Combined with Power Up Prompt #5 from
. Level 3, because I have no chill.Setting: The Oasis. The Star-Crossed Lovers. The End of the World.
Whispers in the dark surrounded me. Soft at first, then growing ever louder until their mournful chorus built into a crescendo of screams and terror. I tried to block them out. Cover my ears. Anything to keep this haunting at bay that for so long permeated my dreams each night. The echoes of the damned. Of the lost. Of the dead who perished in The Rise. Yet every time I shut my eyes, their cries tormented me as the faces of those long gone from this world flashed as ghostly specters in my vision.
I could never make out what they were saying before; their lips moved, but the words were dampened like trying to speak underwater, their meaning never quite reaching my ears. Yet this time…A collective voice began to surface, and I could have sworn I heard my mother among them. My head pounded with the intensity with which these voices, always soft before, now frantically exploded, with one word rising above the noise.
“RUN.”
Run? Run from what? The worst has already happened. The Rise had destroyed so many and left a multitude more to suffer what consequences there were to be had on the surface of the world. What could be worse than that which has already transpired? But as I pondered that idea swirling around my head, which sparred with the nightmare I surely must be in, the overpowering chorus of voices began to fade, giving rise to the sounds of crickets, and the feeling of a cool breeze caressing my cheek. The smell of wet earth, grass, and flowers in bloom overtook the terror within me, and as my heart finally began to relax, I slowly opened my eyes.
A starlit world greeted me.
Am I still dreaming? I thought as I grasped and felt the earth give way beneath my fingertips. No. This was not a dream.
Trees towered above me on all sides in a glade, an oasis of beauty the likes of which I could scarcely fathom, let alone dream of. Fireflies danced and buzzed around me, their soft glow making my already enchanting surroundings seem even more wonderous. Ethereal. Unreal. Yet somehow…familiar.
A stream glowed with a shimmering light blue just passed my hand, which lay outstretched towards it. My whole body ached as I slowly began to prop myself up, then a searing pain in my skull took my full attention. I clutched my head as I seethed, the pounding and throbbing nearly unbearable as I brought my head back down to the cool earth, the act somehow making the pain subside somewhat. I felt stone beneath my lower body, as though I was draped half over a walkway and the off-beaten path where my head rested on the damp grass. Then, my memories came barreling into me as though I had been slapped in the face.
I shot up, my head be damned, as I leapt to my feet and turned to find that I was on a circular stone platform much like the ruins where I had played as a little girl, and where I had leapt after Credence as he summoned magic—magic!—to transport him where he belonged. But this, no, this was not the same place I had inhabited…shit—how long had I been out? I thought as I examined the towering pillars that surrounded me on all sides. Intact. Pristine. Immaculate. A stark contrast to the ones where I used to play as a little girl. Used to pretend I was in another world. Used to have an imaginary friend that led me through oases like this one.
Then I saw him. Shrouded in shadow as he leaned against a pillar, arms interwoven and his legs crossed at the ankles, but all I saw was his golden eyes watching me with such force that I felt the air leave my lungs. He. Was. Pissed. I felt my face go pale, and any words I had died in my throat as we just stared at each other, each second passing as though it were a lifetime. I froze, my whole body locking up, and I couldn’t so much as breathe. The feeling that I had done something irreversible. Sacriligous. Forbidden. Overcame me.
After what seemed like an eternity, Credence pressed himself from the pillar, standing to his full height and slowly, painfully, took a step forward. I fought the urge to step back, rocking on my heels as he approached with a measured cadence, as though he had all the time in the world, and this…would take time.
Finally, he was mere inches from me, his face looking down on me with emotion so mixed, I couldn’t begin to fathom what he was thinking. His eyes flickered with fear, anger, resentment, amusement, then rage before tearing his head away from our locked gaze that had lasted longer than I could calculate before they returned to me. As though merely having me out of his sight for even an instant was torture.
Finally, he uttered, his voice as deep and gravelly as a graveyard.
“The ramifications of what you have done will echo into eternity.” The words sent my heart into overdrive. My chest heaved, and finally, the breath I had lost returned in full force as I watched his golden eyes inspect my own with such determination I wondered what words they spoke to him in that moment. “I only wish I had had the courage to do it myself.” He added with something along the lines of melancholic humor in his voice as his eyes softened slightly and his lips curved upward in a small, apologetic smile. “There will be no going back, Kelsea. You will never again be able to return to The Floating Isles, and the world as you know it will forever be changed. For everyone…” He finished cryptically before taking my jaw with the tips of his fingers, raising my chin, and bringing his lips to meet mine in a soft, sweet embrace.
My eyes fluttered open as he slowly pulled back, our breath still mingling in the small space that remained between us. The thrumming of my heart palpitated as I looked into the golden light of his eyes, his beauty, his raw intensity, and felt a new sensation. A soft humming that crawled delightfully over my skin. A pulse, as though the magic had marked me in some way. Then he turned, and I felt as though part of me had been ripped away. Lost. Desperate to get it back, I reached out without thinking, grabbing his hand, making him return his gaze to look upon me with surprise before I finally spoke.
“Wait, where are you going?” I asked, fighting to keep the frantic edge out of my voice as he shook his head.
“We are going…” He paused, a sigh escaping his lips before he uttered the words that seemed to pain him, “To meet my father. This situation has far surpassed my depth to handle.” He finished before drawing his hood over his head, grasped my hand fully, and pulled, leading me through the glade that enchanted me so.
Then I saw it rising up past the towering trees in the distance. A city the likes of which I had never seen before, even during my time on earth. Buildings rose up high into the sky that even birds could not reach and glowed magnificently with hues of gold, green, magenta, and blue. I looked up in awe as we emerged from the oasis, following the path that led us through the city. People wore all manner of clothing as they walked through the bustling streets, even at whatever hour of night this may be. Creatures along the lines of horses with long antennae where their ears would have been pulled carriages, but the carriages were unlike anything I had ever seen before, much like everything else that assaulted my senses. Strange smells met my nose, sulfuric one moment, then, when we rounded a corner, sweet and savory.
As we walked down the cobblestone streets, everything begged for attention as I caught glimpses of people standing and chatting, but were they people? Some had pointed ears like Credence, their features fair and otherworldly, but they spoke to others whom I am not sure I’d even classify as human. They had animalistic-like visages as one person’s face resembled that of a lion I had read about once in a book, both beautiful yet terrifying as their keen eyes flashed briefly to me with a look that said I looked just as odd to them as they did to me as it raised a clawed finger to point, and the other two with whom it was speaking whipped their heads around to watch us pass by and round yet another corner.
“Stay close to me,” Credence whispered as he took me by the waist, guiding me down the thoroughfare as though trying to hide me with his body. Happily, I obliged as we continued our trek through the unending city that surrounded us, my anxiety growing with each passing moment, overshadowed only by the incredible surroundings.
The realization finally began to sink in that here, there didn’t seem to be any floating isles. No bridges between lands we had to cross with nothing but air in between, which had made up the majority of my life. Just the never-ending rise and fall of buildings and the endless stream of people therein.
I had known when I arrived in this place that it was not The Floating Isles…but it was still disorienting after spending most of my life surrounded by the same scenery. The same people. The same reality with no hope of ever leaving.
“Where are we going?” I asked again, looking up at him as his eyes flickered with something along the lines of regret and sadness, though why, I didn’t know.
“As I said, we are going to meet my father.” He replied, while simultaneously steering me around a cloaked figure sitting on the side of the road, putting himself between me and what being or creature lurked under the fabric.
“Where would that be?” I pressed, trying to get some handle on the situation I now found myself in. He sighed as we turned onto another street, and my eyes went wide. In the distance, a gargantuan palace rose up to tower over the already enormous buildings.
“There.” He replied, pointing to the immaculate castle that now fully encompassed my vision.
“You’ve got to be joking.” I stammered as I paused in the street, the people behind me bumping into me at the abruptness of my halt. With an annoyed grunt, Credence pulled me along, his pace quickening now as he replied with a restrained growl,
“Try to keep up.” I trotted after him, and before I knew it, we were at the gates. The guards were talking to each other, but as we approached, their demeanor shifted to alert before one turned, his armor glinting in the light as the spear he held cavalierly one moment tightened in his grasp.
“Halt!” He snarled, a stark shift from moments before, as the other guards around him followed suit. “What business have you here?!” He asked, but all it took was one glare from Credence for the man’s face to go pale in stunned surprise before he shouted up to the others to “Open the gate!”
I looked from Credence back to the man as he bowed slightly and stammered, “My apologies, Your Highness, I did not recognize you.” My head snapped to Credence in disbelief, mouth agape as the gate creaked, followed by a rhythmic clicking as it slowly rose before us, as a wolf’s mouth might open before swallowing you whole.
Credence merely raised a hand at the guard’s frantic apology, not bothering to respond before he led me underneath the not fully open gate and through, up the marble staircase that greeted us, and towards the herculean double doors that served as the palace entryway.
Upon seeing his approach, the two guards who stood at attention slowly shoved them open with a loud creak, the weight of which reflected in the strain in the men’s eyes as they did.
Credence led me through without so much as a thought, leading me down a red carpeted hallway whose walls seemed to stretch endlessly towards the ceiling, adorned with carved marble statues of elven women and men alike, before giving way to a fantastic painting of a battle. Dark clouds surrounded the scene as godlike beings rode horses with wings, fighting red-eyed creatures of shadow as they emerged from the deepest recesses of the earth. One of the winged riders bore a sigil I recognized…the roaring dragon tattooed onto Credence’s neck, and my breath caught in my throat.
“This way,” Credence commanded, regaining my full attention as I stumbled in an effort to catch up with him. He had already made his way down the hall, but I couldn’t help but drink in the majesty of my surroundings, having never seen anything so fine in my wildest dreams.
We turned down a hallway, our footsteps dampened by the carpeted flooring, the only sound the swishing of the dress Credence had made me, the billowing of his cloak, and the rhythm of my heartbeat that increased in my ears until we reached a smaller pair of doors, behind which the sounds of talking could be heard. Credence knocked twice, then, without waiting for a response, opened them and led me through.
The room beyond was bathed in golden light, and at its center stood a man who looked like Credence—only older, colder, and infinitely more dangerous. He stood atop a dais, but it was clearly not needed. His presence alone was powerful, intimidating, imposing, and even if a crown did not sit atop his head, I would have known. This was the king of this realm.
Credence bowed at the waist, and I didn’t hesitate, lowering myself into a fumbling curtsey that I fought to maintain, my thighs burning with the effort after having walked the length of an enormous city to get here.
“Credence.” The king’s voice echoed around us, the note soft and low, but the weight of it carried unfathomably through the air. “Who is it you have brought to me?” He asked, yet the way he said the words reflected that he knew the answer…and hoped he was mistaken.
“I have brought you, Kelsea of The Skyborn,” Credence replied, and my eyes snapped to his. Skyborn? What did he mean Skyborn? I thought, then it dawned on me. No one would know what we call ourselves, nor the place we inhabited.
“Why?” The king asked, the sound less bewildered and more accusatory as Credence rose to his full height, and I did the same.
“It was an accident of fate,” Credence said, nearly pleading, and the king nodded as though that explained everything. I chanced a glance at him again, as he and I both knew, this was not the truth. But then the king chuckled, a bitter and dismissive laugh.
“There are no accidents of fate as you and I both well know. Just its design.”
“Yes, father,” Credence said, bowing his head before looking back up at the man whose tight smile sent a wave of foreboding through my heart. Father. So he was the king’s son. So he was the prince of this realm. The thoughts raced through my mind so fast I hardly noticed when the king addressed me.
“Welcome to Priamithus, Kelsea Skyborn.” He said, and I bowed again, the only thing I could think to do as I choked out a response.
“Thank you.” I managed, as he turned back towards his son, but this time I could feel the anger radiating from him.
“You know as well as I that the portal to their world will only open once every ten years. You know what happened the LAST time I gave you leave to walk among them! You KNEW that I had EXPRESSELY forbidden you from bringing any from that realm HERE! And by the GODS!” He paused, his ire condensing into a low growl that made my skin pale and my hands sweat as he continued, “You disobeyed me. Now the consequences of this act of defiance will ripple through the fates of everyone gathered here. No being is allowed to remain where it doesn’t belong. Your…” He seethed, “obsession…has doomed us all.”
“But fath—” Credence began, but his plea was cut short as his father gritted out through clenched teeth,
“GET. OUT. OF. MY. SIGHT.”
At that, Credence stood, grabbed my hand, and we strode out without so much as another word. He led me through the palace, the beauty and extravagance therein completely overshadowed by the thoughts racing through my mind as I tried to fathom everything the king had said. Yet, more questions remained than answers until all at once, I found myself in a small hallway as Credence opened a door and led me through it.
An enormous, dimly lit chamber, in which my whole house could have fit, awaited. Obsidian marble flooring adorned with gold accents led to a fantastic, large bed with black silk sheets to my left, across from a massive roaring fireplace. Deeper still ceiling-high glass doors led out to a terrace overlooking the city.
Credence removed his cloak and dropped it onto the floor without a care before sitting on the chaise at the end of the bed and pulling off his boots, before he noticed me standing anxiously in the entryway.
“You’ll be staying with me for the foreseeable future, so you might as well get comfortable. I don’t want to let you out of my sight…” He said as I slowly moved forward, glancing around the room before tentatively sitting beside him. His warmth was tempting, but the air was thick with everything left unsaid.
“What do you mean?” I asked slowly…not sure if I wanted to know the answer.
“I mean…” he began with an exasperated sigh as the light from the fire caught the gold in his eyes, “That you’re in danger.” He finished, the irritation in his voice.
“Wha—how? Why?” I asked, my voice becoming more frantic as my cadence leapt with the beating of my heart.
“Because!” He snapped, before catching himself, and uttering more softly, “Because…I fucked up.” He finished, his regret-filled eyes finally meeting my own.
“I…I don’t understand.” I stammered, shaking my head as my long, dark hair fell about my face.
“Of course you don’t…why should you?” He paused as he looked me in my eyes, the seriousness in his tone and his next question startling me. “Why did you follow me?” He asked, and I felt my heart leap out of my chest as my face burned crimson.
“Because…” My voice shook with the effort it took to grind out the words. The truth that I knew needed to be said. “Because…I thought if you had magic, there might be some way to bring my mother back. Maybe even one that you yourself were not aware of…” He sighed, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck as he stared down at the floor. At this, I pushed myself to continue. To say the words that I scarcely let myself think, let alone say. “And…” His head shot up to mine as I turned my gaze towards the balcony, “Because I felt as though I knew you. Like we had met before in some past life. It was as though I had met and lost you once long ago, and I couldn’t bear to see you go. To be separated again, never to look upon your face for the remainder of my life. That is why I followed you. In that one instance…for that split second, I couldn’t take it. So I jumped.” I finished, and for how much I couldn’t bear to look at him, not looking at him was worse. I turned back to see his eyes welling with tears, as his smile curved up with disbelief, making my already crimson face turn violet.
Then his smile faded as he turned to look at his hands.
“You wouldn’t have done that if you knew me, Kelsea…” His voice was a deep, dark whisper, drawing me in as I countered,
“Of course I woul—”
“I killed your mother.”
The words went straight into my heart, knocking the wind from me as I gasped. Tried to breathe, but nothing, nothing would enter my lungs.
“You are right. We…have met before. When I was a child, I used to run away to play at the temple. There I’d spin my magic, and pretend I was anywhere other than Priamthian. One day, I began to see visions. Visions of you among the ruins in your realm. I didn’t know it then, but that spot was a link between our two realities, and with one wave of my hand, I was there. I couldn’t leave the confines of the ruins, but we used to play as children. Run, laugh, play with makeshift swords. I used to bring you food, and we would talk for hours. I…I was in love with you.” He scoffed, and my eyes filled with tears as he continued. “I wanted to bring you back with me. I wanted so desperately to be with you always, and you had even agreed to come with me.” He began as I stared at him in disbelief, trying to take in and make sense of what he was saying. “I had gone to the deepest depths of the magic vault in search of a spell that might be able to bring you back with me. After months of looking, I had finally found it…but…But I was just a child…I didn’t fully understand what I was doing. I was so excited that you wanted to be with me too…but then…On the day you were supposed to come…Something…happened. I arrived at the ruins before you. It was still night, but dawn was fast approaching. You were supposed to meet me there, and I wanted to have the portal ready to go by the time you got there. But something went wrong. I mispronounced…one… syllable, and the earth began to crack around me. I was jolted forward, and everything started to crumble. There was nothing I could do. I screamed and ran to the outer edge of the ruins, and the barrier that usually kept me out had lifted. I ran in the direction you normally left towards, but fell as the isles slowly began to rise and the world below crumbled into nothingness. It was lost. I roared with fear, searching for where you were, where you might be, but the isles had begun to separate, and anything below was no more. Just the depths of space. I ran, tears in my eyes, back towards the portal, afraid that this too might disappear and crumble into dust and left…” He paused as his eyes spilled with tears. Regret. Heartbreak, and then I realized mine were too. “For years, I tried to go back to that place. I researched everything I could. I had our mages use their scrying bowls to search for what remained of your realm. Your dimension, but to no avail. The temple I played at no longer brought me to yours. But I never stopped trying. Then…finally…five years ago, we found it. The mages told me that the portal should open up ten years after the accident, so I waited, and when the day finally arrived, I went through it against my father’s wishes, but he knew how badly I needed this. I promised him I wouldn’t talk to you if you were still alive. I promised him I wouldn’t bring you back. That I wouldn’t divulge what happened to you. I just had to see what I had done. I never expected that you were still alive, but the moment I saw you…I knew you.”
My body was numb. My mind, however, raced like wildfire over dry earth. I didn’t know if I wanted to scream, thrash, and beat against him or hold him close and cry until the tears would come no more. He was the reason my world had shattered, but as I looked at him…I couldn’t help but think…He was the reason my world had been remade whole. Like a part of me that was missing was somehow returned to me. Finally, I breathed, the words startling him as I said the words I had never dared to admit before,
“I don’t remember much of anything before The Rise…” I confessed as I looked down, searching for the memories that eluded me. “No one does…Just bits and pieces of a time lost. My mother’s face…My fathers…I scarcely remember them.” Credence looked at me with a mournful expression that shot to my heart as he uttered,
“I’m…I’m so sorry, Kelsea…this is all my fault.” As he put his head in his hands. I took one, the act making his head look up at me before he breathed, “I have destroyed everything. Again…” I cocked my head to the side, confusion knitting my brows as I replied,
“What do you mean?”
He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, and for a moment, I saw fireflies. Laughter. A loaf of bread shared beneath the stars before he replied,
“The mages warned if anyone came back with me…It would end not just my world…but every world as we knew it…” The statement made me shake my head as I said,
“That can’t be…I mean…I’m here now, and nothing bad has happened…”
“Yet.” His expression hardened as we gazed into each other’s eyes, but my resolve was firm. “You have to go back…We have to find a way to get you back to your home.” He finished, and that sentence broke me more than any other he had said.
For how could I leave a man who tried to reshape the very fabric of fate…just for me.