The morning sun streamed through the tall, Palace windows, casting long , golden beams across the hall. The second prince eye met Eliora's calm, yet calculating as he took a step closer. "Eliora are you ready ? We should get going", he said , his voice smooth and confident.
Eliora hesitated,a playful smile tugging at her lips . "Wait ..... let wait for someone else first",she replied , tilting her head towards the corridor.
Before the second prince could answer, a shadow appeared behind her, it was Aurien. His eyes were sharp , possessive and tense. "And where are you heading to?", the second prince asked casually , though a hint of amusement flickered in his gaze.
Eliora's voice was light, teasing as she glanced at Aurien. "I invited him too", she said softly.
The second prince's jaw tightened, his lips curling into a low growl. "You think l'll let you take her way alone? " His possessive tone cut through the quiet morning like a knife. Aurien said as he looked directly into the second prince's eyes as if staring into his soul with a devilish desire.
The air between the two men crackled with rivalry, each exuding an aura of power that pressed lightly against Eliora. She swallowed, a faint shiver of excitement threading through her chest .
The three mounted their horses in the courtyard . The second prince led the way , Eliora riding between the two men , each on their horses, Aurien flanking her protectively from behind. The soft crunch of hooves on the mossy ground blending with the whispering wind . She sat quietly while his hands gripping the riens lightly, heart fluttering with a mix of excitement and unease.
The second prince continued leading confidently, his posture straight, a faint smirk touching his lips as he glanced back at her. Aurien's eyes narrowed as he studied the path ahead. "Are you sure we are going the right way? ,he asked , his voice low but edged with suspicion. The second prince did not look back , his tone smooth, almost teasing." Of course. You think l will lead us astray?".
Eliora glanced between them,sensing the tension rising like a storm cloud. "You two.... why do you always seem to compete over unnecessary things?". She asked softly, her voice trembling with both curiosity and unease.
Aurien's jaw tightened. "I don't compete ", he said, each word sharp as steal. "I protect what mine. Are you trying to tell me she belongs to someone else ?".
The second prince, chuckled slightly, his eyes glinting. "Belongs? You act as if she is an object, not a person with her own will . But tell me do you even understand her?".
Eliora's chest tightened. She did not like where the conversation was heading to.
"Please..... can we just focus on where we are going ?" Her words were gentle, but the undercurrent of tension between the two men pressed on her heart .
Aurien leaned closer, his voice growl,low and possessive. " l understand enough. I know what l cannot allow. You .... you think you can guide her safely? Don't test me "
The second prince raised an eyebrow, unbotherd, his smirked widening. " Am not guiding her safely . Am guiding her to the truth ; something you clearly refused to see".
Eliora's eyes flickered between them , anxiety and fascination twining in her chest. "Truth?" She whispered . "What truth?".
Neither man answered immediately. The forest grew still, as if trees were holding there breath. Beyond the forest, the land opened into a wide flat stretch scattered with towering stones, standing like silent sentinels. The second prince guided her to a particular stone, a patch of delicate flowers blooming before it . He knelt slightly, his hands brushing over the petals . "We planted this together .....do you remember ?". His voice was soft almost tender, carrying a ghost nostalgia.
Eliora's figures grazed the flowers, and a flicker of memory danced behind her eye; a laugh, a shared moment, a sense of belonging. Aurien muttered sharply behind her , the sound of his jealousy cutting the serenity. "Tshhh!.. As if you two had a quality good time together alone..." His tone was a mixture of both jealousy with cuteness.
Eliora glanced back at him, suppressing a smile . The moment was light , playful , yet the subtle tension between the two men lingered, making her heart flutter.
Her attention drifted to another stone nearby. She moved closer, drawn by a pull she didn't understand. Curved into his surface were three names: Aurien then hers Eliora , then Ravien, the second prince's name. Her breath caught. She knelt and brushed through the stone with her fingers slowly then she reached to lift the stone, her hands trembling slightly as she saw that there was something beneath it.
The moment her fingers touched it, the sky darkened abruptly. Thunder rolled across the sky and lightning split the horizon. A rough, unpleasant able sound emanated from the sky. Aurien fists clinched behind her , his possessive tension radiating like heat, while the second prince leaned forward, eyes glinting with anticipation . Eliora's heart pounded as shiver ran down her spine. She lifted the stone , the sound growing louder, the air changed with power and mystery.
"What... is beneath the stone?", she whispered to herself. The thunder crashed once again.
"SHE WHO SEALED HER SOUL SHALL AWAKEN !"
Those words were heavy, dark and impossible clear, vibrating through the sky like a living force . Eliora's heart leapt into her throat as her eyes widened." W-what ..... was that? ", she whispered, voice trembling as a shiver raced down her spine.
Aurien growled low, his gazed dark as thunder. "It's not over..... something's coming ".
The second prince's calm demeanor returned,through a flicker of tension lingered in his eyes. "And it's seems... it's already aware of her ".
Thunder cracked above, and heavy rain fell in thick sheets, drenching them instantly. Lighting split the sky again , revealing shadows writhing beneath the stone. Eliora frozen, heart pounding.
A deep , heavy voice rumbled through the storm again :
"AWAKEN...OR BE CONSUMED ".
The forest trembled around them. Rain blurred her vision and the stone beneath her fingers shifted, waiting...