Chapter 7

Caed stumbled forward, his breath catching in his throat as the world bent and twisted around him. The portal shimmered like a pool of molten gold, the edges pulsating with iridescent hues that shifted in time with some unheard rhythm. He barely had time to marvel at its alien beauty before the unicorn nudged him forward with a gentle but insistent prod. Its luminous eyes, swirling with galaxies of unspoken emotion, spoke of urgency, and Caed could do nothing but step through the portal.

The sensation was like plunging into cold water and then being pulled into a vortex of heat and light. Colors he had no name for exploded around him, their intensity filling his vision until he was sure he'd go blind. His ears rang with a cacophony of distant whispers, strange voices chanting in a thousand harmonies, threading through the gaps in the light as if weaving him into their melody. And then, as abruptly as it began, the sensation stopped.

He stumbled onto solid ground, gasping as he struggled to regain his balance. The air was thick with an almost tangible energy, vibrant and alive, thrumming against his skin like the heartbeat of some enormous creature. His eyes widened as he took in the landscape before him, each detail more wondrous and impossible than the last.

They stood atop a vast plateau that stretched toward an endless horizon. Below, a sprawling expanse of land unfurled like a painted tapestry: emerald forests with trees so tall they pierced the clouds, their trunks glowing faintly with veins of bioluminescent blue; rivers of liquid silver that carved intricate patterns across the land, their surfaces reflecting the heavens above with mirror-like clarity. The sky was an ever-changing masterpiece, a canvas painted with streaks of vibrant orange, deep indigo, and shimmering gold as if it could not settle on a single sunset. Two suns hung in the sky, one large and golden, the other smaller and iridescent, casting a dual light that made every shadow dance and shimmer.

Around them, the air was alive with movement. Flocks of creatures resembling giant dragonflies flitted overhead, their wings leaving trails of glowing dust in their wake. Strange, deer-like beings with antlers made of crystal grazed in the distance, their movements almost ethereal. Towering mountains in the far distance glimmered with veins of glowing minerals, their peaks wreathed in a halo of swirling, luminescent mist. It was a world both alien and achingly beautiful, and it left Caed speechless.

Before he could voice the questions tumbling in his mind, a soft voice broke the silence—a voice rich and melodious, filled with a warmth that seemed to wrap around him like a comforting embrace.

"Welcome to Vyralith," the voice said, each word flowing like a stream over smooth stones.

Caed turned, startled. The unicorn stood beside him, its pearlescent mane rippling as if stirred by an invisible breeze. But it was the unicorn's mouth that moved now, the words emanating from it. It was speaking.

"You..." Caed stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence. "You can talk?" He asks severely stupified.

The unicorn inclined its head gracefully, its luminous eyes meeting his with a knowing glint. "Not in your realm," it replied. "But here, in Vyralith, the barriers between thought and word dissolve. Language is as fluid as the rivers that flow through our lands."

Vyralith. is a name that resonates with strength, grandeur, and mystical energy. It feels ancient yet timeless. The unicorn stepped closer, its hooves making no sound against the strange, soft, shimmery green grass beneath them.

"This is the magical realm," the unicorn continued. "A land older than your world, a sanctuary of wonders and mysteries. It is the birthplace of harmony, the cradle of renewal, and the keeper of mysteries that even most worlds have forgotten."

Caed's mind reeled as he tried to take it all in. "How... how am I here?" he asked finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Welcome home, Prince Caed... though I fear 'home' may feel unfamiliar to you. It pains me to greet you after so long, knowing the burden you have borne in ignorance of who you are."

"Home? I don't understand. Who... who are you? And what do you mean, 'prince'?"

The unicorn lifted its head, its eyes shimmering with guilt. "I am Silverbrow, keeper of the Eastern Gate and your guide in Vyralith. I am tasked with guarding the path between worlds... and with watching over you from afar. But my role demanded inaction. As long as you were bound by familiar law to your aunt and uncle, tied to their care and their culture, still legitimately their ward, and without your heritage, my hooves were bound."

Caed narrowing his eyes and face straining in anger.

"You were with me; I told you everything; you saw everything! Why didn't you help me? Do you have any idea what I've been through?"

Silverbrow replies, voice trembling, " I do, young prince, and I carry that sorrow with me. But even one of your blood—a rightful heir to this realm—cannot claim Vyralith without their heritage awakened. Without it, you were bound by the laws of the human world, as powerless as any mortal child. And Vyralith... we could not interfere, no matter how our hearts ached."

Caed shaking his head in pain and disbelief

"So, I was abandoned? By my people? By... you? My friend?"

Silverbrow steps closer, voice thick with emotion as he tries to make his prince understand.

"Not abandoned, Caed. Protected. Hidden, so you might live long enough to return here. Your heritage is a powerful thing, but it would have made you a target before you were ready. Every choice we made was to safeguard your life, though I know it came at a cost. I know your pain, Caed. Every scar, every harsh word, every moment you felt unloved—I was there. I saw it all, and it was like a dagger in my soul to watch and do nothing. But my silence was not my choice; it was the law that bound me."

"The law? What kind of law lets a child suffer while those who could help stand by and do nothing? You knew! You knew, and you did nothing!" Caed asks angrily.

Silverbrow raises his head, his tone firm but sorrowful.

"Do you think it brought me any joy to watch you suffer? Do you think I didn't rage against The Oath of Unseen Threads, the ancient law that governs our world and yours? But hear me, Caed—this law exists not to punish, but to protect. It is the very foundation of Vyralith's survival."

"Protect who? Not me. Not the child crying himself to sleep every night."

Silverbrows gaze softens and he replies gently.

"It was protecting you, even if you cannot see it now. The law is clear: until the Time of Awakening, your soul is tethered to the human world, bound to those who raised you. It keeps your heritage veiled, your magic hidden, shielding you from those who would exploit your power before you were ready. To break that bond—to interfere—would have broken the threads and drawn every shadowed force in both realms to you. You would not have survived, Caed."

"So, you chose the law over me." Bitterly Caed replies.

Silverbrow replies firmly, with quiet intensity

"No, Caed. I chose your life. The law is ancient, yes, but it was forged in wisdom. It keeps the balance between our worlds. Without it, Vyralith would have been exposed, and you would have been lost—taken or worse—before you even knew who you were. Your pain was my pain, but your safety had to come first. That is the burden I carry."

Hesitating, struggling with his emotions

"But you were there... You were always there. Why stay if you couldn't do anything?"

"Because you were never truly alone. Even when I could not act, I could be. I could give you quiet courage when you had none. I could guide your steps in the smallest of ways. And when the time came, I could bring you here, where you belong. Everything I did was for this moment, Caed—for you to stand here, alive and whole, and claim what is rightfully yours."

Caed replies softly, looking away " And if I can't forgive you?"

"Then I will bear that too, as I have borne everything else. My purpose is not your forgiveness, Caed. It is your future." Silverbrow replies gently.

Caed looking at the glowing land beyond the gate and getting past these heavy feelings asks

"My future... " He starts softly "What is it? Why am I so important to this place?"

Silverbrow gestured with its horn toward the vibrant world of Vyralith.

"You are the son of the Braveheart Line, a descendent of rulers who harmonized the elements and sustained Vyralith's balance. Without you, the balance falters. The magic is unstable. Vyralith needs you, Caed, as much as you need it. But you must decide if you will take your place here".

The unicorn's gaze softened, and it lowered its head slightly, a gesture that felt almost reverent. "You are here because you are meant to be; this is your home where you should always have been," he said simply. "You have seen the cracks in your world, the fractures that grow wider with every passing day. You carry the weight of questions that cannot be answered there. But here, perhaps, you will find what you seek."

The words sent a shiver down Caed's spine. He opened his mouth to ask more, but the unicorn turned and began to walk, its movements so fluid it seemed to glide across the ground. "Come," it said, glancing back at him. "There is much to see and even more to learn."

Caed hesitated for only a moment before following. They descended the plateau along a spiraling path of crystal that glowed faintly beneath their feet. As they moved, Silverbrow began to speak again, his voice weaving a story that seemed to resonate with the very fabric of the realm.

"Vyralith is a land of balance," he explained. "A realm where magic flows like blood through veins, nourishing every corner of existence. But it is not without its challenges. The harmony here is delicate, easily disrupted by forces both within and beyond. Long ago, the guardians of this realm—beings of immense power and wisdom—defeated the chaos that threatened to consume it. But even they could not foresee all things."

They passed a grove of trees whose leaves shimmered like molten gold, their trunks whispering as if exchanging secrets. Strange flowers with translucent petals swayed gently in a breeze Caed could not feel, their centers glowing with a soft, pulsating light. Looking at the passing fields in wonderment and amazement.

"And now?" Caed asked, his voice trembling with a mixture of awe and trepidation. "What threatens this place now?"

The unicorn paused, its gaze fixed on the horizon where the twin suns dipped lower, casting long shadows across the land. "That is a question we must answer together," it said finally. "For the threads of your world and ours are more closely entwined than you can yet understand. What happens in Vyralith ripples into your realm, just as the actions of man leave scars upon ours."

They reached the edge of a silver river, its surface so smooth it appeared almost solid. The unicorn bent its head, its horn touching the water, and a ripple spread outward, the liquid surface briefly illuminating with symbols Caed could not decipher.

"Your journey begins here," the unicorn said, lifting its head. "Destiny brought you to Vyralith for a reason. But it is up to you to uncover what that reason is."

Caed stared at the water, his reflection shimmering and twisting as if it, too, were a part of the magic that infused everything here. The weight of the unicorn's words settled over him like a mantle, heavy but not unbearable. Somewhere deep within him, a spark of determination ignited.

He turned back to the unicorn, meeting its gaze. "Then let's begin," he said, his voice steady.

The unicorn's lips curved into what might have been a smile, and it dipped its head in approval. "Very well, Caed," it said. "Let us see what destiny has woven for you in the tapestry of Vyralith."