Tales of chronicles

Lita stood in the clearing, where the shapes disappeared, her heart still pounding from that last blast of magic she could unleash. The fog had lifted just enough for her to see that the world outside remained dark and unfamiliar. She knew now this was only the beginning of her journey, with no turning back. 

"I can't stay here,"

Lita said softly; actually, her voice was steady, though fear still lingered unquietly inside her. "If I do, more will come. I have to find out who I am… what I'm really capable of."

Flare, still looking grave, nodded.

"You're right. This place is just going to attract the unwanted. But you must exercise caution, Lita. Power like yours does not only attract the shades. The enemies of your mother, the Northern Kingdom, are looking for someone like you."

Lita's jaw tightened as anger flared in her eyes.

"Then I'll find them first. If the Northern Princess is after me, I want to know why. And if there are others who want to use me… they will never get the chance."

Flare lowered her arms and fell deep in thought.

"This path is perilous, but you cannot walk it alone. Your magic is strong; raw, yet untamed. You'll need guidance with this."

"Where do I start?"

Lita asked. "In what region am I able to find someone to help me aid in the control of this?"

Flare thought a little before answering.

"There are ancient places in the world: a sanctuary of old magic. Your mother used to go there before the war. The place will help refine the power, but it is not easy to find. It is hidden from the world by ancient sorcery. Only those who have a link to it may be allowed to enter."

Intrigued, Lita asked,

"Where is it?"

"The Temple of Shadows," Flare said, almost a whisper.

"Deep in the mountains, a long way from here. Your mother would go to strengthen her powers. But it's more than a school it's dangerous. The temple has its own will, and it pricks those worthy enough to enter." 

Lita took a deep breath and made up her mind.

"Then that's where I'm going. If it's where my mother trained, then maybe I'll find something to answer her-and my-questions."

Flare nodded, but there was a trace of worry in her eyes.

"I'll go with you. But know this, Lita—the Temple of Shadows isn't like anything you've faced before. If you fail its trials, it could consume you."

"I don't have a choice,"

she returned with great conviction.

"I have to face it. I need to understand this power, and I need to be ready for what is coming."

Then Flare gazed at her for a while and sighed.

"Very well then; we will leave at dawn. It is a long journey through treacherous roads. But this is your decision, so I will accompany you."

Lita nodded miserably, latching onto Flare's loyalty despite the dark past that hung between them. For now, they were partners fighting for a shared purpose.

Doing all the packing and preparations for the next long journey, Lita remained haunted by the persistent feeling that the shadows still peeked through at her. But she had overcome one great fear-she was no longer afraid. Whatever dirty secrets the darkness might have kept, she was ready for them.

From the Temple of Shadows, Lita knew there would be trials of sorts, but she was ready to face them. And when the moment came, she would face the matters of her legacy-whether that legacy would raise her to the level of hero, destroyer, or something entirely different.

At this stage, all she could do was march ahead to her destiny and to the power she would need to wield to bend it to her will.

With the dawn came the dispersal of the fog that had hung around the ruins as though to give a clearer picture of what was left behind. Lita and Flare made their way towards the Temple of Shadows lying in the distance mountains.

Cold air thick with the magic of the ancients weighed heavily upon them, and the silence was almost ominous except for the soft crunch of their feet on the rocky path.

Lita felt excitement and dread all at the same time. It mixed because the power within her was raw and unpredictable, and yet she felt the stirrings inside responding to the magic in the air. She knew that the journey to the temple was going to be filled with danger, but there was no turning back; she had to confront whatever it threw at her, from discovering her magic to facing everything to learn the full truth about her mother and her destiny.

Flare was all quiet on the trip. She never failed to keep her eyes on the horizon for signs of danger. Lita could always tell Flare composed, but there was something agonizingly tense about her today. She was now not just guarding Lita. She had her arms deep into this journey, as if her fate was tied to that of Lita.

Hours of walking through the sun-scorched trail brought them down a narrow edge into the dense woods. The trees stood high above, casting their gnarled branches into the still cold air, weaving long shadows everywhere ground it touched. As they moved further inward, the darkness began to close around them, until, it was almost dark as though the sun were no longer in existence.

"This place feels strange,"

Lita murmured, glancing around.

"Almost like it's alive."

Flare nodded.

"The forest is ancient. Magic pulses through the very earth here. Be careful; it's easy to get lost if you're not paying attention," she said.

They continued on, ground heavy under their feet with every step they took. Shadows shifted; they seemed to move about watching them. Silence was unnerving. But her mind was focused, and nothing would stop Lita. Whatever laid beyond, she had to keep walking, no matter how disturbing the experience became.