Chapter 2
A small shack stood in the midst of a dense forest, its frame barely holding together, built from carved wood and thick branches. Behind it, a river stretched endlessly in both directions, disappearing beyond sight. The structure was just large enough for two people to live in - though “live” might have been a generous term.
Outside, a teenage girl and a man old enough to be her father sat beside a small fire, their hands stretched toward the warmth. The girl’s dark brown hair was tangled from the wind, her violet wings folded tightly against her back, their feathers slightly dulled with dust. She wore a patchwork of rugged clothes, the fabric frayed at the edges. Beside her, the man’s wings shifted slightly as he leaned forward, his few remaining strands of brown hair barely visible beneath the hood of his worn coat. His wings were coloured like that of a storm, but not the kind that leaves you cold and afraid; rather the kind that brings you comfort as you listen to the calming noise of the raindrops. His clothes, like hers, were rough and weathered.
Nestled between them, a feline-like creature no bigger than a house cat stretched its wings. Like the girl's, her violet feathers shimmered faintly in the firelight. She let out a soft sigh, curling her tail around her paws as she rested her head against Violet’s leg, her presence as much a comfort as the fire itself.
The fire crackled softly, casting flickering light across the three figures huddled beside it. Violet exhaled, her breath visible in the cold. She reached down, running her fingers through the feline’s soft fur, feeling the steady pulse beneath it - steady like her own. They were bound; their souls tethered in ways deeper than words. Unexplainable, but a shared feeling between the two of them.
The man, sitting beside her, adjusted his worn coat, his wings rustling as he let out a slow sigh.
“You should sleep, Violet,” he murmured.
“I’m not tired, Arnese,” she said his name in a mocking - but loving - way.
“You’re always not tired.”
She smirked. “And you’re always telling me what to do,” her words had a tone of banter to it, but her voice was soft, like the feathers on her wings.
“That’s what fathers are for,” He smiled.
He cared deeply for the girl, evident through his eyes when he speaks to her. He wasn’t her real father, but he had raised her since she was just 4 years of age, protected her as he had promised when her mother died. He built this shack by hand, left his home, all to uphold a promise. Over the years, she really did become like his daughter. If he was honest with himself, his adoration for her came from the way he saw so much of her mother in her.
Violet’s smirk faded slightly. The firelight flickered in her eyes as she stared at the flames, lost in thought. She pulled her knees up to her stomach. “Did you know my mother well?”
Arnese stiffened almost imperceptibly, but it was enough for her to notice. “Of course,” he said after a beat. “She was my closest friend.”
A silence stretched between them. Violet bit her lip, debating whether to push further.
“I only remember flashes of her,” she admitted, her voice quieter now. “Her face, the way she smelled. But not her voice. Not her laugh.” She hesitated. “But I remember many faces. Why is it that the only one I see now is yours and Nova’s?” She looked down at the feline as she spoke her name and debating whether to bother asking, it had never gotten her far before. “What happened, Arnese?”
Arnese’s chest tightened. He thought back to the memory that haunted him to this day, 12 years later.
I sat beside the bed. On it, a woman with dark brown hair and lilac wings laid sprawled out, limp against the sheets. Each breath rattled in her chest; her coughs edged with the certainty of death. I had seen many passes before, but never like this. Never someone I loved. I held her hand tightly, afraid of ever letting go. She pulled me closer, “Arnese, you have to take Violet,”
“What...”
“You know what she is,” Charlotte rasped. “You’ve have kept the secret for me, and for that, I thank you. But Arnese-“she broke into a fit of coughing, her entire body shaking. I held her tighter, my own eyes burning. “The Ravens will find out, and when they do she will be hunted until she dies”
“She could beat them, you know. She could save our world, Charlotte.” My tone turned accidentally stern, I didn’t quite know whether I agreed with what she wanted.
“Arnese” she breaks out in a coughing fit, desperately fighting it.
“shhh, save your breath Charlotte, it’s okay.” My voice softened again. As much as I tried to hide it, my eyes were watering more by the second.
She shook her head “No, you need to know”
Her breaths were shallow now, but her grip on him was desperate. “When Violet was born, I had a vision. A warning. It told me the leader of The Ravens has the means to become a Keeper, if only he had the blood necessary. I thought nothing of it, I mean, the aetherstone was destroyed thanks to him. But then the alefaeris, her beloved Nova, came along. That’s when i knew that somehow, she was a Keeper.” She looked at me straight in the eyes, and I stared back into hers, the striking green colour identical to her daughter’s.
My mind reeled.
“My wish to save her may seem selfish, but with her blood,” Charlotte whispered, “he could take out us all. Is that a chance you are willing to take?” I gave no reply.
“You must promise me, Arnese. You must promise me you will get her out of here. For her sake, and possibly all of Elaria’s sake”
He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could respond, the feline’s ears flattened, her entire body tensing against her leg. A low growl rumbled from her throat.
Arnese sat up immediately, his muscles taut. “Nova, what is it?”
Violet’s stomach twisted. The air around them felt… wrong. The forest had gone silent, the steady whisper of the river behind them drowned out by an unnatural stillness.
Then, a voice sliced through the darkness.
“Take her.”
Shadows erupted from the trees, figures descending upon them in a whirlwind of outstretched wings. Feathers—black as the void—flashed in the firelight.
The rugged man’s eyes widened, laced with a sight Violet had never seen visible on him before. Pure terror. “Arnese, what’s happening?” Violet whispered, tense herself just by looking at him. “The Ravens,” his voice shook as he spoke.
Hands grabbed for her, rough and forceful. She yelped, wings flaring as she tried to fight back, but there were too many of them.
“Let her go!” Arnese roared, lunging forward, but a fist struck his jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Violet’s heart pounded. “Arnese!” she struggled against the man restraining her, a futile attempt, however. “Why are you doing this?!”
“Your kind was supposed to be dead,” the leader sneered, stepping closer. His black wings unfurled, casting a long shadow across her. “You can, however, prove very useful to me.”
She struggled, her pulse hammering in her ears. The Ravens held her too tightly.
Nova leaped forward with a furious hiss, claws slashing at the nearest attacker. But before she could sink her fangs in, Arnese turned sharply toward her.
“Run.” His voice cut through the chaos, urgent and absolute.
Nova froze, torn. Violet felt it, a deep wrenching in her chest, the bond between them pulling tight. Nova didn’t want to leave. Couldn’t.
Arnese met the feline’s violet eyes. “Trust your instincts. You can save her, but not if you’re taken now. Follow the river downstream, Nova.”
One of the men turned his attention towards the cat, ready to restrain her, before a deep voice spoke, coming from behind Violet. “Leave it, we only need the girl. Alefaeris are more powerful than you would think. Plus, you gotta kill them 9 times before they’ll finally die.”
For a split second, Violet felt the hesitation ripple from Nova through their bond. But she had trust in Arnese’s words.
Nova shot Violet a look, one that promised her return, a look that could say more than a person’s words ever has. She turned, wings snapping open as she darted into the trees, vanishing into the night.
“NO—” Violet screamed, straining against her captors, but the world around her blurred as panic and fury surged through her veins. Something inside her cracked open. Energy rippled outward, wild and untamed, and the fire beside them flared unnaturally high. The ground trembled beneath them, flames licking at the sky.
The Ravens recoiled for a moment—just a moment—before one of them moved swiftly. A sharp pain pricked her neck. Coldness spread through her veins. Her vision blurred. The fire dimmed.
She barely registered the voice beside her ear. “Can’t have you burning everything down now, can we? No need to show off the powers that the rest of us don’t possess.”
Her body slumped. “There you go, that should keep you settled for a good while.” The last thing she saw was Arnese struggling, his wings pinned, his face contorted in rage and fear.
Then - darkness.