The Chosen slept.

  Gentle snoring and the slowly steady light hum of breathing filled the shared quarters, the room dim and still beneath the soft glow of dormant wall lights.

  Outside, the base is filled with troops working through the night, systems alive beeping in the distance, feet scuffing past the Chosen quarters, the base very rarely stopped was never quiet.

  Back in the quarters one person could not sleep, Freya. Staring at the ceiling, her thoughts tumbling endlessly. Thought after thought replacing her ability to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes the future pressed in, uncertain, heavy, impossible to ignore. Tyron's fall replayed in her mind again and again, the plume of smoke vanishing into the forest below.

  She gave up finally. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed. A faint heat stirred in her chest, that same feeling she felt as a warning before magic went wrong. As he feet gently touched the floor a soft light flickered on startling Freya. She looks up at the glow illuminating the room in a warm tone. She pauses for a second and then rose.

  Another light activated as she moved just on the opposite wall, responding to the presence.

  “Freya?” Samantha sat up in her bed, rubbing her eyes blinking sleep from her eyes. “What are you doing awake?” She asked quietly as to not wake the others.

  Freya turned, already wrapping her cloak around her shoulders. “Oh. I'm sorry Samantha, I didn't mean to wake you.” She hesitated. “I'm just going for a walk, I can't sleep.”

  There was a brief pause.

  “I'm coming too.” Samantha said pushing herself up right out of the sheets.

  Freya nodded gratefully, clasping her coak around her neck. The familiar weight grounding her, Samantha slid out of her bed, and put on her thick heavy coat left their by the council. She joined Freya as they slipped out of the door, the door closes quietly behind them.

  The halls were dim, hushed, but a built of anticipation, preparing for the Chosen to depart on their adventure. The walk way lit by amber strips along the floor, giving a warm almost homely glow.

  Their footsteps echoed softly as they walked towards the hanger, the silence constantly stretching between the two of them gets more and more awkward.

  “It's all a bit much, don't you think?” Samantha said finally breaking the silence, stifling a yawn. “I don't know what to think anymore.”

  Freya glanced towards her. “I know, and I keep thinking about Tyron. Where is he? What if he is hurt?” Her voice trembling trying to seem more confident than she is. “He is kind of our leader... we need him.” She whispered. “We need him.” She repeats it, this time louder.

  The words felt heavier than she expected.

  Because none of them had said it aloud before.

  Samantha didn't answer, not right away anyway.

  They enter the hanger together, it's vast and caverness. Cables hung from the ceiling strung around the rafters. Orange light glows throughout, flickering with power. The space between rafters showing bare rocks along wall and ceiling, truly a hanger built into a mountain.

  A few guards gather near the far wall, stood talking, one guard notices the girls walking throught the hall, he nudges the others as they all spring to life, immediatey busying themselves. Suddenly fascinated by consoles and equipment, picking up tools and boxes and placing them back down again, as an attempt to look like they were actually do something.

  Freya and Samantha stepped to the edge of the hangar. Stood at the open cliff face. Beyond it stretches endless darkness, stars twinkle in the sky the night swallowing the mountains below. The drop below is sheer the smallest tumble and thats the end of your adventure.

  Samantha finally spoke. “I'm sure Tyron will be fine.” she said trying to offer reassurance but sounds more like uncertainty. “He is strong willed, the type who doesn't give up easily. He will make it out, I'm sure of it.”

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  Freya nods, thought worry still clung to her chest like a burden she wants to shift.

  Then without warning, Samantha dropped to the floor like a sack.

  “Sam!” Freya cried, dropping to her knees beside her, grabbing her shoulders, shaking her violently.

  Samantha lay still, eyes wide open, whites of her eyes exposed. Breath shallow, her fingers twitch, nails trying to dig into the ground but it's just slipping on the polished marble. Making a horrible scrabbling noise. It's as if she was fighting something unseen. Freya keeps shaking her, panic rising.

  “Samantha, please can you hear me? Wake up?”

  Seconds passed, too many to count.

  Samantha gave a sudden gasp, and sat bolt upright. “Tyron!” she screamed as colour came back to her cheeks.

  Freya recoiled falling back on to the marble floor, heart racing. “Whae happened? Did you see him? A vision?”

  Samantha stared at her wide eyed. Nodding slow and calmly.

  “I saw blood.”

  “Trees breaking”

  “Tyron fighting, he was limping, weak, but still fighting to get out.”

  “There were too many of them.”

  “And then, this flash of light, almighty terrifiying. Then I came too again.” She looked up eyes wide with fear.

  As if summoned by her words, this blinding flash lights up the entire horizon white and grand everything in the distance silhouetted by this light. It wasn't fire it as white, sharp and silent.

  The air itself almost recoiled, and for a brief moment something felt wrong.

  Samantha placed her hand on her chest.

  “Something is wrong.” She says to Freya.

  “It feels like something answered Tyron.”

  It seems that everytime she looks ahead she loses something. Her mum, the truth about Korla, is this a sign will she lose Tyron now too?”

  Freya looks to Samantha. “Do you think Tyron is ok?”

  “I can not be certain, but maybe we should wake the others.”

  Without another word they turn and run back out of the hanger and into the corridor. They sprinted together, their breath bouncing off of the walls.

  “What in the gods name was that?” Freya asked gasping on every ounce of air that she could.

  “I don't know.” Samantha shouted back. “But it has to do with Tyron, it just has too, we need to wake the others.”

  They burst into the quarters, flinging the doors crashing into the walls. The lights all switch on in the room and everyone stirs.

  “By the peaks, do you know what time it is?” Lazarus snapped groggily, shielding his eyes from the light. “Some Timekeeper you are?” He says as he collapses back into bed covering himself with a blanket to block out the light.

  “Shut it Lazarus.” Samantha barked, yanking his blanket off of him. “It's Tyron, something happened.”

  Cid sat up rubbing his eyes. “This better be worth it.”

  “Samantha, she had a vision.” Freya said quickly. “Tyron, he was attacked, there was a flash of light, and then, we saw it, it was bright in the sky, something happened to Tyron, I, sorry, we know it.”

  Zara stirred swinging her legs out of bed. “Oh gods... do you think he is ok?” Zara pressing a hand to her chest, shaken by the sudden absence where Tyrons prescence had been.

  Before anyone could answer, there was a cough.

  The Elder stepped inside, calm and composed. “Good news.” He said, smiling faintly. “I have just received word Tyron is safe. You will see him again soon.” For just a moment, his smile did not reach his eyes.

  It was the look of a man, who knew more than he cared to say.

  The room fell silent.

  “He is required to attend a slight meeting with an old friend.” The Elder continued, his gaze lingering briefly on Samantha. “That is all that can be said for now.” With that, he turned and left, the door closing softly behind him.

  The Chosen stared at one another, confusion thick in the air.

  Samantha walks to the door and turns back around. “Is it just me, or is he hiding something? I don't trust him.”

  Zara looks to her.”What has he got to hide? How would it benefit him?”

  Samantha looks back to the door. “I don't know, but how did he know Tyron is safe, something doesn't add up.”

  None of them understood how he knew but no one wanted to say anything.

  Deep within the base, alarms remained silent, for this last night before adventure.

  Thanks for reading!

  Every time someone spends a few minutes in the world of Shahero, it honestly means more than I can properly put into words. Seeing people follow the journey of Tyron, Samantha, Lazarus, Freya, Cid, and Zara makes all the hours of writing worth it.

  If you enjoyed the chapter, feel free to leave a comment or follow the story. I read every comment, and it genuinely helps the story reach more readers here on Royal Road.

  A few people have also asked how they can support the project as I work toward eventually publishing the book. If that’s something you’d like to help with, there’s a support link below that goes toward editing and preparing the story for print.

  No pressure at all though—reading the story is already huge support.

  Question for readers:What moment in this chapter stood out to you the most?

  See you in the next chapter.

  — Matthew Cooke-Sumner