Chapter-2|The revelation?
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If I cannot change the past, I will make sure to change the future! Rowan declared to himself, his voice steady with newfound resolve. "And I bet—no, I know—I will find out the TRUTH." He says trying not to be scared to death from the growling voice. His words echoed in the vast, eerie silence of the chamber.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps shattered the stillness.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
Rowan froze, his senses on high alert. He turned his gaze toward the massive gate ahead, where the footsteps seemed to be approaching.
“Who’s there?” he called out, his voice firm yet laced with tension.
No reply.
The air grew heavier, the sound of the footsteps growing louder, closer.
“WHO IS COMING?!” he shouted, his voice bouncing off the chamber walls.
Still no reply.
His heart pounded as he took cautious steps toward the door. The echoes of the approaching footsteps reverberated like thunder, each one sending a jolt through his nerves. The door loomed closer, its intricate carvings seeming to twist and shift in the dim light.
Suddenly, the door swung open with a deafening creak.
Standing in the doorway was the mysterious woman he had encountered earlier. Her piercing green eyes sparkled mischievously as she leaned casually against the frame.
“Did I scare you?” she asked, a teasing smirk tugging at her lips.
Rowan exhaled sharply, his nerves calming slightly. “Scared? Of course not!” he lied, trying to sound nonchalant. “I was just—”
“Shh. No more talking,” she interrupted, her voice firm but playful.
Before he could protest, she stepped closer, pulling something small and cold from her pocket. “Take this,” she said cryptically as she pressed the object against his neck.
Rowan barely had time to register the icy sensation before a wave of dizziness overtook him. His legs buckled, and his vision blurred. His strength left him, and he collapsed into the woman’s arms.
As his consciousness faded, he managed to mumble, “The pedestal... it talked to me...”
And then, darkness.
---
When Rowan awoke, his body felt heavy, as though it were submerged in water. He blinked, his vision adjusting to the dim light. The room was shrouded in near-complete darkness, save for a solitary lamp suspended high above, its faint glow casting long shadows on the stone walls.
His ears rang faintly, but amidst the noise, he heard a soft voice—a familiar one.
“Rowan, please... come home. They’re waiting for you.”
The words were barely audible, as though they were being whispered from a great distance. Rowan sat up abruptly, his pulse racing.
“Who’s waiting for me?” he called out into the void.
No answer.
“Who is waiting for me?!” he demanded again, louder this time.
A figure emerged from the shadows—a woman, her face obscured, but her stature and presence unmistakable. She stepped closer, her movements slow and deliberate.
“Who are you?” Rowan asked, his voice trembling with confusion and frustration.
The woman didn’t reply. Instead, she simply stared at him, her expression unreadable. Before he could press her further, she vanished into thin air, leaving behind only an eerie stillness.
The wind rushed past him, cold and biting.
Out of the corner of his eye, Rowan caught sight of another figure—a young boy darting around a horse. The boy’s laughter was faint, distant, as though carried by the wind.
“Hey, you! Wait!” Rowan called out, his tone urgent.
The boy didn’t respond. Instead, he continued to run, his movements erratic, as if he were caught in a loop. Rowan began to walk toward him, his steps hesitant at first but growing more determined.
“Hey!” he called again, his voice echoing.
The boy finally stopped, turning to face Rowan. For a brief moment, their eyes met. The boy’s gaze was intense, filled with recognition and longing, as though he had been searching for Rowan all along.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
But before Rowan could say another word, the air grew thick with fog. The mist swirled around them, dense and suffocating, obscuring the boy from view.
“The boy... he’s gone!” Rowan exclaimed, his voice breaking.
Suddenly, a sharp, searing pain erupted in his neck. It felt as though a burning brand had been pressed against his skin. He cried out, clutching at his neck as the pain consumed him.
---
Some indeterminate time later, Rowan found himself standing in a void-like space. Above him, water shimmered, suspended in midair as though defying gravity.
“The water... it’s moving closer,” he realized, his voice a whisper.
He reached out desperately, his fingers brushing the cool surface. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t grasp it. His arms ached from the effort, his breaths coming in ragged gasps.
Then, with a sudden jolt, he awoke.
---
Rowan sat up with a start, his body drenched in cold sweat—or was it water? He glanced around, disoriented. He was lying on the floor of the library, his clothes soaked through.
As he regained his bearings, he noticed the woman from before sitting a short distance away. She was flipping through a book, her expression calm and patient. When she saw him stir, her face lit up with a delighted smile.
“Oh, you’re awake! Finally!” she exclaimed, setting the book aside and rushing over to him. Before Rowan could react, she wrapped him in a tight hug.
“It worked! It actually worked!” she said, her voice brimming with joy. “You didn’t evaporate!”
Rowan pushed her back slightly, his brow furrowed in confusion. “Evaporate? What do you mean by that?”
The woman smirked, gesturing toward a nearby mirror. “Take a look.”
Cautiously, Rowan approached the mirror. His reflection stared back at him, unchanged except for one startling detail—a mark on his neck. It was shaped like two triangles, one pointing up and the other down, forming a diamond. Inside the diamond, the word “REWIND” was etched faintly, glowing with a soft light.
“What... what is this?” Rowan asked, his voice shaking. “This wasn’t here before!”
The woman shrugged nonchalantly. “Better not to ask too many questions,” she said with a wink. “Your training starts tomorrow. Be ready!”
“Training? What training? And why won’t you give me a straight answer?!” Rowan’s frustration boiled over, his voice rising with anger.
But the woman simply ignored his outburst, turning on her heel and motioning for him to follow. “Come on,” she said. “I’ll show you to your room.”
---
Rowan followed her through a series of hallways, each one more ornate than the last. The walls sparkled with embedded gemstones, their colors shifting and changing like liquid light.
“This is the guest wing,” the woman announced cheerfully as she pushed open a door.
Rowan stepped inside, his breath catching in his throat. The room was luxurious beyond anything he could have imagined. The bed was massive, draped in furs and silks that looked softer than clouds. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting warm, golden light over the room’s opulent decor.
“Make yourself comfortable,” the woman said. “But don’t keep me waiting tomorrow. Your training begins at 8:00 sharp!”
Before Rowan could respond, she was gone, leaving him alone in the room.
He collapsed onto the bed, the soft furs enveloping him. His mind was a whirlwind of questions and doubts.
“I have never been this confused by a woman before,” he muttered to himself, staring up at the ornate ceiling.
As exhaustion finally overtook him, one thought lingered in his mind:
Why am I here? And what is the truth behind all of this?
---
The next morning, Rowan was woken abruptly by the blaring sound of a horn. It wasn’t just loud—it seemed to vibrate through his very bones.
“Rise and shine!” The woman’s voice rang out as she flung open the door.
Rowan groaned, covering his ears. “Do you have to be so loud?”
“Yes,” she replied cheerfully.
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To Be Continued...