Mirror of Darkness Preview | Chapter 1

A preview of the upcoming book and a glance into the past of the current Emperor of Sohwl.

(Please note this might not be the final version of the text since we’re still finishing up the last edits)

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1. Heir to the Sky

Year 653 of the Bluand Era

Month IV, day 25

A gust of wind hit the blond boy, pushing him backward, and his boot heels dug grooves into the dust.

Behind him came the clatter of weapon racks as tools and blades were whipped up and scattered under the awning at the edge of the parade ground.

The fourteen-year-old boy in the middle of the training yard lowered his shield and raised his intense blue eyes to the dark-haired man in front of him. “You promised not to use your powers,” he whined.

“Do you think your enemies would care about playing fair?” Rahul Lyock gave him a stern look, the green star on his cheek fading away until it disappeared. “Come on, let’s continue.”

Christopher Bluand, the Emperor’s first son, was already quite tall, but his build was far from reaching the potential of a seasoned warrior. The contrast with his master, General of the Imperial Army and Warden of Freedom, was quite evident.

The young prince resumed his guard position, raising his shield and tightly gripping the sword with his right hand.

Rahul went back to the usual exercises, but this time he switched the weapon to his left hand. He attacked with a horizontal slash to the prince’s exposed side, and Christopher had to parry and deflect the blow outward with his blade. Then he moved his other arm and tried to bash Rahul with his shield, but the Warden had already jumped back to dodge.

After a series of attacks from various angles, the young man was starting to get the rhythm of the fight, but Rahul again tried to destabilize him by summoning his powers.

This time the prince saw the green star appear on the Warden’s cheek and acted preemptively by sidestepping to the right, avoiding the gust of wind, which went lost in the back of the field, once more rattling the weapon racks.

Christopher wasted no time and immediately returned to attack with an out-swinging cut.

Rahul saw him out of the corner of his eye and raised his left arm just in time to parry with his blade. Then he gave a satisfied smile. “Good. You’re getting smart.”

The two disengaged, and Rahul saluted him with the training sword. “I’d say we’ve done enough for today. You’re dismissed.” The General handed him the weapon so he could put it back in place.

Christopher reciprocated the salute and went toward the racks where a squire was busy tidying up the upheaval created by the Warden’s magic.

“Sorry about the mess,” the prince chuckled.

“It’s nothing, Your Highness,” the young man replied respectfully.

Christopher put away the training swords and shield, then nodded to the squire, but something caught his eye, and he walked away toward the porches leading to the servants’ quarters.

A girl with long, brown hair gathered in a braid was rummaging in a pile of freshly delivered wood.

The prince approached her with curiosity. “What are you looking for?”

“Just some twigs to make garlands and decorate the Temp-” she began as she turned to look at who had spoken. But as soon as she recognized him, the words died in her throat. She widened her eyes and made a deep bow. “Your Highness...”

Christopher laughed. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She kept her head down, nervously fiddling with her dress.

“Are you a novice?”

The girl just nodded.

“What’s your name?”

“Lisa, Your Highness.”

The prince ran a hand through his hair. It was always like this; outside of the Wardens, any other person at Court was intimidated by him and behaved in the most obsequious manner. Even though he was just a boy, everyone knew he would one day become the new Emperor. It was a heavy burden to carry.

“Need any help?” he tried to ask anyway.

“Oh no, Your Highness, I wouldn’t dare... I can manage on my own... thank you so much.”

He sighed. “All right, but try not to get hurt.”

“I’ll be careful,” she replied, bowing again.

Christopher shook his head and kept walking toward the Keep where the Imperial family’s quarters and his father’s study were located. He crossed the hallway and reached the door.

He was about to knock but heard familiar voices coming from inside the room. The Emperor was talking with his sister, Princess Misha. Christopher looked around to make sure he was alone and cautiously pressed his ear to the door.

“We’re not in a position to make choices based on our personal preferences,” Leif was saying. “The Prince of the Star is one of the best candidates. It would be extremely advantageous for the Empire.”

“It’s too risky. If the Sun turned out to be a child of Mej, how would Christopher inherit the throne?” Misha responded in an unusually agitated tone.

“Nonsense. It has never occurred, in more than six hundred years, that a Sun didn’t bear the Bluand surname. That’s the pact we made with the Constellations,” Leif replied brusquely. “Don’t try to make excuses just because you’ve taken a liking to that scoundrel. An uncouth peasant who thinks he can aspire to the Imperial Princess. It’s simply ridiculous.”

“He’s a Warden. He was chosen by the Constellations...” Misha tried to argue, but Leif interrupted her.

“Powers come and go, blood remains. When his successor manifests, he will be just an old soldier who was once someone important. You, on the other hand, will always be of Bluand blood. Don’t mingle with the dark powers; you’ll only stain your Light.” There was a pause. Perhaps Misha had tried to say something else, but her voice was too faint for Christopher to understand.

After a while, Leif resumed. “I won’t force you to marry now, but think it over. Sooner or later, you too will have to fulfill your duties and pass on your blood. And you’d better stay away from that man. You’ll join Kamal at the Temple of Free Will, until you clear your mind.”

“You want me to leave the castle? But... Christopher still has to visit the Primordial Stone...”

“You’ll accompany him with Rahul. And then you’ll pack your luggage for the South. And this time, I won’t take no for an answer.”

At that, the sound of moving chairs followed. Christopher realized they would soon be coming out and didn’t want to be found there. He tried to walk away, but footsteps in the hallway indicated that someone was coming in his direction. He could no longer avoid being caught.

Just as General Zarkon’s figure came into view, Christopher was grabbed from behind and a hand pressed over his mouth. Suddenly, he was plunged into darkness.

“It’s not proper to eavesdrop, Your Highness,” whispered a voice he initially didn’t recognize. Then the grip loosened, and the prince turned around, raising his hands in a guard position, ready to fight. He met a frowning gaze, shadowed by the dark eyebrows of Itam Larsen, the Warden of Hate.

Christopher sighed. “What are you doing here? Were you spying too?”

He shrugged. “Well, it’s not spying if I’m part of the conversation. Especially when my neck is on the line.” He stroked his throat with one hand, as if already feeling a rope tightened around it.

Christopher looked at him sideways. “Were they talking about you?”

Itam raised his hands. “I assure you I haven’t done anything wrong, Your Highness. But I don’t think your father likes me very much.”

“He’s right not to trust someone who can listen unnoticed and surprise people from behind,” the prince rebuked, trying to show his best menacing expression.

“I only spared you an embarrassing moment, since they were about to catch you in the act, My Prince.” Itam bowed, but he couldn’t hide the smirk on his face.

Christopher sighed. “All right. This will stay between us.” He looked around, observing the unfathomable space of the suspended dimension. “Now get me out of here.”

“Just a moment,” Itam replied, trying to focus on the noises coming from outside. “All clear,” he then concluded.

Slowly, the darkness dissipated and Christopher found himself in the palace hallway, alone. The Warden of Shadows had disappeared again.

Month IV, Day 26

They left at dawn, Christopher followed by a small detachment of guards and accompanied by Rahul and Misha.

The young, blonde woman rode side-saddle, as befit a princess, also due to the long skirt of her heavy dress. Although she was Christopher’s aunt, they were not so far apart in age: only six years separated them, since their grandfather, Graham Bluand, had remarried when his eldest son Leif had already manifested the powers of Light.

“Your father also visited the Primordial Stone when he was about your age,” Misha explained during the ride. “It’s tradition for the Bluand heirs to the throne and those who bear the symbol of the Sun to have this experience.”

Christopher looked ahead at the mountain peak disappearing into the clouds. “What is supposed to happen when I’m there?”

“The outcome is different for each of us. If the guardians deem you ready, they will show you a glimpse of your future, because the Sky stone is the stone of time,” the princess replied, her expression oddly worried.

“You went there too, right?”

She nodded. “It was a few years ago, before your grandfather died. I had already started showing signs of my power.”

“And what did you see?”

Misha looked away and fixed her gaze on the horizon. “A closed room. The only window was star-shaped and looked out into the black of night.”

Christopher frowned. “And what is that supposed to mean?”

“The future is mutable; we can perceive it only through signs and symbols. We can’t know what will happen until it’s before our eyes. I don’t know the meaning of what I saw, but I will understand when the time comes.”

That answer only left him more confused. “And my father, what did he see?”

“Your father didn’t see anything. He is the Warden of Life; Rebirth had nothing to offer him. When he returned from the journey and told our father, he understood it was time to take a second wife and have another child. That’s why I was born,” she ended the sentence with a smile, but there was a note of sadness underneath.

Christopher turned quiet again. For a moment, he glanced at Rahul, who also had a stern expression and didn’t seem to want to intrude on the conversation.

They continued riding up the mountainside until they reached a point where the horses could no longer proceed.

They stopped to let them graze in a green pasture and left them with the guards, while the prince and the two Wardens put on fur-lined leather gloves, heavier jackets, and hoods to continue the climb on foot.

The higher they went, the colder it became, and the landscape turned barren, leaving only rock and frightening peaks that rose to disappear into the clouds.

The three had to proceed single file along a narrow path. On one side was a cliff with few handholds, and on the other a precipice whose bottom was impossible to see.

Rahul, among them, held the princess’s hand behind him, while his gaze was fixed on young Christopher’s back. “Watch where you step. It only takes a moment to slip.”

The prince simply nodded, his gaze low on his feet, seeking stable ground. Occasionally, his eyes would dart to the abyss below him, sending shivers down his spine.

“Stay focused and don’t look into the void,” Rahul urged, shaking him out.

Christopher took a deep breath and continued to climb. The air was thin, and he felt increasingly breathless, yet his desire to move forward grew stronger. There was something irresistible drawing him toward the summit.

A screech tore through the sky, startling him, and the prince nearly lost his balance. He gripped the rock wall with his gloved fingers. A gust of wind pushed him, keeping him on the trail. He couldn’t tell if it was just the high-altitude air or Rahul’s power, and at that moment, he couldn’t turn back to check his star.

“We’re almost there,” Misha’s voice came from behind him, barely audible. “There will be a clearing soon, where we can rest.”

Christopher nodded and kept walking.

They were now engulfed by clouds, unable to see anything around them. The landscape below and the expanse of the Imperial City that were visible just moments ago were now completely erased by that white mist.

Finally, the path led to a plateau, widening into a small circular space, where they could once again move freely and face each other.

“This is where Rahul and I stop,” announced Misha, sitting on a rock outcrop and massaging her ankles. “From here on, you’ll have to continue alone.” The princess took off her gloves and conjured a small fire with her magic to regain some warmth.

Young Christopher gathered his courage and looked up. He could barely make out the outlines of the peak. “How do I know which way to go?”

“Follow your instincts, keep climbing,” Misha replied.

The prince shifted his gaze to Rahul, his master, his point of reference. The man he aspired to become one day. A confident warrior, who didn’t fear anything.

The Warden of Freedom gave him a reassuring nod.

Christopher made up his mind and turned his back on them, continuing his solitary climb.

He still wasn’t sure what awaited him, but once again, a scream made him jump. He couldn’t tell what kind of creature could make that sound. He kept climbing, clinging to the mountainside. His foot slipped on some loose rocks, and he nearly lost his balance. His heart leaped into his throat, but he managed to stay on the path.

Someday you will be the Emperor. Someday you will bear the weight of the Empire on your shoulders. Don’t be frightened by something so simple, he told himself. Don’t be afraid. Trust in Destiny.

He paused and took deep breaths to regain his calm.

Another shrill cry. He caught a glimpse of a shadow cutting through the sky, circling, coming closer, enough to feel the air shift. Christopher clung to the cliff with all his strength, scratching the leather of his glove. He hadn’t seen it clearly, but that flying creature didn’t seem to be a bird. It was dark and more similar to a reptile with a long tail.

The Guardians. Misha told me about the Guardians who watch the stones, keeping away those who are unworthy.

For a moment, doubt crept into his heart. What if I’m not a Warden? What if I’m not the Sun, like it was for my father? What if it’s my little sister instead?

His doubts grew stronger, as the cries of the flying creatures grew sharper. Now there were two or maybe three, swirling above his head.

They’ll attack me if I act like a coward. Christopher shook his head and found the strength to continue.

I’m close, I can feel it.

The Primordial Stone of the Sky was near, radiating its power over the entire continent of Sohwl. If he cleared his mind, shutting out every thought, he could distinctly feel its call.

Just a few more steps, legs aching, cheeks burning from the icy high-altitude air.

“I am here. Blood of the Bluand. Come to claim what Destiny has in store for me,” he said firmly. His words echoed into the void.

And then the clouds parted, revealing the summit.

The enormous stone towered in the turquoise sky. It had an irregular shape, tapering slightly upwards, as if smoothed by the elements. It was light gray but made of an almost crystalline material, reflecting the colors of the rainbow in each of its imperfections.

Christopher reached the space in front of it, which had returned to being slightly flat. There was no more ascent from that point onwards; he had truly reached the pinnacle of the mountain.

“And now?” he murmured to himself, advancing with cautious reverence towards the megalith, which was at least thirty feet tall.

His heart pounded wildly, and the stone seemed to resonate in response to his every breath, as if their life rhythms were synchronized in a single vibration.

While he approached, he saw something begin to change on the surface in front of him, and slowly, a mirror appeared on the face of the stone.

The mirror is the door.

Christopher moved forward with more conviction and reached out a hand to touch the reflective pane. His fingers stopped against the cold resistance of the platinum.

The prince looked at his face. On his right cheek, he caught a glimpse of a hazy star, with five slightly rounded points, like the petals of a flower.

It was only a moment, before the image changed. Now he saw the silhouette of a tree, a large, gnarled, and ancient tree, resembling an oak. The trunk bifurcated into two large branches; one was lush and full of leaves and fruits, splitting into many smaller twigs, while the other was severed, burnt, withered, and dry. It had not borne fruit, it had not continued to grow.

“What does all this mean?” he murmured, initially confused. Then he raised his tone slightly, as if someone could hear him and give him an answer. “Am I the severed branch? Is this my Destiny?”

He waited for a long time, with a lump in his throat.

Then, for a moment, a faint light emanated from the stump, reflecting the seven colors of the rainbow, and finally went out. The tree disappeared, and Christopher found himself staring at his reflection again. His cheek, where the light had briefly shone earlier, was now spotless.

A slight jolt, like a release of energy, forced him to withdraw his hand. Perhaps a signal that his moment was over. Even the mirror slowly dissolved.

It was still too early for him to be accepted as a Warden. But the Sky had spoken to him through those mysterious symbols.

The young prince remained for a while longer, staring at the stone, waiting for another sign. But nothing else came.

So he took one last breath and turned his back, ready to begin his descent.

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