidnapped, kidnapped by pirates. The captain of the ship, Captain Cordelia, welcomed the boys to the ship but something came between Milo and Cordelia. Maybe hatred, maybe something a little different. As ‘Victory’ sets sail to find the ‘pirate queen’ island. Watch as the mystery of the ‘pirate queen’ island unfolds and the rivalry between Milo and Cordelia changes for better or worse.
It had been fifteen years since the sun had last risen. It’s been fourteen years since the madness of this sun forsaken town started. On June 28, 8193 was the first morning the sun didn’t come up, for six months we kept hope, hope that light would come again. Then January came round and any hope we had was lost, the Town Elders declared we should adapt, and adapt we did, we brought I lights to amplify what we got from the moon, found how to continue cultivate our crops without the use of the sun, and a lot of things we discovered to keep living without the sun coming back. By 8194 the Elders had become so obsessed with the moon, using the moon for every thing they could. To present day they worship the moon “ut luna provide anc protegat” they cry. The moon is on flags, churches, Elder approved establishments, uniforms, things aren’t what I’d call normal anymore. There’s people who rebel, we call ourselves the ‘filii solis’, ‘children of the sun’ we don’t start riots or anything, that kind of stuff would get you killed. We do what we can, study what was of the sun, we were all 5-6 when the sun went away but life was much better then. We’ve done research, how to get the sun to rise again, and until now no one knew about the research. Until tonight. That’s why right now, I’m on the chopping block.