Chapter 1: Chapter 1. The blood oath

“When darkness will return, my blood will rise.”

The sea was restless. Waves slammed into the jagged shore like something ancient had stirred beneath them. Broken stone columns jutted from the ground — silent witnesses to a past long buried. Wind howled across the coast, carrying the scent of salt, smoke, and something older… something wrong.

She stepped forward, cloaked in midnight blue, her face veiled by sea mist. The storm did not touch her. It moved with her.

In her hand, a blade shimmered — not made for battle, but for ritual. Thin, silver, sharp enough to cut fate itself.

An old man stood a few steps behind her, silent. Watching. Knowing this moment was not his to speak.

Without a word, the woman sliced her palm. Blood, dark and warm, trickled down her fingers. She held her hand out over the crashing waves.

One drop fell.

The sea recoiled.

Thunder cracked overhead. The sky darkened in a single breath, as if the world itself had gone still to listen.

Her voice, calm and powerful, broke the silence.

“When Auralis faces its darkest hour… when the land cries for light and none will come… my blood will rise. And the chosen one will return.”

The wind screamed.

The ocean rose.

And far beneath the storm, something ancient opened its eyes.

_____

🌊 Scene 1 – Dunira’s Bedroom, Theravine

The waves still roared in her ears.

Splash.

Dunira’s eyes snapped open.

She gasped, her chest rising and falling fast — like she’d been running in her dreams.

> “That dream again…” she whispered, voice shaky.

(She didn’t know why, but the words echoed every night since she turned fifteen.

That voice. That storm. That blade.

It had nothing to do with her… and yet, she bled for it.)

She sat up slowly, brushing damp black hair from her face. It spilled past her waist, dark as midnight, a stark contrast to her fair skin.

Her ocean-blue eyes scanned the room — sharp, curious.

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She was small, barely five feet tall — but fierce.

Her nightshirt clung to her back with sweat.

But something was different.

She swung her legs over the bed… and froze.

Her feet touched water.

Cold. Still. Real.

A thin, silver layer shimmered on the wooden floor, like moonlight caught in a puddle.

No broken glass.

No leaks.

No open window.

The water moved gently… like it was breathing.

> “What’s happening to me?” she muttered.

She glanced at the clock: 6:22 AM.

> “Oh no. Not the assembly day.”

She jumped up and rushed to her closet. Her hands fumbled slightly as she tied her braid.

She threw on her school robes — soft blue with the Valethir Academy crest stitched in silver across the shoulder.

Her satchel swung over it as she dashed down the stairs.

_

The wooden steps groaned under her feet — not from age, but from familiarity. They knew her well.

A teasing voice echoed in her head:

> “Careful, Dunira… one day you’ll break me! I’m old now…”

She grinned, tossing a look over her shoulder.

> “Sorry, Mr. Stairs!”

At the base of the staircase, the glow of a MistEcho orb flickered in the corner — a magical news crystal, broadcasting throughout Lunareth.

The soft, crackling voice of the newsreader filtered through the quiet house:

> “This week, two students from Valethir Academy have vanished without a trace. The Crestbore Division has launched a full investigation. Citizens are urged to remain vigilant.”

Dunira froze.

In the kitchen, the smell of toasted bread and forest herbs wrapped around her like a hug.

Her father, Thelen, stood by the table — broad-shouldered, sun-worn, with a twinkle in his hazel eyes.

> “You okay, princess?” he asked gently, setting down his mug.

From the other side, her mother, Navalyn, turned — her soft blue eyes full of quiet concern.

> “Breakfast’s ready, Dunira.”

Dunira grabbed a warm veggie toast wrap, still caught in thought.

> “I’m late. Today’s an important assembly day.”

> “Love you! Byeee!”

She dashed out before they could say more, her parents' voices trailing behind:

> “Be careful, Dunira!”

“Come back soon!”

---

🌫️ Scene 2 – The Fog Road

Outside, the Fog Road stretched ahead — wrapped in thick morning mist.

The garden gate framed a shimmering path, coiled from the fog itself.

Dunira smiled.

> “Nice entrance,” she whispered.

A tiny sprite zipped to her shoulder — Myna, her longtime fairy companion. Her glittering pink wings flickered excitedly, barely the size of Dunira’s hand.

> “Hi Dunira!” she chirped.

> “Hey, Myna,” Dunira said, brushing toast crumbs off her robes.

“Did you hear about the missing students?”

Myna zipped around her like a glittering mosquito.

> “Heard it? Girl, please. Maybe they just found the dining hall’s secret tunnel,” she whispered dramatically.

“I told you that mistberry pudding wasn’t normal.”

Dunira snorted, nearly choking on her bite.

Both laughed.

Myna leaned in closer, mock-serious:

> “Also! I heard something suuuper creepy. The new Mistress at school? Scary strict. Like, scary scary. She turned a flower to stone just because it bloomed in her shadow.”

Dunira raised a brow.

> “That sounds... dramatic.”

> “Exactly!” Myna huffed.

“Even the trees were nervous when I flew past the Academy gates!”

Dunira laughed, but her fingers tightened around her satchel.

The dream still lingered behind her eyes… like seawater that wouldn’t dry.

---

🪞 Scene 3 – The Veilpond

The path twisted, guiding her to a quiet, sacred bend — and then...

She reached the Veilpond.

The mist parted.

The water was perfectly still — a giant mirror reflecting the sky.

She stepped past the last bend and paused.

She’d walked this path a hundred times.

But today... the pond felt like it was waiting.

She leaned over and looked in.

Her reflection blinked back.

> Then — the water darkened.

Like a storm brewing beneath glass.

A cold whisper curled into her ear — barely a breath:

> “Riiise... or faaaalllll...”

Her eyes widened.

And in the stillness —

she saw something horrible.

🩸To be continued....