Chapter 18: Quenya's Secret (and the Cat with Two Spoons)Scene 1: The Archive of Unspoken Drafts
Far beneath the floating realms, sealed behind riddles and protected by a moat made entirely of misspelled words, stood the Archive of Unspoken Drafts — a place even the Council avoided.
Why?
Because it contained every idea never written, every half-dreamed story, every "What if…?" that writers once forgot.
Quenya stood before its entrance.
She whispered the passphrase:
"Ctrl+Z."
The stone doors creaked open, releasing a cloud of unedited energy and the faint sound of… jazz?
She stepped inside, muttering,
"Every time I come here, I get emotional gas and writer's block."
Scene 2: A Talking Cat with Two Spoons
As she entered, something leaped onto her shoulder.
It was a cat.
With two spoons taped to its back.
It meowed, then spoke in a posh accent.
"Madam Quenya. You're late. Again."
Quenya groaned.
"Still dramatic, Vibbles?"
"Still taping cutlery to me for no reason? Yes. And proud."
Vibbles had been her guardian inside the Archive for centuries — a product of her very first failed story draft. A mix of sidekick, critic, and chaos agent.
"The Archive has stirred," Vibbles said. "Someone's been nosing around your forbidden shelf."
Quenya's eyes widened.
"No. Not that shelf."
Scene 3: The Forbidden Shelf
Behind layers of narrative mist and sarcasm (yes, literal sarcasm — the mist insulted you as you passed through), lay a glowing pedestal.
On it: a single parchment.
A title scrawled across it:
"The Original Outline: Quenya Draft v0.1 – Romantic Edition"
Vibbles whispered,
"You were going to write a romance story with Rhexon as the lead."
Quenya blushed furiously.
"I WAS A NOVICE WRITER!"
"You gave him a ponytail and a guitar!"
"IT WAS A PHASE!"
The worst part? It was good.
Too good.
So good that it was dangerous.
Because it hinted that Quenya — once, long ago — loved Rhexon.
Not the tyrant he became…
…but the dreamer he once was.
Scene 4: Enter the Others (and a Few Pranks)
Back at Halveria, Aethros, Elenai, and Zeraphin waited impatiently.
Zeraphin paced.
Elenai meditated.
Aethros? He was busy being glued to a chair.
Literally.
"I swear, if Quenya replaced my seat with Adhesive Ink again—"
Vibbles teleported in, licking his paw casually.
"She did. Also, she's reading old fanfiction again. Crisis level: Medium-to-Melodramatic."
Aethros sighed.
"Great. Someone get the emergency spellbook and a crowbar."
Scene 5: Confession Among Friends
Later, back at the campfire near Halveria's Sky-Rift, Quenya returned.
Silent.
Until she finally whispered,
"I once tried to write a future with Rhexon. Where we were allies. Maybe more."
The group fell silent.
Elenai nodded.
"Love can inspire. Or destroy."
Zeraphin blinked.
"So… was it a tragic epic?"
Quenya:
"No. It was a romantic comedy. With a magical bakery."
Aethros burst into laughter.
"Rhexon, tyrant of structure… baking scones? That's the most terrifying timeline I've ever heard."
Even Vibbles chuckled.
"There was a cinnamon roll scene. He cried. Truly tragic."
Scene 6: A Message from the Past
But before the mood could lighten too far, the fire crackled… and turned blue.
From its center, a voice echoed — old, echoing, unmistakable.
"Quenya. You remember it too. Good. Because the Original Outline is waking up. And so is… our promise."
Rhexon's voice.
He knew she'd looked.
He knew she remembered.
And somewhere in that cold, calculated tone… was a twinge of sadness.
A thread of something… unwritten.
Closing Scene: Reflections and Laughter
Later that night, the group gathered again.
Quenya looked up at the stars.
"Maybe I wanted a version of Rhexon who wasn't broken by the Throne."
Aethros patted her shoulder.
"We all dream of better drafts."
Vibbles perched on Aethros' head.
"And yet, here we are. In a rebellion. With a cat. Wearing spoons. Clearly winning."
They laughed — not because the war was over…
…but because sometimes, laughter is resistance.
End of Chapter 18
→ Next: Chapter 19 – The Chronicle Thieves – A hidden order steals moments from history itself. A chase through forgotten time begins.