"HOW do you know about Kara?"

"She revealed herself to me when we got kidnapped and told me everything. Well, she only stated her purpose, not the memories she held."

She recalled the fountain in Emerfield when she could talk to Kara. Her sister had said she was going to use the little magic she had to save Elowen, so they must have met by some means then.

"Okay, but it's fine. I already know who killed Kara."

Elowen's brows rose. "You do?"

"Yes. Zack said it was Luke."

Elowen rolled her eyes. Karyn couldn't understand her best friend's actions, but the words that followed stilled her beating heart.

"Of course he did. Karyn, it wasn't Luke. It was Zack."

She blinked, then frowned. "No, he couldn't have."

Kara's last words flashed in her mind.

You! Don't do this! You don't have to do this!

She had figured then that Kara must have known the person. The only person there was Zack and the figure clothed in black that lay on the ground. Zack had said that was Luke and he was the one who did it.

"But how do you know? You weren't there when it happened," she stated in an accusatory tone, but Elowen didn't seem fazed.

"No, but I saw it, in my mind's eye, not long after they kidnapped me. I'm an Avnar and futures never lie. Like all visions, I could only see the auras involved. I had seen Kara's aura, but I couldn't recognize the other one. It wasn't until Zack came with Marcela that I realized he was the one I saw. He was the second aura. Kara and I weren't together, so he offered to go find her and I... I was too weak to stop him. I wanted to tell you when I woke, but..."

Karyn slumped back on the headboard of the bed.

There was reason in Elowen's words and even if there weren't, why would her best friend lie to her? Sure, Elowen had kept her truth away from her for years in Emerfield, but she understood the reason now. What reason could she have to lie about Kara?

"But there was someone there when Kara died."

"There couldn't have been. Only two captors stayed with us and, according to Marcela, they killed them before they found me. So it was just three of us, plus Kara."

"Then who was that—"

She paused as realization dawned on her.

"Loraya's my Qina, some can say spirit animals. Every Illis has one."

"Illis? Qina? Okay, I need a dictionary for the new words, please," she said and got a laugh from him.

"My family and I are one of the few Illis that remain in Wlerden. We're an ancient race of illusionists with a rare type of magic that has existed since time. A Qina is a specific animal that we bind ourselves to and can summon at will."

"But if you call them at your will then, where are they when they're not here?"

"They're with us." He chuckled at her quizzed expression. "An extension of our souls."

"Oh, okay," she said and then gasped. "Was that what you were doing to the SiatJan when it moved in circles? You created an illusion?"

"Bingo!"

Bingo.

The figure clothed in black that she saw on the ground must have been an illusion. Her world seemed to close in on her. Her breaths came in shallow gasps as each beat of her heart echoed in her ears, a stinging tune of betrayal.

An illusion. The dead person must have been an illusion.

How could she have been so blind? How could she have let herself fall for someone who had been deceiving her all along? Was everything that came after also an illusion?

"Kara told me you two were getting close and I don't know what had happened after Emerfield, but I had to tell you this."

Her throat felt parched, a desperate dryness that made swallowing nearly impossible. It was a disconcerting physical sensation that echoed the turmoil swirling in her mind. How was this possible? How had this happened? How had she, so engrossed in her quests and struggles, remained entirely unaware of this betrayal? Not only had he stolen her heart, but also her chance at uncovering her memories, memories that held the key to understanding the haunting mystery of her parent's death.

He had remained by her side throughout her arduous journey, shadowing her every step, privy to the significance of her lost memories. He understood her desperation to piece together the puzzles of her past, yet he remained in the shadows.

Or was it all a meticulously crafted ruse? Had he been laughing at her, secretly reveling in the facade he had created? Every time he comforted her, stood by her side. Kissed her. Had he done so comfortably, even after what he did?

Elowen's fingers intertwined with hers, but the warmth of that hold offered no real comfort. Her heart, which had once soared in the joy of their shared moments, now lay shattered and bruised, the weight of the painful truth pressing down like a leaden shroud.

"I can't understand why he would do that unless he was under direct orders."

Then Karyn flashed back to the circumstances surrounding the tunnel and how Zack had mysteriously slipped away before they entered. He had crafted a perfect birthday celebration for her, a facade of affection hiding a much darker plan. The cloud-covered tunnel had vanished in an instant. A mirage shattered by the red guard's arrow.

Zack had shadowed her from Emerfield, his voice a steady stream of comfort, each word designed to soothe her fears. Yet, unbeknownst to her, he had guided her straight into the clutches of the cold chains of Cosdn. The warmth of his reassurances faded as the truth loomed. The whole time she had been ensnared in a trap of his making.

"But I'm here for you, no matter what you need."

Hearing Elowen's words didn't bring Karyn much or any comfort. Rather, it brought a tangible weight that left her heart feeling like it was tangled in barbed wire. Instead of the comfort she longed for, each syllable seemed to tighten the grip of anxiety around her chest. She knew now that she had to reciprocate the courage Elowen had just displayed. Telling Elowen the truth about her father wouldn't ease Karyn's heartache, but she knew Elowen would be as desperate as her father in their search for each other, so she deserved the truth.

Taking a deep breath, she shut her eyes, willing the tears that threatened to spill over to stay at bay. "I also have something to tell you," she managed, her voice trembling.

Elowen's expression softened, her brow furrowing as she squeezed Karyn's hands a fraction tighter, searching for reassurance. "If you need some time to process, I understand. We can talk about it later," Elowen offered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"No. You should know this. It's about... your father."

Instantly, Elowen froze, the spark of hope igniting in her striking blue eyes. "Did... did you see my parents there, in Cosdn? We got separated when they attacked the village we were hiding in. The prison is the only place the red guards could have taken them to."

Karyn felt her heart sink as she struggled to find the right words. "I... I only saw David. We were um, going to leave when..." Her voice cracked under the weight of her emotions, a painful lump forming in her throat. But Elowen must have seen the truth shimmering behind Karyn's eyes.

"He's... dead."

The two words fell from Elowen's lips like the softest whisper, yet they struck Karyn like a thunderclap, burdening her shoulders with an unbearable heaviness. Karyn's vision blurred, and her voice abandoned her, leaving silence filled with grief.

When Karyn finally found her voice, it trembled with sorrow. "It... it was my fault."

Elowen's gaze held Karyn captive, the depth of emotion swirling within those blue depths overwhelming. Karyn was unable to decipher the storm raging there, so she averted her gaze, casting her eyes down to her trembling hands.

"I made a wall, and that must have attracted the... the SiatJans. Giliashad... he pushed me before I could do anything else. I'm sorry, this is all my—"

Her voice faltered as Elowen suddenly enveloped her in a warm embrace, drawing Karyn's head against her shoulder. The dam within Karyn broke, and her tears spilled forth, igniting a fresh wave of anguish. While Elowen remained still and silent, the sound of Karyn's wails echoed through the window, a haunting lament for everything they had lost. Together, they mourned the remnants of a life once free from the shackles of magic, the claws of monsters, and the poison of deceit—a life that felt like a distant dream, now irretrievably out of reach.

♛ ♛ ♛

IF one didn't know the history behind the formations that surrounded The White Castle, one would think they were some abnormality of massive earthquakes. The holes were so deep if one were to fall, it would be like falling into hell itself. And one could see the formations that rose high into the sky from far away. A grim and glaring reminder to everyone.

After the Royal Family vanished that night, the SiatJans pounded on the doors of The White Castle, like raving maniacs in starvation. The fortifications of the walls were the only things keeping the morbid creatures out until The Red Guard got established. All life that existed outside the walls got destroyed, crumpled on by the SiatJans. Those residing near the imposing castle, previously amongst Whiscanter's highest society, experienced a catastrophic fall from grace to hell.

Even now, as Gema stumbled on, she wondered how things had changed in the space of three years. It hadn't been three years since the SiatJans appeared. No, it had been three years since three wielders embarked on a journey to find the Silverein.

Three years was all it took for the authorities of Wlerden to turn against its people.

Sahsa's transportation could only take her so far, despite her threats. He'd left her at the gate that stood between the vast land that surrounded The White Castle and the new city side of Wlerden, leaving her to take the treacherous hill road up to the castle alone. This was the only way she could get into the castle. Back when they hadn't banished portal houses, that was their way of transportation in and out of the castle, but now they had banished it. She had no other way of entering the castle. This was her only choice.

For his part, he had been remorseful for what he'd done and when Gema had let it slip that the Silverein was part of the group he'd betrayed, he'd sunk into silence for the rest of their time together.

Whatever he felt he owed to the people he sold them out to, he should weigh it against the fact that he had put the hope of Wlerden in danger. Let guilt eat him up, she thought.

Her lips were dry and cracked, the roughness making them ache with every breath she took. It felt as if her throat were lined with coarse sandpaper, each swallow a reminder of the parched desolation surrounding her. Clutched in her hand was the rucksack, a battered relic that contained nothing but the glimmering remnants of Kara's dust. She'd discarded the vibrant transportation uniform she once wore and replaced it with her well-worn clothes that allowed for greater freedom of movement. She secured the straps of the rucksack across her shoulders, a silent vow echoing in her mind: she would guard it with her life until they used every single mote of sparkling dust it held.

She looked ahead and despite the ruined land around, she could see the walls of the castle rising into, high into the clouds, not revealing anything behind it. She wondered how best to approach the guards. Would they recognize her? Should she play her hand and force her way in, or wait for them to make the first move? Before she could make a choice, the ground shook beneath her. Then it began rumbling, moving in an undulating motion.

She knew what it was before it rose from the ground. Red-blazing eyes glared back at her, the fur on its skin roiling as it took shape. But she didn't give it the luxury of time. Setting her palms on fire, she charged into the air, shooting up to eye level with the darned creature before she let loose balls of fire. She wasn't just close to home; she was already home and there was no way she would let this creature rip the chance from her.

A deafening growl erupted when her flame met its fur. The creature dashed toward her, but she shifted in time for it to whiz by. Before it could turn, she sent another blast. Then she raised her hands and brought them down with arrows of fire.

The arrows pierced through the fur one by one, making the creature stumble before it melted to the ground in a second. There was silence and Gema made the mistake of thinking it was over because when she landed, the ground beneath her shot up and took her by surprise. The creature's hand darted to grip her and yanked her from its back before holding her at arm's length.

Her palms went up in flames, but before she could set it out, the creature flung her. Wind whizzed past her ear before a loud rumbling descended on her when she crashed into jagged rocks. She choked out blood, and the world spun even with her eyes closed. She felt a warm liquid she knew would be her blood trickling down the side of her head. Groaning, she opened her eyes in time to see an enormous rock, twice her size, bearing down on her.

Her hands came together and her palms spread open before fire shot out of them in an endless stream to meet the rock. The fire only died out when the rock was nothing but charred fragments. She only got a moment of respite before multiple rock formations started barreling, and she met them with equal force and speed.

The rally of rocks and flames between her and the cursed creature continued until the creature changed its tactic. Instead of many rocks, it came barreling towards her. She dug her heels into the ground, but before she could let a ball of flame loose, a large rock crashed into her side. She flew from the impact, but the creature melted and rose in time to catch her. With a hard hold on her midsection, it slammed her into a formation that cracked beneath the force.

She wriggled, trying to get out of its grip. She reached in to summon as much heat as she could, making her skin temperature exceed the normal for a human. Before she could release the heat, a sharp pain tore down her shoulder, smothering her fire at once.

She howled in pain as blood seeped out of the wound. She glanced down to see the creature had dug its horrid nails into her shoulder. The sound of her pounding heart in her ear drowned out the crackling of burning rocks around her. Her vision blurred before the creature ripped its nail out. Hot blood gushed out from the massive wound and soiled her shirt with the progression of water gushing forth from a spring.

She forced her eyes away from the wound and saw the creature now holding the rucksack. Her brows came together in a mix of pain and confusion.

Was that what it was after?

She didn't have time to think as the creature was melting back into the ground along with the rucksack. Then her eyes rounded. Kara's dust, which was Karyn's only chance at getting her memories back, sat in that rucksack.

Whatever the reason, she couldn't let the creature get away with it. With renewed energy, Gema sent a flaming sword at the creature that severed its hand from the melting body. The grip on the rucksack loosened, and the bag fell to the floor before the hand lit up in flames.

She pushed herself from the wall. Her injured arm hung limply as she dashed in a clumsy gait toward the rucksack. Her good arm snatched the rucksack from the ground and held it to her chest. A flickering ball of flame erupted from her good arm, which also clenched the bag tight. She struggled to raise it as her eyes darted from stone to stone to catch even the slightest movement.

If the SiatJan had a reason for wanting the rucksack, she couldn't remain out here for much longer. She didn't even have time to bandage or look at the deep wound on her shoulder as she trudged on, ignoring the unfamiliar tingling at the site.

But the tingle only grew, and with every step, her breathing turned shallow and her vision doubled. Her steps faltered, but she forced her focus to grip the bag. She couldn't pass out, not here while she was alone. She couldn't die out for her and be available for maniacal SiatJans to feast on.

She closed her eyes and envisioned her reasons to live. Her father. Davina. Marcela. Jamie. Karyn. And Salome.

The sight of the young girl pale on Davina's bed flashed in her mind before she forced her eyes open.

No.

She had to live.

♛ ♛ ♛

SHE couldn't sleep, even after she got checked for injuries, and they administered ointments and syrups for the pain. Even after she settled in a nice warm bath and filled her stomach with a sumptuous meal, her limbs still ached and her head still pounded. There was a dull pain in her shoulder from where she'd landed when Giliashad pushed her. Although they'd given her ointments and syrups for her pain, she still ached.

And when she laid down to close her eyes, her mind began its endless torture. Memories, wails, white fire, and SiatJans wreaked havoc in her mind like they did at Cosdn. And most especially her shattered heart, damaged by her betrayal of Zack. So, she sat awake and stared out the window.

The clouds of sand looked olive green under the dim glow of the two gray moons. She'd watched grains of sand fall from the clouds above all night until the sun rose and the two gray moons disappeared into the sky. The only time her eyes went away from the sky was when someone knocked and brought in her breakfast.

"Thank you," she said.

"No need Lin Silverein. We are the ones who must be grateful. You've chosen to stand by us and protect us and finally, we have a chance at freedom, all thanks to you."

But the gratitude of the young girl did nothing to lighten Karyn's mood. If anything, it only made her feel worse.

Here was the girl who didn't know her, expressing immense gratitude. If she knew Karyn was the reason for the SiatJans, would she still be as grateful, or would her hostility even exceed that of Cosima?

"Please don't thank me. I am not doing this because I have to. I have to correct my wrongs."

"Wrongs? What wrong could you do? You are not the one at fault. It is the golder and the witch. They have let Wlerden fall and everyone knows that. Don't shoulder any blame. You have nothing to do with the way we've been hiding for all these years. Everyone has lost someone and everyone is fighting for the same goal. Freedom for the endowed, justice for the weak, and with you now free and on our side, we know we can achieve it."

The girl's words lingered long after she left and Karyn had finished the meal she had brought. If Karyn had to guess her age from her slim stature, she would arrive at a figure that wouldn't add up to the wisdom and strength in her words. The girl said she was free, yet Karyn remained in a prison with her memories as its warden. Her mind was keeping her hostage and her memories were holding the gun.

First, Kara, then Salome, and now David. How many people did she have to lose on this journey to justice?

The SiatJans were after her. So there was no other person who could end it, except her.

She was supposed to be their princess, their ruler. Their next queen. They celebrated her without knowing her, and this was how she repaid them.

No. No more.

Now she had met The Reviwina, and she was going to use it as best as she could and when she finally got to her throne, she would do more.

A knock broke her out of her reverie, and her eyes finally left the drifting clouds of sand. When the door opened, it was the same man who had offered her a hand and raised her from the sand.

Nigel Dnokwen.

"You're here to take me to The Grand Hall?"

When the lady who brought her breakfast added that the leader would come soon after and escort her to The Grand Hall, she simply thanked her and waited after her meal.

She walked out and left with him walking by her side.

"I trust you slept fine?"

She cleared her throat. "Yes."

His eyes lingered for a moment before he directed them forward.

"And the food was to your liking?"

Her eyebrows wrinkled. "Did you ask that to everyone who came from Cosdn, or is it because I'm the princess? And is that why you gave me a single room and someone to bring food up to me?"

"You don't like the privacy."

"I would prefer equal treatment."

"You are the princess," was all he said.

Her lips clamped shut. For some reason, she couldn't find the words to retort back. Her eyes fell on the walls beside them. They were deep brown with burgundy square-shaped pillars jutting out at intervals. They were bare of any paintings but adorned with gold swirls and runes.

"What do they mean? The runes?" she asked.

"A symbol of freedom. They run and roam freely the way we all wish to do one day. We just want to walk out in the sun, the cold, the rain, on glass, on clouds without having to look over our shoulders. Without folding our arms and clenching our fists in hopes that red guards don't sense us. We want normal lives."

She mulled over his words with understanding. Even she had to learn how to tune out of her powers and create some sort of disconnect. The few times she had done so, she'd struggled in discomfort and couldn't imagine how they could continue for so long.

They reached the end of the hallway and by the stairs, stood a tall dark-skinned woman, shy of an inch shorter than Nigel. Her hair was up in a bun of locs and the Karyn could notice lines of gold streaking from her fingers and up before they disappeared beneath her sleeve. It reminded her of Giliashad's head tattoos, but instead of pulsating; hers glowed in her dark skin.

When her eyes met the woman's, the profound emotion reflecting at her stirred something deep within. It was a gaze filled with boundless hope and adoration.

"This is Asheha Luwon. She's in charge of our information dissemination department. She's been an absolute marvel at tracking your whereabouts and keeping us up to date with your location."

Asheha smiled at the introduction. "He actually means stalking. You can call me Ashe and please, I was only doing my best, like everyone else here at Reviwina. It is such an honor to meet you, Lin Silverein," Ashe said and gave a small bow.

"No, please, Karyn is fine," she said, mirroring Ashe's smile.

"Now, if you will," Nigel said with a hand, gesturing forward before he headed down the stairs with Karyn beside him and Ashe some steps back.

When they got to the landing, she saw four men and out of all of them, the one she recognized was Giliashad. They all wore the same vest as Nigel, but theirs was a deep shade of red.

"This is Sabir Budonmir. He's in charge of finding Endonis in hiding and recruiting them for our purpose." A man who was shades lighter than the rest, yet not as fair toned as she was, and with a buzz cut, gave a curt nod, which she responded to in the same motion.

"Yagul Mahktaf. He managed the prison breakout operation and did a fine job at that."

"You give too much praise, Nigel. I wouldn't call it a fine job." He turned to Karyn and added, "It's an honor to meet you Lin Silverein and I look forward to being of help however I can. We all do."

"I'm sure you've met Giliashad Yangwen," Nigel said, and Giliashad nodded with a smirk. His hair was in his signature tight bun, but seeing him in something that wasn't green was a strange sight for Karyn. He still towered over her but didn't look as intimidating as he did in green.

"I'm at your service for whatever you need."

She blinked and her eyes rounded. Although she'd heard a sneak peek of him without the Nosherian accent when he saw the wall she built, she hadn't heard him in a full sentence in clear dialect.

"That was a cover," Giliashad explained.

"Giliashad was our inside man. He made a great sacrifice by letting himself get captured. And finally, this is my brother, Nixon."

Her eyes drifted to the last man on her left. The man Nigel pointed to was the spitting image of Nigel, with only two noticeable differences.

One, their hair. Where Nigel had his in afro curls, Nixon's was in cornrows that ran to the back of his head. The second, his scowl. Nixon's face, as similar as it was to his brother's, was not as friendly looking as Nigel's. She made a mental note of this.

"An honor to work with you Lin Silverein," Nixon's voice came out firm, and she recognized it as the person who came with Elowen but later left without intruding on their meeting

Nigel then walked ahead, and they all waited for her to move before they followed. Slight chatter began drifting past them. They turned at a corner and the chattering increased. They headed straight for a door she knew would lead to The Grand Hall. When the door opened, all chattering seized.

The sound of their footsteps on the wooden floor drifted across the hall as countless pairs of eyes fell on them. She followed Nigel up the stairs that led to the stage in front of the crowd. Her chest rose and fell with every step and the silence pressed on her ears, as loud as thunder.

She stopped beside Nigel and her ears barely caught his words, even though he was right beside her. The pounding of her heart finally gave way for her to hear his words after he finished introducing the same set of people she met to the crowd.

"For those of you who are new, we are the Mentors in charge of this camp. The process of getting settled won't be as gruesome as the one it took you to get here. First, you will get sorted according to the various roles we have. Like every other Reviwina camp out there, we want to train every one of you to your strengths. The Red Guard has long tormented us, but we will keep fighting back, and now, we must do so even more because we have with us, Lin Silverein."

At his words, some gasps and whispers rang out. They didn't last long as the people quietened down and if Karyn doubted before; she was sure that all eyes were on her now.

"We finally have her on our side. We will aid her ascent back to the throne while freeing ourselves from the shackles that have long restrained us," he said, and his eyes rested on hers.

She looked at him and found the same thing every pair of eyes had shined with when they met her.

Hope.

Lady Minerva, Idyna, Loralai, Salome. So many people she'd met and so many looked at her under the same lens.

Her eyes fell back on the crowd, and the words came to her with ease.

"We all had normal lives at some point until they got snatched from us. For me, it was the group that murdered my parents that came knocking at my door again. For you, it was the relentless pursuit of the Red Guard. I understand how much you want it back. I wish I could go back to that normal life, but I can't. Things have gone so far for me and you, because I'm sure it won't be easy integrating back into a society that wants you dead. But that doesn't diminish your humanity or right to exist. You shouldn't have to hide what makes you special. I can't remember much of Wlerden from my childhood, but my vision for the future is clear. I want a world grounded in equity and fairness. The Wlerden I aim to lead will offer justice and freedom for all. I know that's what my parents would have wanted. It's been ten years since they passed, but I live on and their spirits live on through me. I am committed to continuing their legacy and paving a brighter path for Wlerden. And I will do that knowing you all are with me."

As the applause built, she felt an undeniable sense of purpose surge within her as her eyes moved from figure to figure. Every word she spoke, she spoke with truth and conviction. She would make Wlerden just and free, even if it was the last thing she did.

♛

* A/N *

Did you know how hard it is to find twin names for males that sound just right together? It kinda took me a while even when my head was swarming with all sorts of letters and syllables. I still found one. I had planned to introduce them a lot earlier than this but I was stuck in writer's block and couldn't move forward with the scene, so I pushed their entrance a little back and gave one of them more importance as you would soon see. I like the names Nigel & Nixon. What twin male names can you think of?

Also when I was writing the second part of this chapter, I was immersed in a playlist of violin covers and it made the process even more gorgeous. I didn't have lyrics twisting my words, instead I had melodies dancing around me.

♛

ITNC: Karyn encounters a mysterious stranger claiming to be a messenger, and Elowen struggles with the reality of her parents.

♛

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The Sparkling Authoress,
Mis. A
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