Florence gasped as he was pulled back into the light, his body slamming into solid ground. His eyes snapped open, and he found himself lying on his back, staring up at the storm-ridden sky. The wind howled around him, the air thick with the smell of rain and magic.
He was back in the clearing, but something had changed. The storm above him was no longer just an external force—it was inside him, a part of his very being. He could feel its power coursing through his veins, wild and untamed.
Andre's voice broke through the chaos, frantic and full of concern. "Florence! Are you alright?"
Florence sat up, his head spinning. He felt... different. Stronger, but also more fragile, as if the storm inside him could tear him apart at any moment.
"I'm fine," he said, though the words felt hollow. He wasn't fine. Not even close.
Johmarrian approached cautiously, his eyes scanning Florence with a mixture of curiosity and concern. "What happened? You were gone for a moment, and then... the magic around you changed."
Florence shook his head, still trying to process everything. "I don't know. I saw... her. My mother."
Andre frowned, his brow furrowing. "Your mother?"
"She told me that this power... it's mine. That I have to make a choice." His voice wavered, and he could feel the storm pressing against his mind, demanding to be unleashed. "I don't know if I can control it."
Johmarrian's expression darkened. "The power you hold is not meant to be controlled, Florence. It's meant to be understood. If you try to control it, it will destroy you."
Florence's chest tightened. He had felt that, the raw, untamed force of the storm threatening to tear him apart. But how could he possibly understand something so vast, so ancient?
"I don't have a choice," he muttered. "If I don't do something, the Void will—"
His words were cut off by a sudden, deafening crack of thunder. The ground beneath them shook violently, and from the horizon, a massive tear in the sky appeared—an open wound in the fabric of reality.
"The Void," Johmarrian whispered, his eyes wide with horror. "It's here."
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Whispers of Astoria
Fantasía"Whispers of Astoria" is a captivating fantasy romance that follows Florence, a man who is mysteriously transported from his mundane life into the enchanting world of Astoria-a realm between worlds, where destinies intertwine. Lost and searching for...
