The Datura of Eden

Unfortunately, I did not finish this in time for round 3 of ONC 2026. However, I will still be working on finishing it - though I do not plan on polishing it beyond a first draft.

"When the ninth star aligns, The Nameless Gods shall tend the hollow grove as the scarlet festival is held! In a revel of blood and death, the Datura of Eden shall bloom as the lands rot.
By will of eternal beauty, all will be washed away!

Thus remade in the purity of absolution, The Symmetric King shall herald a new world - evermore in the Datura's wake."

Decades ago, the prophecy was spoken by a maddened deacon. It portended the world's end as war knocked at the doorstep of Oeria - claiming The Nameless Gods would crown he who plucks 'The Datura of Eden' - turning the festering world to ash. Thus, remade into the shape of divine beauty, the crowned king shall plant the seed of rebirth and nourish a perfect reality...

The deacon was promptly executed for blasphemy, and with his death, the prophecy was discredited - falling into little more than hushed rumor.

However, as the golden stars begin to constellate and the armies of Zoltrai loom beyond the borders, one unlikely individual seeks the old disgraced prophecy, leading him on a journey to a forbidden world of which few have ever returned.

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This story is a submission for ONC 2026. It is a fantasy action adventure based on prompt #61 with minor adjustments.

If it makes it past round 2 I'll do my best to finish it, otherwise I will likely focus instead on rewriting my main story.