Page 2 of Cursed Dreams (Shadow and Dreams #1)

T halia stifled a yawn behind her hand, her eyes burning from lack of sleep.

The village hall was unusually quiet, save for the occasional murmur of conversation and the steady scratch of quills on parchment as nervous candidates fidgeted with last minute notes.

Sunlight filtered through the tall windows, casting long beams of light across the stone floor, dust particles swirling lazily in the air. It should have been calming. It wasn’t.

She shifted in her chair, rolling her shoulders in a futile attempt to loosen the tension coiled there. Every muscle in her body was tight from sitting too stiffly, and her head throbbed, likely a result of spending half the night cramming healing chants and remedies instead of sleeping.

I should have gone to bed earlier.

She knew it wouldn’t have made a difference. Even if she had, her mind would have kept her awake, running through different scenarios, picking apart every detail of every chant she’d studied, convincing her she wasn’t ready.

Now, she sat among the other healers in-training, waiting for her name to be called, her fingers twisting the fabric of her skirt as she ran through the sequences in her mind.

Minor wounds -cleanse, mend, seal. Internal injuries—stabilize, repair, reinforce. Poison—neutralize, purge, strengthen.

She closed her eyes briefly, inhaling deeply through her nose before exhaling through her mouth. It didn’t help much.

The door to the examination room creaked open, and a young woman stepped out, her face breaking into a beaming smile. Thalia recognized her, Lina, a female from the village, though they had never been particularly close.

As soon as Lina spotted her friends, she let out a squeal and rushed toward them. They engulfed her in a group hug, their laughter ringing through the hall.

Thalia watched them, a dull ache settling in her chest. She wasn’t jealous, not exactly, but she couldn’t deny the longing that crept in as she observed them celebrating together.

She had acquaintances in the village, of course, people who were friendly, who smiled when they passed her in the market, who made polite conversation at gatherings.

But friendships like that? The kind built on easy laughter, inside jokes, and unshakable support? She'd never really had that.

Maybe it was her own fault. She had always been too focused on studying, too busy chasing perfection in her craft, too hesitant to insert herself where she didn’t quite belong. Maybe Vertrose would be different. The thought steadied her, just a little.

Vertrose was one of the great cities of magic, a place filled with healers, scholars, and others who had dedicated themselves to their craft.

There, she wouldn’t be the only one who spent late nights poring over textbooks, the only one who overthought every incantation.

There, she might finally find the kind of friendships she had always quietly wished for, with like-minded people.

If she passed this exam, that is. She forced her gaze away from Lina and her friends, focusing on her breathing again.

She could do this.

She would do this.

The heavy wooden door to the examination chamber creaked open again, and the quiet murmur of the waiting room hushed to near silence.

Soft leather boots whispered against the stone floor as the High Priestess stepped into view, her presence commanding yet undeniably gentle.

High Priestess Elara was a woman of striking grace, her long robes of pale blue and silver flowing around her like rippling water.

Delicate embroidery of ancient runes wove through the fabric, shimmering faintly in the morning light.

Her silver-white hair, twisted into intricate braids, was woven with threads of golden magic, glowing softly in the morning light.

Despite her imposing presence, her warm, violet eyes, unusual even among the fae—held no trace of severity.

They were kind, patient, full of understanding.

She scanned the room, and when her gaze landed on Thalia, she offered a small, knowing smile.

“Thalia Evermere.”The moment her name was spoken, Thalia’s breath hitched.

This was it. No turning back. No more time to prepare.

She scrambled to stand, her legs stiff from sitting too long.

The sudden movement sent a jolt through her, and for one humiliating second, her foot caught on the leg of her chair.

She stumbled forward. A few quiet chuckles rippled through the room, but before Thalia could completely faceplant into the floor, she righted herself, cheeks burning.

Elara's smile didn’t waver. If anything, it softened.

"There's no need to rush,” the priestess said gently.

“Take a breath. Thalia nodded quickly, inhaling deeply, though it did little to steady her nerves.

Elara tilted her head, studying her with an almost amused patience.

“You didn’t sleep much, did you? "Thalia swallowed, debating whether to lie. But Elara’s gaze was too knowing, too perceptive.

"No,” she admitted, her voice quiet. The priestess chuckled softly.

“I thought as much.” Then, lowering her voice just slightly, she added, “You do not need to be perfect, Thalia.

You only need to be yourself. Thalia blinked at her.

For as long as she could remember, she had been striving, to prove herself, to be the best, to never fail.

But hearing those words, spoken so gently, made something in her chest unclench just a little.

"Come,” Elara said, gesturing toward the open door.

“You are ready. Thalia wasn’t sure she believed that.

But she followed the High Priestess inside anyway.

As Thalia stepped into the examination chamber, the door closed softly behind her, sealing her in.

The room was larger than she expected, with high vaulted ceilings and walls lined with ancient tapestries depicting fae healers throughout history.

The air smelled of parchment, herbs, and faint traces of old magic, the kind that had seeped into the stone over centuries of practice.

A long wooden table stood at the far end of the room, behind which three figures sat, their expressions unreadable as they observed her.

A single chair sat in the centre of the room, and to the side, a marble basin filled with shimmering water—likely enchanted for a part of the exam.

Her pulse thrummed in her ears. This was the highest authority of healers she had ever stood before.

High Priestess Elara stepped forward and gestured toward the three individuals.

“Thalia, allow me to introduce your examiners.”

The first was a tall, regal fae woman with deep mahogany skin and hair the colour of freshly fallen snow.

She wore the deep green robes of the Scholars , embroidered with golden sigils of knowledge and restoration.

There was a sharpness to her features, not unkind but certainly discerning, her dark eyes piercing as she assessed Thalia with quiet intensity.

“This is Professor Selene of the Temple Archives,” Elara said. “She has spent centuries studying and teaching the sacred arts of healing and will be evaluating your incantations”

Professor Selene inclined her head slightly, her hands folded neatly atop the table. “A pleasure,” she said, her voice smooth, controlled.

Thalia managed a small nod in return, though she couldn’t help but feel as though Selene could see straight through her, peeling back every layer of self-doubt she tried to keep hidden.

Elara gestured to the next examiner, a broad-shouldered man with greying brown hair and kind hazel eyes.

His robes were a muted blue, far more practical than the others, his sleeves rolled slightly as though he preferred to work with his hands rather than sit behind a desk.

Though he looked human, there was an air of something more, perhaps just the quiet confidence of someone who had seen a lifetime’s worth of injuries and mended them all the same.

"This is Master Cedric, head of the Human Division of Healers.

He oversees healing practices beyond the fae lands and ensures that magic and non-magical medicine work in harmony.

" Master Cedric smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Don’t look so nervous, lass,” he said, his voice rich and warm.

“You’ve made it this far. That means something.

"Thalia's shoulders loosened slightly, though her stomach still twisted itself into knots.

Finally, her eyes landed on the last examiner, a broad muscular fae male with ethereal features, his silver hair sleek and sharp against his black attire more suited to a warrior than a scholar or healer.

His pale skin had an unnatural glow to it, and his eyes, an eerie silver-white, gave the impression that he could see more than just the physical.

He looked terrifyingly beautiful. Unlike the others, he did not study Thalia with curiosity or assessment.

He simply looked at her, as if already measuring the depths of her magic before she had even spoken a word.

"And this,” Elara continued, “is Vaelith, your Ability Assessor. He will determine the breadth of your magical capacity and the strength of your healing powers.”Vaelith dipped his head in greeting but said nothing.

His silence unnerved her more than if he had spoken.

Thalia swallowed.

Three examiners. Three separate ways to be judged.