"Tough times never last, but tough people do."
Robert H. Schuller
Universe (H)-01 | Plane of Mortal Men
Class-Five Restricted Planet: C-53/SR/R3-O2
Þēodnes Estāt | Pompeii, Campania | 53 a.C.n.
The royal chambers of Prince Manor were immersed in silence, save for the faint rustling of linen and the rhythmic cadence of slumber as King Eldric Þēodnes slipped quietly from his bed.
Yet the young monarch paused at the edge of the mattress, tired eyes taking a moment to gaze upon the peaceful scene that did lay at his side - his wife and infant daughter wrapped up within the embrace of their dreams - and a swell of warmth was soon washing over Eldric's heart as he cherished the serenity that enveloped both his loved ones whilst they slumbered.
A heavy sign was soon escaping pale lips, however; head reluctantly turning away from the heartwarming scene as the weight of the monarch's sorrows mingled, souring a love that had once filled his very being. He pushed himself from the mattress and away from the peaceful scene, careful not to disturb the precious tranquillity that graced his family as he bid a silent farewell to the sanctuary of his private quarters.
The corridors and halls of the manor - a place that had once been bustling with life and laughter - now bore witness to the solemn figure of its grieving King as Eldric emerged from his bedroom, the door closing softly behind him. Shadows danced upon candlelit walls, all but mirroring the turmoil within his heart as each step he took carried him further and further away from his chambers and plunged him deeper and deeper into the solitude of his own anguish and grief; one that had left an indelible void within his heart, mind, and soul.
The dimly lit halls stretched like a labyrinth of memories and regrets before the King, each lingering like whispered secrets as he silently passed. And as he stepped out onto the moonlit grounds of the estate, a bitter wind was there to greet him; sweeping through the night and ruffling his already dishevelled hair, biting at any and all exposed flesh it could find.
Þēodnes Estāt, a castle within its own right, stood in solemn vigil as its monarch left the protections of its walls and headed deeper into the darkness of the night; its towering form all but a reflection of the weight of loss that had pervaded its hallowed halls.
Eldric headed further through the grounds, into the private gardens of the estate, and it was not long until his haunted gaze finally settled upon a solitary bush whose dark blooms did try to blend with the shadows that did surround them.
The scent of roses mingled with the monarch's grief, intertwining together like an ethereal dance of beauty and pain as he approached the solitary shrub, his hands trembling as he reached out to trace one of the delicate contours of a fading blue-black bloom. Tears begun to cloud his vision, a sob catching in his throat, and he let his hand fall away from the rose as dark eyes squeezed shut; Eldric trying unsuccessfully to block out the anguish that wanted to consume him - the bittersweet hurt that had lodged itself in his chest and did ache to be released.
"My daughter," he whispered, voice heavy with a mixture of longing and grief. "Oh, my sweet Eithne. How I yearn for your smiles, the warmth of your embrace. I feel your absence keenly, like a cursed dagger piercing my very soul. And you mother and sister... they both miss you dearly. The world itself feels less without you in it."
A mournful silence embraced the grieving King, embraced his sorrows as memories flooded his mind; the cherished moments - however few - that had been shared with his firstborn daughter, each to be forever etched within his heart as he dropped to his knees before the rosebush. Its thorns brushed against the bare skin of his arms and hands, a gentle reminder of life's complexities, and Eldric allowed the memories to overwhelm him - the images of happier times, of fleeting moments shared and dreams that had once been woven into the threads of destiny.
However, as he continued to grieve within the solitude of his private gardens, amidst the gentle embrace of the rosebush that did mark the grave of his eldest child, a figure stepped out of the shadows; a man who was cloaked in mystery and darkness. He approached the grieving monarch, an understanding of what Eldric must have been currently feeling shimmering within the depths of his obsidian-black eyes. And his presence, like a shadowy phantom of hope, did mingle with the fragrance of black roses and the King's own anguish and caused the young monarch to turn tear-filled eyes in his direction.
"Who are you?" Eldric murmured, his voice but a fragile whisper that was filled with the weight of his sorrows, pain, and longing. The idea that the newcomer could have been a possible threat to himself or his family, or even a trespasser upon his lands, never crossed the wizard's mind; a glimmer of vulnerability and curiosity instead dancing within his gaze as he watched the shadowed figure come to a stop not a few feet from where he was still kneeling on the ground.
"I am but one of many who have heard your lament, Eldric Þēodnes." The newcomer's voice was soft and melodic, as well as deep and gravelly; tones of which carried with them the depths of both empathy and power. "And I have come to offer you an opportunity, a... way, if you will, to bring your daughter back from the Plane of Immortals Shade."
Eldric's heart skipped a beat, his grief momentarily overshadowed by a sudden flicker of hope. Although it was abruptly squashed, the man's words needing a moment to sink fully into the mess that was the King's mind and did cause reality to come crashing down around him like a tidal wave - and completely extinguished that small spark of possibility.
"That is not possible," he intoned, shaking his head in disbelief and rage - at the very idea that someone would dare toy with his emotions in such a way. "You cannot bring back that which has already passed beyond Death's Veil," he added, his voice growing in strength as each word passed his lips.
The newcomer's peculiar eyes held steady, obsidian orbs unaffected and unwavering in the face of the young monarch's denial. Yet, a small smile was soon tugging the corner of their lips upwards as, "Eldric Þēodnes, I can assure you that there are already forces at work within this realm that defy your understanding," was stated, the man's voice filled with nothing but a rumbling conviction. "And whilst it is true that the dominion of Death is not one so easily crossed, it is still just that; a dominion. There are always paths that lie even within the deepest of shadows, just waiting for the right person to light its way."
Eldric's eyebrows furrowed as he listened, feeling torn between his longing for his lost daughter and the voice of reason that told him that Eithne was already - and quite permanently - gone. "But... you speak of- that sounds like Dark Magick, forbidden and dangerous. Is that the path you propose I tread?"
A hint of sorrow flickered across pale features, the newcomer's expression softening at the clear pain and confusion his words had wrought to the already grieving King. Yet still he answered, inclining his head once in agreement that had Eldric's breath catching in his throat.
"Yes," was vocally affirmed seconds later. "The path I speak of is fraught with darkness and risks. It is a path that will challenge the very fabric of existence. Though sometimes..." a smile, one that was as knowing as it was understandably sad, lifted the corner of the man's lips, "...the bonds, the love and strength of a parent's devotion can push us beyond the boundaries of what is deemed possible or... acceptable."
Eldric's eyes remained locked with the obsidian-black of his mysterious companion, a mix of hope and trepidation swirling within their depths. "Tell me then. If, as you say, there is a way to bring my daughter back, what must I do?" he questioned, knowing, without understanding as to how, that there would be a price. "What sacrifice do you require of me?"
"The path that lies before you, Eldric Þēodnes, if you do so choose it, does demand a great sacrifice," was stated solemnly, something of which had the monarch's jaw clenching. Though the man's next words only had the King blinking, confusion clouding his vision. "But in your case, I am willing to make you an offer unlike any other. You do not have to sacrifice naught but your word... and that of a single rose," he revealed, raising a hand when, as he expected, Eldric opened his mouth to interrupt. "All you need to know, if you truly wish to have your daughter back, is that there may be a price you could pay later, after a debt previously owed is repaid now. Call it a... favour, if you will; one that I may request upon you at a later time."
Eldric's heart was pounding with an influx of overwhelming, conflicting emotions - hope battling against the logical constraints of his mind. And he took a much needed breath before he replied, his gaze lingering upon the newcomer's enigmatic features before dropping to the bush he was still kneeling before.
"So, you are saying that I can bring Eithne back without any immediate sacrifice?" he asked, gaze returning to meet the man's obsidian-black. "But there may be a price to pay in the future?"
Those black eyes shifted away from the monarch, moving to the rosebush and studying the shrub before replying. "After the debt owing has been paid, that is correct," was agreed once more.
"And... just what is this debt owing?"
The mysterious man's lip curled into a subtle smile, revealing little but acknowledging much. "What is owed is not for me to disclose," he replied cryptically, his voice resonating with a hint of ancient wisdom and the weight of unspoken truths. "It is a matter that concerns another, someone deeply connected to your heart and your lineage."
Eldric furrowed his brow, his mind racing to decipher the meaning behind the man's words. He glanced at the rosebush, its dark blooms swaying gently in the night breeze, and then back to the enigmatic figure standing before him. "My wife, Althea," he murmured, realisation dawning upon his features like the first lights of dawn. "This debt owing... it pertains to her, doesn't it?"
Lips pursed, remaining closed, yet the man offered a tacit nod, confirming the King's suspicions without uttering a word. And his gaze held a depth of understanding that transcended mere mortal comprehension, hinting towards the intricate web of fate and consequence that bound them all to its mercy.
"But why?" Eldric pressed, uncaring if it was forbidden - uncaring if he knew that he shouldn't as his voice mixed with equal parts of curiosity and concern. "What connection does my wife have to this... debt owing?"
The man's expression remained inscrutable, veiled behind a mask of shadows, enigma, and intrigue. Though still he felt compelled to speak, to offer some kind of reply. "Some debts, I'm afraid, are older than time itself, Eldric Þēodnes; woven into the very tapestry of destiny. Your wife carries many burdens, but there is one secret from her past that has yet to be reconciled. Until it is paid, until the debt is settled, the scales of fate will forever remain unbalanced."
A shiver trickled down Eldric's spine, his thoughts swirling with a myriad of questions and uncertainties. He had always known that his wife bore scars from her past, shadows that lurked beneath the surface of her graceful demeanour. But to discover that those shadows held such weighty consequences-
"And the rose?" he inquired, his voice barely above a whisper as he gestured towards the dark blooms that adorned the bush before him. "What role does it play in this arrangement?"
Dark eyes lingered on the rosebush, a solemn reverence shining within obsidian depths as they flickered between each and every flower. "The rose is but a symbol of closure, a seal upon the debt owing," he explained, his words carrying the weight of ages past. "It represents the final chapter in a tale long forgotten, a gesture of forgiveness and the possibility of redemption."
Eldric's heart clenched at the mention of forgiveness, a pang of guilt gnawing at his consciousness. He had never truly understood the depths of his wife's pain, the burdens she had always bore in silence. But now, faced with the truth of her past, he realised the enormity of her sacrifice.
"And if I refuse?" he asked, voice now trembling with uncertainty. "If I choose instead not to tread down this path, to accept the consequences of fate?"
Somehow obsidian eyes both softened and hardened, filling with a sense of compassion that did offset the glint of knowing truth within the depths of the newcomer's eyes. "The choice is yours and yours alone to make, Eldric," he revealed. "But know this: the shadows of the past will forever linger, until, of course," pale lips twitched upwards, "The debt owing is settled and a single rose given."
With those words hanging heavy in the air, the mysterious male stepped back into the shadows, his presence fading like mist in the morning sun. And as Eldric watched him vanish into the night, a solitary figure kneeling beneath the moonlit sky, he already knew that the path ahead would be fraught with peril and uncertainty.
For the sake of his daughter, for the love that had once bound his family together; with a heavy heart yet determined spirit, the young King turned back to the rosebush marking his eldest child's grave. And as he studied the blooms, seeking out the one he knew not the specifics of but would ultimately seal his fate, a small smile of his own suddenly pulled at his lips as his eyes fell upon a single, solitary white bloom amongst the sea of blue-black.
Without a second thought, Eldric plucked the pale bloom from the bush; an action of which unknowingly set into motion a chain of events that would forever shape the destiny of reality itself.
