Unia: Echo of Harmony

Night of the Departed Souls: Reunion with the Long-Gone. Act 2

The Golden Valley, with its hardy farmers and playful children, materialized before the audience's eyes, transporting them into a world both familiar and enchanted. "In the heart of a world torn by strife," Miguel's voice, rising from behind the screen, filled the square with a solemnity that held the crowd's focus. "Lay a valley untouched by war's cruel rife. Blessed with verdure and rivers that weave, a paradise, it was hard to believe."

As María gracefully emerged on stage, adorned in Aelithra's iconic, ethereal robe, a ripple of admiration swept through the crowd. Rigel, unable to contain her excitement, tapped her mother's hand, her eyes wide with awe. Look! ¡Mira, mamá! María plays her majesty Aelithra!" She whispered, her voice a blend of wonder and delight. Raquel, her gaze fixed on the young actress, nodded silently, her eyes betraying a flicker of envy for María's radiant poise.

Stepping into the spotlight, María embodied Aelithra's tranquility, her presence calming the square. "Under my shadow, this valley shall thrive," she intoned, her voice casting a spell over the assembled, "No blight, no famine, just beauty alive." With a flourish gesture, she highlighted the stage, now ablaze with the simulated splendor of their realm.

"But shadows crept over fields of gold," Miguel intoned, his voice heavy with the looming threat as shadows began to encroach upon the scene. "Cold whispers of murk, uncontrolled," he cried, his face shadowed with grim foreboding. Aelithra, portrayed by María, faced this growing darkness, her determination unwavering. "For this valley, my heart beats," she proclaimed, a beacon against the gathering dark, "Against this darkness, I shall not retreat."

The scene grew darker still, the collective breath of the audience held in suspense. "Alas, even stars must heed the night's call," whispered Carlos's son, his voice barely above a murmur, "Aelithra, the golden, was not immune to the fall." María's dance became a battle, her movements growing sluggish, her strength waning, until, with a heartrending gasp, she succumbed, her collapse sending ripples of sorrow through the crowd.

As María lay still, portraying death's still embrace, Miguel, now adorned in Diurnix's attire, emerged from behind the scene, stepping into the dim glow of the torch-lit stage as a new guardian. "With Aelithra's ascent to the stars, behold the dawn of a new face. I am Diurnix, her heir, with her wisdom my guide, her vision my chase."

He extended his arms wide, as if to embrace the valley itself, "I'll protect this land, forever by your side. No darkness shall linger, nor despair reside." Approaching María's still form, the new celestial guide knelt, gently laying a golden flower beside her.

"Fear not her absence, for in the stars she still glides, and whispers to us on each breeze that abides," he proclaimed. María, rising anew, accepted the flower with a grace born of countless rehearsals. Moving silently offstage and into the crowd, she danced, her steps a spectral echo of Aelithra's enduring legacy. "Through me, her essence flows, in every field, every heart it sows." he assured with a smile, watching María's ethereal grace weave through the gathering.

"Fifteen years have passed since my sister's sleep," his sorrowful yet solemn voice resonated deeply. "Yet in our songs and hearts, her memory we keep."

"From her stars, she watches with those departed soon, all look down from heavens, beneath the same moon," Miguel continued, his voice binding the heavens and earth, "From the heavens, she watches with pride. In each grain of harvest, her blessings abide."

He paused, bowing his head in reverence. "Aelithra, my blood, among the stars you roam, yet the Golden Valley will always be your home."

The square fell into a brief, excited silence before erupting in applause. Miguel's satisfied gaze flickered to an embarrassed smile as he scanned the crowd. His eyes soon found Maria, and a flicker of admiration and guilt crossed his face.