A child, a mystery, a powerful Etherealnik... and perhaps something more. Even Kishira has yet to uncover all of her own secrets. But maybe it starts with the ominous black bird that haunts her windowsill and the space between her collarbones.
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S...
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ketterdam, kerch
Kishira could hardly see her hand in front of her face as she walked through the sand.
She followed the footprints, and the trail of black blood as best she could, but it wasn't easy, and she knew that any minute a volcra could pluck her up and everything would end. She couldn't do anything. Not in here.
She stopped in her tracks when she found herself at the mouth of a cave that somehow appeared even darker than everything else. She wanted to hesitate, but this is where the tracks led. She stepped inside, and the world went black entirely.
When she could see again, she was surprised to find it was from candles, and even more surprised to see she was standing in a hut. Something about it felt strangely familiar, and a glance out the window confirmed it. She'd seen this place in a dream before. So why was she here now?
She felt a presence behind her suddenly, and her eyes widened. She took a steadying breath. "I'm dreaming again, aren't I?"
She turned to see him behind her. He looked the same as he had the last time she dreamt of this place; no beard, long hair, eyes more sad than angry. This wasn't the Darkling. No, this was Aleksander.
"Perhaps," he said softly.
"You aren't real."
"Not anymore."
"You're dead."
Slowly, he nodded his head. "In a way." he nearly whispered. "I was Aleksander Morozova once. Before I became the villain they made me." He looked around. "This is the day I died. The day I became something different."
She scowled. "People don't just change."
"I lost everything. So I turned to something I shouldn't have. I wish I could blame the Merzost for what it turned me into, but I chose to use it, didn't I?" He looked down at his feet. "Luda."
She frowned in confusion. "What?"
"The healer. Her name was Luda. I couldn't save her." There were tears in his eyes when he looked up. "And I didn't save you." Slowly, he made his way across the room to her, gently cupping her face in his hands. "I'm sorry." he said, his voice breaking. "We could have been this, Kishira. We could have had each other, and been a family, and it would have been all we ever needed. Instead we're broken. And I did it to us. I'm so, so sorry Little Shadow."
Her heart shattered in her chest, and she opened her mouth to say something.
Before she could, an earsplitting noise reverbrated all around. It sounded almost like a volcra, but deep and guttural, and more animalistic than demonic.
