? ─── ?? ? ?? ─── ?

  Night in the abandoned temple of nature was restless. Violetta lay on a bed of moss, staring into the dim flicker of the campfire. Her tufted ears twitched at the slightest rustle, and her eyes, gleaming like a fox’s, caught the shifting shadows on the walls. Her tail instinctively curled over her legs, seeking protection from the chill seeping through the stone floor. The tree she had seen that evening—the one glowing with a soft, almost sentient light—would not leave her thoughts. It called to her, whispering things she couldn't decipher but felt deep within her soul.

  Brenn snored nearby, his loud breathing contrasting with the quiet murmurs of Tillo, who tossed in his sleep. Irellis, curled beneath her cloak, looked as fragile as a child. Odd sat by the entrance, motionless as a stone statue, his gaze anchored to the darkness of the woods. The Sphere, hovering near Violetta, hummed softly in unison with the night wind prowling between the trees.

  Violetta closed her eyes, hoping for the oblivion of sleep. But instead of darkness, her mind was swallowed by another world—alien, majestic, and doomed.

  ? ─── ?? ? ?? ─── ?

  She stood on a deck that shone like polished silver but felt warm, almost organic. Around her stretched a space impossible to comprehend. Walls, curved like the petals of a gargantuan flower, pulsed with a soft bio-light that flowed through them like blood through veins. The ceiling, high as the firmament, was dusted with thousands of tiny stars that flickered in and out of existence, forming constellations of unknown worlds. The floor beneath Violetta’s feet vibrated like the heart of a massive beast, and through windows clear as crystal lay the boundless void, pierced by shimmering spirals of galaxies. This was a ship—but not as mortals imagined. It was a temple, a work of gods that eclipsed everything Violetta knew of technology or magic.

  Before her hummed panels composed of liquid metal, constantly shifting form to create symbols she couldn't read but whose meaning she could feel: motion, life, destiny. Above the consoles, holograms swayed, displaying rotating stellar models, uncoiling DNA spirals, and trees whose branches reached for the clouds. Everything breathed, lived, and sang with a low, nearly imperceptible hum that vibrated in her bones.

  A girl stood beside her. Her snow-white hair, the tips tinged with a delicate green, fell in waves over a white lab coat that clung to her slender frame. On her chest gleamed a badge—a DNA spiral entwined with a tiny, living leafy branch. Her eyes, deep and wise, looked at Violetta with warmth, but also with profound sorrow. In her palms, she held a seed—small, but pulsing with a green light as if the heart of an entire world were hidden within.

  “Everything will be fine,” she said, her voice soft as a spring breeze. “We found a way out. Even if we perish, life will sprout. It always sprouts, sister.”

  Violetta felt her heart constrict. Sister? She wanted to ask, but the words dissolved in her throat. Her gaze drifted to where another figure stood. A girl with hair like molten sun stood in the center of a bio-metal circle. Her pearlescent skin seemed nearly transparent, and her eyes hid the secrets of eternity. An amulet pulsed with a faint bio-light on her chest. She was beautiful, but distant, like a star that had gone cold centuries ago.

  The ship shuddered. The holograms flickered, the stars beyond the windows began to wink out, and a darkness as thick as tar crawled closer. The girl with the seed turned back to Violetta, her smile turning brittle as glass.

  “You will remember,” she whispered. “When the time comes, you will understand.”

  The world tore apart like shredded fabric. Violetta felt herself falling into the abyss, with nothing left but the green glow of the pulsing seed. She tried to scream, but the void swallowed her voice.

  If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  ? ─── ?? ? ?? ─── ?

  A sharp snap of a branch jerked her awake. Violetta’s eyes flew open, her ears trembling. Her heart hammered, and a strange sorrow, heavy as autumn fog, settled in her chest. The fire had dwindled to embers, casting shivering shadows. Odd stood by the entrance, hand gripping the hilt of his sword, though he remained still. Irellis and Tillo slept on, oblivious. Brenn muttered something in his sleep, rolling over.

  “Sphere,” Violetta whispered, touching the cold metal orb. Her voice shook. “What was that?”

  [ANOMALY DETECTED IN NEURAL ACTIVITY,] the Sphere replied, its tone level. [DATA INDICATES SYNCHRONIZATION WITH AN UNKNOWN SOURCE. THIS WAS NO ORDINARY DREAM, VIOLETTA. POSSIBLE CAUSES: SYNCHRONIZATION WITH ANOTHER CONSCIOUSNESS OR ARCHIVAL DATA RETRIEVAL.]

  “A memory?” Violetta clenched her fists, feeling the cold crawl under her skin. “But I’ve never been to such a place. Those two girls... who are they?”

  [INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR ANALYSIS,] the Sphere answered. [RECOMMENDATION: REST. VITAL SIGNS ARE ELEVATED.]

  Violetta didn't answer. She rose quietly and stepped out of the temple. The night air smelled of damp leaves and resin. She sat by the glowing tree, touching its bark, feeling the faint warmth. The words of the green-haired girl echoed: “Life will sprout.”

  Hot, unexpected tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't know why she was crying, but the grief felt ancient, as if it belonged not to her, but to the person she once was.

  “Who were you to me?” she whispered. “Why do I remember you?”

  The wind whispered back, but deep in her soul, Violetta felt it: this dream was only the first key.

  ? ─── ?? ? ?? ─── ?

  The group moved out at dawn, keeping to an old, weed-choked path. After hours of walking, the forest thinned into somber fields. Irellis suddenly stopped, pointing ahead.

  “There... what is that?” Her voice trembled.

  By a twisted oak lay a shattered carriage. Splintered boards were scattered, wheels crushed as if struck by a titan’s hammer. Nearby lay the corpses of Imperial soldiers—ripped open, their ribcages hollowed out. Between them were two blackened creatures, ghoul-vampires, broken and twisted. Further off, a wooden cage had fallen from the wagon.

  Inside, huddled and shivering, sat a youth. His skin was a sickly grey, and his hair hung matted over eyes clouded with pain. Beneath his torn shirt, a crimson crystal was embedded in his chest, pulsing like a living heart. Thin threads of mana, like spiderwebs, radiated from the stone.

  “He’s alive,” Irellis whispered.

  Violetta approached, her ears alert. Something about the boy made her heart ache—a recognition of his pain. The Sphere hummed loudly.

  [WARNING. MAGICAL ANOMALY DETECTED. MANA CRYSTAL IMPLANTED INTO BIOMASS. UNSTABLE. HIGH PROBABILITY OF EXPLOSIVE DECOMPRESSION UPON REMOVAL ATTEMPT.]

  “Who are you?” Violetta asked softly, kneeling by the cage.

  The youth looked up. His eyes flared with a desperate hope. “Lir...” he rasped. “Apprentice... mage. I failed... their experiment. The Empire... they wanted to fuse plague crystals... with humans. I couldn't...”

  He coughed, and the crystal on his chest flared brighter, making him scream. Violetta reached out, her fingers shaking. She could feel the magic—it wasn't pure; it was toxic, corrosive.

  “We can help,” she said, but her voice lacked conviction.

  [DANGER,] the Sphere interrupted sharply. [CRYSTAL IS INTEGRATED INTO VITAL SYSTEMS. REMOVAL WILL TRIGGER DETONATION. PROBABILITY OF LETHAL OUTCOME: 97 PERCENT.]

  Brenn stood behind her, arms crossed. “We can't risk it,” he said, his voice hard as stone. “The Imperials must be close. If this is a trap, we’re dead.”

  “He is suffering, but we cannot face such danger,” Irellis added.

  Violetta looked at Lir’s tortured face. She could try to use her magic, but the Sphere’s words hummed like a death sentence.

  “I... I can't,” she whispered, lowering her hand. “I'm sorry.”

  Lir didn't respond. His eyes, full of despair, followed her as she retreated. The group moved on in silence. Violetta was the last to leave; she couldn't help but look back. Lir was still watching her, his gaze piercing, begging for the one thing she couldn't give. She clenched her fists as tears welled up again.

  “Is this mercy, or cruelty?” she whispered to the wind.

  As they walked away, Violetta noticed a movement atop the oak tree. A raven with ruby-red eyes sat on a branch, watching them intently. The Sphere hummed but said nothing. The forest felt quieter than before, every step echoing like a warning of the approaching shadow.