Eclipca

21.

Delora 

The creature's words sent a chill down my spine. I took a step back, my heart racing as the ground trembled beneath us. Something about its presence felt ancient, like it belonged to a time long forgotten—a time before the wars, before the darkness. I had read about beings like this in the book I found back at the library.

Monling.

A guardian of the Feylore lands, an ancient being of untold power. But more than that, Monling was a creature who could see into the souls of those who trespassed into its domain. The book described Monling as a judge, one who determined the fate of those who entered Feylore without permission. It was said that Monling was neither good nor evil but acted purely based on the balance of magic.

Seph glanced at me, her eyes wide with alarm. "Delora, who is this?"

I swallowed, unable to tear my eyes from Monling. "It's... it's Monling. A guardian of these lands." My voice was barely a whisper. "It decides if we're allowed to stay—or if we should be destroyed."

Solarys tensed, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword. "And how exactly do we convince it that we're not a threat?"

Before I could respond, Monling's ethereal voice interrupted, as if it had heard every thought we had. "There is no convincing." The being took another graceful step forward, its wings fluttering as though they responded to some unseen wind. "You've crossed the waters of Feylore uninvited. You carry the magic of the old world, the magic that has been forbidden here for centuries."

My blood ran cold. The stone, the key... the power I had felt surging through me ever since I touched them. Monling was talking about me. I had unknowingly brought something dangerous into their realm.

"What do you mean, forbidden?" Solarys demanded, stepping protectively in front of Seph. His gaze burned with defiance, but I could see the uncertainty in his eyes. "We're just passing through."

Monling's gaze shifted to him, almost amused. "You are bound to this land by ancient ties, Phoenix. Your fate is entwined with the magic here, whether you realize it or not. But your companion..." Its glowing blue eyes flicked back to me, and I felt the weight of its gaze like a physical force. "She is something else entirely."

I flinched, a thousand thoughts rushing through my mind. The dark magic from the unicorn, the overwhelming surge of power I had felt when I lost control—was that what Monling meant? Was I becoming something darker, something more dangerous than I had realized?

"You've been touched by the old magic, Delora," Monling said, its voice soft, almost pitying. "Magic that should have stayed buried. You unleashed it the moment you used the key."

I felt like I was going to collapse under the weight of it all. "What does that mean?" I asked, my voice barely steady. "What happens to me now?"

Monling's wings shimmered as it moved closer, its expression unreadable. "The choice is not mine to make. But the balance has been disrupted. You were not meant to walk this path."

The ground trembled again, more violently this time, and the air seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly tension. Solarys and Seph moved closer to me, their eyes filled with concern, but they were powerless to stop what was happening.

"Is there nothing I can do?" I asked, desperation clawing at my throat. "I didn't ask for this. I don't even know how this happened."

Monling's gaze softened, and for the briefest moment, I thought I saw something like sympathy in its eyes. "There is always a choice," it said quietly. "But choices come with a price."