SWNOVELS Chapter 80
The sun had barely risen over the horizon when Lyra jolted awake, her heart pounding with a sense of urgent foreboding. She sat up in her makeshift bed, the worn blankets pooling around her waist as she tried to shake off the remnants of a disturbing dream. Fenris stirred beside her, his keen senses attuned to her distress even in sleep. “What is it?” he asked, his voice husky with concern as he propped himself up on one elbow. Lyra ran a hand through her tangled hair, her brow furrowed in concentration. “I’m not sure. It was a dream, but… it felt like more than that. Like a warning.”
Before she could elaborate, the flap of their tent was thrown open, revealing a breathless Aelindra. The elven archer’s usually composed features were etched with worry. “You need to come quickly,” she said. “Veridian’s had a vision.”
Exchanging a meaningful glance, Lyra and Fenris hurriedly dressed and followed Aelindra through the bustling camp. In the weeks since their return from the nexus, their small band had grown into a formidable force, drawing allies from all corners of Aether. But now, as they made their way to the command tent, Lyra could feel an undercurrent of tension rippling through the assembled warriors.
They found Veridian seated at the large table that dominated the center of the tent, surrounded by maps and magical artifacts. The former coven leader looked pale and drawn, his hands shaking slightly as he sketched furiously on a piece of parchment.
“Veridian,” Lyra called softly, approaching with caution. “What did you see?”
He looked up, his eyes haunted by visions only he could perceive. “The end,” he whispered. “I saw the end of everything.”
Fenris growled low in his throat, his patience wearing thin. “Speak plainly, old man. We don’t have time for riddles.”
Veridian took a deep breath, visibly steadying himself. “I saw a prophecy unfolding. One that speaks of the final battle between light and shadow. But it’s not what we thought. The threat… it’s not just from the shadow realm.”
He pushed the parchment towards them, revealing a series of intricate sketches. Lyra leaned in, her eyes widening as she took in the details. The drawings depicted familiar landscapes warped and twisted, the sky torn asunder by colliding realities.
“The nexus,” she breathed, realization dawning. “When we realigned it, we didn’t just close the shadow portals. We… we destabilized the boundaries between all realities.”
Veridian nodded grimly. “The prophecy speaks of a convergence. A moment when all possible worlds collide. If we don’t find a way to stop it, the very fabric of existence will unravel.”
A heavy silence fell over the tent as the implications sank in. It was Aelindra who finally broke it, her melodic voice tinged with determination. “How long do we have?”
Veridian’s gaze flickered to an ornate hourglass sitting on the table, its sands flowing in defiance of gravity. “Three days. When the last grain falls, the convergence will begin.”
Fenris slammed his fist on the table, causing maps and artifacts to jump. “Three days? How are we supposed to prevent the end of all reality in three days?”
Lyra placed a calming hand on his arm, her mind racing. “We start by gathering information. Veridian, what else does the prophecy say? Is there any mention of how to stop this?”
The former coven leader hesitated, his expression troubled. “There is… a possibility. The prophecy speaks of a sacrifice. A life freely given at the heart of the convergence. It’s said that such an act could rewrite the very laws of reality, averting the catastrophe.”
A chill ran down Lyra’s spine as she remembered Veridian’s own sacrifice at the Whispering Gorge. “No,” she said firmly. “We’re not sacrificing anyone. There has to be another way.”
“There might be,” Aelindra interjected, her keen eyes scanning the scattered documents on the table. “Look here. These ley line maps… if the convergence is happening because of instability in the magical fabric of our world, perhaps we could use the ley lines to reinforce it.”
Lyra nodded, hope blossoming in her chest. “It’s worth a try. We’ll need to gather every mage, shaman, and mystic we can find. And we’ll need access to major ley line intersections.”
Fenris leaned over the map, his tactical mind already at work. “There are three major nexus points within a day’s ride. We could split our forces, hit them simultaneously.”
As they began to hash out the details of their desperate plan, Lyra couldn’t shake the feeling that they were missing something crucial. The prophecy Veridian had seen weighed heavily on her mind, its words echoing with ominous finality.
The next three days passed in a blur of frenetic activity. Runners were sent to every corner of Aether, calling in favors and rallying allies to their cause. Lyra found herself working alongside mages from traditions she’d never even heard of, each bringing their own unique perspective to the monumental task before them.
As the final hours ticked away, Lyra stood atop a hill overlooking one of the ley line nexus points. The air crackled with magical energy, the very ground beneath her feet humming with power. Fenris stood beside her, his presence a comforting anchor in the chaos.
“Are you ready for this?” he asked, his voice low and intense.
Lyra took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. “As ready as I’ll ever be. But Fenris… if this doesn’t work…”