Solace and Nox: A New Light

Chapter 4

Cytra sealed her letter with a wax stamp, handed it to Moldark's raven, and it shot into the air. Cytra marveled at the bird's wingspan as it glided through the air. She wondered if the birds felt the same way she felt when she used her powers of darkness to boost her jumps. That sense of freedom, and power, was incredible.

A light morning breeze filled the narrow alleyway, where Cytra stood. Her long black cloak flapped slightly in the breeze. She watched the raven until it disappeared behind the horizon; then she slipped back into the shadows. The shadows were her home.

"I hope I made the right decision," Cytra whispered to herself as she zipped through the maze of alleyways. Many of the homes in Shodon were packed tightly together, and the main roads are where the markets, medical buildings, and merchant supply stores were. Most people gathered on those main roads, which made those alleyways feel more like home than anything else. It seemed to be the only place where Cytra could get away from modern society.

Cytra debated leaving Shodon in the past, but something kept her in the beautiful city. Even though she lived as a ghost, and most people didn't know of her existence, she considered Shodon the only home she ever had.

As she zoomed through the maze of Shodon, she tried to get her mind off her decision. Thankfully, she knew exactly how to do that. She was going to watch the barracks for that soldier she saw the night before. She was fascinated to see what the man was capable of.

In a few short minutes, she was hiding behind the barracks. The barracks were probably the hardest places in Shodon to keep hidden, due to the rustling soldiers that were constantly training near them.

As draining as it sometimes was, Cytra used her powers to blend in with the shadows, becoming one with the darkness. It was an ability she learned to control over the years of trying to avoid civilization. Soldiers would run past without even noticing she was there. It made her crack a small smile.

Now how was she going to find that one soldier? There were literally hundreds of them, despite the losses they faced in the battle the night before. Not only that, they all shared the same dark green uniform, making each soldier blend in with one another, similar to how Cytra blended with the shadows.

She scanned the crowd, her eyes darting back and forth faster than she traveled through the shadows. None of the men looked like the one she saw the night before. Almost none of them were blond, like him, and no one shared the same inspiring sapphire eyes. If there was one thing that they did share, however, they all shared the same determination as Sunshine--which is what she decided to call him. In everything the soldiers did, Cytra could see the determination that flowed with their maneuvers, and it glinted in their eyes.

But where was Sunshine?

After nearly an hour looking for him, Cytra decided that her plan was useless. She wasn't going to find him using that method. Besides, her magic was draining her strength. She would be completely open to the soldiers in a matter of minutes if she didn't get out of there.

If there was one place she could find Sunshine, it would be from above.

She glanced up at Lotharius's castle, which loomed overhead. The castle was by far the largest building in all of Shodon. Nothing compared to the size of the monstrous structure. The peak of the castle literally touched the clouds.

It was perfect.

Cytra waited for a clear, clean shot through the crowd of soldiers to zip through, and then flashed past them, only creating a small breeze. Other than the breeze, there was no way of the soldiers ever knowing she was there.