Watty's Shortlist 2023
"I have been waiting a long time to meet you."
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When two warring kingdoms hear of a magical object that will end the conflict once and for all, two rival heirs embark on a quest to retrieve it and bring their...
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All of her senses evaded her; a deafening silence hung in the air and an endless chasm of black opened before her. A flash of crimson appeared suddenly and she whirled, aware of the figure that now watched her curiously.
Red eyes locked on hers. They would've been beautiful, if the rectangular slits and small black pupil weren't so unnerving. Whilst they held a fire within them, it was evident that it was burning out, flickering down to it's last embers and bringing an exhaustion with it.
His hair held an auburn hue, almost imperceptible in the darkness and yet it was so distinguishable that it was hard to imagine it being any other colour.
"Finally," he murmured in a raspy voice. He spoke as if he had been waiting for a long time and yet it wasn't frustration that lined his tone, but a reverence that was unwarranted from a stranger.
She opened her mouth, but had no words to say.
"Aila you need to be careful. You can't trust them. Be prepared for the trials. Don't underestimate yourself. With only the eyes can one see clearly. Remember that."
"Wha-?"
"The link... it's fading and I can't hold it any longer - you're waking up."
He reached for her hand and brushed a quick kiss across her knuckles. She couldn't feel the contact from his hand against hers, nor the press of his lips, but she could've sworn she felt the whisper of a breeze caress her skin in this abyss which seemed to be void of any air.
"Thank you," he whispered, sincerity shining in his striking features.
The stranger faded and she felt her senses seep back into her; the scent of sand and grass enveloped her, a rustling greeted her ears and her mouth was as dry as sandpaper.
Though her own world came back into focus, she could still hear the echo of a red stranger she had encountered in a dark room, and the many warnings with which he had left her.
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