The Rift

Prologue

The cold bite at the woman's cheeks as she rode through the Twisted Forest on her trusted steed, Athena. Nightmares and nymphs waited around every dark corner. She took in a shuddered breath and came to an opening between the trees. Her gray eyes tilted up at the twisted branches. A faint voice calling out to her in the snow. A sharp pain hit her in the stomach. She tried her best to hold back her tears. "There she is. Bring no harm to her or that unborn child.", shouted a palace guard. The woman kicked the side of the horse and they were off again running from the guards. In a clearing, she jumped from her horse, escaping through the trees and hid there. When the soldiers came into view, she held her breath. Another sharp pain convulsed from her stomach. Before she could cry out, a hand covered her mouth. She looked over her shoulder at her love, William Hendricks. The tension left her body when the guards called a retreat. She turned to William and pressed her lips to his. "I told you I'd find you.", he whispered to her, caressing her frigid cheeks.

"You did.", she smiled as her hot tears raced down her cheeks.

The pain was becoming more frequent and she doubled over. "Diana, we have to get there. It's our last shot to keep it safe.", said William, helping Diana to her feet. Her raven hair blew in the wind and when it did, there was a low whisper. The same one that had been calling to her before. "Do you hear that?", Diana asked. She followed the distant sound with William following in suit. They reached a cabin with a housewife inside. The woman had everything prepared as if she was expecting them. "How-", Diana started. But the child was coming. Cutting off her words, the housewife, Eleana, cooed and calmed Diana. Diana laid into the white linen cloth as the woman prepped Diana for the child. The child was nearly from the womb when the ground seemed to shake. Diana pushed and screamed making the fire extinguish. A freezing gust of wind blew outside and with one more push. There was a void scream in the night. There and then the mother relaxed and cried, clutching Williams's arm. The child cried, and an aura glowed around her. It began to spread towards the monster that was bounding towards them. It was held back as it screamed a bloodcurdling scream. There was a collision. Fight between light and dark. Good and evil. Bound between two different worlds as the hero of the prophecy. The world seemed to stand still and in this moment, it would never be the same.

A mark appeared over the child's heart. A mark that bonded her to the darkness she was born to control. Born to endure. The child let out a gurgling cry and that's when it happened. The void. The stillness of the night came to be. Diana laid her head on the pillow and took in her last breaths. Her vision becoming distant. She grabbed William's hand and in one attempt of a breath, she said, "You must protect her."

The light went out of her eyes and William could feel his heart breaking. The world seemed to have gone silent as he cried over his love. The one true woman who gave him the time of day was gone. Elana cradled the child in her arms against her breast. Like her mother could not do. "You must go before any of the king's men ride here. Go now and don't look back. Stay strong for your daughter. Stay strong for Diana.", Elana said, breaking the silence. The soldier, the broken soldier stood and looked at Elana.

"Thank you.", he said, grabbing his child and wrapped her up with another blanket.

"Go.", Elana whispered. With that he raced off in the night with his daughter that he soon named after his mother, Castille.