A Crown and A Curse

Chapter 31: Here Lies Hope

Kian

Zora was missing. It had been twelve hours since her meeting with Mace and no one had seen or heard from her since. I impatiently ran my hands through my hair for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, as I asked Mace, "What happened in that fate-forsaken meeting?!" I had stormed into his study only moments before, after Areis and I had searched the entire caverns for her.

Mace sighed, looking up from the book on his desk, "I told her the truth, Your Highness."

"The truth about what?" Asked Areis, who had just entered. His words were spoken with a soft rage that I had never seen from him before. There was no trace of his typical light-hearted smile on his face as he held out the only clue of Zora's location to Mace.

We had read the note dozens of times and hadn't come any closer to finding her than when we'd started.

Reis,

I'll be back soon, but there are some things I need to figure out. I know we do everything together, but this is my fight. Please don't look for me, I'll be fine. I promise.

- Zo

He had found it in his room, hours after Zora's meeting with Mace. She could've been anywhere by then.

"I told her that she had the potential to be our best weapon. I was only trying to level with the girl."

"So you told her she needs to use her powers," I concluded, drawing in a deep breath. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that if she doesn't learn to use what she's been blessed with, we're all doomed.''

Areis slammed the note down on the table, "Do you have any idea what you've done?! There's a reason she doesn't use her powers!"

He looked at me, pure terror in his eyes. And I remembered then what had happened to Zora after her first blast of magic. She had gotten sick... so sick. Cayra had been the only thing that saved her. But now, Zora was alone and had been for twelve hours.

"She could already be dead," Areis whispered. And my heart dropped.

Stailon led me through the damp unfinished tunnels by torchlight, our footsteps echoing down the long expanses.

"We should split up. We'd cover more ground," I sighed exasperatedly.

Stailon shook his head and gave me a leveling glare, "My answer is the same as it's been the last fifty times, Kian. You are my King and I'm not leaving you down here alone. Now stop yammering and start looking."

I ran a hand through my hair absentmindedly, looking for any sign of Zora. We'd narrowed down our search after learning of Zora's plan. We knew she wouldn't go outside and risk exposing herself with another blast, and there was no other safe place underground for her to practice. She was in the tunnels somewhere, and I hoped with everything in me that she was still breathing.

"Zora!" I yelled for the thousandth time, still somehow hopeful that she'd call out something-anything back.

Suddenly Stailon held out a hand to stop me. He held his torch out in front of him, watching for something to approach out of the darkness.

"Is there anything there?" I whispered.

He shook his head, face perplexed. "No, but something isn't right. The air is thicker here, and my light is getting dimmer and dimmer. It's like the darkness is squelching it out."

My heart hammered, "That means we're getting close," I said, pushing past him. "Zora! Zora! We're coming!" My relief increased as I began to run past already lit torches. Zora had lit them, she was here, she was close.

Stailon took a deep breath before following after me.

Hearing Tyri's voice from an adjacent tunnel, "Zora!" I sighed a breath of relief, if Tyri, Areis, and Cayra were following the darkness too, that meant we had a better chance of helping Zora when we found her.

I gasped as the tunnel let out into a huge cavern. Areis, Cayra, and Tyri stood at an adjacent entrance. All of them looked as perplexed as I felt. For in the center of the cavern, A huge dome of darkness rose up to the ceiling, so thick I couldn't tell what was inside.

Stailon looked at me in shock, all the color draining from his face. "What... What is it?"

"I don't know," Said Areis, "But I do know that Zora has to be at the center of it."

I looked around at them, all equally terrified for their friend. None of them seemed to know how to approach the situation. Then I glanced back at the dome. Yes, it was darkness, but it was also Zora. And Zora would never hurt us, no matter how far she was lost in her power. There was something sinister about her magic, but I had a hunch that her magic was only sinister because she saw it as such. Maybe someone just needed to show her that it could be controlled... and maybe even beaten.

"Well... that settles it," I said, taking a step towards the dome.

Tyri raised an eyebrow, "Settles what?"

"I'm going in. Somone's gotta get her out of there."

Stailon grabbed me by both shoulders, "Absolutely not."

Cayra frowned, "I have to agree, Kian. We don't know what's in there, what it's capable of."

"We'll find another way," added Tyri. Areis stayed silent, looking at me as if I was a puzzle he couldn't quite solve. I had to admit, his new vastly serious attitude was something I didn't want to get used to. He was the light that everyone needed, always smiling and always optimistic. To bring that back, I needed to bring Zora back.

"There is no other way. I'm going in." Stailon made to move in front of me before Areis held a hand out.

"Let him go."

Stailon looked him over, before rolling his eyes and taking a step back. "Fine, but if he dies so does the revolution. Can you live with that?"

"I won't have to. I know Zora. Kian will be fine."

"Thanks," I nodded to him, walking directly into the dome of power before anyone could stop me.