𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬 ➵︎ [ 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘧 ]

64| déjà vu

I shot a glance back at the camp behind me. All those people—people who had children, lovers, mothers, fathers...

I could see it, my worst nightmares becoming reality right before my very eyes. Piles upon piles of motionless, cold, lifeless bodies littering the battlefield wherever I turned, pillars of black smoke billowing into the air, filling my nostrils with the rancid stench of burning flesh. I could hear the cries of those still alive, begging to be saved, to be put out of their misery, pleading to know why I had not stopped this as blood seeped from wounds deep within their flesh.

And in the centre of it all, I could see one lone figure. It was a sight I had seen countless times before, but one that was never any less bone-chilling. And never any less painful.

As I stared into my own cruel eyes, she stared back. Her cold, cruel expression told it all. So did the bloody sword in her hands.

A sharp pain shot up from my abdomen, and I suppressed a wince, holding my hand over where my own blade had pierced my flesh. The painful reminder of what she had taken from me. And a reminder of what she could take from me.

"Elle?"

A voice cut through the haze that had enshrouded my mind. My eyes snapped back up to meet Maeglor's, my heart still racing within my chest as the terrifying scenes slowly began to meld back into the trees around me. Shaking my head, a shaky breath escaped my lips as I blinked several times, trying to expel the remnants of the painfully familiar visage that lingered before my eyes.

As my vision resettled on Maeglor, I noticed his brows furrowing slightly, and although he remained quiet, I thought I could detect the smallest hint of concern behind his eyes as he observed me. My gaze fell to the ground.

"I'm...I'm fine..." I mumbled as I massaged my temples with my fingers.

But deep within my heart, I knew that what I had just seen was not too far away. Especially if what Maeglor was saying was true. And I could not let that happen. I could not let her win. No matter what I had to do.

As I took a stabilising breath, a decision formed within my mind. I set my jaw as I turned my gaze back to Maeglor.

"I...I am willing to trust you once again, Maeglor." I admitted with an exhale, before tentatively taking a step forwards, as if to bridge the centuries-old gap between us. "Tell me, and I will think of something to help you."

Gingerly, I placed a hand on his shoulder.

Maeglor seemed to flinch at the contact, his eyes widening slightly as if he didn't expect my response. But after a brief moment of hesitation, he nodded.

"Sauron...he is planning a siege on Minas Tirith." He quietly spoke, shooting a glance over his shoulder, as if to make sure no one was behind him. "He has hundreds of thousands of orcs marching towards Gondor as we speak."

"Yes, we know that." I replied with a tilt of my head, my brows furrowed.

"But what you don't know is that he was also planning an ambush—one deadly enough to wipe out any army that dares come to Gondor's aid, such as..."

My heart sunk into the pit of my chest cavity.

"...us." I finished, my voice grave as the realisation sunk in.