The Seven Painites

Doran Aurora

The moment the door slammed shut, a wave of regret hit me like a freight train. My hand still rested on the doorknob, trembling slightly. I'd never spoken to Liasha like that before, let alone slammed a door in her face. She didn't deserve it. But what she saw, what she almost saw, was something she couldn't know about. Not yet. Not until I knew it was safe, that she was safe. I closed my eyes, the glowing symbol still etched in my mind. It wasn't even supposed to activate. So why did it?

"They aren't supposed to come here yet," I muttered under my breath, Kael had assured me we had more time. Weeks, months, maybe even years. But now. Now it could be tomorrow for all I know.

I turned back to the wall, my fingers brushing against the faint remnants of the glyph, the runes were ancient, carved into existence by forces that predated anything in human history.

"Damn it," I hissed, slamming my fist against the wall. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Liasha was supposed to have a normal life. She wasn't supposed to be involved in any of this, ever. I made sure of it the second I got the chance

But the fading highlights in her hair. I had noticed them the second I walked in the house. It was starting, just as he warned me it would. The changes. It wasn't just a fluke or a delayed reaction; it was the first sign.

The room felt colder now, the air heavier. I looked down at the communicator embedded beneath its polished wood surface. It pulsed faintly, waiting for me to make the call. But what would I say? That everything was unraveling faster than we anticipated? That my daughter, my own flesh and blood, was beginning to awaken?

My fingers hovered over the communicator as the realization settled in my chest like a lead weight. The faint pulse of light from the device was rhythmic, patient, as if it knew I was hesitating. I clenched my jaw. What was I supposed to say? How could I even begin to explain this?

I took a deep breath, steadying myself, and pressed my hand to the communicator. The polished wood felt unnervingly warm against my skin, as if it, too, knew what was happening.

"Kael," I said, my voice low and rough. "We have a problem."

There was a pause before his voice came through the device, calm and composed as ever. "What kind of problem?"

"The glyph activated in the study."

There was a pause, longer than I expected. "The glyph? Already? That's not possible. The timelines-"

"Are wrong," I cut him off. "It's happening now. The highlights in her hair have started fading. The changes are beginning. I don't know what caused the changes to start so early but they did."

The silence on the other end was unnerving. I could almost hear him calculating, piecing things together in that infuriatingly methodical way of his.

"Was she there?" he finally asked.

I hesitated. "She saw it."

Kael let out a low breath, and for the first time in all our conversations, I detected a hint of tension. "Then it's already too late to keep her out of this. You need to tell her.."

"No," I said firmly. "I'll handle it. She doesn't need to know about any of this."

"Doran," Kael's tone softened, as if he were speaking to a stubborn child, "you can't stop what's coming. Her connection is too strong and-"

I interrupt him before he can say anything else "You and someone else will need to be her guide. If anything happens."

"I'm guessing the second guide will be Melissa Pyrodae?" of course he realized it before I told him. 

"Yes."

There was a long pause, and when Kael spoke again, his voice was quieter, almost sympathetic. "You can't protect her forever, Doran. You knew this would happen one day."

I tighten my grip on the edge of the desk, my knuckles white. "she's hasn't had the chance to live a normal life yet."

"She was never meant to have a normal life," Kael said. "You've done what you could to shield her, but the truth is catching up to her. You need to tell her, before it's too late."

How could I? How could I burden her with the truth, with the weight of everything I'd been trying to protect her from? She'd never forgive me. And yet... deep down, I knew Kael was right.

"I'll handle it," I said finally, my voice low and strained. "Just... give me time."

"Time is the one thing you don't have," Kael replied. "If the Glyph activated, it means they're already here, or worse, they've found another way in."

Kael was right. Time was running out. And whether I was ready or not, the truth was coming for us.

_______________________________________________________

Tysm for reading this far!

IMPORTANT MESSAGE I'M LOOKING FOR A CO WRITER FOR A STORY I'M PLANNING ON MAKING. IF YOUR INTERESTED LEAVE A COMMENT, GO ON MY MESSAGE BOARD, OR YOU CAN DM ME ON TIKTOK OR DISCORD

If you have any tips or advice leave it in the comments please (It won't let me put a heart so imagine there is one)

Word count- 822