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“It’s true! Justice selected Silvanus as Her avatar! I just came from Boreas. He was last seen heading out with High Priestess Orithyia. He’s betrayed us all. He can’t be trusted,” a man insisted.

No matter how well she tried to see his face, he remained obscured by mist. As did the others gathered in the sanctuary, save for Macris.

“Silvanus would never betray us. He was given a mission by the elders—”

“To infiltrate the palace! Not to become a lapdog for a princess. Not to turn his back on dualism. Now he’s wielding the holy sword for a heretic high priestess! What about that is his mission?” the younger man argued.

“You accuse him in absentia. Maybe we should ask Silvanus to answer your accusations himself,” Macris said, raising her chin. “He arrived a few days ago. I’ve been taking care of him since then. Follow me.”

Aurora gasped, blinking furiously.

“Aurora! Aurora!” Phaedra cried, shaking her.

“What? What happened?” Aurora winced, a splitting headache forming behind her eyes. She was back with Silvanus and Phaedra.

“You were wrapped in your magic. You were here, but we couldn’t reach you,” Silvanus explained.

“I… I was pulled somewhere. The sanctuary. A young man was angry that you’d become the avatar. Macris said she would lead a group of angry people here, to you.”

“I thought her magic was about stopping time!” Phaedra hissed at Silvanus, as if he’d caused this strange turn of events.

Something warm and coppery dripped from her nose. Aurora wiped away the blood as her head pounded in agony.

“Wild magic is multi-faceted.”

“What would you have done if she hadn’t been able to come back? Did you ever think of that?” Phaedra hissed. “She’s bleeding because of your methods!”

“Stop, both of you. Merciful Triad, if you’re going to fight, then just kiss each other. At least that’s quieter,” Aurora groaned.

“Having a lover’s quarrel again?” Macris asked, waltzing through the curtain into her home with another basket in hand. Her gaze shot to the blood dripping down Aurora’s nose. “I just fixed you up. What happened?” Macris fussed over her, her magic washing over and through Aurora. Her headache eased a fraction. “No cure for overusing your magic, I’m afraid. What are you doing, overextending yourself after just recovering from a major injury? Go lie down.”

How was Macris here, now? Aurora had just seen her in the sanctuary. What was it that she’d seen?

“Is there any chance we could walk around? They’re eager to see the sanctuary,” Silvanus asked calmly.

Macris eyed him with surprise.

“That’s going to have to wait. The scouts are about to return and we’ve been called to the sanctuary to await their arrival. I’ll see about bringing up your return with the elders after the meeting. Stay here until I come for you.”

“Of course. Thank you for your hospitality, Macris.”

She smiled.

“Don’t think you can whittle down your tab just by acting gentlemanly. I’ll be back in a few hours. I brought more food for dinner. And you—” She turned to Aurora. “Back to bed with you.”

“Right,” Aurora swallowed, dizzy with confusion.

Macris had been gone but a moment when Silvanus rushed for an alcove, pulling out his armour and the holy sword, donning them as quickly as possible.

“What are you doing?” Aurora asked.

“ Time , Aurora. Your magic is time magic. You said you saw Macris in the sanctuary, that she was going to lead a mob back here, right?”

“That’s what she said,” Phaedra grumbled.

“Then it stands to reason that you glimpsed into time with your magic. You paused time to save Phaedra. Then you saw the future, I’m certain of it. And if you did, then we need to leave. Get dressed for a journey—quickly.”

Aurora and Phaedra exchanged glances.

“You know what? At this point, anything is possible, and I’m not interested in facing an angry mob of dualists. Whatever they do to him they’ll do to me ten times over,” Phaedra grouched and hurried over to get dressed.

Aurora followed, numb. Had she actually glimpsed the future? Bile surged up her throat. This was too much. No one in their right mind wanted to know the future—to become an oracle.

Once dressed, Silvanus peeked out of their abode and led the way, their steps as soft as possible. Voices were raised in the distance, echoing down the cavernous halls. Silvanus pressed a finger to his lips and gestured at them to follow. The voices grew in volume as they crept through the passages. Then, as they turned a corner, the ceilings tripled in height. Aurora gasped.

“What the fuck, Silvanus? You brought us to the sanctuary?” Phaedra hissed as quietly as she could.

“It’s the centre of the maze. Trust me and keep quiet,” he whispered back.

He dragged them over to an area behind the statues. Here, now, Aurora could take in the details of the sanctuary. The scent of incense, the small statues and tokens placed at the feet of the goddesses, the divine magic dancing off every surface. She’d prayed to Knowledge in Her temple, begging for divine magic as a child. She’d felt Her presence in every marble tile, in the very waters of the clear, opalescent pool she’d knelt in for three days straight. But here? It was in the very air she breathed, and it wasn’t just the presence of one goddess, but six. She felt small and irrelevant and inclined to beg for mercy. How had this remained hidden for millennia?

“It’s true! Justice selected Silvanus as Her avatar! I just came from Boreas. He was last seen heading out with High Priestess Orithyia. He’s betrayed us all. He can’t be trusted,” a man insisted.

Aurora jolted out of her thoughts and listened with dawning horror as the same scene replayed in front of her yet again. By the time the group had left, her heart was hammering inside her chest. This was bad. Very bad. People who saw the future went mad. The most famous oracles stabbed out their eyes, or slit their own throats, just to escape from the horrors they were forced to witness. If that was her fate, she never wanted to use her magic again. It could atrophy inside her until the day she died.

“Is this what you saw?” Silvanus asked.

“Yes…but blurrier around the edges.” Aurora trailed off in a horrified whisper.

Phaedra grabbed her hand and squeezed, dragging Aurora back to the present.

“Stay with me, Aurora. Here, in this moment.”

“But—”

The understanding. The pity. The fear. They were there in Fae’s gaze and crushed by determination in an instant.

“I won’t let you go mad.”

“Let’s move,” Silvanus whispered.

Phaedra shot him a dirty look, but followed without comment, pulling Aurora with her. They slunk through empty halls, ducking into rooms when the sound of footsteps or voices threatened to reach them. It must have been for hours that they traversed the mountain labyrinth, until at last Silvanus called a halt.

“In here. We should be safe for a while.” He pulled aside a curtain and ushered them inside.

Aurora ducked into the well-lit hall.

Only to be met with a scene from a fever dream.

“I… What… This place…” Words failed her as she rushed to the nearest glass case. Inside, a perfectly preserved Pre-Second Sundering artefact winked up at her. She had no idea what it was, only that it was intact, its characteristic geometric designs and blue crystal accents laid out like a feast for her eyes.

“Show off,” Phaedra muttered.

“Fae! Look! It’s a genuine Pre-Second Sundering artefact! Did you know the Boreas temple museum only has eight of these? I wonder what it is.”

Aurora desperately looked for a plaque to answer her query. But then another beauty caught her eye.

“Ahh! Is that…? Fae! That’s a statue of one of the tangible gods! I’ve only ever read about them in books! I think it’s the god of the air! See how he’s standing on a stylized gust of wind? He rules over your element!”

Phaedra smiled at her indulgently. Aurora beamed back, catching sight of Silvanus with a kind smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Oh . He’d done this for her. To help her forget what her magic meant. And what it would do to her mind, if she lived long enough for that to matter. Her heart swelled with gratitude.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Enjoy. We have time.”

Time was a luxury no one had, but she was appreciative all the same. She strolled through isles lined with glorious artefacts, the likes of which she could barely fathom. So much had been preserved in perfect condition. She could happily spend the rest of her days here. While she gasped and occasionally called Phaedra over to gush about one treasure or another, Phaedra and Silvanus mostly remained out of earshot, whispering to each other. Aurora began sneaking furtive glances at them. What could they be saying that they felt the need to hide it from her?

In her distracted state, she nearly walked into a hip-high case. As soon as her eyes lit on the object inside, that strange creature inside her shot out, latching onto it. Rounded like a globe, the object had several circular bands around it, each one notched, some with an undecipherable script on it. Her magic seethed inside her, her heart racing. Why did it look so familiar? Why did it feel like if she didn’t get her hands on it, she would go mad?

“Aurora?”

“Aurora!”

She shook her head, and yet the spell still had her in its grip. Her hands shook as she tried to remove them from the edges of the case.

“This artefact. I want it so badly.” Aurora gritted her teeth as her magic surged inside her, pulling her towards the artefact, warping her mind, screaming at her to take it. Goddess, how did she control this beast? How did anyone fight this compulsion?

“Hold her back,” Silvanus said, his eyes like jewels as he looked at her and then the artefact.

Phaedra pulled her away, even though everything inside Aurora told her to fight her way back to it. She needed it like she needed air. Silvanus smashed the glass casing with the pommel of the holy sword before reaching inside and pulling the artefact out. Aurora rushed towards him to hold it. As she did, weighing it, marvelling at it, she had the strangest feeling this wasn’t the first time. The beast inside settled, content, as Aurora’s mind spun.

“Isn’t that… the same kind of artefact you dug up in the old temple?” Phaedra asked.

Aurora reached into the pocket of her cloak and pulled out the only possession she still owned—Phaedra’s stolen gift. She placed it into the broken case and pulled off the lid. Nestled inside was a globe, almost the exact size as the beautiful artefact she now held. Beneath the layer of rock and dirt, she even saw the outline of one of the bands.

“Whatever it is, it’s drawing out your magic. Keep it,” Silvanus said.

Aurora blinked at the artefact in wonder and then in horror at the shattered case.

“Silvanus, you ruined the display case! Won’t you get in trouble?”

“The fate of Trisia is worth more than a dusty display case,” he quipped, biting back a smile. “And if the artefact helps with your magic, then I’m happy to burn a bridge or two.”

“My magic made me feel like I was losing control. Shouldn’t I try to resist?”

“Normally, yes. But your magic has lain dormant most of your life. You need to keep using it, stretching it, and learning just how far you can push yourself. First, we’ll work on power, then we’ll focus on control.”

“Oh, I didn’t know—”

The three looked up from the artefact and shattered case to the man at the doorway. He was a kindly looking older man with greying hair and threadbare, yet clean clothes. That kindly facade melted away in an instant the moment he laid eyes on Silvanus. Hatred suffused his features.

“Silvanus!” he spat. “How dare you show your face around here? Traitor!”

“Run!” Silvanus called, pulling Phaedra and Aurora along behind him.

They raced through the museum and out into another hall, the man’s hue and cry echoing in the mountain labyrinth. They ran as hard and fast as their feet could carry, always being chased by furious echoes.

“They can’t be that mad about the display case, can they?” Aurora asked, panting.

“What in the Loom did you do?” Phaedra thundered.

“I refused to kill your family,” Silvanus replied.

“What?!” Aurora shrieked.

“My mission was to kill the imperial family. I refused. I swore I would win tolerance for dualism through gaining your trust instead. My punishment was banishment.”

“And you brought us here?! You fucking idiot!” Phaedra cursed.

“That seems to be the general sentiment.”

“What now?” Aurora asked.

“This way.”

They raced down a corridor that seemed to come to a dead end. Silvanus reached towards it as they neared. The rock opened, as if a curtain had parted. And not a moment too soon. Several mountain denizens wielding steel had showed up. They jumped through the opening as Silvanus sealed it behind them.

The sun stung Aurora’s eyes, blinding her. She shielded her vision with a hand and squinted out onto the landscape that greeted them.

Only to see that they were near a narrow land bridge high above a mighty river.

“The Dragon’s Tail Mountain range is across this span. If we can get to the tunnels inside the mountain there, they’ll take us most of the way to Altanus Novus.”

“Did you dualists hollow out every mountain in Trisia?” Phaedra asked disdainfully.

Silvanus only smiled.

“Come!”

“Wait!” Aurora grabbed his wrist.

“What’s wrong, Aurora?” Phaedra asked.

They’d come out at the end of the canyon trade road, the border of the province of Aureum. Across the land bridge before them, The Colonnades Of The Colossus, lay Viridis proper. If they travelled south towards the sea, they would reach Altanus Novus. Not only that, they would pass by the most populated stretch of the province, town after town hugging the Dragon’s Tongue River. There was barely an uncultivated patch from here to the port. Hundreds of thousands of people lived here. Hundreds of thousands would die if she went that way.

“We can’t go to Altanus Novus! Drakon will follow me. He’ll decimate the Aurean capital. I can’t be responsible for that.”

“We need to go to a temple, Aurora. It’ll be the only place with enough divine magic to withstand Drakon’s attacks,” Silvanus said.

“Isn’t there another dualist sanctuary we could go to? With divine statues? Somewhere no one will get hurt?” Aurora asked.

“There is…”

“But?” Phaedra asked.

“I don’t know if we’ll make it there before Drakon finds us. It’s on the other side of Trisia, in the Giant’s Jawbone.”

“We can decide on a final destination later. Right now, we need to get into the next set of tunnels in the Dragon’s Tail Mountains before the Beast of Old finds us. Once we have a mountain between us and the apocalypse, we can quibble on the best place to begin your training,” Phaedra said, grabbing Aurora’s wrist as she pulled her across the land bridge.

Aurora had crossed The Colonnades Of The Colossus on her way to the ancient temple in Aureum. Soaring high above the ancient waterway, the river below was a set of perilous rapids, the columns and bridge above had held since time immemorial, supposedly built on the bones of a mythical monster. She allowed Phaedra to pull her along. It was surely a mistake, one that would be paid for in blood, but what choice did they have? They’d crossed half the land bridge at a jog when the sky began to darken.

“ Did you miss me, little mouse? ”

“Drakon’s found us!” Aurora shouted.

“Hurry!” Silvanus cried.

They ran for their lives.

But luck was not on their side.

A blast of purple fire hit the final colonnade, shattering it. It fell into the Dragon’s Tongue River with a resounding crash. A moment later, another blast took out the colonnade leading back into Aureum.

Trapped.

Silvanus drew the holy sword, preparing for a fight they could no longer avoid. Drakon’s glittering crimson form emerged from the clouds hanging over the Dragon’s Tail Mountain. Ash began to swirl down from a sky turning black and crimson. Soon, the world would be overrun with monstrosities.

It was all her fault. If she’d pursued her wild magic, refused to accept her magic-deprived state as a child, she might’ve been prepared to face the greatest threat in all of Trisia as an adult. Now they would all die—everyone she knew and loved. Phaedra, Silvanus, her family, her friends. She was the greatest failure in the history of Trisia, unworthy of the trust the high priestess and her goddess had placed in her.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered as she stared into the hatred-filled eyes of the beast.

“Silvanus, can you open the way into the mountain from here?” Phaedra asked.

“Yes, but we’ll never make it across the chasm.”

“Open it.”

Silvanus raised a brow but obeyed. A doorway to a safe haven they would never be able to reach opened in the side of the Dragon’s Tail Mountain range bordering the heart of the Viridian empire.

Was there some hope? Was this not the end?

“What now?” Aurora asked, her knees going weak at the sight of the beast slithering through the sky towards her.

“ You’re mine now ,” the beast cackled in her ear.

“You remember our deal, right?” Phaedra asked Silvanus.

“Yes.”

“Then do it. And Aurora?”

Aurora’s heart sank. Phaedra was much too calm. Where was her inner fire? Where was her determination?

“What deal? What are you talking about?”

“When you get to the other side, run.”

“ No escape now. After so long, I have you right where I want you. ”

Drakon opened his maw, teeth gleaming, an unholy purple light building up in the back of his throat. They were dead, all of them. There was no getting to the other side of the chasm and it was too late to run.

With unexpected violence, Aurora was shoved up into the air and catapulted across the chasm. She landed with a sickening thud, bones cracking as the world spun. She looked up just in time to see Phaedra and Silvanus a world away, the holy sword taking the shape of a vast shield. He braced for the impact, his arm around Phaedra’s waist.

Phaedra’s eyes sought Aurora’s. She relayed a simple message with gestures.

Phaedra pointed to her eye.

I.

Her heart.

Love.

Then Aurora.

You.

Then the blast hit, obliterating the pillar on which Phaedra and Silvanus stood. Obliterating Trisia’s brightest, warmest light—and Aurora’s heart along with it.

Aurora screamed.

She screamed until her magic was a raging tempest. She screamed until there was no breath left in her lungs. She screamed until the earth beneath her began to crumble and give way.

And when she fell, the raging river drawing close, Aurora welcomed the end.