Floravia, a kingdom of breathtaking beauty, where forests thrum with spiritual trees and rivers run like liquid crystal. If the people of Elarith hunt ghosts with steel and spells, Floravia fights back with nature itself, a living weapon against the paranormal.
At the edge of a silver-blue river, a solitary tower rose. Inside, Professor Rayna's workspace sprawled: half library, half laboratory. Shelves of cracked leather tomes climbed the walls, their spines flickering with faint moonlight.
A single tall window framed the river's glow, spilling light across teetering stacks of notes.
Anya sat curled in a wing-backed chair, an ancient book open across her knees. She snapped it shut with a sharp sigh. "Professor, I've read every single book," she muttered. "By the moon, there's nothing."
Rayna didn't even look up. She tipped water into a simmering potion that Anya didn't recognize. The liquid hissed and foamed, cracking the glass funnel with a soft pop.
The professor jerked her hand back and hissed. "Relatable moment, Anya," she said dryly. "It's not working."
Anya rose, brushing past scattered papers to peer at the worktable. "What are you even trying to do?" she asked, eyes flicking over the shimmering mess.
Rayna yanked a book with a deep-purple cover from the shelf. "We gathered every record of Valoria and the royal family from Caelthorn's library," she said, flipping it open. "And you know the worst part?"
Anya shook her head and accepted the book.
"The most important parts…" Rayna's lips twisted. "…they're missing."
Anya stared at the blank pages and exhaled sharply. "Why are half the pages empty? I've read this book a million times. I still don't understand, Professor…"
Rayna dropped into a chair and rubbed her temples. "We've tried everything. Spells, moonlight, holy words. But nothing is working. The pages just… refuse to reveal themselves."
Anya swallowed hard, mind slipping back to the first time they'd tried.
_______
She and Rayna had been sitting by the moonlit river, the book between them, whispering words meant to awaken hidden text. For the first time, the pages glowed, light spilling across their hands. Her heart had soared.
"Finally!" Anya gasped.
Rayna opened the glowing pages, only for the book to snap shut and smack her in the face before tumbling into the grass. For a heartbeat, they stared at each other; then Anya burst out laughing despite herself.
Her laughter died when a wolf's howl rippled through the trees.
Rayna stood, brushing grass from her robes and glaring. "Shut up and let's go before the wolves make us their dinner."
Anya nodded, rolling out the carpet she always carries. Together, they stepped onto it. She traced glowing symbols in the air; the carpet rose, and her eyes lit like silver as she guided them through the clouds.
____________
Even now, back in the lab, the memory burned like an insult. That night had proved the book was no ordinary artifact. Its words would not appear for just anyone; something more was needed to draw them out.
Anya set the purple book down, its white pages mocking them. "I honestly feel like it won't reveal itself with any words or potions," she said quietly.
Rayna frowned at her. "What do you mean, Anya?"
Anya hesitated, her fingers tightening on the edge of the table. "We know Arin has met Elara. The evil soul will try even harder to take her over now. If all this began because… you know… Arin gave herself up to save Elara. Why don't we just tell Elara?"
Rayna dropped into a chair with a sharp huff and rolled her eyes. "If it were that easy, don't you think we'd have told her already?"
Anya crossed her arms. "Professor, please. We can't keep the promise we made to Arin when everyone's at risk."
Rayna dragged a hand through her hair, eyes dark with worry. "You think I don't know what that spirit will do once it gets a grip on Arin's body? I know. None of us will survive. But still…"
Anya tilted her head with an annoyed sigh and slammed her fist into the arm of the chair. "Just to save that one woman, we're putting everyone at risk. She's out there living her life while we've been suffering for years. I hate this."
The professor rose and placed a hand on Anya's shoulder. "Anya… I know, but..."
Before Rayna could finish, Anya snatched up her phone. "I'm calling Zara. The full moon's near. We all know that now, after seeing Elara in front of it, the soul won't let Arin keep control easily."
Rayna bit her lip and turned back to the book, fingers tracing the empty pages as if they might suddenly give up their secret.
On the other end, Zara's voice crackled through. "Anya?"
Anya hummed, glancing at the professor still bent over the book. "Zara, I want you to come to Floravia with Arin. Let's see if we can do something with the book or not."
Zara's heart skipped a beat. Her hiss was sharp. "Have you lost your mind? We never tell Arin about our progress. You know, telling Arin means telling that damned spirit."
Anya dropped into the chair again. "Then what do we do? Nothing's working here, and I'm scared nothing ever will." Her voice rose with each word.
Zara leaned against her car seat, switched the phone to speaker, and started driving toward Anya's apartment. "Do you remember what happened last time? When the spirit realized we were close to its name, it took full control of Arin's body and burned the files that held it."
Anya stared up at the ceiling and whispered, "I feel like we'll keep searching but never find a clue… and that soul will take over Arin and finish all of us."
Zara's hands tightened on the steering wheel. Her voice came low and dark."I feel like hell. That thing is taking control of Arin more and more these days…"
Arin closed her eyes and hummed softly. No one spoke after that. Silence thickened in the car, broken only by the relentless tick of the dashboard clock.
"Okay. I've reached Anya's apartment building. I'll talk to you later. Bye," Zara said at last, parking and cutting the engine. She slipped her phone back into her bag and stepped out into the night.
Anya murmured a quiet "Bye…" even though Zara couldn't hear her anymore. Rayna glanced at her, reading the defeat on her face.
Rayna crossed the room to offer comfort, but a sharp knock at the door froze them both. Anya and Rayna exchanged a wary look.
The knock came again, harder this time. Anya clenched her jaw, striding to the door."The hell is—" She yanked it open, and her words died in her throat.
Her jaw dropped. Rayna gasped and stepped forward, eyes wide.
Elara stood in the doorway, panting. Her red-rimmed eyes darted between them, her chest heaving as if she'd run the whole way.
"E–Elara?" Anya and Rayna breathed in unison.