The night wore on, and yet Nora continued to stare into the fire, lost in thought.

  She sat on a log she had dragged over to the campfire, her gaze fixed on the dancing flames. The forest around her was cloaked in darkness, save for the gentle glow that illuminated her campsite.

  Nearby, Evie slept, her breathing slow and even.

  With a weary sigh, Nora shifted her attention to the sword at her side. Wavebreaker, the symbol of her devotion to Destiny, gleamed in the firelight. She ran her fingers along the intricate runes carved into the hilt, memories of her past life as the god’s champion flooding her mind.

  But now, as she stared at the blade, Nora felt only a sense of bitter resignation. The sword that had once been a source of pride and purpose now represented the chains that had bound her to a fate not of her own making.

  As she gazed out at the shadowed forest, she knew that she could no longer continue down that path.

  The gentle lapping of the nearby lake caught Nora’s attention, drawing her gaze away from the flickering campfire. She could hear the soft splashing of the water against the bank. It was a soothing, rhythmic sound that seemed to call out to her.

  Carefully, Nora rose to her feet, pausing to ensure that Evie remained undisturbed. She couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her friend, but she would be close by and listening for any signs of trouble.

  Besides, she knew what she had to do, and for this, she wanted to be alone.

  With a final, lingering look, she turned her back on the makeshift camp and made her way towards the nearby lake with Wavebreaker gripped tightly in her hand. The forest was cloaked in shadows, the thick canopy of trees blocking out most of the moonlight, but Nora navigated the darkness with ease.

  She had long ago lost her fear of any monsters lurking in the darkness. After all, she had slain so many of them already.

  As she drew closer, the sound of the water grew more pronounced, a lilting melody that seemed to resonate within her. There was something about the lake, something that tugged at her soul and beckoned her to come closer.

  Nora paused at the water’s edge, her gaze sweeping across the glassy surface. The moonlight danced upon the ripples, casting a soft, ethereal glow over the scene. A sense of tranquility settled over her.

  Slowly, she knelt down, her fingers trailing through the cool water. A happy shiver ran up her arm. She felt a stirring deep within her, a connection to something ancient and powerful. The water seemed to hum with a hidden energy, a vibrant undercurrent that Nora had never before sensed.

  It was time to say goodbye—not just to the trappings of a god that had betrayed her, and not just a farewell to the future she had always thought would be spent serving him.

  No, this armor and this sword were a part of Destiny, made from his magic, and he would track her to the ends of the continent if she kept them.

  With a deep, steadying breath, she unbuckled Wavebreaker’s sheath and set it on the grass at her feet. Then, she began to unfasten the straps of her armor, her fingers moving with a practiced efficiency. The first piece, a sturdy pauldron, fell to the ground with a dull thud. The metal echoed against the stillness of the night.

  Before she could doubt herself, she grabbed it and hurled it into the lake.

  As Nora watched it sink beneath the still waters, she felt a pang of sorrow. This armor had been a part of her identity for so long, a tangible representation of the life she had led as Destiny’s champion.

  The next piece, a heavy breastplate, followed the pauldron into the depths, the splash rippling outward across the surface of the lake. Nora paused, her gaze fixed on the expanding waves, and reflected on the choices that had led her to this moment.

  She had been so certain of her purpose, so unwavering in her devotion to Destiny and the cause he had charged her with. But now, in the wake of his betrayal, that certainty had been shattered.

  It was faith he would never win back.

  As Nora’s fingers moved to the fastenings of her gauntlets, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret. These gloves had seen her through countless battles. They had protected her hands as she wielded Wavebreaker with a skill and ferocity that had made her a formidable warrior. But now, as she peeled them off and let them fall to the ground, she felt a sense of finality wash over her.

  This was it.

  It was over, and she was done. Done with the politics. Done with the lies. Done with dancing and dodging barbed words from those whom she didn’t even respect.

  Nora was simply… done.

  She was shedding the trappings of her past life, stripping away the layers of armor that had once been a part of her very identity. And with each piece that hit the water, Nora felt a growing sense of freedom that both exhilarated and terrified her.

  The last piece of her armor hit the water, and Nora found herself standing on the lakeshore dressed only in the thin fabric of her simple tunic and leggings. The cool night air caressed her skin, a stark contrast to the confines of the metal and leather that had once encased her.

  Nora stared down at her bare hands, her fingers flexing with a newfound dexterity. She had grown so accustomed to the familiar weight and heft of her armor that the lack of it now felt almost alien. But there was a power in this vulnerability, a sense of raw, unencumbered strength that she had never experienced before.

  Only one thing left to do.

  Nora shifted her gaze to the sword still in its sheath at her feet. Wavebreaker had served her so well for so long, but it had been a gift from Destiny. It belonged to him, not her, and now it was nothing more than a burden.

  The thought was like a dagger in the gut, but she swallowed hard to shake off the sensation.

  Carefully, Nora drew the sword from its sheath, the metal glinting in the soft moonlight. She stared at it for a while, her fingers tracing the intricate carvings along the sword yet again. This had been her constant companion, her trusted ally in countless battles. But now, as she contemplated the path that lay before her, she knew that she could no longer cling to the past.

  Still, Wavebreaker deserved a proper goodbye.

  Steeling her resolve, Nora took off the tome holstered around her waist, set it on the ground, and waded into the lake with Wavebreaker in one hand. The cool water lapped at her legs the deeper she went. She walked until she was standing knee-deep, the sword held firmly in her grasp. With a deep breath, she raised Wavebreaker high, the metal glinting in the moonlight, and plunged the blade into the lakebed.

  The splash echoed through the stillness of the night, and Nora watched the hilt as it shimmered beneath the surface. Her hands were still wrapped around the handle, but she could no longer see the blade in the lake’s dark waters.

  In that suspended moment, she felt a sense of finality wash over her, a profound shift in her very being.

  She had cast off the shackles of her past and severed the ties that had bound her to Destiny’s will. And in that moment, as she stood alone in the knee-deep water, Nora felt a surge of power coursing through her veins—a power that was no longer tethered to the whims of the gods, but her own to wield.

  The shadows swimming through her veins became louder as she surrendered Wavebreaker to the water. They buzzed beneath her skin, the dark magic eager to break free, and she took a settling breath to hold it at bay.

  When the darkness inside of her finally quieted, she closed her eyes.

  “Destiny,” she murmured, her voice filled with a mixture of sorrow and defiance. “I return what was given to me. I surrender all of it, and my oath is broken. I, Nora Lancaster, denounce you.”

  As the last word left her lips, a sudden flare of light burst forth from the water, casting a brilliant glow across the surface of the lake. Nora gasped, shielding her eyes as the radiant energy spread outward.

  Oh, shit.

  She hadn’t expected anything to actually happen.

  Still half-submerged in the lakebed, Wavebreaker glowed with blinding light. For a few seconds, it was so bright that Nora couldn’t see anything at all.

  When the light finally began to fade, she noticed that Wavebreaker was gone. It was as if the lake had eaten it whole.

  The light, however, survived. It rippled across the surface of the water. It spiraled out from where Wavebreaker had been, and it touched everything—the rocks, the shore, even the trees along the lake’s edge.

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  And, to her surprise, the world rustled with life.

  She watched, awestruck, as the ancient oaks’ bark began to shift and contort, faces forming within the weathered wood. With a series of low, guttural grumbles, the trees came to life, their branches swaying and their eyes narrowing as they regarded her.

  Alive.

  And, well, talking.

  “Aye, now, what do we have here?” a gravelly voice drawled, the sound seeming to emanate from the nearest tree. “A little lost human, wandering in our domain?”

  Nora’s eyes widened, and she took a step back, her heart pounding in her chest.

  “What... what is happening?” she stammered, her gaze darting between the grumbling trees.

  “Hmph,” the tree snorted, its features twisting into a sardonic expression. “Wouldn’t you like to know, mortal? You’ve stirred up quite a ruckus, you know. Messing with the old magicks like that.”

  Nora’s brow furrowed, her mind racing to process what was unfolding before her. “The old magicks? What do you mean?”

  Before the tree could respond, a soft, melodic voice interrupted them. “Ah, there you are, Wavebreaker. I’ve been searching for you.”

  Nora whirled around, her gaze landing on a figure standing atop the water. It was a woman, her features ethereal and ageless, with skin that seemed to shimmer and glow. She walked towards Nora, her bare feet scarcely disturbing the surface of the lake.

  “You...” Nora breathed, her eyes widening. “How do you know its name?”

  “It is of us,” the woman said with a graceful gesture to the lapping lake beneath her feet. “It is so much more than a sword, little one. It is essence—stolen from the water, and stolen from me.”

  Nora frowned.

  Why did every immortal have to speak in cryptic riddles? Frankly, she was sick of trying to read between the lines.

  Apparently oblivious to Nora’s annoyance—or outright ignoring it, Nora couldn’t tell—the woman smiled. Her eyes sparkled with a hint of amusement as moonlight shimmered across her flawless body.

  “I’ve been waiting for you, too, darling,” the nymph said.

  She glided closer. She towered a good head taller than Nora, and when she was close enough, the nymph placed a delicate hand on Nora’s shoulder. Her touch sent a jolt of energy through everything, and Nora could feel it in her very bones.

  “I think you have me confused with someone else,” Nora admitted.

  “Never,” the nymph said, her smile widening. “The one who returns what was stolen would come with time. All I had to do was wait. Watch. Listen for your call, even when you didn’t realize you’d sent one. You selflessly gave us our magic back, and thus, we are grateful.”

  Nora squinted as she tried to make sense of this.

  She had no fucking clue what this lady was going on about.

  The nymph giggled, a light and airy sound, and she tucked a lock of her hair behind one ear. “You have returned magic to the land, my dear. It’s power that was stolen from the very air we breathe, so long ago.” She turned her gaze back to Nora, her expression growing more serious. “And with that gift, you have set in motion a series of events that will ripple through the very fabric of our world. Those who have slumbered for all this time will sense you. They already awaken. The murmurs have begun, and we can finally taste freedom. Breaking your oath put you at the center of it all.”

  Instead of replying, Nora raised one skeptical eyebrow.

  The woman’s grip on her arm tightened, a glimmer of understanding in her eyes. “Never, in all my centuries, have I seen a paladin denounce their god. Never. Not once. I have searched for eons, and I have waited so patiently for your kind, connected as you are to the gods, to return what was stolen. It’s simply not something I could do on my own. You are different, my dear. You have severed the chains that bound you to Destiny, and in doing so, you can truly become a force to be reckoned with.” She paused, her gaze sweeping over the awakened trees. “These ancient beings have been waiting for someone like you, someone willing to challenge the gods and reclaim what was stolen from them.”

  “Wait, what?” Nora’s eyebrows shot up her head.

  “Indeed,” the nymph said with a sly grin. “The gods have grown complacent. With their power unchecked for so long, they have forgotten the true nature of the world they claim they govern. They think the land has forgotten what they stole from us, but we have not. They think we are long dead, but we wait. And you have the strength to challenge them, to restore the balance that has been lost.”

  Nora stared at her, her mind reeling. The woman’s words were both exhilarating and terrifying. She had come here to leave her past behind, to sever her ties to Destiny and find a new path. But now, it seemed that she had stumbled into something far greater, a destiny that she had never even dreamed of.

  “You and that darling siren need a purpose, don’t you?” the nymph asked with a sidelong glance at the distant campfire.

  “How did you—”

  “I am the last of my kind for a reason, my dear,” the nymph interrupted.

  The woman’s eyes flashed briefly white, and she swallowed hard, as though fighting back tears.

  That was when it all made sense for Nora. This wasn’t yet another immortal pawning off her dirty work to the common folk—this was a fellow warrior, worn down by the centuries and just looking for help.

  Nora sighed in resignation.

  “I...” Nora’s voice trailed off, her gaze darting between the woman and the animated trees that surrounded them. “I don’t think I’m your soldier. I’m just one person.”

  The woman’s expression grew serene, and she gave Nora’s arm a gentle squeeze. “You are not alone, Nora. There are others, hidden in the shadows, who have been waiting for the day when the magic would be returned to the world. And you will join them, in time, on this shared journey.”

  Nora opened her mouth to speak, but a sudden commotion from the trees drew her attention. One of the gnarled, twisted figures had narrowed its eyes in suspicion.

  “You nymphs and your cryptic nonsense,” it growled, its voice rumbling like distant thunder. “If the girl’s going to be the one to stir up trouble, then she’d better be prepared to face the consequences.”

  The woman turned to the tree, her expression unperturbed. “You oaks. Always so rude.”

  It huffed impatiently, but didn’t reply.

  With a snap of her fingers, the enchanted nymph conjured a glowing sphere of energy, the light pulsing and swirling within. She pressed it into Nora’s hands, and Nora felt a surge of warmth and power course through her body.

  “What is this?” she whispered, her fingers wrapping around the ethereal orb.

  “A gift,” the woman replied, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. “A taste of the magic that was once abundant in this world. It will draw the land’s magic to you, and it will know where you are needed most. Use it well, Nora Lancaster, for the path ahead will not be an easy one.”

  Before Nora could respond, the woman stepped back, her form beginning to fade into the mist that had crept across the surface of the lake.

  “Remember, lost child of Destiny,” she called out, her voice growing fainter with each passing moment. “You are not alone. The very world itself is waiting for you.”

  And with those words, she vanished, leaving Nora standing alone in the knee-deep water, the glowing sphere still cupped in her hands. The trees around her were silent, their eyes fixed intently on the young warrior, as if awaiting her next move.

  Nora stared down at the pulsing orb, her mind reeling with the weight of the woman’s words. She had come here to leave her past behind, to sever her ties to Destiny and forge a new path. But now, it seemed that she had been drawn into something far greater, a journey that would challenge the very foundations of the world she knew.

  With a deep, steadying breath, Nora lifted her gaze, her eyes sweeping over the silent, watchful trees. As she felt the power thrumming within the glowing sphere, a spark of determination ignited within her.

  It gave her hope.

  More than anything, it gave her purpose.

  Direction.

  A goal.

  A zap shot through her, and she flinched in surprise. The orb grew brighter, and another zap of energy shot through her palms. She grimaced, and though she tried to let go of it, her fingers wouldn’t budge.

  Her body froze as a final surge of magic burned through her veins, and she gritted her teeth to ride out the agony. Her eyes closed. Her back arched. Her dark hair clung to the beaded sweat on her face, and she struggled to breathe.

  She didn’t know how long that lasted—minutes, maybe, or hours. Time blurred, and all she could feel was the pain.

  In a rush, the misery faded. For a suspended moment, she looked down at her empty palms. The orb was gone, but its light coursed through her veins. It gently faded, like a slowing heartbeat, but her body still sizzled with lingering heat.

  Weakened as she was from the onslaught of pain, she stumbled. Water splashed around her as she struggled to stay upright. Her hand brushed against a mossy rock on the lakebed, and a gentle vibration coursed through her fingertips.

  Thank you, she heard.

  Nora snapped her hand against her chest, her brow furrowed in surprise, and she stared down at the rock through the rippling surface of the lake.

  “Did that rock just… thank me?” she asked under her breath.

  “There be talkin’ trees, and the lass is worried about a rock now?” one of the oaks on the shore grumbled. “These mortals get slapped in the face with magic, and all they do is question it.”

  “Alright,” Nora snapped. “That’s enough out of you.”

  The tree bristled at her command, its leaves clattering as its full trunk shivered with indignation, but Nora merely narrowed her eyes in silent warning.

  At that, the old oak stilled, and it glanced away.

  “That’s more like it,” Nora said firmly.

  With a final, lingering look at the last shreds of light still shimmering through her veins, Nora sloshed her way back to the shore. The journey ahead would be fraught with danger and uncertainty, but she was no longer bound by the chains of her past.

  She was finally free to forge her own destiny. Perhaps she could even become a force of change.

  Maybe she could actually protect people, like she had always wanted.

  Nora left the muttering trees behind and returned, sopping wet, to the campfire. When she returned to the makeshift camp, she let out a sigh of relief as she spotted Evie’s still-sleeping form.

  Exhausted and with small twinges of pain still snaking through her body, Nora rubbed her face. She couldn’t sleep, not when they needed someone to keep watch, and so she instead warmed herself by the campfire.

  At the sight of Evie, another pang of sorrow and regret tugged at her heart. This time, however, she shoved it away. She couldn’t wallow in her guilt forever. Evie had every right to be angry. All Nora could do was prove to her friend, in time, that she could be trusted once more.

  The fire crackled softly as Nora stared into the flames. Her heartbeat thudded in her chest, fast and loud, as she felt the power of the ancient magic thrumming through her veins. With it came a surge of resolve and determination that she had never known before.

  She was no longer shackled to Destiny. To his whims. To his court. This freedom breathed fresh air into her lungs. She craned her neck, and as she stared up at the stars through a gap in the canopy, Nora felt hope.

  It was fragile, yes, but it was there all the same.

  With a deep breath, she closed her eyes, her mind already racing with the possibilities that lay ahead.

  Maybe she still had a purpose after all.

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