Decades before the Atlantean Invasion…
“Kessler is dead.”
“The man I swore to protect at the cost of my life, gone.”
"I’ve failed in my duty, but you haven’t. I must stay to fight, but you don’t. Once you grow into a fine warrior, protect Kessler’s children with your life. I trust you’ll be even better of a man than I was, but you have to run. "
“Never look back…”
“…and know I’ll always care about you.”
I found myself running as that damned teal-black comet soared through the sky, I knew what was coming next.
I awoke once again. Every night in this damned place I had the same dream. The last words my father said before Nero destroyed our home. The last words he would ever speak. A memory from decades ago, called from the depths of my mind. A lucid dream or a recurring nightmare? I’ve asked this question so many times, yet the answer eludes me.
Like usual, I gathered the will to get out of my bed and looked out towards the horizon behind us. The Ravennean brigs that had chased us into the depths of this damned place had finally lost us, or perhaps turned back? Either way, they had gotten us lost in the Dark Sea. Anna was still asleep beside me, so I did my best not to disturb her as I made my way out of the lower deck.
Our brig was sturdy, but the Dark Sea had taken it’s toll. Our shipbuilders slept in 12-hour shifts just to keep us sailing, so we tried our best not to irritate them. The man I swore my loyalty to, and our captain, was suprisingly still awake and at the wheel.
“Ruslan! It’s been nearly 2 days! I’ll take the wheel so you can re-” I yelled over the rain
“Lukyan, leading my people through the Dark Sea is something I must do. If I can’t do this, then I’ll never be a fraction of the king my father was.” He solemnly replied.
Arguing with him was like trying to use sail a ship without sails. He was my brother-in-law though, I could probably just get Anna to berate him enough and he’d rest. All I hope is that we’ll be out of this place before we have to force him off the steering wheel.
Five or so years later…
I don’t understand how Ruslan can steer for days at a time. His hands seemed to fuse to the wheel when he takes control of the ship, we’ve tried to pry them off, but they just won’t come off. Everytime this happens he seems to be on the wheel for longer and longer. He seems to be searching for something, what that something is I don’t understand.
A-Anna is dead. She died giving birth to my daughter. However, meeting my little bundle of joy is perhaps the best thing that has happened to me, outside of meeting her mother. I think I’ll name her Alya. I feel lost without my love, but I must carry on in her memory. I intend on burying her on the next piece of land we find that seems to match up Winterveil’s climate.
Ruslan’s eyes seemed to be clearing, maybe he was exiting from catatonic state he was in, he’d been like that for a few weeks now, it seemed to have started from Anna’s death. He hasn’t even had time to celebrate the birth of his son Neviro, I suppose we can throw a birthday party for Alya and Neviro once he’s finally back.
A few days later…
We set up a small party for Neviro and Alya, not much, but it’s something. I decided to strike up a conversation with Ruslan for the first time in what felt like decades.
“Ruslan, I’m sorry for your lo-”
“Shut it.”
“But-”
“Look Lukyan, we’ve both lost someone important to us. I would rather not be reminded of that right now”
“…”
Anna was special. Her heart was soft as snow, perhaps too soft. I don’t think I’ll ever meet someone like her again and I think Ruslan knows he won’t either. He lost his only sister, I lost the love of my life. Perhaps Alya can fill the hole in our hearts, but she doesn’t deserve to be raised in this waste.
The weather has been getting colder and colder, almost like we’re approaching the edges of this world, of some land of eternal winter and frost. Perhaps burying Anna in a grave amongst an endless untouched field of snow would be a fitting place for someone with a heart softer than snow.
A few weeks later…
We’ve approached the place I had sensed the existance of. I feel as if we are at the northernmost point of this world, I saw a place in the distance that seemed perfect to bury her. I’ve decided to bury her alone, no need to risk anyone else’s life over this.
I kissed my little Alya goodbye, and set off into the endless snowfield carrying Anna. It was a relatively long walk, but I eventually reached the spot. It was a small hill that overlooked all of this place, this untouched land. I began to walk back, but I felt a sense a dread go down my spine…
Something was gnawing at me, some detail that I had completely missed until now…
Then I realized.
Ruslan’s eyes had begun to fog when I left the ship. The same kind of fog in his eyes that appeared just before he sailed off in some random direction for days without stopping.
I ran back the way I came, but it was too late.
They were gone.
They had left me.
I tried to make my way back to Anna’s grave, but a blizzard had formed by the time I began making my way back. The only thing I could see was snow. I was practically insane before I left the ship, and I know I won’t be sane by the time I make it to Anna. I must make it back to her, I have to.
Roughly twenty decades or so later…
THE VOICES WON’T STOP.
MY FATHER’S VOICE ECHOES THROUGH MY HEAD EVEN WHILST I AM AWAKE.
MY LOVE’S LULLABIES STILL CONTINUE EVEN THOUGH SHE ISN’T HERE.
I CAN STILL SEE HIM SOMETIMES.
I CANT STILL SEE HER SOMETIMES.
I CAN STILL SEE THAT TEAL-BLACK COMET SOARING THROUGH THE SKIES.
I CAN STILL SEE THE SNOW ANGELS I MADE WITH MY LOVE.
I CAN’T TELL BETWEEN REALITY AND ILLUSIONS.
I DON’T EVEN KNOW IF I’M HUMAN.
YET SOMEHOW I KNOW I HAVE A DAUGHTER AND A NEPHEW. I CANNOT RECALL WHAT HAPPENED TO EITHER, ALL I KNOW IS THAT THEIR NAMES ARE ALYA AND NEVIRO. WHERE DID MY LIFE GO WRONG? WHERE DID RUSLAN GO? WHERE DID MY LOVE GO? I’VE BEEN TRAPPED ON THIS ISLAND FOR AS LONG AS I CAN STILL REMEMBER. DID THEY FORGET ME HERE? THEY LEAVE ME BEHIND? WHY AM I IN THIS GOD-FORSAKEN PLACE? HOW DID I GET HERE?
OH ANNA, MY LOVE, WHERE ARE YOU? I BEG YOU, HELP ME!