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I pulled it aside and looked out, seeing the bleak, shadowed landscape of Helheim stretching out below me. Jagged mountains and dark forests loomed in the distance, shrouded in perpetual twilight. Lightning struck the mountain peaks, again and again, in a glorious show of light. It was all hauntingly surreal.
This wasn’t my home. This was a dark, evil place.
I turned back to the room, continuing my exploration. A large, commanding desk sat against one wall, covered in ancient journals and scrolls. I couldn’t read the strange, swirling script on them, but I could feel the power emanating from the pages. As I ran my fingers over the smooth surface of the desk, I sighed. There was nothing I could find that would lend itself to an escape, no secret passage, nothing.
I was trapped.
Someone cleared their throat behind me.
I spun around, my heart pounding, and let out a shrill scream of surprise. Standing in the doorway was a mystical being, her white hair shimmering in the dim glow, her dark eyes black and void of any light but somehow holding a knowing glint. Clad in flowing, shadowy robes that whispered against the floor, she moved with an eerie grace, almost as if she were a goddess or some sort of mythical creature.
Who was this woman and why was she here?
“Calm yourself, child,” she said, her voice a soothing murmur that belied the gravity of her presence.
I took a step back, my breath coming in shallow gasps. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”
She smiled, a faint, enigmatic curve of her lips.
“I am the seer. I come bearing a warning and a message.”
I narrowed my eyes, trying to steady my racing heart as I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “What warning?”
“So curious, this one,” she mused to herself, and I thought it wise to not respond.
She moved closer, her eyes never leaving mine. “Since you requested the warning first, I shall give it to you. Beware the path you tread, Aria. The choices you make will shape your fate and the fate of those around you.”
I stared at her, trying to keep a level head.
“And the message?” I asked.
Her gaze intensified, and she leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper.
“The Dark King’s heart is not as cold as it seems. There is a spark within him, a spark that could either save or destroy the world and everything as you know it. And you, my dear, hold the key to that spark.”
I shook my head, confusion and fear warring within me.
“I don’t understand. Why me?”
The seer straightened, her expression softening. “Because you are more than you realize, Aria Nightingale. You have a power within you to save the world, a light that can pierce through the darkness. But be cautious. The darkness will fight back.”
She turned to leave, but I reached out, desperation clawing at me. “Wait! What am I supposed to do?”
The seer paused at the door, looking back at me with a hint of sadness in her eyes.
“Follow your heart, trust your instincts, and remember that even in the darkest places, there is always a glimmer of hope, maybe even love.”
With that, she vanished into the shadows, leaving me alone in the room once more. I sank onto the edge of the bed, her words echoing in my mind. I opened and closed my mouth, trying to understand and process what she told me. It felt like my brain was trying to slog through mud and I pressed my hand to my face.
What was I going to do?
Determined to regain some semblance of control, I stood up and resumed exploring the room. As I moved about, my mind raced with thoughts of escape and rebellion.
Lost in thought, I didn’t hear the door open until it was too late. When I turned around, I stiffened.
Seven hells.
It was the Dark King.
