Hey guys! These are a few chapters from the 4th draft of Borathea. I’ve been working on it for a while now, and I’m hoping to publish soon, so if ya’ll have any feedback, I’d appreciate it!

Chapter 11

Eloise was a Black Seraph, which meant if there was ever an emergency in her guild, they dealt with it quickly and calmly. But she was in the midst of an army of three hundred, so she expected the worst— panicking young soldiers, senior officers barking orders, and Rook yelling for everyone to calm down.

What she didn’t expect was ten rows of thirty soldiers, each carrying a Black Rod (that’s what they decided to call the weapon), and marching up to the fort in one, neat formation. Their faces were as calm as the waters of the Mystic Temples in the Southern Continent, and their eyes focused like a hawk ready to dive down and hunt its prey. The camp was silent save for the steady footsteps of Rook’s soldiers and the sound of dark, murky ocean waves lapping at the black, sandy shores of the island.

“Are they ready to fight?” Eloise asked quietly.

“More or less.” Rook admitted, “But they know who and what they’re fighting for, so that’s enough for me.”

Kieran jumped down from the fort and landed silently on the balls of his feet, “I’d say they’re roughly two to three miles away, but they’re closing in fast.” He reported and snapped his spyglass shut.

“How long do we have?” Rook asked, tightening his grip on his blade hilt when he heard how close they were.

“Fifteen minutes,” Kieran said in a dark tone, “it’s strange. They’re travelling at such a slow pace, like they’re taking their time.”

“The demons probably aren’t expecting heavy resistance from us.” Rook said and grinned, “Luckily, Fate gifted us with the Black Rods.”

“That still doesn’t mean we’ll win.” Kieran said flatly.

“No, but it raises our chances.” Eloise looked at Rook, “Do your men know how to use them?”

“How to use them isn’t the problem,” Rook picked up the Black Rod resting against his leg and held it out in front of him, “it’s how to aim. After a few tries with my soldiers, we learned that shooting with a Black Rod is very different from firing an arrow.” He sighed and slung the Black Rod over his shoulder, “But we have no choice. We had little time to prepare, so we can only hope our sharpshooters can adapt quickly on the battlefield and slay as many demons as possible.”

The soldiers lined up behind the fort with their Black Rods propped up on the mount of earth and aimed at the approaching demon horde. Kieran stood in front of them all and raised the spyglass to his eye to watch the demons. Eloise joined him and shoved her hands into her pockets.

“Fifteen minutes, huh?” she said.

Kieran snapped the spyglass shut and sighed, “Fifteen minutes.” He said, his red eyes dark and face grim.

Eloise gave him a sideways glance, “You know, we never got to finish our magic lesson.”

He let out a short, dry laugh, “Even if you didn’t beat the shit out of me, we still wouldn’t have been able to finish the lesson because you were such a crap student.”

Eloise gaped at him, “Me? A crap student?” she turned around and placed her hands on her hips, glaring up at him, “What about you? You were such a horrible teacher!”

“I was only a horrible teacher because you were complaining so much.” He retorted.

“Well, maybe I was complaining so much because you were being a jerk!” she snapped back at him playfully.

Kieran opened his mouth to make a comeback, and probably a really rude one too, but he was interrupted by Rook’s sharp voice.

“Are you two going to bicker there all day?” he shouted from the bottom of the fort, “Or are you going to come down here and prepare to fight?”

Eloise stepped towards the edge, but Kieran caught her arm before she jumped down. He pointed a finger at her and said, “After this, I’ll show you how much of a jerk I can be.” He warned, his eyes glittering with amusement.

She flashed him a sassy smirk, “And I’ll show you just how many complaints I have.” She stuck out her tongue and leapt off of the fort.

Ten minutes passed before the first row of demons was visible to Eloise’s eyes.

She couldn’t make out how many there were, but they were definitely bigger than she expected. From behind the fort she saw dark gray mist curling at their feet and bat-like wings that were as tall as themselves were flapping powerfully in the air. The smell of blood and rotting corpses hit her nose and she coughed. The other soldiers seemed more affected by the smell than she was, but none of them budged.

The demons approached slowly, shuffling their feet like a horde of undead monsters. Even from this distance, Eloise could see their red, glowing eyes blazing across the battlefield like she was staring down into the fiery pits of hell. Their jaws gaped wide open, revealing bloody fangs covered with rotten flesh, as they let out ear piercing shrieks of rage and pain. Eloise flinched as she endured the earthshaking roars and screams that tore out of the hellspawn’s mangled throats. They were the children of misery, the spawn of chaos, and true to their names as hellspawn, they made Eloise feel like she was truly in Hell. The dread that thrummed through her heart as she watched an army of demons marching slowly and steadily towards her, the pain that throbbed against her temples as she endured the demons’ roars, and the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness and despair that threatened to crush her would’ve driven her mad if it wasn’t for Kieran murmuring at her side.

“Steady, Eloise.” He said quietly, “We won’t win if you panic now.”

She swallowed and tightened her grip on her Black Rod, “I know.” She whispered.

As they got closer, Eloise could start making out the finer details. Like Kieran, they had patches of gray and black scales covering most of their bodies and red fire snaking up their arms and legs, but because they were full demons, they had a few extra features to make their appearance even more unbearable and sickly.

Their wings were shredded to the point they looked practically useless, and their flesh was ravaged so badly that Eloise could almost feel the cold pain throughout her entire body. They limped jerkily as though they were chained together, and they thrashed like caged monsters, desperate to escape and roam free once more. With every step they took with their bloody talons, gray mist seeped into the ground and turned the surrounding patch of earth into a pile of ash and bones, like the mist was revealing what hid beneath the dry layer of dirt and sand.

“Get ready to fire.” Rook commanded, and his orders were repeated across the fort. Three hundred soldiers propped their Black Rods against the earth mound and took aim.

Eloise swallowed and pointed her Black Rod towards the advancing army. She looked into the glass piece that helped her aim and pinpointed a demon with crumbling, pale gray scales. His movements were jerky and inconsistent, like his armor of scales was preventing him from moving.

Rook raised his hand in the air, his eyes narrowed and focused on the approaching demon horde. Eloise swallowed and waited for him to give the signal.

He brought down his hand, “FIRE!” he roared.

One.

The deafening sound of a thousand explosions went off all at once. Eloise gritted her teeth as the familiar high-pitched ring made her temples throb. She felt as though her skull was splitting into two, and her ears were going to bleed at any moment.

But, to her relief, the Black Rods’ thunderous claps were immediately followed by a thousand shrieks of agony. She saw the entire front row of demons go up in flames, their flesh disintegrating into nothing but ash as their bodies imploded in a beam of white and gold light.

It was a beautiful sight, as if the angels themselves had descended from the heavens and struck down the demons with a mighty bolt of white fire and lightning. It ignited a beacon of hope within Eloise’s heart, and when she glanced over to the other soldiers lining the fort, she saw the same relief in their eyes.

The demons certainly weren’t expecting their entire front row to go up in flames, but that didn’t dampen their spirits either, in fact, the death of their comrades only fueled their rage and fanned their flames of hatred. A thunderous roar shook the entire battlefield and the demons started charging forward in a wave of fire and smoke.

“Prepare to fire again.” Rook said, his voice calm and unwavering, and once his soldiers were ready, he yelled, “Fire!”

Two.

Eloise pulled the hook back and watched as another row of demons were sent back to the pits of Hell in a wall of white flame, but the demons weren’t mindless creatures, and they learned from the first attack. An order was barked from the demon lines and they took off into the sky, their shredded wings extended and carrying them across the battlefield at top speed.

“Dammit.” Kieran cursed.

“Fire at will.” Rook ordered, “Prepare for close quarter combat.”

Eloise aimed at one of the demons who were diving down toward the fort. Finish the ones closest to us, deal with the others later. She kept repeating the same line over and over again in her head as she fired one bullet after the other. Three… four… five… six… She counted each fired shot in her head, knowing she only had twenty chances to kill as many demons as she could.

Nineteen years of training helped, but not all of her shots hit. Some of the demons stopped the bullets by drawing demonic runes in the air to cancel out the celestial glyph’s power and evading to the side to avoid getting hurt. Those demons tended to be the smaller and, seemingly, smarter ones.

The first demon that managed to get close enough to get entangled in the celestial circles’ magic made Kieran drop his Black Rod and leap up into the air with his dragon-like wings outstretched. He yelled and slashed through the demon’s torso with his black blade. The demon screamed in agony, and as he started to disintegrate into ash and dust, he snarled, “You’ll pay for this, karakzuur.”

Kieran barred his teeth at him and stabbed his sword through the demon’s stomach one last time before yanking it out, spattering black blood all over the fort. The demon went up in flames and Kieran landed by Eloise’s side, his eyes burning with rage and feral hatred.

“Calm down, Kieran.” She muttered as she fired her last bullet, then she dropped the Black Rod onto the ground and drew her Arcane Blade from its sheath, the sword’s holy runes glowing gold in response to the demons’ presence. Seeing the glyphs on the silver blade filled Eloise with a new energy— hope, and with that new hope, she brought up her Arcane Blade to meet a black and purple streak of pure, infernal magic.

Despite being prepared, though, the blow still shocked her. It almost knocked her onto her back and disarmed her. So, this is what it feels like to battle a real demon. She gritted her teeth and stood her ground as the demon continued to push her, sending beam after beam of black energy like a storm god striking down bolts of lightning, relentless and merciless.

The demon got used to a rhythm, and that was its fatal mistake. Eloise was trained to exploit flaws in her opponent’s fighting style, and she almost smiled when she found one in her demon friend.

The demon lashed out again with purple and black lightning, and once Eloise deflected it, she caught him off guard by countering his attack with a trick of her own.

During this entire fight, she felt the same magical energy surge through her body as it had when she sparred Kieran, and with the help of her Arcane Blade, she was able to control it and contain it within her body. But now that she was countering the demon’s attack, she intended to make use of the magic built up in her body.

She thought back on the incident that crippled Kieran for almost two full days, how she felt when the white fire twisted and danced across her silver blade. She felt powerful, almost like a god, like the mortal world was beneath her and she could defeat an army of hellspawn with a single sweep of her hand. Her magic felt like a bottomless pit at that very moment, and when she unleashed her magic in a beam of white light, it was as though the heavens themselves had blessed her with the power to send the Devil himself back to Hell.

She tightened her grip on her Arcane Blade as she brought it down in a clean arc. The blade’s glyphs glowed bright gold, and as soon as it struck the demon, the glyphs started burning into a white flame. The flames raced across the silver blade and cut deep into the demon’s wound. It charred the flesh and seared the bone, and a high pierced scream tore out of his throat. The demon scrambled back and tried to clutch his wound, only to be burned by the marks made by the white flames. In his glowing red eyes, Eloise saw nothing but loathing. He had no fear of death or hell, only pure, raw hatred. She suddenly felt sorry for the demon. He never asked to become a demon, and yet he had to suffer the choices Fate made for him. It just came to show how cruel this world can be, and to end his pain, Eloise swallowed and slashed through his neck, severing his head from his shoulders. The demon’s decapitated body stood there for a brief second before it fell into a pile of charred, mangled flesh.

It was the first time since she dropped her Black Rod that Eloise was able to survey the battlefield around her. The celestial circles drawn at the foot of the fort prevented the demons from wreaking havoc, but even with the help of the circles, it still didn’t cripple them completely. Their magical abilities were still a terrifying sight to see.

There were demons gliding across the black sky and bombarding the camp with bolts of lightning and streaks of fire. Soldiers fought wave after wave of demons in close quarters, struggling to survive with nothing but a hunting knife with celestial runes or exorcistic magic. The demons’ attacks were unpredictable, inconsistent, even. One moment they’ll be at a soldier’s throat, and the next moment, they’re halfway across the battlefield, casting unholy runes to counter the powers of the celestial circles.

It was the pure chaos and destruction, and Eloise launched herself into the battle.

She sprinted across the fort with her Arcane Blade glowing at her side. She jumped from demon to demon, slicing off limbs, severing heads, and countering infernal magic. She was fast and deadly, just as how her guildmaster trained her to be. When Eloise brought up her blade to cut through the flesh of a demon, there was no room for error. When Eloise dodged the bolts of purple lightning striking down onto the earth, there was no time for hesitation. She could not think, she could not falter, one mistake would result in her quick and painful death.

From the corner of her eye, she could make out Kieran’s demon form aiding three soldiers against a demon with six talons and two pairs of wings, and judging by his dominant presence, he was most likely the general of his army.

The demon’s claws were dripping with blood and piled around his feet were the bodies of her comrades, their flesh ripped open and their skin a sickly shade of green, as if someone had poisoned them.

Kieran’s eyes blazed bright orange as he let out a low snarl and crouched down like a wild animal ready to hunt, his black wings were tucked at his sides and red fire danced across his black scales. The three other soldiers stood by Kieran’s side, their knives ready and fingers glowing.

Eloise jumped off the fort and sprinted across the battlefield, her sword’s runes already blazing with gold light, and like a shooting star racing across a black night sky, she darted across the bloody battlefield in a flash of white, her magic fueling her body.

Her action didn’t go unnoticed, however. The demon general turned around immediately to meet her attack. Her blade was already moving by the time he brought up his talon, but Eloise trusted in the blade and her magic and she didn’t hesitate for a single moment.

Her blade met the demon’s outstretched talons, and to her horror, he grabbed onto the blade, stopping it inches away from his face. The silver and gold runes started fading away into black and dark purple as his magic seeped into the blade, and as if her soul was tied to the sword, she felt her life force being drained out of her body.

Her life force, but not her magic.

As her body started weakening, the white flame of her magic kept burning brighter and brighter like an unstoppable fire. She felt her body becoming an empty, lifeless shell to contain her magic as the demon continued to kill her slowly. She could feel her consciousness slipping away, and the cold grip of death latched onto her. The only thing anchoring her to the living world was her magic, and like a desperate sailor in a storm, she held on.

Kieran took this chance to attack the general from behind. He pounced like a wild animal and attacked in a flurry of teeth and claws, ripping the demon’s flesh and tearing gashes in his scale armor. This distracted the demon general for a few seconds and he released Eloise’s blade. She gasped as her life force slammed back into her body like a tidal wave, the flame of magic sputtered back into a spark.

It was then did she realize that her life force was holding back her magic. She could never reach her full potential if she didn’t let go of the very essence that gave her life, and the very thought of dying willingly frightened her, but it had to be done. Kieran was fighting a losing battle against the demon general, and if they had any hopes of winning, she had to trade her life for her magic.

The general roared and slashed with one of his talons. His claws tore through Kieran’s left cheek and Eloise watched as the man she learned to befriend collapse onto the blood-soaked field, growling. His eyes still blazed bright orange, but they were getting duller with each passing second.

Eloise lifted the blade and charged at the monster, hoping he’d turn around and fall for the trap.

He did, and Eloise struggled to contain her smile.

The general whirled around and lashed out with his talons, claws still dripping with Kieran’s blood. They dug into the silver blade and Eloise watched as the runes crumbled to black ash and purple smoke. She felt her muscles weakening and her grip loosen, just like they did when he first stopped her.

Kieran snarled and started struggling to his feet, but when he met Eloise’s eyes, he stopped.

Don’t. Her bright, emerald eyes said. Please, trust me.

Kieran’s orange eyes faded to a bright red, as if to say, What are you doing? There was confusion in his eyes, fear even, but Eloise continued to push the demon.

Saving your ass, that’s what. She managed a wink as she felt the last of her life force being drained out of her. See you in Hell, Kieran.

As a white light engulfed her, she saw Kieran racing towards her with his hand outstretched. He yelled something, but she couldn’t hear. She couldn’t see the general’s dark purple eyes, nor could she feel the cold chill of death sweep across the battlefield, claiming hundreds of lives as the battle between good and evil raged on.

She was dead.

Chapter 13

When Eloise went back to the camp, she was greeted with more groveling and bowing. She would’ve been flattered if she wasn’t so tired from all the flying exercises she just did, but her exhaustion was soon chased away when Rook approached her, his face dark and grim.

“Eloise.” He said quietly and dismissed the soldiers easily, “I…” There was pain in his eyes.

She frowned, “Yes?”

The young commander looked away, “It might be best if I told you in private.” He murmured and walked towards one of the tents.

Eloise fell into step behind him, confused and curious, though more confused than curious, if she was to be completely honest.

The tent they entered was another vacant, empty space. There wasn’t even a piece of furniture, or even a bedroll, just a single beam in the center, holding up the tent.

“Eloise,” Rook said quietly, “I… I’m afraid I have some very bad news.”

“What?” she demanded sharply.

His silence almost killed her, and when she opened her mouth to repeat her question, he said, “The demons, they crossed the Trench and launched multiple attacks across East Borathea,” he clenched his fists and looked up, his eyes meeting hers, “including Eithra.” He said, his voice hoarse.

Eloise’s heart dropped. The temperature around her dropped a hundred degrees, and her skin beaded with cold sweat. She literally felt her blood run cold.

“Eloise, I’m so sorry—”

“Were there any survivors?” she asked, her voice unrecognizably calm.

Rook’s eyes shifted, “It happened recently, and his majesty sent people to go investigate, but so far, nothing.”

She felt like her chest was being crushed by the weight of a thousand rocks, and she found it difficult to breath. Her friends, her guildmates, the people of Eithra… they were all gone.

No! A part of Eloise’s mind snapped. No, that’s not true. You don’t know that! But there were so many conflicting emotions and thoughts within her mind that she no longer cared. All she wanted to do was to go back and see the city for herself, to see how much death and destruction the demons have caused.

“Here’s the letter the king wrote himself.” Rook drew out a piece of parchment from his pocket and handed it to her. She took it without a word and read it right there and then.

Rook, my commander,

I’m afraid I only have terrible news to share, my friend. Yesterday, the demons sent legions of soldiers to attack cities across East Borathea, terrorizing the people and destroying their homes. Trades have been cut off, and fear plagues the land. I’ve already sent soldiers to aid in the reparations and to guard the Trench, but the damage has been done, and nothing we do nor say can change what happened.

Please, for your sake and ours, don’t return. You are the last line of defense. Defend the fort even if it’ll cost you your life, make sure those demons never come back again.

I must keep this letter brief, so I’ll end it here. Please tell Eloise that she has my apologies, and if there’s anything within my power that I can do for her, tell me immediately, and I’ll see it done. She has my word

 

Sincerely, King Cadric Erestar

When Eloise lowered the letter, Rook said gently, “I plan to send a letter to the king tonight. Is there anything you want me to tell him?”

Eloise hands trembled as she clenched the letter between her fingers, “Find Ami,” she whispered, tears welling in her eyes, “and Callan. Please, tell him to find them both, no matter what. Ami was still in the city when I left, and if she’s alive, tell me immediately.”

Rook nodded, “Alright,” he hesitated, then said slowly, “and if she’s gone?”

Eloise swallowed hard and looked up, “Return her body to her homeland. She was born and raised in the city of Taul.” She took a deep, wavering breath and continued shakily, “Callan left the guild after I sailed for the capitol.” Knowing him, he most likely went down south to the Clans’ territory. He always spoke of their unique weapons and rather bloody history, in fact, he was probably admiring a sand monument right now. “You’ll find him down south.” She finished, “That’s where he went.”

Rook nodded again, “I’ll tell him.” He promised.

Eloise gave him back the letter and left.

She didn’t know where to go. She didn’t even know what she could do at this point, so she went to the beach where she was supposed to meet Kieran that night and sat down on the sand. The sun was close to setting, and the sea glittered gold as the waves lapped at the black shore. It was a beautiful sight, but she couldn’t find the strength to enjoy it. Instead, she lay down on her side and closed her eyes, wishing more than anything for this nightmare to end.

Eloise woke to the chilly breeze of night. She cracked open her eyes and saw the bright, silver moon casting shadows across the cursed island. She would’ve fallen back asleep if it wasn’t for the cold wind blowing across the shore and Kieran’s voice.

“Eloise.”

She didn’t respond. She didn’t even move.

He put a warm, calloused hand on her arm, “I’m sorry.” He said, his voice quiet and heavy.

She was tired of people saying they were sorry. Apologizing wouldn’t change anything. Her home would still be gone, Ami might still be dead, and Callan…

Eloise sat up slowly and tucked her knees into her chest, suddenly grateful for the shadows of the night that hid her tears. She felt helpless and defeated, like she just lost a long, hard fought battle against Fate. At the end of the day, she was nothing compared to the rest of the world. If she was someone to the eyes of Fate, she would’ve been able to save her friends. She could’ve done something.

Kieran’s hand went to her shoulder, “Hey, easy now.” he murmured and took her trembling hands into his own, their fingers entwining, “Getting angry at yourself won’t help.”

Eloise clenched her hands into fists as tears flowed down her face. She tried to stop sobbing, but that only made it worse.

He reached up and dried her tears, his rough fingers surprisingly gentle. Kieran stroke her face as he brushed a thumb under her eye to wipe her tears away, and when she finally calmed down, his hand went back to her shoulder.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered through her tears.

“Don’t be,” he said, his tone matching hers, “just let it all out.”

Eloise took several deep, long breaths, and during that time, Kieran waited patiently and silently.

“Better?” he asked once she was breathing normally again.

Eloise nodded, swallowing, “Yeah,” she rubbed her swollen, red eyes, “thank you.”

Kieran’s red eyes practically glowed in the darkness, “I’ve lost loved ones too, you know,” he said softly, “if you need to talk to anyone, you can come find me.”

“Thank you.” Eloise said, sniffling.

He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, then he stood up, holding out a hand for her. She took it and he helped her to her feet.

“Remember, your friends may still be alive,” he reminded her, “and if they’re as tough as you, I have no doubt that they’re fine.”

Eloise smiled at the compliment despite herself, “Thanks, Kieran, that means a lot to me.”

“Yeah, well,” he looked away, “you needed it.”

She looked up at the black sky above them, the stars hidden behind the veil of smoke, “You said you wanted to show me something, right?”

“Yes, but I don’t think now’s the best time.” Kieran shook his head.

“Actually, that’s not true,” Eloise said, and when he looked at her, she continued, “this might be the last night that we have some peace and quiet before the demons attack again. It’s been days since the last battle, and Rook’s sending the letter tonight. If I get the news in the next few days and learn that my friend’s dead,” her voice cracked slightly at the mention of the possibility, “I don’t think I’ll want to see what you’re about to show me.”

He gave her a long, hard look before sighing, “Alright,” he reached out, “give me your hand.”

Eloise took it, wrapping her fingers gently around his.

“Open your wings.”

She did, extending her beautiful, pearl white wings to the very end.

“Close your eyes.”

Eloise raised a brow and gave him a questioning look, but he just mouthed Trust me, and she closed them.

She felt herself being lifted gently off the ground, and she flapped her wings to make it easier for Kieran to guide her. They kept rising into the air until Eloise could start to feel stronger winds brushing across her face and sending goosebumps across her arms.

“Kieran, can I open my eyes yet?” she asked.

“Not yet.” He murmured.

They kept ascending closer and closer to the starry night sky, and when Kieran finally said she can open them, she fluttered her eyes open.

No words can describe what she saw.

A million stars glittered across the dark blue and black sky, each one shining like a diamond. They hovered above a sea of white, fluffy clouds, like the ones she saw when she walked up the steps to the Celestial Gate. They glowed like snow under moonlight and Eloise stared, breathless, as the wind slowly carried them away like a wave across the sea.

From here, Eloise could see the many constellations she studied as a child, but now that she saw a thousand more stars scattered across the sky, it took her a while to spot her favorite ones.

She saw Auralyn the warrior maiden. She appeared in many elven folklores as the wandering spirit who sheltered weary travelers and defended lost children from the monsters that lurked in the deep woods of her homeland— the Misty Glades. Legends told the tale of a talented young woman who practiced the art of combat and fighting every day. Her heart was made of stone, hardened by the harsh conditions of the war she lived through, but one day, she fell in love. The man was a spirit of the forest, and every night, they met in the heart of the Misty Glades. Only then, in front of her true love, would she her true self. But, like all tragic love tales, the story ended with the spirit dying. A spell cast by the opposing side plagued the forest, and it killed everything in its path, including spirits. She watched as the man she loved die in her arms, tears flowing freely down her pale, porcelain cheeks. His name was Elorihr, and his final wish was to see the woman he loved smile. She did, just for him, and he was able to fade in peace. Her smile was said to be so beautiful, it healed broken hearts. After he died, she carried on his duty as a forest spirit and aided those who passed through her woods. She eventually passed away as well, but she reunited with Elorihr in the heavens above, and her constellation was there to prove their undying love and her beautiful tale.

It was Eloise’s favorite constellation because the tale represented so many things, so many important things in life that people often forgot. Strength, love, and peace.

She glanced at Kieran, wondering if he had a favorite constellation too, and found him staring to the right. She followed his gaze and saw that he was looking at the Reilith constellation, a much sadder and tragic tale.

According to legend, Reilith was a boy king who was crowned at the age of seven. His father was assassinated by the king from the neighboring kingdom, and his mother was accused of practicing dark magic. By the time Reilith ascended to the throne, his people were already turning their backs on him, and when he finally turned twelve, his people banished him for eternity. He wandered across deserts and mountains, through wind and rain, until he found shelter in a cave deep within a mountain pass hidden from the rest of Borathea. There, Reilith met an avatar of Aruul, the god of pain, and when the god looked upon the starved and sick child, he took pity on him. He had lost everything, his family, his kingdom, his people. No one knew him, he was a nobody, and the boy learned this cruel, hard truth at a very young age.

The god of pain, who pitied him, made a deal with the boy. Aruul would give him a family, a mother and father who love him, in exchange for his service until death. The boy would have his family for one whole year, and by the end of that year, Aruul would make that all disappear, and the boy would have to serve him. Reilith was young, and he agreed to the cruel deal immediately. As long as he had a family who loved him, he was happy.

He cherished every moment with his family as the harsh reality ate at his heart every day. He knew they would have to go after one year, which was why he treasured them and loved them with all his heart.

But when the year was up, the boy watched in horror and tears as Aruul took his family away. The twelve-year-old boy king refused to serve him, and without another word, he plunged a dagger into his own heart, for Aruul said he had to serve him until death. Reilith took his own life willingly, thus, fulfilling his end of the bargain.

The god, however, was not pleased with this, and he struck Reilith’s tormented spirit with a curse. Reilith would never find peace, and he’ll wander to the ends of the earth until the world crumbled to ash. He’d be a wandering spirit, unable to find peace or shelter no matter where he goes.

Aruul’s counterpart, however, the goddess of mercy, Eldra, saw this and intervened. She turned Reilith’s spirit into a constellation so he could, at the very least, see his family every night. He would still wander the skies for eternity, but at least he would be able to see his family and watch over the world till the end of his days.

Eloise saw the same pain and longing in Kieran’s eyes. He must’ve known the story and saw Reilith in himself, knowing he shared the boy king’s pain.

She gave Kieran’s hand a gentle squeeze for comfort and reassurance, and when he turned to look at her, his eyes glowing dark red, she smiled encouragingly.

Kieran returned it with a sad smile, then he led her across the white sea of clouds. He opened his wings and turned on his back to look up at the stars. She did the same, and when she saw the glittering night sky, she felt as though she were swimming in a sea of stars, blanketed by the cold chill of the night.

She could’ve stayed there for all of eternity, and she would’ve, but Kieran’s soft voice pulled her back to reality.

“As a boy, I wanted to share this with someone,” he said wistfully as he looked up at the sea of black and silver, “I saw this every night, and I wanted someone else to enjoy it as much as I did.”

Eloise looked at him, “And that someone’s me?” she asked, trying not to sound hopeful.

Kieran glanced at her, his amber eyes reflecting the light of a million stars, “Yes.” He answered softly.

She felt her heartbeat quicken at his reply and she turned away to hide her blush, suddenly grateful for the darkness that hid her flushing face.

Eloise felt his hand slipping into hers and their fingers entwined. It was her only source of warmth on this cold, beautiful night, and it kept her anchored to this black paradise, a place where she felt safe, and a place that only the two of them knew.

Looking up at the stars, she imagined a young Kieran gliding across the sky, alone and unwanted, as he stared up at the heavens above. It must’ve been a beautiful sight for such a young boy, and that young boy probably didn’t want to share it with anyone. It was his treasure, his discovery, and he would guard this secret paradise for as long as he lived.

But as he grew older, he realized that he longed to share it with someone, someone special. He wanted to see the joy and wonder light up in their eyes as he took them to see this new, untouched world.

Eloise glanced in Kieran’s direction and caught him staring. He quickly looked away to hide it, but she saw him and chuckled.

Eloise turned around and reached down to touch the clouds with her hand. As a girl, she always wanted to touch a fluffy cloud, and even though she felt slightly disappointed when her hand went straight through the cloud, she still smiled as her fingers made a trail through the silver and white sea.

From the corner of her eye, she can see Kieran looking up at the night sky, his dark amber eyes unreadable. It was the first time Eloise saw his calm and almost peaceful face, and she realized that, when he wasn’t roaring in anger or trying to kill someone, he looked rather handsome. His features were finely chiseled as if they were shaped by the gods themselves, and under the dark, starry sky, his skin glowed silver ever so slightly, making him look like an angel himself—a kind, gentle, and misunderstood angel.

As she stared at him, taking in every detail of his beautiful face, Eloise wondered what she looked like to him. Did her emerald green eyes take his breath away every time he saw them? Did he long to touch her long, slightly curled raven black hair as much as she longed to touch his silky, snow white hair?

“Eloise.”

The way he said her name made her heart skip a beat, “Yes?” she asked quietly and almost timidly.

Kieran let out a long sigh, “I…” he faltered, but when he glanced at her and saw her bright, emerald green eyes, he continued, “I’m sorry for everything I said to you when we first met.” He lowered his gaze, “I called you a deadweight, I ignored you, I looked down on you, and I’m sorry, I really am.” He worked up the courage to look her in the eye, “I won’t ask you for forgiveness—”

“I forgive you.” She said immediately.

Kieran stopped and frowned, “You… you do?” he sounded more confused than relieved.

Eloise nodded, “Yes, I forgive you,” she looked down at their entwined fingers, “it takes a lot of courage to apologize,” she said softly and looked into his amber eyes, “just make sure not to repeat the same mistakes.”

He swallowed hard and dipped his head, letting his black bangs fall across his eyes. She reached up and brushed them aside, “Don’t be ashamed to apologize and admit your mistakes, Kieran,” she murmured, resting a hand on his tattooed face, “there are times when you need it more than anyone else.”

His eyes were darkened with regret and sadness, but behind them was also pain. He was still struggling to keep his demon side contained as it took advantage of his vulnerable state and fed on his emotions. She could feel dark magic pulsing off his trembling body and shadows circling around his body like vultures to a carcass. She knew she had to do something, otherwise the demon would eat away at his heart, mind, and soul until there was nothing left of his human side but a broken, lifeless, empty shell.

Then, an idea hit her. She wrapped her fingers gently around his wrist, his pulse racing under her touch.

“Eloise, what are you—”

“Trust me.” She said.

Kieran clenched his jaw but said nothing. Eloise looked deep into her soul where her magic burned like an eternal flame and drew some of it out. Even if it was just a little bit, she still felt as though she held the power to destroy an entire army of hellspawn in the palm of her phantom hand. It was dangerous, and it could kill Kieran as easily as she breathed if she wasn’t careful, so she concentrated, closing her eyes and breathing steadily.

She felt him stiffen under her touch, “Eloise.” She heard the fear in his trembling voice and knew he felt it too.

“Please, just trust me.” She said through gritted teeth.

Kieran’s breathing became uneven, a sign of his demonic instinct, but he forced it aside and grounded himself to his human side. He trusted her. He trusted her completely and wholeheartedly, and that was enough to give her the push she needed.

Her magic snaked around her arm as she directed it toward Kieran, avoiding his demon side and planting a seed of hope in his human heart.

Kieran took a long, wavering breath as he felt her magic chase away his dark thoughts. She imagined herself as a white and silver wisp, lighting up the deepest corners of the shadowed woods and chasing away the monsters that lurked there.

“Eloise…” he whispered, tightening his grip on her arm.

After she lit up a beacon of hope where she planted the seed, she slowly released his hand and pulled back, opening her eyes.

The pain and loss in his eyes were gone, replaced by wonder and amazement, and were now a beautiful shade of gold and amber, like honey.

She looked down embarrassingly. “I read in a book once that demons can strike fear and hate into an enemy,” she mumbled, “and I thought that the opposite must be true for angels.” She tilted her chin up to meet his bright gold eyes, “I could tell your demon side was feeding off your emotions and breaking free, I had to do something,” she lowered her voice and added, “I’m sorry if I hurt you.”

He caressed her cheek tenderly with a calloused hand and brushed his thumb gently across her skin, sending shivers down her spine. She was mesmerized by his beautiful, soft glowing honey eyes, and she saw them swimming with emotions so intense she felt her entire body shake.

She felt his other hand touch her waist and immediately stopped shivering. His hand was soft, and as he pulled her closer, she felt as though she was being wrapped in a cocoon of warmth, as though he were shielding her from the cold night.

Those golden eyes. She couldn’t take her eyes off them.

And she held them even as he kissed her.

The world around her faded when his lips met hers. The stars, the clouds, the battle looming over the horizon like an ominous shadow, she forgot about them all. The only one left in this world was Kieran.

It was her first kiss, and as his mouth slided against hers, Eloise wondered if her heart was supposed to feel like a flower burst into bloom, if her stomach was supposed to turn into a shower of a thousand butterflies. She wondered if Kieran felt the same and slid her arms around his neck, deepening their kiss. His embrace tightened and he let out a soft groan in response. She felt her heartbeat quicken at the sound of his low, guttural voice and stroke her fingers through his silky, white hair before resting her hand on the nape of his neck.

She wanted to stay there forever, alone with him amidst the glittering stars and sea of white. In this beautiful, secret paradise, no one would find them. In here, they could share their feelings, away from the prying eyes of outsiders. In here, with Kieran, she felt safe.

But their perfect, eternal world was soon shattered when Eloise snapped back to reality.

Her promise. How could she have forgotten?

She pulled away so abruptly that Kieran’s amber eyes were still burning like a passionate fire when she looked into them. That fire was quickly smothered, though, when he saw pain flash across her face.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice full of concern and confusion.

“I…” she continued to pull away from him, the warmth of his embrace replaced by the cold and cruel chill of the night.

“Eloise?” Kieran came forward, hand outstretched, but she shook her head.

“I can’t, I’m sorry.” She choked on the words.

The hurt in his beautiful gold eyes was enough to fill Eloise’s heart with guilt, so much that her chest ached, but his pain was quickly chased away by a stone-cold mask. His eyes returned to a shade of bloody red as he pushed aside his feelings, to Eloise’s dismay.

“Fine, then,” he said in the same flat tone he used when they first met, “any other secrets you want to tell me? Other than the fact that you just cheated on your lover?”

His words cut were like glass shards and razor sharp knives, and they hurt her deeply, but she knew she deserved it, after what she did to him. So, she took the blows one by one.

“I didn’t cheat on him.” She said, clenching her fists at her sides.

“So, you do have a significant other.” Kieran’s eyes darkened with anger, “When were you going to tell me?”

His lethal calm voice almost made her flinch. “I don’t have a lover, Kieran,” she said firmly, trying to get that point across, “but I made a promise, and I intend to keep it, I’m sorry.”

His laugh was dry and bitter, “Keep it? From the looks of it, I’d say you just broke it.” He said.

“What I promised is my business, Kieran.” She growled, “Mine, and Callan’s, so I’ll only say this once: drop it.”

“Callan?” Her heart dropped when she realized what she had just done, but it was too late. Kieran heard what she said, and his eyes started shifting into a terrible bright orange, “Your friend?”

“No, Kieran, that’s not—”

“Not much of a friend if he shares a bed with you, is he?” he muttered.

“For the last time,” she said in a dangerously quiet tone, “Callan and I are not lovers, I did not cheat on him, nor did I eversleep with him. I made a promise to him, that’s it.”

Kieran gave her a long, harsh glare before turning his back on her, “Fine, I won’t pry. I’ve heard enough anyway.” His voice was so cold and distant that he almost sounded like a stranger, and before she knew it, he was gone.