Dusk to Dawn

*Chapter 8*

The pair didn't stop running until they reached a small clearing, far enough from the twisted shadows that seemed to crawl through the first. Dusk released her hand, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. Dawn collapsed onto the ground, her hands trembling from the effort of channeling so much magic at once. The glow around her was already fading, the light retreating back into the faded crystal.

"We need to figure out what's going on," Dusk said, pacing the edge of the clearing, his sharp eyes scanning the darkness for any signs of movement. "Those creatures weren't just stray shadows. They were sent by something—likely Erythra."

Dawn nodded, her mind still buzzing with the raw energy of her magic. "I've never seen anything like them before. They weren't solid... they weren't real. It was like they were made of nothing but darkness."

Dusk's expression was grim. "Erythra is known as the Void between light and dark. It's not bound by the same rules that govern our world. If it's stirring, if it's sending those creatures through the tear in time itself...the balance between realms is breaking faster than we thought." He stopped pacing, his gaze settling on Dawn. "We're running out of time."

Dawn felt a chill run through her. "If Erythra can send those creatures here already, then the Divide wasn't just weakened when we broke it. It's collapsing."

Dusk nodded gravely. "We need answers—real answers. The legends, the prophecy, everything we've been told, it's incomplete. There's more to this than either of our kingdoms understand."

Dawn clenched her fists, feeling the weight of responsibility settle heavily on her shoulders. She had grown up with the stories, the teachings that light was everything—good, pure, eternal—and darkness was something to be feared. But now, standing in the clearing with the prince of the Dark Kingdom beside her, she felt the threads of that narrative unraveling. Something ancient and powerful had been kept from both their worlds.

"Do you know where we can find these answers?" she asked, her voice steady despite the uncertainty gnawing at her.

Dusk hesitated for a moment, as if weighing how much to reveal. Then he met her gaze. "There's a place in Lunaris, deep within the Shadowlands, where the oldest histories are kept. It's a library, but not like the ones you know. It's alive. The walls are made of shadow, and they speak, they remember. It's said that within its halls are the records of everything—before light, before dark. If there's anywhere we'll find the truth about Erythra, it's there."

Dawn felt a flicker of hope, but it was tinged with fear. The Shadowlands were as far from Solara as any place could be. The very idea of entering Lunaris, let alone the heart of its darkest region, was unthinkable. And yet, the urgency in Dusk's voice, the gravity of the situation, left no room for hesitation.

"We need to go there," she said, determination hardening her resolve. "If there's even a chance we can stop this before it's too late, we have to take it."

Dusk nodded, his expression serious but impressed by her resolve. "It won't be easy. The Shadowlands are dangerous, even for those of us born in darkness. But if we don't act soon, there might not be a kingdom left to save."

Dawn stood, her legs still shaky from the run and the magic she'd used. "Then let's go."

...

The journey to the Shadowlands was unlike anything Dawn had ever experienced. The deeper they ventured into Lunaris, the more the landscape around them changed. The trees grew taller, their twisted branches blotting out the sky, and the ground beneath their feet became soft and uneven, as though the very earth was alive, shifting beneath them. The air was thick, heavy with magic that pulsed and hummed in ways Dawn couldn't understand.

Dusk moved with a calm certainty, his eyes constantly scanning their surroundings for any sign of danger. Dawn followed closely behind, trying to suppress the rising unease that crept up her spine. Every step deeper into Lunaris felt like stepping into another world—a world where light didn't belong.

"How far are we from the Shadowlands?" Dawn asked, her voice low as they moved through a particularly dense part of the forest.

Dusk glanced at her. "Not far now. Once we pass the River of Night, we'll be close."

"The River of Night?" Dawn's brow furrowed. The name alone sent a shiver through her.

"It's one of the oldest places in Lunaris," Dusk explained. "A river made of shadows. It's said that the souls of the dead flow through it, and those who drink from it can see the past—though it's not something anyone should try." His eyes darkened with the weight of old legends. "It's also a place where the boundaries between realms are weakest. We'll need to be careful."

Dawn swallowed, her grip tightening on her pendant. This journey had already taken her farther from the safety of Solara than she had ever imagined, and now they were entering a place where reality itself was fragile. But she had no choice. The fate of both their kingdoms depended on what they could learn.

As they emerged from the trees, the landscape opened up to reveal a vast, winding river stretching out before them. The water—or what appeared to be water—was dark, almost black, swirling and shifting like liquid shadow. Dawn could feel the magic in the air, thick and oppressive, pressing against her skin.

"This is it," Dusk said quietly, stepping toward the edge of the river. "We cross here, and the Shadowlands are on the other side."

Dawn's breath caught in her throat. She had heard of the River of Night in the stories her grandmother used to tell, the ones that described it as a place of immense power and danger. To stand before it now, in the very heart of Lunaris, felt surreal.

"How do we cross?" she asked, glancing at Dusk.

He reached into his cloak and pulled out a small, silver vial. "We use this. It's enchanted water from the Silver Moonstone—the only thing that can part the river's magic. But we have to be quick. Once the path opens, it won't stay open for long."

Dawn nodded, her heart racing as she watched him uncork the vial and pour a few drops of the shimmering liquid onto the surface of the river. The moment the drops touched the water, the dark, swirling shadows parted, revealing a narrow, winding path of solid ground that cut across the river.

"Let's go," Dusk said, his voice tense as he stepped onto the path.

Dawn followed, careful not to look too closely at the shadowy water on either side. As they crossed, she could feel the magic pressing in around them, like invisible hands reaching out from the darkness. The air grew colder, and her skin prickled with the sensation of being watched.

Halfway across, a low, eerie sound echoed from beneath the surface of the river. Dawn's heart skipped a beat, and she glanced at Dusk, who kept his focus ahead, his jaw tight.

"What was that?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

"Keep moving," Dusk replied, his voice low. "Don't look down."

Dawn's breath came in shallow gasps as they hurried across the remaining distance. As they reached the other side, the path behind them began to dissolve, the shadows closing in once more. They were safe, but the sensation of being followed lingered in the air.

"We're close now," Dusk said, his eyes scanning the horizon. "The library is just beyond those hills."

Dawn nodded, though her pulse still raced with the lingering fear of what they had just crossed. As they continued toward the Shadowlands, she couldn't help but wonder what they would find in the library—what ancient secrets lay hidden in the heart of the darkness. Whatever it was, it was their only hope.

But as they approached the edge of the Shadowlands, Dawn felt a cold, creeping dread settle over her. Something told her that the truths they were about to uncover would change everything—and that once they knew, there would be no turning back.