“When the Dwarven border guards told us that the ruins remained abandoned due to a dark threat. We did not take heed of their warnings and proceeded anyway. Okar Tharaz was a technological marvel, working elevators, aqueducts and even moveable architecture. Then, we found the Forgotten, with their darkness and void touched abilities we quickly realized why the city was abandoned as Senior Researcher Briggs was ripped into another dimension without his legs.” - Diary of First Scout Adrian Myers, Arterian Exploration Log 15:463 - Dwarven Expedition


    <hr><hr>


    Evaline Rosengart was exhausted. Being forced to bear the burdens of pomp and circumstance was too much for her eight year old body to handle. But sleep did not come easy, the carriage ride through the outskirts of Volksgrad was fine, but upon reaching the bumpy forested roads of Northern Carrador even napping seemed impossible.


    Her parents, Duke and Duchess Rosengart, had wanted to parade around their sons and daughters as part of the diplomatic entourage and to add a humanising aspect to the talks. Fat lot that did, she scoffed. Nothing came from the talk besides pettiness and arguments, no compromises or any agreements. At least that''s what mother told the kids as she sent them back home,


    It was, for Eva to put it frankly, quite miserable. Her brothers Theodore and Mortiz were quite close to each other, but not her, and their time in the city of Volksgrad reflected that as they raced off to the markets without her. Not that she minded, she was perfectly content on her own. Though the slight snub still hurt as mother and father tended to be much more lenient with them than her. When Theo and Moritz suggested a trip to the stalls, they were immediately allowed to go with minimal guards, when she wanted to, they said "no dear, how about a walk around the gardens instead?" As if shrubs and little stocky flowers were comparable to a chance to explore a city.


    “Did you get to go to the blacksmith?” Moritz asked.


    “Yeah! I actually snagged a few souvenirs, like this.” Theodore reached into his bag and pulled an ornamental sword.


    “Whoa.”


    “I know right? It looks so cool, apparently it’s some old Volksgradian design. “


    “Heh, Instructor Maximus would throw a fit if you brought that to training though.”


    “But imagine the reactions of the other trainees! They’ll be so jealous.”


    Eva hid her scowl, she was too young to just be allowed to wander and pretended not to care. It wasn’t that she desired particularly to be a knight like her brothers, but the call of adventure tugged at her heart nonetheless. Not like I want a stupid sword, nope.


    “Hey, hey Eva, check this out.”


    “Pfft, she’s not even looking.”


    “Oh Evaaaa…”


    “What?” Eva grumbled.


    “Check this out, cool ain’t it.” Theo flaunted the sword in front of her, wiggling it a little too close to her face.


    “Yeah, yeah.”


    Theo frowned, “You’re too young to appreciate the fine path of the sword anyways.”


    “You’re only six years older than me.” Eva retorted, but Theo and Mortiz had already dismissed her and returned to their own affairs. Probably better this way, not that it would have mattered even if she did appreciate a fine blade, he’d probably rub it in anyways.


    “Can you imagine Selvian’s reaction? Bet you he’s going to be all ‘oh yes my father made me one before but I threw it away because I didn’t need it.’ and then roll his eyes.”


    “Oh divines, as if, more like he’ll just pout the whole lesson and then complain we got an unfair advantage.”


    “Tsh, like his family doesn''t just buy him whatever he wants.”


    “True. Hey do you know... do you think Princess Serra will be around for the next practice?”


    “I could ask. Why? Are you planning something Theo?”


    As the two chattered away, Eva suddenly felt a jolt tear through her very being, a bolt of energy that oozed what she could only describe as misguided divinity. Like a possessed monster, Eva glued herself to the carriage window, sliding open her curtains and stared intently out the window, ignoring the surprised gasps from her brothers.


    She scanned the forests around them, watching for signs of something out of place, any unnatural rustle or movement that would birth this feeling.


    “Sis what the hells?”


    “Eva what are you doing?” The brothers questioned.


    But Eva ignored them and shut her eyes, letting her intuition guide her. As if responding to the opening of her senses, a small thread of energy pricked her consciousness, like a wisp leading its victims to some mystical trap.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    “Eva you hit your head or some…” Theo began.


    “Stop the carriage.” Eva barked, earning herself more surprised glances.


    “What?”


    “Stop the carriage, there''s something there.” Eva pointed


    “Huh? Mortiz, can you see anything?”


    “Yeah trees, what is going on sis?”


    “Can’t you? Right, ugh. Please, stop the carriage?”


    “Why?”


    “There’s something there, I swear, I can feel it.”


    Her brothers turned to look at each other before sharing a small giggle as they looked back at her funnily.


    “Are you okay Eva? Feeling a little tired?”


    “Little sis needs a little nap?”


    “Ugh no I don’t there’s something there. I swear!”


    It was then that Eva felt another jolt, this time more violent.


    Having made up her mind she quickly leapt across the carriage and squished her brother Theo whilst she pried the ornamental sword from his grip. Unclasping the lock on the door, her brothers barely had time to react as Eva triumphantly leapt out of a moving carriage, landing in a heap on the road as a surprised guard tumbled over to prevent his horse from trampling her.


    She growled as she picked herself up before she dashed off into the underbrush, leaving a cavalcade of confused shouting behind her.


    This is my chance to finally ask my questions and damn the Gods if they avoid me again, Eva thought as a pool of power swirled within her, grasping at the last tendrils of mysterious power that was starting to fade away. No no no! Not before I find them. Cutting her way past a few vine walls she could feel the trail beginning to dissipate.


    Scrambling frantically through the forest, a growing sense of panic set in within her as the divine spark grew fainter. Tearing past another dense thicket, she found herself increasingly isolated as the paths twisted and merged into one another, no clear way forward or back. With no sign of a trail to follow Eva collapsed onto the ground in a frustrated pile, weary and unsure of how to proceed.


    What can I do, what can I do?  Eva bit her nails as she racked her brain for a solution, sighing as a growing sense of fatigue dulled her mind. Remembering a quick meditation technique Eva closed her eyes and began drawing in the nearby mana of the forest, through her senses alone, plucking the very energies of the world to serve her purposes.


    It was when the power began flowing through her that the mana was interrupted by the presence of something light and blissful, an abnormality in the air. Eva’s eyes shot open as she confirmed the strange feeling, a destination firmly implanted in her mind.


    Not willing to question her luck she followed the feeling of intoxicating bliss until she could feel something shift, the bright and light feeling being torn and twisted into something still divine, but definitely tainted. As she passed some invisible threshold, the tainted feeling began to grow overwhelming, like an ever present and looming shadow watching her.


    Squawk


    “Who’s there?!” She cried, spinning around to see if anyone would answer. Just animals in a forest, focus Eva, focus.


    Proceeding further into the forest, any sense of adventure or desire to embrace divinity vanished as the reality of the situation dawned on her. She had trotted off on her own and was now very hopelessly lost.


    “He-hello? Anyone…there?”


    She had expected either silence or maybe more animal noises in response, what she did not envision were childish sobs echoing back throughout the underbrush. Wraiths? Banshees? Gripping Theo’s ornamental sword tighter she swung it around slightly, ready to defend herself against whatever threat might lay ahead.


    After almost a minute of tense consideration she inched herself towards the noise and found the strangest sight that Eva had ever seen in this world. Curled up next to a hollowed out log, a small child sat sobbing softly, a mop of messy black hair that bobbed gently with every sob. But what scared Eva was the source of the tainted divine powers she felt emanating from above her, a dark twisted shadow with wispy limbs protruding forth from the void touched figure. Gingerly keeping her eye on both creatures, Eva walked closer before she spoke once more.


    “H-hello? Are you okay?”


    At once the sobbing stopped and chills ran down Eva’s back as both figures turned to stare at her. One with two unfeeling dark voids, and a pair of sparkling sapphire eyes filled with worry. By the Saints, it feels divine but also so wrong, why? Silence ensued as the newcomer traded stares at both of the worried beings, until the void being seemingly realized it was being watched as well. Like a cornered animal, Eva could feel the subtle shift of tainted divine energy rapidly building as if it was preparing for a spell, causing both her and the small girl to reach out to the void being.


    “Wait!” Eva cried out as the being began tearing the very fabrics of reality.


    In but a moment, Eva felt the air and mana around them suddenly vanish, an emptiness as the forest around them just stopped functioning. Before she could even lift the blade up, she found herself gasping desperately for air as her ears popped from the pressure change. In her struggle she craned her head upwards just in time to see the dark mass bare its eyes directly into her soul, causing her to release a silent scream as the creature reached into her very being.


    Seek the Stolen Dawn


    With its message delivered the creature vanished as ethereal words etched themselves onto her mind. Eva looked over to the girl and saw her scratching at a pendant on her neck, as if trying to scratch away at something traumatic. Eva barely had time to react as a flood of memories burst from inside her, piercing through whatever veil had been keeping them in place.


    It felt like an eternity before she regained consciousness and the older girl trembled as lost thoughts clawed their way back into reality, sounds of faint shouting growing closer. Another burst of intrusive memories staggered her from their overwhelming presence until she locked her eyes with the child’s. Her sharp features and pointy ears indicated her inhumanness, but just barely. Glistening jewelled eyes gazed curiously back at her, the child''s face even more childlike than expected even if Eva knew that elves likely matured different. Eva grit her teeth and took a moment to compose herself, suppressing the headache until she could coherently form a sentence and placed a comforting hand on the child, her breathing too a ragged mess.


    “My…my name is Evaline, uhmm, are you alright?”


    The girl stared back with eyes tinged with fear, silent and unmoving. Seeing the discomfort, Eva inched closer and pulled her into a warm embrace. "There, there, take your time, you''re with me now." She was about to let go when the softest voice reached her ears.


    "S-Sophie...I am Sophie."