Protector of the Enchanted

Long ago, when the world was new, there was a small pond at the world’s edge. From that pond an ocean grew. It curved through our world and into the ground beneath. It was thought as something to celebrate by all that saw it, festivals held in its honour. None could fathom what would happen next.

 

It had light. But what many forget is that where there’s light, darkness follows. It’s an unspeakable rule, one that every traveller knows. And one none dare speak aloud. So, they forget to heed its warning.  

 

On a stormy night, where clouds block all light, they remember.

 

The banging of thunder reverberates along the land. Lightning follows in its wake. It hits the surface of the ocean below, creating a vortex of energy within. From that vortex, tendrils of smoke emerge. It starts covering the surface with every beat of thunder.

 

Soon the smoke grows darker, creating rapids in its path. Waves of force heading towards a place none but the fearless dare wander, for it is buried in the deepest depths of the earth below. When it rushes past a particular corner, it awakens a being best left undisturbed.

 

A being surrounded by the darkness as if it were a part of him. His eyes wandered over the land searching, before narrowing at the lacking it produced. The force of his anger reverberated across the kingdom. Some thought it was simply another part of the storm, never imagining it was the sound of a monster rising from the dead.

 

Gem takes a second to rest there for a moment. Sipping at her drink to wet her parched mouth. Her eyes wander back to look at mine, as if weighing her next words. I don’t say a word. In my experience, stories are better left uninterrupted. The questions can wait.

 

Whatever she was searching for, she must have found. She gives me a small smile and leans back in her seat, putting the cup back on the table.

 

“That was just the beginning, what happened next, no one would forget.”

 

After being entombed beneath the earth for so long, a burning had been lit in his heart. A desire for vengeance. All he’d known had been scraped away, leaving a hollow shell in its wake.

 

He’d been imprisoned in a torturous tomb for a thousand years, by people they now called ‘blessed’. A scoff escaped his mouth, a sneer following, they were anything but. They were nothing more than vermin and cowards, and he hated them with a burning passion.

 

They were gone now, but their descendants lived on. It didn’t matter that these people had done nothing wrong, the hollow hole in his chest would not be filled by anything but retribution. It sickened him to think that they’d found happiness. They did not deserve it.

 

In his fury, he vowed that he would find them and make them pay. Everything came with a price and this was theirs. Everything they loved, everyone they held dear, he’d destroy it all. And there was absolutely nothing they could do to stop him. He vowed to destroy their happiness, and he had all the time in the world to do it.

 

And in his arrogance, he forgot. Where there’s light, darkness follows, this is true. But the opposite holds true as well. For as long as there is darkness, light will always follow. They are intertwined, neither can exist without the presence of the other.  

 

When Gem takes a break this time, a nagging feeling forms in my chest. A feeling I can’t quite put my finger on. All I can make out is a feeling of wrongness. Like something about what I’m hearing is a lie.

 

Glancing at her, I brush it aside. She wouldn’t lie to me. Not successfully anyway. Not when the look on her face made it clear she wholeheartedly believed what she was saying.

 

“The next part is very relevant to the current situation.”

 

It took him a very long time to do it. So long that by the time he was about to enact it, word had already travelled. He didn’t care. Didn’t think anything could do would work. He was going to curse the land regardless. It would not matter.

 

But he was wrong. A warning reached the ears of the royalty in the kingdom he resided by. A prophecy given to expecting parents. Their child would be the key. Their child would be able to save them.

 

They didn’t want to believe it. It couldn’t be true. They didn’t want to face what that would mean. For a babe can’t defeat any power. They’d have to give her up.

 

Frantically, they searched for any other solution, but none could be found. Left with an impossible choice. Did they do what was best for themselves, or what was best for their kingdom? In the end, they chose neither. They did what was best for their child.

 

She’d have no future living in isolation with people who only sought to use her. And the curse left them unable to give her all they wanted to. They didn’t know what the curse would entail, only a resonating instinct that wouldn’t be able to keep their happiness. So, they gave her up.

 

To give her best chance, they sent her to another world. A world where she could live her life without the bindings of destiny. Where she could grow into the person she would undoubtedly become. Hoping that when the time came, she would know how to get home.

 

Gem finishes the story, staring into my eyes meaningfully. “I’m telling you this because that child was you.”

 

What? For a moment I think I heard wrong, but when she keeps looking at me expectantly, I realise she’s being serious. But that feels impossible.

 

Just as impossible as coming to another world. The little voice in the back of my head decides to pipe in.

 

“How-”

 

“I know you don’t believe me.” She interrupts. “I know how absolutely bonkers it sounds. But it’s the truth.”

 

I sigh. “I won’t write it off. But that’s all I can promise right now.”

 

It doesn’t seem like that’s the answer she wants, but she slowly nods. “Fair enough.”

 

As we sit there finishing off our drinks in the silence that descends, a thought occurs to me. Flashes of the looks she’s been giving me since she saw me go through my mind. A burning question forms.

 

“Gem…” I start to catch her attention. “Who are you to me?”

 

When she doesn’t answer, I sigh. There’s no point to the question if it’s only going to make her freeze up. I need answers. I’m not going to get them If she’s too afraid to give them to me.

 

“How about another question then? You did promise to answer them.” I shoot her a wry look. “What did this…curse…do?” It’s been on my mind ever since she mentioned it.

 

“It…” Gem pauses. “It made them forget. Stripped away every memory and aspect that made them who they were. It made them forget everyone they loved.”

 

A pang goes through my heart at the thought. Such a cruel fate. To be left as nothing but a hollow shell of yourself, unaware and unseeing. It was much worse than dying, in my opinion. At least then, you wouldn’t lose everything you believed in.

 

“Haven’t you ever done anything that shouldn’t be possible? Survived when you shouldn’t have?”

 

My head snaps up to gaze at Gem at her random line of questioning. Unbidden, a memory comes to mind. A collapsing wall and the sound of screams as frightened children cowered in the corner. I hadn’t thought about it in years, but I could still remember the muttering around. The whispers questioning how I was still alive.

It had frightened me. But it had frightened those bullies even more. They hadn’t expected it to happen, it had scared them so badly that they never did any such thing ever again. After all, at the end of the day, we were all nothing more than children.

 

I have to choke back a laugh, remembering how absolutely nice they acted before. The cries of relief as I came to in the infirmary. It was the only good thing to come out of it. It scared them into being better human beings.

 

My silence seems to be answer enough for Gem, as she starts to smile. “I’m guessing you have.”

 

“Yes.” I acknowledge. “But it doesn’t really mean much. It could simply be coincidental.”

 

“There are very few true coincidences in this world. Only magic and chance.”

 

Raising my brows, I give her a lopsided smile. “Not fate?”

 

“I don’t believe in fate. Not truly.” There’s a hard gleam in Gem’s eyes, making me think there’s unpleasant memories behind that belief.

 

I smile. “Neither do I.” I shake my head as her eyes snap back to me. “Believe in fate that is. Our destiny is what we make of it.”  

She stares at me in silence for a few moments before, slowly, her lips pull back into a grin. A short chuckle escaping her as the monsters residing in her eyes give way to amusement. Instead of saying anything more, she picks up her cup to her mouth and finishes off the rest of her drink.

 

Stretching my hands above my head, a yawn escapes my mouth. One of my hands come to cover it, as the other reaches to put my empty cup in the area designated for pick up on the table. When my eyes flicker open, it’s to the sight of hard-set grey eyes and a pursed mouth.

 

“What’s-”

 

“Cousin.” She interrupts before I can ask her about what’s troubling her.

 

“What?” My face scrunches up. Cousin?

 

Gem tries to look confident, but the way she’s fiddling with her hands gives her away. “You asked me who I am to you.” She gulps. “I’m your cousin.”

 

I must admit, I’m a little stunned. I wasn’t expecting that. Sure, the colour of her hair is very close to mine and her nose is much the same, but that could be coincidental.

 

“There are very few true coincidences.” Her words echo in my ears as I process the bombshell she just dropped. I can’t quite explain the emotions I am feeling right now. There’s way too many.

 

You did want to find your family. Yes, I did. But…How could I have ever predicted this? What if it’s a li-

 

No. I stop that thought in its tract. I might have only met her a few hours ago, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be able to detect a lie. Even if I couldn’t see the absolute sincerity in her eyes, my own instincts told me much the same.

As confusing as all this is, my instincts have yet to lead me astray. I’m not going to stop trusting them now. Still…

 

“That’s a lot to suddenly drop on someone.” I give her tentative smile. “Especially when you only just met them.”

 

“I know.” She gives me a sheepish smile in return, fiddling even more with her hands. “That’s why I didn’t want to tell you. But the longer I wait, the more I lose the nerve to do it.” She gives a self-depreciating laugh and gulps. “I…I didn’t want to just not tell you. And. And I did promise that I would answer all your questions. Besides,” A nervous laugh. “I had a sense you’d believe me? I know it’s-”

 

“I do.” I interrupt her ramble. “I don’t understand it. I don’t fully trust it either, but I do believe you.” At her confused look, I elaborate. “I believe that you’re not lying to me, but I don’t think that’s the same as trusting it to be true.” I don’t know if I can afford to hope.

 

She bites her lip. “What can-”

 

“Just give me time to process.” I sigh. “It’s a lot. You can’t, and don’t need to, do anything else.”

 

For a long second, I think she’s about to argue, but she ends up just giving me a hesitant nod. “Alright.”

 

“Great.” I smile. “Is there anything else we need to do here?” She shakes her head. “Where to next?”

 

She goes to give a response, but never gets to. Loud rumbling beneath our feet makes the cabin shake with its force. Cutlery and plates clinking together in the aftermath. Panicked cries can be heard from some of the occupants, with staff trying to comfort them.

 

There isn’t any doubt about what just occurred.