There are things that cannot stay together.
- Escuridion, the Lord of Shadow
Splashes of cool water hit both Eluna and Xombreil’s faces as they played near the centre of the pond. Xombreil had his shirt off. His slightly thin body was hanging from his sister’s elbows with his hands grasping them like an eagle that would never go of his prey.
“Don’t let me drown!” he kept repeating, “Don’t let me drown!”
“I won’t, I won’t,” she replied reiterated.
Amistheia was sitting by the edge of the pond with her feet swaying in the water in alternate motion, cackling as she watched the siblings play. Mella and Treideria kept standing where they were, watching and waiting vigilantly.
Then, the wind unexpected began blowing harder and stronger, and it started circling like a tornado – the same way it did three years ago. The twins left the pond in a hurry. Mella and all of the kids were startled. Only one person remained calm, and it was Treideria.
“It’s them!” Xombreil whispered. Hate was evident in his voice. “I know it’s them!”
Eluna looked at him as he spoke. His eyes seemed to darken again and this worried her. Her face became very distressed as the sky darkened. Black lightning stormed down like it did before. The twins could clearly remember those dreadful moments.
“What…?” stammered Mella as she looked at the twins. Panic and worry were evident in the sudden paleness of her face. “Who are you talking about!?”
Then, a vibrating sound of a blade being drawn came from her right. Surprised, she turned and saw Treideria pointing a dagger towards her. Xombreil gasped as Eluna and Amistheia shrieked. Eluna called in shock—
“Aunt Mella!”
The dagger was long enough to closely reach the stupefied aunt’s neck and this increased the fear the she was already feeling.
“There would be no escaping this time,” Treideria eerily said.
Mella’s face became fierce as she heard this and bravely pushed Treideria’s arm away from pointing her neck. Another bolt of black lightning struck out of a sudden and made her flinch. Eunina, the Princess of Shadow, came into view, standing before them in a pompous manner. She gave a silent laugh which were a mere cacophony to their ears except, of course, Treideria. Her daughter was totally innocent of what was happening and stood still. Xombreil’s face was frowning in rage. His eyes were still glaring, drenched in menacing black colour. Eluna stood closer to him and gripped his arm with both hands.
“Xombreil,” she said with uneasiness.
But, he didn’t look at his sister and still glared at Eunina. The latter sarcastically spoke—
“Well, I’m sorry that I didn’t get to introduce myself last time.” She placed her right hand below her neck. “I am Eunina, the Princess of Shadow, and you should fear my name!”
Black lightning had struck down again right after she said the word ‘name’.
“I’ll never be scared of your name!” a young voice boasted from nowhere.
Then, there was another bolt of lightning, but it was white and it didn’t come down from the sky. It was horizontally zapping its way through green fields that surrounded the pond, towards Eunina.
“I was expecting this,” she said to herself, and she drew her dagger that was hidden at her waist and engaged her coming opponent.
Her blade met the bolt and huge sparks came out from the collision. Eunina skilfully tumbled her way to the ground from the air, and so did her enemy. They both landed on one knee. It was Solluz, and he had come to rescue the twins once again. The sight of him gave hope to the frustrated Andes and Amistheia.
Again, the two engaged and ran toward each other but before they could meet, Eunina tumbled up high above Solluz which caused the latter’s swing of his bolt to miss. Eunina chanted verses of incantations when she was exactly above her enemy. Red and violet sparks slowly fell down upon him and presently, Eunina landed on the ground behind Solluz. Suddenly, he wasn’t able to move.
“A binding spell!” Solluz cried as he realized what was happening to him.
He was surrounded by red and black electricity and it crippled him. He was completely trapped by the spell that Eunina had cast upon him. She laughed in an evil manner as she watched Solluz pathetically shake and try to break free.
“You traitor!” he accused Treideria. His young voice was breaking in anger. “You’re a descendant of Light! How could you let this happen!?”
But, Treideria was barely affected and ignored him. Hope was lost and a tear poured from Mella’s eye at the sight of what had happened. Out of grief, she suddenly snatched the dagger from Treideria’s hand and ran to attack Eunina but when she was halfway towards her, an invisible force surprisingly blocked her and caused her to drop the weapon. Slowly, Escuridion, the Lord of Shadow, appeared beside her and he had caught hold of her with his right arm. His hugeness and the ominous darkness that engulfed him were most intimidating.
“Give me the boy and I will let everyone live,” he threatened Mella in his whisper.
“Xombreil!?” she with a weak, trembling voice.
“Yes,” he whispered.
“Why!?” she asked in total astonishment. More tears flowed down from her eyes.
This question made Lord Escuridion release her and turn towards Xombreil.
“You!” he called the boy. His voice was huge and frightening. “Do you know who you really are?”
Xombreil’s eyes turned back to normal as he heard this. They were still shaking. But, instead of rage, they shook out of confusion.
“You don’t belong here in the Light region,” the Lord of Shadow continued. “You are a disciple of Shadow!”
Everyone except Mella, Eunina and Treideria were surprised. Mella already knew about this. She knew the history of the twins’ parents and she had observed well as she raised them. She had always feared the time when the truth will be revealed to the twins. But, that time, a part of this truth was already revealed. Yet, there was one more thing she didn’t know…
“But, you are more than that,” Lord Escuridion said. “You are the Prince of the Moon’s Shadow, the Shadow of the Moon – the Shadow of your sister.”
They were completely speechless. Shock was everything they felt, especially the twins…especially Xombreil. He could not take everything Lord Escuridion said. He could not just accept it. He loved his sister as well as she loved him. Their ties were just unbreakable…they were…
I’m…the Shadow…the Shadow…of the Moon…The Shadow of Eluna…?
Xombreil’s mind was flooded with these thoughts. And, as seconds ticked, they did not just flood him, they killed him, and he didn’t know if he would ever live again. Memories of the differences between him and his sister came to him and Eluna, of the curious questions the kids in the village asked about them, and they were both in complete agony remembering and thinking about these things. His eyes were no longer shaking. They were still, but they were looking blankly into emptiness.
“Now,” the Lord of Shadow continued, “Come with me and I will let your sister live. Otherwise—”
“No!” Xombreil retorted, holding his sister’s hand tightly. “I’ll never leave Eluna!”
Lord Escuridion drew out a sword hidden in his coat and pointed it at the side of Eluna’s neck. The girl gasped as terror struck her more, recalling the moment when Eunina pointed her dagger at her neck before. Xombreil was terrified at the sight of this.
“If I go, will you promise to not harm Eluna?” he said with strength.
“Like I said,” replied the dark lord. “You come and she lives.”
“Then, I will,” Xombreil answered.
That was the most shocking decision Xombreil ever made, even to himself. He believed that there was nothing else that could have been done. He no longer wanted to hear any more from the dark lord. Eluna gasped as she heard her brother’s words. She was almost not breathing.
The completely motionless Amistheia, despite fear and innocence, instinctively knew out of nowhere that something must be done. She remembered something that her mother taught her about Magic – an unbinding spell. She began murmuring and later, these murmurs became loud, audible sounds. No one knew what she was doing except her mother who was frozen by surprise.
“…Hammillen evadouschiennie nutimbre vixembricissil metafiricka phantreia ellegankhissieva!”
The last two syllables of the incantation echoed and then, the electricity that bound Solluz faded and he was finally able to move. The Princess of Shadow gasped at the sight of this. Solluz wasted no time as soon as he realized what happened and boldly attacked Lord Escuridion from the back. The latter slightly turned his head towards him and raised his hand towards the sky. A black force field appeared around him and quickly expanded. Solluz was pushed backwards by it and he fell on the ground.
Lord Escuridion suddenly pulled Xombreil away from Eluna who, at the same time, miserably called his name. Their strong grasp of hands was split apart as they called each other’s names for the last time. Black lightning swiftly struck in the dark lord’s direction and within a split second, they were nowhere to be found – him, Xombreil, and also Eunina were gone.
“Xombreil!” Eluna called again as she dropped on her knees, sobbing with her hands covering her face. “Xombreil…”
- - -
Despite all the bad things that happened, both the Lord and Lady of Light remained sitting upon their thrones, looking at the crystal ball. But, the displeasure was very unmistakable even in their sacred faces. They, like Mella, had also feared the revelation of the truth about the twins. No one could change what happened. Maybe it was fate that led to the occurrence of that tragic event, and there would be nothing else left to do but to make decisions on what they were still capable of.
.
