Forgotten Memories ||The Dragon Prince||

Chapter 1: Nightmares

[Callum]

Callum was plummeting through the air. He saw Rayla below him and their eyes met. She reached up towards Callum and he longed to take her hand. Callum had to save her because if he didn't, then she would... they would...

Focus Callum. If he was successful then he wouldn't have to worry about what awaited him and Rayla at the end of their fall. Callum opened his mouth and tried to speak but no words came. His throat felt scratchy and his tongue couldn't form syllables. Callum tried again but his voice refused to work. If he couldn't speak then he couldn't perform magic and that meant... that meant...

Suddenly the breath was knocked out of Callum as an invisible force stopped his descent. He watched in horror as Rayla continued the plummet to her death. Callum frantically struggled against his unseen restraints but he couldn't break free.

"You can't keep her safe."

Callum tensed as those words, spoken in a deep, powerful voice, echoed around him. Callum looked back down trying desperately to see any sign of Rayla, but he couldn't find her. Tears filled Callum's eyes as he realized what had happened. He had failed. Rayla was-

"She's not dead... yet," The mysterious voice said, interrupting Callum's thoughts.

Before Callum could reply or even begin to comprehend everything that had happened, his world was turned inside out. He was dragged through a tunnel of shifting colors and whirling stars until he was thrown into an endless white abyss filled with thick fog.

"Hello?" Callum called, noting that he could speak again.

"Help! Please, someone, help me!" Rayla's voice called out from somewhere inside the fog.

"Rayla!" Callum yelled as he ran through the fog trying to reach her, "I'm coming; hold on!"

"Callum, help me!" Rayla's voice called out sounding even further away.

Callum snarled in frustration as he tried to figure out where she was. The fog was so thick he couldn't make out anything. He heard Rayla scream and fear coursed through him. Callum needed to find her now.

"Where are you?" Callum yelled.

"I'm over here, hurry," Rayla said.

Callum honed in on where Rayla's voice was coming from and cast Aspiro. The spell cleared enough fog for Callum to catch a glimpse of Rayla in the distance. She was limping, bruised, and looked exhausted.

"Rayla," Callum said in relief and ran towards her. He saw something move behind her and before he could warn her purple strands of magic had wrapped around her ankles, pulling them out from under her.

"No, no, no!" Rayla cried as she tried to free herself, "Callum help! Help me!"

Callum raced towards Rayla but an elf appeared between them. The elf was tall with long white hair and his skin had the appearance of shimmering stars.

"You won't be able to save her," The mysterious elf said in a sing-song voice.

"Yes, I can if you move!" Callum said in frustration as he tried to maneuver around the elf.

"No," The elf said as Rayla was dragged screaming into the fog, "You can't."

Callum abandoned all caution and lunged at the elf. He had been so close to saving Rayla until this elf had appeared. But moments before Callum's fist hit the elf he disappeared, and all-around Callum the fog started to dissipate. He looked around in confusion trying to figure out what had just happened when a covered mirror emerged from the fog. Callum heard pounding coming from the mirror, like someone or something was trapped in it. He cautiously crept towards the mirror, and gathering his courage he yanked off the cover.