Chapter: The Whispering Pages
Anon felt a strange cool draft rise from the floor, sending a chill through his body. The hairs on his arms stood on end, a sign of the mysterious forces at play. What was happening to him? His eyes darted to Sabina, her presence a beacon of warmth amidst the unsettling atmosphere. She was seated opposite him, her delicate fingers turning the pages of an ancient, weathered book. Anon’s breath caught as he realized the pages were being written as she read them, the words forming in an eerie, flowing script.
Sabina’s voice, soft yet resolute, filled the room. “Many years ago, an ancient kingdom ruled over this land,” she began, her gaze never leaving the book. “It was a time of peace and prosperity until the invaders came, bringing death and destruction.”
Anon’s unease grew, the weight of Sabina’s words pressing down on him. Yet, her hand found his, warm and comforting, offering a sliver of solace. He held on, his heart pounding in his chest.
“The invaders laid waste to the land,” Sabina continued, her grip tightening. “No kingdom dared oppose them. Their leader executed the King and Queen, believing they had eradicated the royal bloodline. But they were wrong.”
Anon’s mind raced. A direct descendant of the throne? A task to unite the kingdom and destroy the horde? It sounded like the stuff of legends, yet here it was, unfolding before him.
“The heir to the throne was not the only one with royal blood,” Sabina read, her voice trembling with the weight of the revelation. “Another, with the blood of the Old Gods, would rise. This descendant would unite the kingdom and vanquish the horde.”
Sabina’s strength seemed to wane with each word, her face pale and drawn. Anon could see the toll it was taking on her. “You need to rest,” he urged, his concern evident. “Whatever it is, it can wait.”
But Sabina shook her head, determination etched in her features. “No, you must know this,” she insisted. “When the two parts of the sacred locket become one, the energy of the universe will be fused together, and a kingdom shall be reborn.”
Suddenly, the room shook violently, the floor beneath them quaking as if in response to her words. Sabina’s strength gave out, and she collapsed into Annon’s arms. He held her close, his mind a whirlwind of shock and disbelief. The mysterious power of the book, the prophecy it revealed, and Sabina’s undeniable connection to it all — Anon knew their lives would never be the same.