The Shadow Man & His Light

A Searing Burst Of Light

Alina's POV:

    "When I was young, I was afraid of the dark. When I got older, I learned that darkness is a place, and it's full of monsters."

My name is Alina Starkov and up until a few months ago I was just an unassuming cartographer & mapmaker for the Ravkan First Army, but that was until I boarded a skiff with my friend Mal and managed to survive a horrible Volcra attack inside a wall of darkness called The Fold. On that day, I came to find out that I was actually a Grisha. Grisha are a group of individuals who can practice Small Science. They are divided into three distinct categories based on their abilities, Corporalki, Etherialki & Materialki. I am an Etherialki, to be specific, I am a Sun Summoner. Sun Summoners are really quite rare and hard to find just as Shadow Summoners are as well. After the attack, I was sent to General Kirigan's tent, because he wanted to know what had happened inside The Fold. One of the other Grisha present named Zoya spoke up,

    "We were attacked and then there was a searing burst of light."

General Kirigan then turns to me and asks me a question.

    "What are you?"

    "A Mapmaker, sir."

    " I am going to repeat myself again. What...are you?"

    "A mapmaker, I swear."

    "Were you tested?"

    "No."

    "Well, we'll see about that."

After that, General Kirigan walks over to me and tells me to pull up the sleeve of my shirt before he slightly but forcefully does it himself. He then touches his ring to my arm and carefully drags it down and then a beam of light erupts from the cut on my arm and all the rest of the Grisha soldiers present inside the tent stare in awe. After that, the light diminishes and he instructs a few of his soldiers to bring me to the Little Palace in Os Alta.