Dusk to Dawn

*Chapter 10*

Erythra, the Unseen. Erythra was a being of pure, formless energy, neither light nor dark, existing before the sun or moon had risen. Erythra was neither good nor evil. It existed as a force of entropy, the natural force of decay and dissolution, constantly seeking to break down all order and structure in the world.

Erythra was the void between existence and non-existence, the space between the stars, and the death that comes at the end of all things.

However, when Solara and Lunaris emerged, the balance between these two realms held Erythra at bay. Erythra was cast into a deep slumber, hidden within the folds of time itself. But as time passed, the belief in Erythra faded and with it, the vigilance to keep it imprisoned. The growing hatred between realms weakened the magical seals. Over time, the kingdoms drifted further apart, their magic becoming corrupted by fear and power. This imbalance caused cracks in the fabric of reality, cracks through which Erythra could escape.

Erythra is a creature that exists outside of time. When it stirs, it causes people to lose their connection to both the past and the future. Dreams cease, memories blur and the world becomes a place where nothing seems to matter anymore. People begin to lose hope and life becomes dull.

It was said that one day Erythra would emerge once again. The prophecy once stated that Erythra would be destroyed and bring peace back to both kingdoms. But it was just one big lie

In frustration Dawn slammed the dusty book shut, looking around the old library for more answers. Dawn wasn't just scared, she was angry, angry at herself. If she hadn't wandered to the Divide it wouldn't have shattered and Erythra wouldn't have escaped. She blames herself...

"Did you find anything?" Dawn turned towards Dusk to see him across the room with his head buried in a book.

Dusk looked up, looking across the room at the princess who was not the same bright ray of sunshine that he grew up watching from his balcony. She- she was dull. Her white hair was no longer white but gray, her eyes no longer bright blue but a dull dark blue. She was losing her light.

Dusk nodded his head slightly, "sort of... You might want to come look at this..." Dawn furrowed her brows in confusion, moving across the dimly lit library, walking over to Dusk as he stood with a gold book in his hands. "What is it?" Dusk sighed as he shut the book, handing it to her.

Dawn's eyes grew as she took the book from his hands, her hands shaking as she stared at the cover. Bringing up a hand, her pale fingers ran over the white lettering on the cover, "Harmony Solara..." The princess shook her head as she opened the cover, "why would my mom have a book in your library..?"

"I have no idea..." Shaking her head, she flipped through the pages. The book was all about Dawn's mother, the Queen of Solara.

As Dusk watched the princess flip through the pages he could see how broken she was. He remembered the day he heard the queen of Solara died. Solara was devastated. But the question that always rang through his mind was: how did the queen die?

"How did your mother die... If you don't mind me asking..." Dawn swallowed the forming lump in her throat as she shook her head, "I have no clue..." As the princess continued to flip the pages, she came to a halt at a page that caught her eye. A photo. It was her mother, hair as golden as the sun, eyes as blue as the sea, a smile that was contagious. And in her arms was a little girl, the princess. It was the last photo of the two before her mother had passed due to mysterious reasons that the king himself didn't even know.

"What's this on the next page?" Dawn followed Dusk's finger to see him turning the page. Looking at the next page a gasp fell from the princesses lips.

"Harmony, Queen of Solara, died trying to prove that Erythra isn't what we think it is..."

Breath hitching, Dawn shook her head as she slammed the book shut. "Dawn..." Sighing, the prince wrapped his arms around the princess, pulling her close, resting his chin atop her head. The two stood like that, in silence for what felt like forever.

"What now..?" Dusk shrugged, letting go of the princess, grabbing the book from her hands, setting it back down on the table. "We should go. Who knows how long until those shadows find us..."

The weight of the revelation pressed down on both Dawn and Dusk as they left the library, the shadows of the Shadowlands looming larger than ever. The truth was far more dangerous than they could have imagined. The ancient prophecy had been crafted not to save their world, but to undo it. The very existence of their kingdoms, the balance between light and dark, had been manipulated to serve the will of a force far older and more dangerous than either of them had understood.

As they made their way back through the twisting paths of the Shadowlands, Dawn's mind was spinning. How could they stop something so ancient, so powerful? How could two kingdoms, so divided for centuries, unite against a force that had been designed to tear them apart?

"We'll need to warn both kingdoms," Dawn said, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her. "They need to know the truth." Dusk nodded, though his expression was grim. "Even if we can convince them to believe us, it may already be too late. Erythra is stirring, and the more the Divide crumbles, the stronger it becomes..."

Dawn's chest tightened. The thought of returning to Solara, of facing her father and the council with this impossible truth, felt daunting. She had been raised to believe in the purity of light and to fear the darkness, but now she knew the truth was far more complex. The very existence of her kingdom had been shaped by the lie of the prophecy, and now, that lie was unraveling.

"What if they don't listen?" Dawn asked quietly, her eyes searching Dusk's face.

Dusk's expression softened, his gaze meeting hers with a mix of determination and understanding. "Then we'll have to make them listen. You and I... we're not just the heirs of two kingdoms. We're the key to stopping this."

Dawn felt a strange sense of calm settle over her. She didn't know how or why, but deep down, she knew he was right. Their fates were intertwined, not just by the prophecy, but by something far deeper—something that transcended the conflict between light and dark. Their bond, forged in the midst of uncertainty and danger, was the only thing that could stand against the chaos that was coming.

As they approached the River of Night once again, Dusk uncorked the vial and parted the shadows, creating the path they needed to cross. The air was still thick with the oppressive magic of the Shadowlands, but this time, Dawn didn't feel the same fear she had felt before. She knew what they were up against now, and she was ready to face it.

"I'm afraid before you travel back to your kingdom we must find shelter for the night before the witching hour." Dawn turned towards Dusk with confusion filling her, "witching hour?" Dusk nodded his head grimly, "at midnight... let's just say you do not want to be outside at midnight." Dawn took a deep breath, understanding the fear that was creeping in him. "So where should we go?" Dusk nodded his head as he grabbed the princesses hand, "I know a place."