The Chronicles of Onyx: Book 1

Chapter Thirteen

"You're different", Rok's voice echoed in the room. His eyes, once calm and earthy, were now filled with concern and fear as they locked onto Onyx. He had returned from his failed search for Jade and Oldren, only to find the shack bathed in an eerie, pulsating glow. The air felt charged with an otherworldly energy, and Onyx stood at the center of it all, her eyes ablaze with a new light. One he had never seen before.

Onyx turned to face Rok, her fiery gaze meeting his with an intensity that sent shivers down his spine. The power that emanated from her was palpable, like a force of nature that defied explanation.

She didn't respond immediately, her gaze remaining fixed on him, and in that moment, he felt like he was staring into the heart of a storm. Her voice, when it finally came, was tinged with a strange mixture of awe and uncertainty. And nothing would prepared him for what she would say.

"I don't know who I am anymore," she said suddenly with a fearful gaze behind the radiating power in her eyes.

Rok's heart clenched at her words. The Onyx he had known, the girl with the fiery spirit and unwavering determination, seemed both familiar and distant. He took a hesitant step closer to her, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Onyx, you're still the same person," he said softly, trying to reassure her. "This... power, it's just a part of you that you're learning to control. It doesn't change who you are."

Onyx blinked, as if his words had broken through a fog in her mind. She slowly lowered her gaze, her expression troubled. "I'm scared, Rok," she admitted, her strong voice barely above a whisper. "Scared of what I might become, of what this power could turn me into."

Rok reached out a hand, gently cupping her cheek. His touch was warm and reassuring. "You will only become what you allow yourself to become." he said softly, "I hope"

-ooooo-

The great hall was shrouded in shadows, the only source of light coming from the flickering candles on the long wooden tables. Dezenym sat on his antler throne, the images of his daughter engraved inside his mind. The power in her eyes, the raw intensity of it, and she liked it. And she would crave it, just as he had. He knew the darkness that lurked within the depths of that power, the potential for destruction that it held. It was a double-edged sword, a force that could be neither good nor evil. Though it was often described as a dark being.

Dezenym's mind was a tumultuous sea of emotions, and as he sat there on his throne, he couldn't help but wonder if he had made a grave mistake in awakening that power within her. What had he unleashed upon the world, and what would it do?

The room was heavy with silence, broken only by the distant rumble of thunder from the storm outside. Dezenym's golden eyes remained fixed on the grand doors to the great hall, his thoughts a whirlwind of regret and uncertainty.