Chapter Two: Between Two Worlds
The sunlight filtering through the trees was soft and golden, as if the forest was gently welcoming Elara and Ariella back from the hidden world below. The crevice sealed behind them with a quiet sigh, and the girls emerged into the open, clutching the warm, glowing stones in their hands—blue and white, silent yet alive.
Elara glanced at Ariella as they walked. "Do you… feel different?"
Ariella took a moment to respond, her eyes distant. "Uhmm… I can't really express what I'm feeling exactly. But the moment I got into the crevice and you came along, I had a hunch this was gonna be more than just stumbling and falling into a pit."
Elara gave a small laugh. "Yeah… I don't think people just accidentally meet in underground chambers with glowing stones and ancient murals."
They continued down the forest path until the familiar sight of their village came into view. Just before stepping into the open, Elara hesitated. "Should we… tell anyone?"
Ariella paused, deep in thought. After a few seconds, she answered with quiet seriousness, "I think we should wait a few days before we divulge any of this to anyone. It would be a good idea to get to the root of the whole thing before we tell anyone."
Elara nodded. "Agreed. Until we know more, this stays between us."
And so it was settled—no one would hear a word of what happened in the crevice, not yet.
Over the next few days, life in the village resumed its usual rhythm, but for Elara and Ariella, everything had changed. They carried the secret in their pockets and in their hearts. Every evening, they met at the edge of the forest to talk, to question, to wonder. Piece by piece, they tried to make sense of what had been revealed to them.
Then one evening, Ariella arrived with an old, dusty book in her hands, its leather cover cracked with age.
"My grandmother had this tucked away in her attic," she said. "She used to tell stories about the Ancients… I think this book might be connected."
They flipped through it together, careful not to tear its fragile pages. The very first illustration made both girls freeze—it was the Blue and White Queens, each holding their glowing stones just as Elara and Ariella had in the chamber.
"It's them," Elara whispered. "It's exactly them."
The next page displayed a circular symbol split down the middle—half blue, half white—surrounded by swirling energies. Beneath it, in faintly glowing ink, was an inscription:
"When light is split, and stone divided, balance shall rest in those who rise unbidden…"
Ariella's voice grew quiet. "Elara… I think this book is a record of the prophecy."
They continued flipping. The next page sent another shiver through them. A shadowed figure cloaked in smoke stood surrounded by monstrous beasts—just like the figure in the mural deep in the crevice. Only this one had eyes filled with malice, staring directly at the viewer.
"That's him," Elara said softly. "The one behind the mountains in the mural."
"The book calls him The Shrouded One," Ariella read. "He wasn't destroyed… only sealed. In the Age of Silence."
The pages went on to describe a weakening of the ancient seals, and the reawakening of the stones—their power passed to new bearers who would rise when the shadow returned.
Elara closed the book, her fingers trembling. "It's happening again… isn't it?"
Ariella met her gaze, her voice steady. "And we're the ones who have to stop it.