A young doctor unexpectedly finds herself forced to indoctrinate into a paramilitary organization, where a stoic hero silently falls in love. Slowly, he earns her trust. The love between them burns away the darkness of the past and acts as a beacon...
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The journey took almost a week of hard riding.
We followed the east arm of the Junction River until we hit Moria Lake. It was so large you couldn't see across the other side. Just south of Moria was Mount Metus. I had heard of its enigmatic beauty, but seeing it was entirely different. It was striking. The mountain was littered with Phantom stone. The white drew your eye to it from a hundred miles away. Many people avoided the summit, and everyone avoided traveling east of it. East was the white forest, known to be home of Phantoms.
The further east we traveled, the more at ease Aldric became.
When we hit the white forest and fell into the shade of the towering pine canopy, Aldric broke into an easy grin that lay naturally on his face.
He looked happy, and I felt detached. It was easier to feel nothing than the weight of uncertainty or the sorrow of loss.
After another hour of riding, a dark stone wall came into view. It was endless and too tall to peak over.
As we approached the gate, Aldric turned towards me.
"They are expecting us at the checkpoint. Since you're considered an enemy of the state, you will be blindfolded and cuffed before we go on post. You'll be kept in a holding cell until you go before the council and receive a verdict on the indoctrination." His voice held a serious tenure, and he looked at me apologetically. "It should only be a day or two." He said, trying to soften the news.
Before I fully absorbed his words, the looming gates opened. Three intimidating men walked purposefully towards us – Solan among them.
An older teenager stood proudly by his side. The last of the trio was a man with skin the color of ink. He trudged several paces behind, looking agitated. He was lethally fit and carried himself with confidence that could only exist in the heart of a man who had earned such confidence. I suspect he long let go of being amiable.
The teenager halted in a crisp military movement. Solan slowed to a stop, and the dark man didn't stop.
He walked straight towards me until his toes hit mine. I rocked away, but he grabbed my arm, pulling me back towards him. His eyes bore into mine before forcing my head from side to side, searching my face.
Looking for what, I don't know.
After an uncomfortable minute of being visually interrogated under his critical, obsidian eyes, he shoved me back and turned his attention to Solan.
He nodded curtly, looking more agitated now than before, and went back through the gate, never once uttering a word.
The teenager beside Solan puffed out his chest and walked towards me with a dark hood and rope.
Internally, I balked at the sight of it.
Solan gripped the boy's shoulder, halting him.
"It's my duty to take the prisoner in." The boy said with a tone of defiance. Solan's jaw locked, and the muscle at the hinge jumped as he kept sharp eyes on the teenager.
