The Path of Time ★ [3] ✔ (EDITING)

A New Dawn

⏳ --

Gold returned to the horizon, painting the sky with new life and brilliance. Vibrancy had returned to the Chronos. Warmth and beauty engulfed the plains of what was once dead and desolate. Peace and prosperity had finally been restored, and now the Walkers could live without fear, without war among themselves.

I breathed out. I stared at myself in the mirror, observing every aspect of my face. A soft glow touched my skin. My eyes were brighter, teeming with power. My flaming hair was twisted up into a neat bun, a few strands curled by my temples.

I didn't know what to expect with my future, with my new title. To say that I was worried would be an understatement. I was terrified. I was the leader of the Time Walkers. The head honcho. The big kahuna. Pretty much the God equivalent of my people. And that was daunting as hell. The lives of thousands were resting on me to protect them until my time came to an end. I didn't know if I could do that. I didn't know if I was the right person to make the kinds of decisions the Lord and Lady had.

"How are you feeling?"

My vision flicked to Astra through the reflection of the mirror. Her choppy hair had been neatened to a pixie cut, bringing out her bold purple eyes. She wore an elegant sleeveless dress, which accentuated her collarbones. I'd rarely seen her in that kind of attire before, so it was nice to see her in something like that for a change.

I huffed out. "I'd tell you that I'm not nervous, but then I'd be lying."

Astra approached me, her heels clicking on the stone floor. She placed her hands on my shoulders, gently gripping them in support. She looked at me in the mirror with sympathetic eyes. "You will be fine, Andromeda. You were meant for this role."

"I don't know, Astra." I stood and turned to her to look at her full on rather than through the reflective glass. "I don't think I'm right for this."

"And what makes you say that?"

"I don't know if I can make the decisions the Lord and Lady had. I don't know if–"

"Andi." I blinked. She rarely called me that. She always called me by my full name. "Listen to me. You are the perfect choice. It is about time we have a sympathetic leader for the Walkers, and you are as compassionate as they come." Her fingers curled around the Time Stone hanging around my neck. "You do not need a powerful Stone. You do not need a title or powers. You will always be the compassionate woman that everyone wishes to be." She held my shoulders again. "And so, you are the right choice for this position, Andi. We need someone like you."