Chapter 62 The other side of the shadows
"Then why did you call me a traitor?"
I ask, watching his expression change.
Anor's gaze shifts to Conrad, and I see his feelings change.
I could see a burning rage.
"They're the ones who started this war," he says, still looking angrily at Conrad.
I stare at him, confused, alternating my gaze between Conrad and Anor. Confusion was what defined Conrad.
"What exactly are you accusing me of?" Conrad assumes his kingly posture.
"Your damned father and his pure people started this whole war!" Anor shouts fiercely.
Conrad also stands up, ready to retaliate.
"Don't you dare blaspheme my father's name!"
Conrad's eyes were golden, indicating that Aurelion wanted to leave. I approach him, the second by the chest, trying to calm him.
"Please, Conrad," I say, trying to soothe him.
"He's tarnishing my father's name." Conrad tries to justify his anger.
"Don't you think that as King, who rules equally over all, you should listen to someone who has never had a voice?" I question him, trying to reason with him.
Conrad takes a deep breath, nodding. His gaze meets Anor's, more gently this time.
"Please, tell me what happened?" I ask, observing Anor expectantly.
Anor nods, trying to calm down.
"Our species is the youngest on this land. We arose through the union of an ancient sorceress, mistress and beginner of all magic that exists. Her soulmate was a hybrid, half wolf and half elf. Elyrion. That's what they named their descendants."
Anor began to manipulate the fire, creating images of his story with the flames.
"Our ancestor initiated the mastery of dark magic and taught only her own people how to control magic without being affected by the darkness. This made us more powerful than any creature that has ever ruled this time. In the beginning, we had peace with the pure ones. The ancient kings made us their advisors and guardians. We held high positions among the pure ones."
His breathing becomes irregular and the flames rage more intensely.
"Then the Dead Moon Rift was discovered. The pure ones saw the power it possessed and decided they also wanted to dominate that world. The pure ones wanted to live inside the Rift, where time and space do not exist. And the pure ones knew we could help them with that. So Dominique told us about her plan and gathered all the species leaders to participate in this meeting."
"But you didn't agree." I say, feeling the story awaken pain in my mark.
"We didn't agree." Anor confirms. "We don't have a leader, we weren't made to follow laws. We enjoy our magic, contributing to the environment we live in. We don't value wealth or power. We know how irrelevant that is. We rejected Dominique, and that made him angry."
I see Conrad's body stiffen and I hold his hand tightly, trying to reassure him.
"Dominique thought she could win the Dead Moon Rift if she pleased the shadowy ones."
"The erasers?" Kael asks, focused on the story.
"We call them the Shadow Ones. They are not people or creatures. They are black magic in its purest form, desperate for energy. Desperate for something they consider superior or different from themselves. Dominique dared to think she could deceive them and revealed our kind to the Shadow Ones. The forest vibrated differently that night, as if foreseeing the immense catastrophe that was to come. The Extinguishers arrived unexpectedly, and the Dead Moon Rift opened completely, screaming for energy. Not all Elyrion knew how to manipulate black magic, and the Shadow Ones focused on them. The rest of the Elyrion concentrated on protecting the most vulnerable and ended up completely annihilated. Few managed to escape that night. Then the Dead Moon Rift closed completely, falling asleep in darkness once more."
I watched the whole story over the flames of the bonfire, which was now completely extinguished.
"But all magic has a price. Dominique paid hers!" The story ends, with pain in her eyes.
I felt Conrad's body tense completely, but he still looked at Anor.
"Dominique's stay, is it a punishment?" I questioned, feeling a tightness in my chest.
"Punishment, no. It's just what he deserves."
Conrad tried to lunge at Anor again, but Kael and I held him back tightly.
"You're lying, you bastard!" Conrad shouted in complete fury.
Anor had a sarcastic smile on his face, as if he were enjoying seeing Conrad's loss of control.
Anor's smile didn't last.
The mark on my chest reacted violently, burning as if it recognized every word spoken. I took a step forward before Kael could stop me.
"No." My voice came out firm, more so than I expected. "You're not here to provoke. You're here because you need something."
Anor stared at me with renewed attention, the sarcasm giving way to something older. Respect. Or fear.
"I called you a traitor because you allied yourself with the blood that condemned us," he finally said. "But now I see you don't know your own history."
Conrad breathed heavily behind me, Aurelion struggling to break through the skin. I felt his fury like a storm about to break.
"My father wasn't there," Conrad growled. "He never—"
"Your father built a throne on bones," Anor interrupted him, without raising his voice. "And he kept silent. That too is a choice."
The blow landed squarely.
The hall seemed smaller, the air denser. Kael watched silently, understanding the political and spiritual weight of that revelation.
"You survived," I said, turning to Anor. "Then why emerge from the shadows now?"
Anor lowered his gaze for a moment. When he looked at me again, there was urgency.
"Because the dark ones have fully awakened," he said. "And because you are the last Elyrion capable of closing the rift without being consumed."
Silence fell like a blade.
"They don't just want to erase," he continued. "They want to rewrite. And you are the only living memory that still stops them."
Conrad stepped forward, fury mixed with fear. "So all this... Maya... is for you."
I nodded slowly, feeling the weight of truth settle in my bones.
"No," I corrected, looking at Anor. "It's for all of us."
The mark responded with a deep pulse.
And in that instant, I understood: the war wasn't about kingdoms.
It was about who had the right to continue existing.