Flare

s i x t e e n

Flare took the first step into the cave, the gentle hum of cavern darkness enveloping her. The morning was still young, the sun barely peeking over the horizon, but the blue lights in the water still shone. They weren't as bright as the night before, but they illuminated the cave nonetheless. Perhaps the night made them brighter.
"Hello?" Flare called out softly. No response reached her ears, except for the melodious tapping of water on the rock. It was calming, but not the sound she needed. She took a few more steps forward and squeezed through the opening towards the back.
As she entered, she saw a few steps that led down to a main room, with another door leading to what Flare assumed were living areas. A crystalline chandelier, tethered by a thin thread that looked like it could snap at any point, hung over a few chairs and a table. They looked like they were artfully crafted from beautiful black stone, like the table Flare had seen in the previous room. A winding stream curled around the edges of the room, filled with the same blue light, moving slowly through the water.
"Is anyone here?" she called again. No one replied. Her heart fell, but she pushed herself to remain optimistic. She still had more to explore, after all. With a deep breath, she crept down the stairs and entered the newest opening she saw.
It led into a room flickering with the dim light of a lantern. Stone shelves lined the walls, packed with weathered and timeworn books, their crinkled pages falling from their spines. Across from the entrance was a desk and chair, with a man hunched over the table. Flare stood there, watching him for a moment before she could muster up the courage to speak. His silver hair reflected the light, and his backside seemed old and frail. He was clothed in a long black robe, made from flowing fabric that looked like the darkest hour of midnight.
"Hello?" Flare said tentatively. The necromancer whipped his head around, staring at her with a cold and calculating eye.
"There's a reason I didn't respond to your first few calls, you know," he spoke. His voice wasn't kind, but it did have a touch of amusement in it.
"Sorry," Flare whispered, suddenly realizing she didn't have a plan. What would the cost of his services be? Would he grant them to her?
"Let me guess why you're here," he sighed, standing up and leaning against his desk. He folded his arms and scanned Flare up and down.
"Family member?"
Flare nodded.
"Parent?"
"No."
"Sibling, then."
"Yes."
"They died because of you."
Flare gulped and nodded yes.
"I don't help murderers," the old man sneered.
"I loved my brother with all my heart. It was an accident," Flare could barely choke out.
"Nothing personal, girl. I don't help much of anyone these days, unless their cause is noble. I've heard this story a million times before. A lone person with a dead family member they want to talk to," the necromancer shrugged. "So, goodbye. How'd you even find me?"
"Zephyr and Eternos," Flare said softly.
"Damnit. I'll have to take care of that," he mumbled, turning back to his desk and reorganizing his books.
"What are you still here for?" he asked in a cruel tone.
"I-" Flare stumbled over her words. Thoughts spun in her head, swirling around like a child's after spinning on a dizzying rope swing. She couldn't articulate what she meant to say. "Please. I came so far."
"Wow, how original," the old man rolled his eyes. "Please, leave."
"I need to talk to my brother," she begged. "Please. Just one more time. I crossed through places you couldn't imagine, encountered people who tried to kill and capture and steal me away, seen things I couldn't have even fathomed, and the only reason I kept going was because of my twin brother Ash. It was my fault that he died. And I regret it every day of my life," a tear slowly rolled down Flare's cheek, and she angrily wiped it away for fear the necromancer would mock her for it. "Please."
"No," he said firmly. "Go."
Flare stood there, stunned. Her feet stayed rooted to the ground, despite the clear orders to leave.
"Do I have to escort you out?" the necromancer growled.
"No," Flare said meekly, her vision clouded with tears. She swiped at them as she turned and walked back the way she came, the little blue lights that once promised her hope blurred and fuzzy through her tears.
On the way out of the cave, she bent down and hovered near the little moat. Flare placed her hand in the water, and instantly the water surged with blue light.
She took her hand out and walked out of the cave, the morning air suddenly colder against her wet cheeks. Suddenly, the pyromancer bolted, stumbling over leaves and rocks and listening to her heart race, her breath get heavier. Fiery red hair whipped in her face, and her tears blurred her vision even further. She blindly tumbled to a rock that sat on a blanket of fallen leaves and took a seat on it. Tears fell down her face as she sobbed into her hands in an angry, gut-wrenching, heart-stopping cry, a sad, mournful, devastating howl. It was the kind of cry that said she didn't care anymore. That she'd tried so hard, but she was done trying. As she cried, she thought about all she had done to get there and the realization that it was all worthless. Everything she had done, all she had been through, evaporated into the universe like it was never meant to be in the first place.