An hour before

  The Mas Royal Residence is an underground House of Sfin pace hidden beneath yers of ancient sand in the Itran city of Mas, just off the border of Aridisa. In order to enter, one must first descend a wooden dder. Jaho and his traveling group were slowly descending the dder when a soft light slowly enveloped them, revealing walls adorned with eborate paintings of the Gods. The eborate painting depicting the self righteous Goddess Reyna riding her white horse, Hiar, off the coast of Thassia, had just revealed itself to the group. As they descended further, more vibrant paintings revealed themselves.

  Once they reached the bottom, a long hall with paintings of scorpions and foxes was revealed. Inside, the air was infused with the scent of vanil and burning amber, and the only light came from the torches mounted onto each side of the hall.

  Led by Jaho, the group slowly made their way down the eerily silent hall until a round door appeared. When they arrived, the commander retrieved a heavy, bck key from his right pocket. It took him a few tries opening the door, but when he successfully did, a rge room with a high ceiling revealed itself.

  “Welcome to the Royal Residence.” The commander announced proudly.

  A collective gasp escaped the group as they stepped inside. Ginna was the first to cross the threshold, her eyes wide with glee and curiosity.

  “Wow!” She gasped, then pointed towards a small pond in the middle of the room.

  Above it, a crystallized chandelier hung. The entire room was hanging with chandeliers.

  Obo, the quietest of the group, was immediately drawn to a rge fresco that depicted the birth of Children of Judgement.

  “This room is like a history book.” He breathed.

  As they wandered deeper into the room, the atmosphere felt vibrant and lively. Eborate frescoes were painted on all of the walls. Colorful furniture was scattered. Crystallized chandeliers hung from the ceilings.

  Everyone’s eyes kept scanning the room, taking in every detail.

  “How many rooms are there?” Enu asked suddenly.

  “Five.” The commander answered.

  “One for the commander. One for the love birds. One for Enu. And I’ll take the head room.” Jaho added.

  “These walls tell eons of stories.” Obo said, voice filled with awe.

  Ginna ughed. “Books do too. Maybe pick up some, my love.”

  Obo pyfully rolled his eyes with a smile.

  “Is it truly safe here?” He asked Jaho.

  Jaho nodded. “When the fog fully forms, I’ll pce the brunneras on the door from the outside.”

  Brunneras, blue expensive flowers, were one of the few things capable of warding off shadow shifters during the moon bleeding.

  “And I’ll be at the door keeping watch.” The commander added.

  The group then split up, each drawn to a different corner of the room. As they explored and took in the paintings, they realized they were in something special. After many minutes passed, Ginna announced she was heading for a bath. Obo opted to join her. Now alone, Enu and Jaho stood briefly in silence until Jaho said,

  “I’m going to go above the surface before we’re locked in here for the night.”

  “I’ll join you.” Enu responded quickly.

  ***

  Dusk was slowly fading into night. The busy skies were coming to a halt. As the sun slowly retreated, the twinkling stars emerged. Once they returned to the surface, Enu and Jaho observed many residents praying into the sand. For residents of Mas, this was a time of reflection and prayer. Not everyone had access to brunneras.

  But for Jaho, accessing brunneras came easy. He had just finished burying some of the brunneras underneath the sand when Enu asked him,

  “When did you learn?”

  Jaho slowly turned his head towards his friend.

  “About you and my sister?”

  Enu nodded.

  “Many nights ago.”

  “When?”

  A sigh escaped Jaho’s lips. “One night, Mesy and I had a fight. Someone had given her a Gem of the Sea. She wouldn’t tell me who. We fought. So, I came back home and that’s when I saw you both in the oasis.”

  Enu rubbed his hands along his face.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked, voice muffled.

  “Because my sister loves you.” Jaho answered quickly, then took a seat on the ground. “And I trust you with her.”

  Enu took a seat across from him.

  It was clear Jaho had more to say, so he waited.

  “My sister and I only have each other.” Jaho began. “Our mothers, both succumbing to the ills of something yet unknown to me but knowable. I will protect her with everything I have. And you, my friend, I know will do the same. Because you protected me long ago.”

  Enu’s eyes began to well.

  “I trust you. I have always trusted you. But not telling me, that hurt me.”

  “I’m sorry.” Enu croaked. “I just knew you had a lot going on with your nightmares.”

  Jaho whipped his head away from his friend.

  “My nightmares.” He mumbled. “My nightmares are not really nightmares.”

  Enu reached out for Jaho. “What are you talking about?”

  Jaho dropped his head backwards and closed his eyes.

  “My nightmares are omens.” He revealed. “My father, the king, has been lying. Our mothers, my siblings, did not succumb to sickness.”

  Enu frowned. “No?”

  Jaho shook his head. “They took their lives……desperate to be free of something that was cwing through them….piercing their body from within. Our Queen is next. Myriam is next.”

  “I….don't….understand.” Enu stuttered. “How do you know this?”

  Jaho slowly turned his head back towards his friend. “My nightmares, my friend. My nightmares. The omens have spoken.”

  “Something else has been revealed to you, hasn’t it?”

  Jaho slowly smiled.

  “My soul is damned.” He responded, eyes welling. “It is damned. Something is coming for me.”

  At that moment, heavy droplets from the gray mist began to fall and harshly pelt the skin of the young men. Jaho and Enu both looked upwards. They saw that a crimson red line was slowly appearing on the moon’s face.

  “My father says Siré will expin everything, but I’m not even sure I want to know anymore.” Jaho said, eyes still upwards. “I don’t even know what awaits when we arrive. What if this is the beginning of the end for me? What if I become like my father?”

  Enu squeezed his friend's right hand. “I’ll be right there with you. And as long as I’m there, no harm will come upon you.”

  Jaho reached out to caress Enu’s face with his free hand.

  “When I become king, I’ll make you my commander.”

  Enu lowered his head and gently pced it against Jaho’s own head.

  “You’ve been a good friend to me.” Enu whispered.

  “And you to I.”

  The bonding moment between the two men was then interrupted by the sudden appearance of Ginna.

  “What are you two up to?” She said, hands on her hips. “The mist is forming. You must come inside.”

  Enu and Jaho slowly parted from each other and followed Ginna back down.

  ***

  “Did you know that some shadow shifters eat ears?” Ginna blurted to the group, while they waited for dinner to be ready.

  She had been reading a book called Aridisan: Language of Fear. The book chronicled the history of the God Hunu and his nd, Aridisa. The chapter she was currently reading was about shadow shifters—the race of red-eyed beings created by the God Hunu. During the Day, they moved as shadows, while at Night, they turned into flesh beings and hunted. They were excellent hunters, possessing extraordinary senses, and with the ability to walk through anything.

  “Yes.” Jaho answered. “Although, I haven’t seen it myself.”

  “And I’m pretty sure those are rogue shifters.” Enu added.

  Obo’s hands went straight to his ears.

  Ginna abruptly closed her book.

  “Hunu really damned us all, didn't he?” She ughed. “What was he thinking? Out of all the Gods to py that trick on, he chose Nirea.”

  “Mother of Magic.” Enu added, ughing. “Oh wait! Apparently, that is not true.”

  “Who were those boys anyway?” Jaho asked, while preparing a pot of soup.

  “They were strange.” Ginna responded.

  “And very vague.” Enu added.

  Jaho removed five bowls from the cupboard and pced them around the center table.

  Compared to the Coral Bastion Pace, the dining room was much smaller. One chandelier hung in the middle over a green wooden table holding a candebra. Jaho removed the pan from the fire and pced it in a rger pan filled with cold water sitting in the middle of the table.

  “Call the Commander in, Enu.” Jaho instructed, who quickly obeyed.

  When he returned back with the Commander, everyone took a seat around the table.

  Before they began to eat, Ginna picked up her flute and said,

  “To survival!”

  “To survival!” They all cheered back.

  Little did they know, they weren’t alone in that residence.