80: A New Beginning

Flashes behind that mirror suddenly came to life; they seemed as if some jerk had given it an angry shake. Again, he saw the derelict scene of the war-an extravagant, bloody war. I saw by the shadows how fights fought, she fought over something for which she had no idea. Elara was in that battle; she would recognize herself, but she was not that Elara; much different and stronger, much more determined and more powerful, with enemies sinking in her wake behind their solid defeats by the strength of her will.

Only that a third creature crawled out among the wreckage-dark shadow moving with the agility of a predator stalking prey, sending it down Elara's spine. Yes, that was the mirror enemy, but it would be so much more than that; it would be more than that-it is her reflection of her potential, the part of her said darkness represents and that she never understood with any great precision. The warning and the promise are there.

Once again, the mirror flickered and vanished into a void, leaving Elara more alone than ever with her reflection. Only, this time, her image was very different; her face appeared sharper, more steely, as though the mirror had altered something about herself. As if something deep within her had awakened or something new, more powerful, to take charge.

Her heart was hammering as she stepped away. This mirror, this trunk-just a relic. Opened into far darker doors and drew her inside to it-the woman in the mirror spoke the truth; she inherited a bloodline cursed and beheld part of the price of that legacy. The fight, the ruin, the darkness-all were toward her fate, of which there could not be escape.

And Elara's scattering mind spoke: truth would set free; or at least that's the chant. Instead, with each word she learns to entrapped, new webs of newer designs catch up in presence and not quite in the past. Today thrown with shadows and curses, she has nowhere but toward the new understanding coming face.

The silence was now heavy in the room, almost stifling. She was hollow to word out of the mirror and away from the blackish presence almost creeping up in the fabric of the air, but could not help but keep staring. There was still reflection in that mirror that bewitched and called to her.

She turned and dragged herself to move, walking away. The chest blue aglow, most still open; the mirror glowing dim within that set. Elara walked straight ahead to exit the room without looking back; knocking her shoulders under the truth of the mirror, keeping the burdened on her from this moment on.

And without a doubt, the vain old halls would suck into themselves in the course of that evening-the echo was such. No more could she at all deny the truth-it was sealed now. The misfortune took its toll on her, and she had a choice to make; to fight against it or succumb to be dragged down into its depths. She stood on the balcony that night in the grand palace. A cool night air brushed against her skin. The stars up above twinkled brightly, and their brightness flickered like little diamonds sprawling over a vast expanse of the sky. Below, the busy city rustled in vibrant activity, but she could feel the profound stillness within herself as if time had paused just to let her process all that had happened.

Her mind was racing with thoughts, memories, and emotions that were hardly coming close to beginning to understand. The truth she had found in the forgotten wing of the palace had changed her-had made her different, stronger. She had faced the darkness of herself, the shadow that had come near to consuming her, and in so doing learned to wield her own power. It was power she had once feared, whose coming she had now learned to accept as a part of her. It was a legacy, an inheritance, but it was also strength.

But as days went by, she understood the other side of the coin-darkness does not quite define her. Inside her burned light, too; a light always waiting for the crevices in shadows to shine. And that was all about that: the love she had for her people, the kindness she offered even when it was most impossible, the fierce promise to protect those she cared about. The balance between light and dark was what made her whole. It was what made her the ruler she was meant to be.

The reflection in the glass showed her how to destroy, how to ruin; but it also gave her strength-how to heal, how to rebuilt, how to reignite that hope which had evaporated from the hearts of all those around her. No longer from her bloodline, this curse that had intended to prisoner her was now her freedom to choose the path she wanted, to shape the future she wanted.

Elara turned to face the entrance where the balcony door was opened behind her. Aiden had stood there but from the balcony, for once, silhouetted in the warm light spilling out from the balcony. His eyes were soft, expression filled with what could almost be understanding, as though he, too, had come to know the depth of what she had gone through.

"Been out here a long time," Aiden said, his voice gentle but laced with concern. "Are you alright?" said the boy to his girl.

Elara smiled faintly, her heart swelling at the sight of him. "I value the thoughts in my head," she said, grinning at him. "I've finally come to terms with everything. The darkness, the curse-it doesn't define me anymore. I made peace with it."

AIden came closer and offered her comfort from his presence by taking her hand in his. "I never wanted you to carry that burden alone," he said softly. "I should have fought alongside you. But I was blinded by my own fears."

"You didn't know," Elara said, squeezing his hand, "none of us knew. But now we do. And that's enough."

AIden smiled-a rare, genuine smile that made Elara's heart skip a beat. "I never thought I'd find someone like you," he said in awe. "You're stronger than I ever thought possible. And that strength-your strength-has changed everything. It's changed me."

Elara felt a wave of emotion sweep over her as pride surged within her for this man who had witnessed her for all she was worth even in her fall in stomach. So many times, she had tried to discount them as never meant to be, love shunned from the very thought inception. Now she stood convicted-he was not her weakness; he was her very strength.

"I am not perfect," Elara said quietly, searching AIden's eyes. "I still have much to learn. But with you beside me, I know I can face what is next. Together we can start to build all we have lost."

The warmth of pure comprehension flooded through AIden's eyes as he held her close to him. "Together," AIden said firmly. "We will rebuild. We will make this kingdom stronger than it has ever been. We will make it ours."

The past seemed to melt away as Elara closed her eyes into the comfort of Aiden's great chest. The prophecy and curse of her bloodline had once weighed heavy on her, but she now felt free, free to forge her own destiny, free to love unimpeded.

AIden cooed into her ears, "Elara, I love you. I have always loved you. The moment I set my eyes on you, I knew you are the one I want to spend my life with."

Elara's heart fluttered within her chest as she pulled a bit away from him just enough to look into his eyes. "And I love you, AIden. With all my heart. I have never been surer of anything in my life."

Outside, the world had already fallen away as they stood together, in each other's arms. For the first time in a long time, peace entered Elara's heart. The battles, the struggles, the pain were all behind her. The future lay before her in an emptiness now willing to be filled in their future with colors of life and dreams.

But even down there, in the forgotten wing of the palace, dust from centuries past clung to stone.

The mirror, that cursed thing Elara had left behind, was still sitting there, its ornate golden frame pulsing with a faint and eerie glow. In this chamber, the atmosphere turned stale, laden with an unseen force that pressed upon the very fabric of reality.

Then ripples appeared upon the surface of the mirror, as if a tiny stone had been dropped in from outside compared to a flat surface of still water. A dim light which appeared soft but was vastly unnatural slid across its glass, bending and rubbing the reflection of an empty room.

A solitary crack echoed in the silence.

Then, all of a sudden, the surface of the mirror melted to create something alien and liquid, moving with the pulse of life. Darkness spilled from its swirling depths like a churning void.

A hand emerged from deep within, with slender fingers tipped with well-kept nails.