Chapter 19: The Heart in Eclipse

The peace that came after the celestial alignment was most welcome to Ariadne and her companions. While it was plain that the kingdom had withstood the dance of shadows, much more, its people were together and powerful. As time changed seasons, a sense of pressure began to brew once more over the kingdom. Whispered to Ariadne's ears was an old prophecy, regarding the coming of the Eclipsed Heart, an artifact of power said to be able to save or doom their world.

Ariadne called back her most trusted advisors into the war room. Thalia, Seraphina, and Captain Leander flanked her; their faces tilted now with curiosity, anxiety, as she told them the story of the Eclipsed Heart.

"This artifact," Thalia said, her fingers tracing the intricate symbols on a scroll, "is said to hold immense power. It's capable of amplifying the energies of the ley lines; however, if it falls into the wrong hands, it could be used to bring about unimaginable destruction."

Seraphina's eyes narrowed further as she