Chapter 1: The Flames Approach

  It was a scorching morning.

  In the city of Ikachary, a messenger arrived. His face was worn, exhausted—he had come from the North, a long and punishing distance. His furrowed brow carried bad news. When the guards of the White Palace saw him, they opened the gates. He walked through corridors adorned with ancient architecture, as if the palace had stood there for countless moons.

  He reached the White Court.

  There she was—the ruler of the western lands, the lands of the Golden Path. Achiry.

  When she saw the messenger, her brow tightened. She already suspected the South had been taken… by someone foreign. A stranger from another horizon. When Achiry spoke, her voice trembled slightly, fearing the weight of the message.

  “Well then… what news do you bring from the North, Lightbearer?”

  The messenger nodded. His voice was sharp.

  “The foreigner is linked to the Order of Ushia Gut. He knows the prophecy planted by the Ushias many moons ago… and he’s using it to blind the people, telling them he’ll lead them to freedom.”

  Achiry stepped back. Her concern was visible. Her voice dropped.

  “No… it can’t be. And if it is… tell me—do they call him the Zhiary All?”

  The messenger nodded again.

  If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  “Yes. They say he has already completed two of the Five Trials of Osikhar. He travels with another foreigner—also Ushia Gut. That’s how I know he understands the prophecy.”

  Achiry’s face darkened. She knew the stranger already held immense power.

  “No… the Trials of Osikhar were supposed to be forgotten. Buried.”

  The messenger’s voice grew more strained.

  “They were. But the woman who follows him—she’s Ushia. She unearthed the prophecies. And now our people fall like flies.”

  Achiry’s expression hardened. She knew her people would be next. If she didn’t act, they would be blinded by that promise.

  Her voice cracked.

  “Then there’s only one thing left to do. We’ll seal the walls. Ban external trade. And no foreigners shall enter. If our people hear the rumor of the Zhiary All… they’ll be blinded again by that prophecy.”

  The messenger raised his hand again.

  “There’s talk of a possible alliance between the daughter of the governor of planet Seruey… and the foreigner.”

  Achiry clenched her fists. If that alliance was real, she would have to strike.

  She pointed to the door, her voice tinged with nerves.

  “Lightbearer, you may leave.”

  The messenger exited the White Court, leaving Achiry alone.

  She walked in distress, running her hands through her hair.

  She spoke to herself.

  “If the Zhiary All completed two trials… could he know my past? Where I come from? Or is he just like me—someone who sought refuge on this planet?”

  She paused. The White Court was silent. Only Achiry and her thoughts remained.

  “I will send a Lightbearer… to find where Zhiary All is, and where he’s headed.”

  Her voice was low. Her brow furrowed.

  Achiry left the court, passing a wide corridor with a grand window overlooking the lagoons of Eshiku.

  She turned away from the view and entered a forbidden chamber of the palace.

  An ancient library.

  Scrolls, books, stone tablets inscribed in forgotten tongues.

  She saw a stained glass window.

  A figure.

  Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a depiction of Zhiary All.

  Achiry stepped closer.

  She touched the glass lightly with her white gloves, lowered her gaze, and sighed.

  “You were always meant to come…”

  She paused, staring at the glass again.

  “But I won’t let you blind my people.”

  She grabbed a few scrolls from a nearby table and left the library, feeling time slipping through her fingers.