The Forsaken Hero

My eyes shot open, breaking me from a fitful rest. Drowsy and disoriented, I stared at an unfamiliar ceiling barely a foot before my face for some time before realizing my cheek was pressed against a tome, and I was staring at my wall. I must have dozed off at some point last night, slipping away mid-study. The light crystal above my bed remained dark, which meant morning hadn’t arrived yet.

I lifted my head and groaned, rubbing my neck. The poor sleeping posture left me feeling sore all over, but the crick above my shoulder blade was particularly painful. Although still slightly muddled, I summoned a magic circle and dropped a Life Dew on my neck, shivering as the cool bead ran down my back before dissolving into my skin. A moment later, the pain disappeared, and I straightened to look around the room.

My night vision was near perfect, and I found everything in order, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. My mana was calm, meaning I likely wasn’t in any great danger, yet I hadn’t awoken naturally. As I rose and crossed to my bed, intending to fall back asleep, I idly activated the Eyes of Fate.

I blinked as the room brightened slightly under the golden hue. The hidden magic circles of the dormant light crystal and door glittered in the darkness, but all was as it should be. Perhaps it truly was nothing.

As I sat on the bed, my vision seemed to twist, and a nauseous bile rose in my throat. Suppressing a scream, I clenched the blankets in my fingers, holding on as the entire world filled with a magical explosion of spinning colors. Overwhelmed by their brilliance, I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to cancel the Eyes of Fate, but the ability remained active. The display continued behind the darkness of my eyelids until at last the colors stopped moving, settling into their place and forming shapes and patterns. The vision cleared, and I was looking around at a quiet village somewhere high in the mountains. The sun was bright overhead, shining down on haphazardly placed homes and verdant gardens. Several villagers walked along the hard-packed dirt road, and I let out a gasp in shock as one passed right through me. What kind of magic was this?

The largest house directly in front of my perspective seemed to be an inn. The door opened, and I was surprised to Soltair emerge from the shadowy interior, his eyes blinking as he grew accustomed to the bright light. I tried to call out to him but found myself unable to speak. As he exited the doorway, several more figures followed, including Trithe, myself, and a cloaked man I didn’t recognize. Strangely enough, we seemed slightly older and more mature, both in body and mind. I anxiously scrutinized myself, sighing in relief at the beautiful face and figure that had developed. My relief was short-lived, however, as the me in the vision looked up, staring right into my eyes. Her eyes were dull and worn, containing a forlorn sense of longing.

Soltair and Trithe took no notice of my slumped shoulders or purposeless steps, striding on forward without a glance back. I felt a twinge of sympathy for myself, but also a growing sense of unease. The hollowness in my future self was haunting, and I couldn’t help but look at the mirror. Did I really look so hopeless? For some reason, I found myself praying that was true. If not, that could only mean that, in the future, I would... no. I shouldn’t think like that.

The cloaked man came up behind me, placing an arm on my shoulders and sharing an encouraging smile. Although he seemed kind, something about the glint in his eyes sent a shiver down my tail. He spoke, and although sound didn’t seem to carry in the vision, whatever he said eased the furrows on my brow. I whispered a response back and picked up my feet, allowing the two of us to catch up to Soltair and Trithe.

As they left my perspective, the world blurred again, blinding me with the chaotic swirls of color that assailed me when the vision appeared. Gradually, they faded, and I opened my eyes to find the soft illumination of the light crystal staring down at me, signaling it was now morning. The Eyes of Fate deactivated, and I felt exhausted and drained of mana. What in the world was that?