The Lost Crown.

chapter 2 - The edge of darkness

Ishaani stood at the edge of the cliff, her heart pounding in her chest as the wind whipped her hair around her face. The vastness of the forest below stretched out, seemingly endless, as if trying to consume her with its darkness. She had always found comfort in isolation, the silence soothing her restless mind, but today the air felt heavier. The secrets she carried weighed her down, and the burden of her past felt unbearable.

She turned slightly, her hand reaching for the intricate pendant around her neck. It was the only relic she had from a time she couldn't remember—a time before her heart had hardened. The faint memory of a warm voice echoed in her thoughts, but every time she tried to focus on it, the memory faded like smoke in the wind. "Someday, you will understand who you are."

Her eyes stung, and she blinked the tears away. Weakness had no place in her life. Not anymore. She had learned that long ago when everything she loved was taken from her. Ishaani’s grip tightened on the pendant, her knuckles turning white.

"Hey, Ishaani!" a voice called from behind her.

She turned sharply, immediately masking the turmoil inside. Her face was as cold as the stone beneath her feet.

It was Veer, his tousled hair and crooked smile a stark contrast to the tension that always surrounded her. He approached cautiously, noticing the distant look in her eyes. He knew better than to pry too deeply into her thoughts. Yet there was always something about Ishaani that made him feel like he had to protect her, even when she insisted on fighting her battles alone.

"You okay?" Veer asked, his voice soft but wary.

Ishaani scoffed. "Since when do you care, Veer?" She turned her back to him, staring at the horizon.

Veer sighed. "Always with the walls. You know, you're allowed to let people in, right?"

She ignored him, focusing on the wind’s howl. She didn’t need his sympathy or anyone else's. Ishaani had spent years building her defenses, and nothing could penetrate them.

But Veer was stubborn. He came closer, standing beside her. "You can't run forever, Ishaani. Whatever you're trying to bury will find you."

Her jaw clenched. He had no idea.

"I'm not running," she replied, her voice colder than the mountain air. "I'm preparing."

Veer studied her for a moment, trying to decipher the meaning behind her words. There was a storm brewing inside her, and it terrified him more than he wanted to admit.

"Preparing for what?" he asked quietly.

Her eyes flickered with a mix of pain and determination as she turned to him, her voice barely above a whisper. "For the truth. And when it comes, nothing will ever be the same."

Before Veer could respond, a distant sound echoed through the forest—something unnatural, something that made even the birds fall silent. Ishaani's hand instinctively reached for the dagger she kept hidden beneath her cloak. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

Veer caught the change in her demeanor. "What is it?"

"They're coming," she said, her voice low and steady, her gaze locked on the darkening woods below.

Without another word, she turned and started down the narrow path that led into the forest. Veer hesitated, unsure of what she meant but knowing better than to leave her alone. He ran after her.

As the two of them disappeared into the trees, the forest seemed to come alive with whispers—dark, foreboding whispers. Ishaani’s heart raced, not out of fear, but out of the knowledge that the shadows she'd been avoiding for so long were finally closing in.

The truth was near, and with it, the crown she never wanted but could never escape.

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In the depths of the forest, cloaked figures moved silently, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light. They had waited for this moment for years, their search for the lost princess nearing its end.

And they knew, without a doubt, that Ishaani was the one they sought.