.The Shadow Knight.

-55-

That flash moment, that one second before I was gone from the land of the living.

My body felt numb, no not just numb, it felt like it wasn't my own.

I forced my eyes open to see my hair whipped around in the air.

I flipped myself with a jerk of my arm and gasped, I was falling out through the air, why is the sky red?! Why does the grass bellow look like blades?! Oh god it is blades!!

I felt sharp talons stab through my back and yet the pain I felt wasn't my own, hanging limp from the claws holding me as I was carried upwards.

I was dropped on a huge tree branch and stared in awe as the whole bark was made of dragon scales.

I pushed myself on my elbows and looked up.

It looked just like my owl spirit friend in colors but it wasn't an owl... tho I did recognize it as such, the stare filled eyes not lying.

And the world around me was swallowed by darkness as it screeched.

I got to my knees, sitting on my hunches as I just couldn't move more.

"What is all this?" My voice even... It didn't feel my own either.

"This had been the spirit plains, the quantity of magic exploding out of your realm all at once created a point of pure magic, tearing a hole through all the existing realms with that blast, everyone feeling and seeing the explosion from the material realm to the spirit plains and even the realm after it, even into the void, so much magic in such a small point, creating a magical singularity and fell into itself." It's voice was still the same as ever.

It laid down, body curling around me tho it didn't touch me, head lifted to look at me.

"What?"

"Even the strongest of mages are not able to create such an output of magic at once, not even the one you call the silver queen is physically able, by dying, the restraint on that magic faded and all at once was unleashed from your body.... Last time something similar was seen was a similar event that turned a man into a tree."

"I failed at my task."

"Did you?"

I looked at it, pulling the mask off my face only for it to crumble in my hands, holding nothing but the dust of it.

"She died."

"Yes."

"Then I succeed, even if I didn't survive." I sighed, sad I caused them pain, sorry Elise.

"This was your fate but it is not the end of our shared destiny." I rose a brow, not understanding what this bird.... Dragon?... This whatever spirit was telling me.

"Our destiny?"

"Have you not wondered why I chose you?"

"Well I did for a long time."

"You humans are such young souls, just like all those you share a world with, your lives are but a glimpse to us and yet so important, only those mortal souls enlightened through many lives can be gifted with knowledge."

"What are you talking about?"

"Human, once a mortal soul learns all there is to learn in its lives it will climb to a higher level of consciousness."

"Which is?"

"It may become a spirit."

I gaped silently at the spirit in front of me... How is that possible?

"How?"

"As I said, you have such young souls but you will learn. In each life a soul is bound to its pair, as one learns the other fades, once the one that learnt has nothing to learn the other is gone and the new enlightened takes its place, a new soul paired with the new light and the cycle repeats... This is the end of our cycle."

"Me?... But I can't be a spirit, I-I know barely anything!"

"Once I fade you'll be the new incarnation of time and space, this realm here will be yours, future and past will hold no mysteries to you, you'll see all, control over time itself and space all."

"Wow." It was mindbogglingly confusion and yet so clear.

"This had been why your silver queen was tasked with making you sacrifice the rest to live, your heart wouldn't have been at peace while dying if it was not for yourself or for the one you love that you died for and peace is needed to finish a soul's journey."

"But I am not done."

"Then from now on." It pressed its forehead against mine. "You'll see a new world to explore."

-------------------------------------------------------

I blinked awake and sat up, back on the scaly bark of the tree and stood up, feeling much different from before.

Memories not my own swarming my mind and yet neatly organized, like in an endlessly expanding library in my mind, a library which I knew how to navigate.

I saw lands with metal and glass covering tall structures, rolling carts with no horses to pull them, I saw corral reeves with the glow of floating balls of green glow, I saw caves with drawing of old on the walls, I saw the hatred steaming in a dark void.... Visions of realms upon realms layered over my vision and yet I saw clearly.

I took a deep breath, not noticing I was holding it, this is so foreign and yet it felt normal... Was this what it meant?

I lifted my arm, skin shimmering like the stars in the night.

I closed my eyes, looking through the library for the book on how I looked, wishing to see the changes clearly.

I was right, my skin made of star dust, my flesh of magic and bones of the core of the sun, hair having gained enough length to almost drag on the ground behind me, eyes pitch black and painted with the dots of the dark sky, far away skies.

I still looked human enough but I knew as times would pass that would change, the owl beast was once a mortal too after all, starting out like me and through a long long time changing. (I am spell checking this in 2023 and like made the comment 'ooooh owl lady' right as I read that I wrote owl beast years before owl house came out...)

And yet I was still me.

And had my wishes still.

"Elise." I whispered, as a spirit I could feel where the one connection to the mortal realm was... Just you wait I am coming.