Ember's Shadow: A love that defies darkness

Chapter One; Shadows Within

Aria's POV

In the heart of the Golden Sun Palace, Aria sat amidst intricately carved artifacts and vibrant tapestries depicting the sun god's glory.

The air was thick with the scent of frankincense and myrrh, carried by the soft breeze from the nearby gardens. Aria's mother, Queen Yara Solara, presided over the meeting, her regal presence commanding attention. But Aria's mind wandered, disinterested in the sun witches' discussions of magic and petty squabbles.

Seeking refuge, Aria escaped to her favorite spot in the woods, where three ancient tree trunks formed a natural seating area. The warm sunbeams filtering through the leaves bathed her in a comforting glow. She closed her eyes, letting out a deep sigh, and stretched her arms out in relief. But her tranquility was short-lived, as a strange tug began pulling at her core, and her eyes snapped open to find a mysterious green-eyed woman standing before her.

The woman's dark mask and intense gaze made Aria's heart race.

Aria tried to channel her magic, but it refused to respond, as if submitting to the mysterious figure.

They locked eyes, frozen in a silent understanding, as if they'd known each other before. The stranger began to approach, and Aria's breath caught in her throat. She tried to move, to use her powers, but they failed her again.

Aria's curiosity was piqued as to why the stranger was out in the woods in the first place, when most sun witches hated that part of the forest. Why was she sneaking around? The woman's determination and intense stare only added to Aria's questions.

The woman halted just out of reach, and Aria braced herself for impact. But instead of attacking, the woman reached out with an unseen force, and Aria felt a pull on her mind.

The green-eyed stranger's gaze was like a cold wind, cutting through Aria's tranquility. Aria's sun energy and the foreign power merged, settling into her core with ease.

Aria took a step forward, lifting her hands slightly in protest, and the stranger's eyes widened before she swiftly retreated, leaving Aria with more questions than answers.

With the strange energy still stirring within her, Aria returned to the palace, frantically trying to understand what just happened to her and why her inner core suddenly felt so hollow.

While her usual calm and serene demeanor was now disrupted by a sense of uncertainty and intrigue. She felt an unsettling attraction to that darkness, like a moth drawn to a flame. Her own powers, usually a comforting presence, now seemed dull and uninteresting in comparison.

As she entered her chambers, Aria's thoughts swirled around the stranger's piercing gaze and the unfamiliar power she sensed.

She felt a pang of guilt for even considering the foreign magic allure, knowing her parents and the entire coven would be appalled if they discovered her fascination. She knew this power was more than foreign; it was a darkness that seemed to be waiting for her.

With a sigh, Aria collapsed onto her plush, golden-hued bed, surrounded by the soft glow of candles and the soothing scent of sun-kissed herbs. She closed her eyes, hoping to clear her mind, but the image of the stranger's intense stare lingered, refusing to be dismissed.

As she drifted into a restless sleep, Aria's dreams became a jumbled mix of sun-drenched landscapes and dark, mysterious forests, with the stranger's face appearing at every turn. Those green eyes seemed to hold a secret, a hidden truth that Aria's subconscious was eager to uncover.

Kaliyah's POV

Kaliyah, a skilled dark witch, felt her anxiety spike as she approached the sun kingdom for the first time.

Her mission was crucial, and the weight of her mother, Queen Xylara warning echoed in her mind: "If you don't come back with that book, don't bother coming back into this palace at all."

The dark witches' castle, Tenebrous, her home, was a foreboding structure of twisted black stone, its walls seeming to absorb the light around it. The air was thick with the scent of shadow and mystery, and Kaliyah felt a sense of comfort within its dark embrace.

As she stepped into the woods, her shadow protector cloaking her from the harsh sunlight, she felt a sense of comfort in the forwarding darkness of the forest.

Her senses were on high alert as she navigated through the trees, her mission too important to fail. The golden flares of the sun kingdom grew stronger, and Kaliyah's shadow protector winced in discomfort.

She quickened her pace, her eyes scanning for a place to rest in the shadows while also danger, when she froze, seeing three massive logs forming a circle, with a young woman sitting in the center with her eyes closed basking in the small amount of sunlight right in the middle.

As Kaliyah approached the clearing, her eyes fixed on the young woman sitting cross-legged on the ground, her eyes closed in serene contemplation.

The woman's peaceful demeanor was a stark contrast to the tension that had been building inside Kaliyah.

Her anxiety had been simmering like a pot about to boil over, and the sight of this stranger was the spark that threatened to set it off.

Kaliyah's instincts screamed to kill the woman, to eliminate the potential threat without hesitation.

Since her powers would be hauled due to the sun's harsh rays. Her hand instinctively went to the dagger at her belt, her fingers wrapping around the hilt like a vice. But as she gazed into the woman's face, she felt a strange, unfamiliar sensation.

It was as if a flame had flickered to life in her chest, casting a warm glow over her doubts and fears.

As if sensing her the woman's eyes suddenly snapped open, and Kaliyah felt a jolt of surprise.

Their gazes met, and for a moment, they just stared at each other, the only sound the heavy silence between them and midafternoon breeze of the summer air. The woman's eyes were deep brown, like the earth itself, and they seemed to hold a secret, a familiarity that Kaliyah couldn't quite grasp.

As the woman stood, confusion, fear and a bit of curiosity, warring on her face, Kaliyah felt an inexplicable pull.

Her feet seemed to move of their own accord, carrying her closer to the stranger despite her caution. Her mother's warnings echoed in her mind, urging her to distrust this stranger, to kill without hesitation. But Kaliyah couldn't shake off the feeling that this woman was different, that she posed no threat.

A burning sensation flared in her chest as the woman took a step closer, her finger extended.

Kaliyah's eyes widened in surprise, realizing she'd been standing there for longer than she should have. A second longer, and the girl would surely kill her.

Without hesitation, Kaliyah turned and sprinted away, desperate to escape the unsettling connection and find solace in the dark coven's shadows.

But as she fled, she couldn't shake off the feeling that she had left something important behind, something that could change the course of her mission and her life forever. The burning sensation in her chest lingered, settling into her dark core like a flame that refused to be extinguished.

It was as if the woman's presence had awakened a power within Kaliyah, a power that pulled them together despite their differences. A power that threatened to destroy the very fabric of Kaliyah's being, yet beckoned her to return, to surrender to its embrace.

Kaliyah knew she had made a mistake, a stupid choice that Queen Xylara would surely make her pay for. But as she disappeared into the trees, she couldn't shake off the feeling that she had left a part of herself behind, a part that would forever be tied to the mysterious woman and the unsettling connection they shared.