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The others are spread out around the room. A god with an oval eye above his head, a female with a crow on her shoulder, a horned god that looks more beast than man, a goddess with three great birds surrounding her, a god with a flaming swordthat sits upon a huge horse, and the last, a god with an instrument of some kind in one hand and a book in the other.
With one last glance around, I make my way past them, but it is as if their eyes follow me, and a chill slides down my back as I move on.
The room next to it opens up to another cavern large enough to hold an entire army. There are no statues with eyes that follow me, but there is a circular carving of a tree with deep roots. The branches reach upward and twist and turn, forming a knot.
With one last look, I move past the cavern, coming to a small path and bridge. And that is when I feel it. My connection to the void and the rush of cool ice as it floods my veins. As easy as breathing, I let my shadows envelop me. The familiar depths to my Caligo powers awaken and brush against my skin like an icy breeze that quickly rushes over me.
With ease, I jump through the void and come out to the edges of the Sidus town.
The town is quiet, too quiet. It is late enough that the curfew has long been enforced, but there is a stillness that feels wrong.
Without thought and needing to see my mother for at least a moment, I jump through the shadows and head for home.
Arriving outside, I see no light is on, and any hopes of seeing her slowly start to disappear. I move into the shadows once more and slip inside, my shoulders dropping when I realize no one is home.
With a sigh, I double-check all the rooms before moving back through the shadows to the other side of the town, to where I am sure to find a dark creature.
After an hour wasted of finding nothing but the odd bird, I give up and shadow to the river, hoping I will find one there. But just like the town, all is eerily quiet.
I move closer to the river and freeze. It looks like a mirror of the night sky above, but with no glimmering stars. The entire river is black, as if someone has dyed it.
I reach toward it when something rustles behind me.
“Don’t touch it,” a familiar voice shouts out as I whip around.
Jarek stands as if ready to move toward me, but his eyes widen when he realizes it’s me.
“Ren.” He rushes forward and pulls me into a hug. One I didn’t realize I desperately needed. He holds me a bit longer before pulling back and checking me over.
“You are unharmed? I heard only too late what happened, and before I knew it, you were gone, swept away into the palace where I could not reach you.”
“I’m well and it was all planned,” I tell him with a smile.
He gives me a hesitant look before frowning. “I heard whispers of a certain Sidus making it to the top three in the first two trials. So how is it that you are here?”
“My entire plan is heavily weighted on retrieving what I need tonight. I’m going to need your help,” I tell him.
“Anything, Ren, you know that.”
I give him a smile with thanks.
“How is everyone?” I ask before turning to the black river and pointing to it. “And what is that?”
Jarek sighs, giving me a sad smile. “A lot has happened in the time you’ve been gone. Come on, I’ll explain everything soon.”
Jarek brings me back through the forest to the base of the mountains and through the hidden passageway to the rebels’ base.
Bustling noise hits my ears as we move into the large carved-out stone room. No one notices us as we enter, with more people spanning out across the room, all tending to different things. Some are injured and taping their wounds, while others strap on weapons as if preparing for battle.
I turn to Jarek as my stomach drops. “Has something happened?”
“Seren.”
My head whips toward the sound of my mother’s voice just as she rushes toward me, enveloping me in a hug that has every muscle in my body relaxing.
Pulling back, she checks me over just like Jarek did, her eyes panicked and full of worry.
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine. Not a mark on me,” I tell her, attempting to ease some of her worries.
