Elayne's ordinary life takes a drastic turn when she discovers she is part of an ancient prophecy tied to the mythical kingdom of Elyssanar. Guided by Solaris, a unique companion with secrets of his own, Elayne embarks on a journey fraught with chal...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
When I first opened my eyes to the blinding white light that filled my vision, all I could do was stare at it. My parents later told me that I didn’t make a sound when I was born. Instead, I just gazed at the light above me, seemingly entranced. Worried I might be paralyzed, they subjected me to a series of tests, including a DNA test.
With my mom’s brunette hair and brown eyes and my dad’s blonde hair and blue eyes, they were baffled. My mom had a petite frame, and my dad was muscular from his job in construction. No one anticipated a red-haired girl with freckles, dark green eyes, and a frail-looking body.
The tests confirmed I was indeed their daughter.
When my mom got pregnant with my little brother, they braced themselves for another surprise. But he turned out exactly as they had imagined: blue eyes and blonde hair, a miniature version of our dad, complete with our mom’s dimples.
When they brought him home and introduced him to me, I broke down in tears, shouting about how different I was and how they finally had the son they wanted, one who looked like them.
And it showed. My parents doted on him as if he were the most precious thing in the world, making my presence feel even more insignificant.
And in high school?
My brother was the captain of the football team, inheriting our father’s bulky build after he hit puberty. As soon as he came home with the news, my parents’ eyes were only on him.
And me?
I moved out when I turned eighteen. My parents didn’t even hug me goodbye.
But my brother did.
Despite his fame at school and home, he loved me like his big sister. I was the one who helped him raise his grades so he could stay on the team. I was the one who got him out of trouble when he was caught drinking and driving.
He had pain that even our parents couldn’t see. But I did.
And me?
Nobody expected quiet little Elayne to become somebody. Nobody expected me to grow up and earn a college degree in agriculture. But finding work in my field proved difficult, so I ended up as a night janitor at the Memorial Park Zoo.
I often find myself cleaning while surrounded by animals, relishing their presence. Among them, my favorites are the tigers, koalas, and monkeys—they seem to have a knack for listening to me. Today, however, was an unusual day at work. Instead of my typical routine of arriving just before closing, grabbing my uniform, loading up my cart with cleaning supplies, and starting on the bathrooms and habitats, things were different.
As soon as I got there, I noticed one of our managers, Kate, was pacing back and forth while a group of staff gathered around her. Her coal-black hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun, and her brown eyes were focused on the floor as she moved.
