Sand and Shadows

Fragments of the Past

The Order. A title that felt as timeless as the ruins around them. Towering pillars scorched black by time’s relentless march, mosaics shattered but still whispering the stories of ancient gods, and a great obelisk jagged as if fractured deliberately. All of it lay scattered, forgotten, beneath a desert sky that swirled with blood-red clouds. The two of them—former allies, now adversaries—stood as the sole witnesses of both history and its bitter decay.

Anissa gritted her teeth. “You killed Saalim. Want me to forget that, too?” Her voice cracked, betraying anger entangled with sorrow. “You betrayed your brothers and sisters. You destroyed everything we worked to protect.”

Kahlid exhaled deeply, his fingers curling tighter around his staff. “Do you know why I killed him?” he asked softly, the words not an excuse—a plea for understanding. “Because Saalim—our leader, our mentor—was enslaving this land. He worshipped the power of the Stones but cared nothing for their weight. He spoke of unity but ruled through fear. Does that sound like harmony to you? Does that sound worth saving?”

Her grip faltered, but only for a moment. “You should have let justice decide that. Not you. We were meant to bring light, not build bonfires to hide our shadows.”

“Justice moves as slow as the sun here,” Kahlid replied, raising his staff to meet her gaze directly. “Sometimes the fire must be lit, or everything is lost to the dark.” He gestured to the obelisk behind him. “But none of that matters now. What matters is what’s buried here—and what they never wanted you to know.”

The Forbidden Truth

Anissa’s doubts were a fragile thread, but her blade remained steadfast. She edged closer, the fire of her weapon casting flickering shadows over his face. “And? What’s so important that you’ve led us all through blood and sand to find it?”

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At his feet, a circular inscription glowed faintly, the runic artistry intricate and pulsating. Kahlid looked down, his face troubled yet resolute. “The Vault of the Starborn,” he murmured. “This… this is what we swore to keep hidden. Not for the good of the people, but to preserve their fear. They will never tell you the truth of what lies beneath this stone.”

Her cautious steps faltered. “The… Starborn?” she whispered, the name somehow both forbidden and familiar. The fables of the Order’s scriptures distorted themselves in her memory, torn between folklore and fact. “It’s stories—propaganda meant to keep us unified in purpose.”

Kahlid chuckled grimly. “And yet here it is—something they wouldn’t even speak aloud.” His staff flared brighter, more runes cascading to life on its length. “Do you know what the Starborn really are, Anissa? Or does the Order’s version still satisfy you?”

She said nothing, her lips tightening, but the silence spoke volumes. Her blade burned stronger, almost as if compensating for her wavering determination. “Whatever it is, you don’t open it alone,” she said coldly. “Its power—if the stories are true—belongs to the Order. Not you.”

“No,” he said firmly, shaking his head. “Its power doesn’t belong to anyone. That is the lie we’ve told ourselves for centuries. And it is the only truth that will save us now, Anissa. You want me to answer for Saalim’s death? Fine—help me uncover what’s beneath this stone, and you’ll decide whether I live or die.”

Shadows and Light

The desert night descended quickly, suffocating the ruins in darkness save for the eerie glow of Kahlid’s staff… and the ember-like flame of Anissa’s blade. They stood there, locked in an unbreakable circle, bound by past betrayals and a shared hunger for clarity.

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Finally, after what seemed an eternity, she lowered her weapon. “If you’re lying,” she said, stepping forward until her shadow mingled with his, “there won’t even be enough of you left for the Order to bury.”

He offered no verbal reply, only a slow nod. Together, their hands found the inner rim of the glowing circle etched into the stone. The runes pulsed harder, their light burning an unnatural white, and the ground trembled as though something long-slumbering began to stir…

Genre

Fantasy/Adventure

The Source...check out the great article that inspired this amazing short story: How Gen Z is Reshaping US Politics

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