Who are you?

Chapter 10

Nocturne raised their arms, and the celestial dome above us transformed into a tapestry of whirling constellations, each one joining the haunting symphony of the violin that still echoed through the realm. I felt the ground beneath us ripple with dark energy, sapping my magical strength.

"Y/N, focus on our connection," Aleera whispered, her eyes locked onto mine. "Our love is stronger than any dark magic."

Holding her gaze, I felt the thread of our bond strengthen. Our powers, fueled by our love and the nascent life within me, swirled around us, forming a protective barrier.Nocturne sneered, drawing a bow made of shadows across their violin. A discordant note shattered through the realm, aimed directly at us. But as it met our barrier, the note fractured, its disharmonious energy dissipating.

"You think your love can shield you?" Nocturne scoffed. "Love is but a fleeting emotion in the grand symphony of despair."

With a sweeping gesture, Nocturne unleashed a tempest of shadows, a torrent of darkness designed to engulf us. But this time, Aleera was ready. She extended her hand, and the blood-red shield around us morphed into a vortex, absorbing the shadows and transmuting them into a radiant glow.

My body resonated with the transmuted energy. I could feel Elysia responding, her life force vibrating like a perfect note in our harmonic resistance.

"This is your final act, Nocturne," Aleera declared, her eyes flaring with a fire that even the void couldn't extinguish.Using the transmuted energy, we both chanted an incantation, a spell of sealing we had devised but never had the need to use. It was the epitome of our combined might—a magical rite fueled by love, trust, and the promise of a shared future.

The spell activated, transforming our barrier into a prism of blinding light. It expanded, trapping Nocturne within its radiant grasp.

"Impossible," they gasped as their realm of darkness disintegrated, shattered by the intensity of our love and will.With a final, ear-splitting crescendo, the Symphony of Shadows ended, and we found ourselves back in our castle chamber. Nocturne, or what was left of them, was sealed within a gemstone that now rested on the floor.

Aleera picked up the gemstone cautiously, her eyes meeting mine. "This will be sealed away in a place where not even time can touch it."

"We've defeated Timekeepers and Maestros of Desolation," I marveled, holding Aleera close to me. "I think we're ready for any challenges parenthood can throw at us."Aleera chuckled, caressing my cheek tenderly. "If they're anything like us, our child will be a handful. But that's a challenge I eagerly await."

The days following our cosmic showdown with Nocturne seemed to be strangely peaceful, almost as if the universe was granting us a brief respite. Yet, we both knew better than to let our guards down. Aleera was particularly vigilant, often patrolling the castle grounds at night, her vampire senses attuned to even the slightest disturbance.

"I can't help but feel like another storm is brewing," Aleera admitted one evening as we settled into the privacy of our chambers. "It's as if the castle itself is holding its breath.""I know," I agreed, feeling a similar sense of unease. "It's like the calm before a storm."

That night, as we lay in each other's arms, a sudden rush of visions flooded my mind. It was as if the walls of time had momentarily shattered, allowing me a glimpse into multiple timelines. Among them, one vision stood out—a cryptic inscription etched onto an ancient stone tablet.

"Something wrong?" Aleera murmured, sensing my sudden tension."I saw something—a message of sorts. But it was incomplete, fragmented," I explained, still trying to make sense of the vision.

The next morning, we decided to consult the Oracle, an age-old seer who had guided generations of rulers in our realm. Her dwelling was in a secluded part of the castle, hidden behind layers of enchanted barriers.

"Ah, Aleera and Y/N, bearers of the intertwined fates," the Oracle greeted, her voice as ethereal as her translucent form. "You seek answers."We relayed my vision, and her spectral eyes seemed to focus on some distant point in time and space."The inscription you've seen is a Forgotten Prophecy," she finally said. "A guide to an artifact known as the Celestial Tear—a gem capable of either fortifying or disrupting the barriers between realms.""Is this artifact a threat or an aid?" Aleera questioned, her eyes narrowing."That depends on the hands that wield it," the Oracle replied cryptically. "But be warned, it is tied to the destiny of your unborn child.""Elysia?" I gasped, instinctively placing a hand over my belly."Indeed. The choices you make now will resonate through time, shaping her path and the future of this realm," the Oracle said.

We returned to our chambers in a somber mood, each lost in thought. Finally, Aleera broke the silence. "We need to find this Celestial Tear before it falls into the wrong hands."

"But where do we even start?" I wondered aloud."The Forgotten Prophecy—it's incomplete but it's all we have," Aleera concluded. "We'll decipher it, find the Celestial Tear, and protect our future."For the rest of the day, we delved into ancient texts and consulted coded manuscripts, each clue bringing us closer to the elusive artifact.