Embers of Light and Darkness

It looked like the clouds just before it rained, but felt like thunder and lightning during a terrible storm. She moved, one foot before the other, and only stopped when her body refused to move any further from the threat of the sickening power

Invisible hands reached her throat and lungs, squeezing and denying any room for her to breathe. She heaved as nausea and dizziness kicked in. She needed to get away, to run and never come close 

"And what are you doing here?" a cold voice called, and with every strength she turned to face its source

Standing on the courtyard's glass doors was the Keeper, hands folded on her stomach and a smug look on her face

"Just…exploring"

"So weak," the woman said, clicking her tongue, "if you were better trained, perhaps you could withstand that, but of course you chose to brood in that room."

Lyla gritted her teeth at her, "can't help but seize the opportunity."

"Well, it's the truth, isn't it. If only you hadn't been so stubborn, then we would have at least reached somewhere, but you chose to ignore your fate. Chose to pretend even though you know what you really are inside of you. You cannot escape your destiny, little one, no matter how far you run or how much you try to deny it."

Her words added a layer of nausea, but she was wrong, she didn't know who she was, she had been debating that all while couped up in that room. As for choice, Lyla knew she never had that from the moment the two brothers came for her, everything from then on seemed to be determined already, and she had no say, so no, she did not choose to ignore something that was forced upon her

And she might not be able to escape, but she would try nonetheless. So even as the woman turned and left without a word, more than a stupid grin on her face, she was determined to try

Reaching within her, she hoped to grasp a wisp of the so-called magic she now had. She tried, but nothing came, not even a spark. All she got was the sense of a beast asleep, unwilling to be bothered by her anger or current situation

The air around her continued to thin as her knees buckled. She blacked out before she even hit the floor

*

*

Lyla awoke in a familiar room, a blanket that smelled of lavender covering her. How long had she been out?

Easing herself from the bed, she found Ismene sleeping on the chair to her left. The girl seemed exhausted, and the position she slept in was uncomfortable. She decided not to wake the girl rather, she walked to the windows to take a peep. She had expected it would already be late into the night, but to her complete horror, there was still light out 

Ismene, having heard the movement, woke up

"You're awake, how are you feeling?"

"Why isn't it dark?" was Lyla's response

"Dark?" 

"Isn't it already night?"

"It is"

"Why isn't it dark then?"

The girl cocked her head to observe her, "are you feeling okay? I mean, you did hit your head. Maybe I should call the Keeper, although it's already late..."

"What time is it?"

"About midnight"

She must have heard her wrong, surely it wasn't that late, "Is this a prank? It's not funny."

"I'm not joking, though."

Lyla staggered back, did the fall mess with her somehow

"I'll call the Keeper."

Ismene rushed out only to return a few minutes later with the Keeper in tow. The woman did not seem pleased at all

"What?"

"I think there's something wrong. She kept asking why it wasn't dark yet, and she seemed shocked when I said it was twelve. I checked her injuries and everything seems okay, I…"

"Get out," the woman ordered, her voice filled with irritation and anger

"Wha…but…"

The look she gave the poor girl would be enough to send anyone sprinting

"Is this some joke to wake me? You've been here for almost two weeks, and you want to tell me that you still don't know it doesn't get dark here?"

Confusion marred her face. "What do you mean it doesn't get dark?"

The woman let out an exaggerated sigh, "Heavens, don't you open the curtains?" Lyla just stared at her

"The day that wall appeared, Luminara was cursed by the heavens never to see the dark again. So one way to know if it's night is when the sun sets, but the light doesn't leave."

"Never? You mean you haven't seen night for decades?"

"The people haven't"

"What about Umbraeth?"

"They don't see light."

"So they live in darkness."

"The darkness of the night is different from that of day; it's lighter during the day."

Lyla didn't know what to say or how to react. How have they been living like that? She couldn't imagine never seeing the night or day again

"Most of the people haven't seen either, only the older generation knows what it means to have them. Only they get to reminisce and feel the burden of what was lost."

Turning on her heels, the Keeper left her puzzled. The more she learned of this world, the harder everything seemed 

Lyla spent the rest of that 'night' gazing out the window as if to clarify that truly night didn't grace this side of the realm, and when she was tired of sitting, she moved to the bed and stared at the ceiling.

Ismene had yet to return since she was rudely asked out of the room, and Lyla felt sorry; the girl was only worried. She made it a point to seek her out the next day to apologize and yet again thank her for her kindness

Her thoughts strayed to the Keeper, a woman made out of pure steel, never ready to bend to anyone. Someone used to being obeyed and feared, and perhaps that was why she had an ego. Lyla didn't want to think about what atrocious things the woman might have done to make it so.

What boundaries she might have crossed, how many people she might have hurt. She didn't want to think about it, not when she resided at her house, and her mercy

She needed to proceed with her escape plan; she had to find a way out

She would continue tomorrow. It would have been better to do it now since the house was asleep, but her head throbbed slightly from the fall, and she felt tired and drained. Tomorrow, she promised herself as her eyes felt heavy and sleep lulled her into its calming embrace 

*

*

Lyla woke up to find a curious Ismene staring at her. The girl quickly averted her eyes, and she almost chuckled at just how cute she was, especially with her golden doe eyes and small features, not to mention that red warming her cheeks

"Good morning."

"It's already 2."

"What"

"I came in earlier, but you were deep asleep."

"Oh" was all Lyla could say 

"Well, here is your change of clothes. I shall go fetch your lunch before leaving."

"Leaving?"

"Yes, I have some errands. I need to buy some herbs required for my lessons with the Keeper."

Hope sparked in her chest. This was it, a chance, an opportunity to figure a way out without drawing suspicion