Contents
Chapter 55
Overview
Chased by Solassion soldiers, Maevyth follows Melantha’s guidance and passes through the warded arch, returning to Mortasia. Lured by a voice mimicking Aleysia, she finds her old home winter-bound and long deserted. The emptiness hints at lost time and deception, and a shadowy assailant knocks her unconscious, escalating the peril.
Summary
At the glowing archway, Maevyth sees what appears to be Aleysia waiting beyond, but suspicion gnaws at her. As Solassion soldiers close in, Melantha urges Maevyth to place her hand on the ward and repeat an incantation. When Maevyth hesitates, an arrow lands nearby; Melantha shoves her through the barrier.
On the other side, the forest of Mortasia is moonlit, frigid, and unnaturally silent. Maevyth searches for Aleysia but remembers the forest’s rule not to answer to her own name when a whimsical call beckons. After a tense trek, she reaches a second archway and steps into her old homestead.
Winter grips the yard, and the cottage is dark and abandoned. Inside, dust, mold, and cobwebs suggest a long absence, implying more time has passed than Maevyth expected. She searches every floor, refusing the cellar, and finds no trace of Agatha, Uncle Felix, or Aleysia.
As Maevyth heads for the door, a blow to the back of her head drops her. Vision reeling, she glimpses a tall shadowy figure watching her fall, confirming she has been lured into a trap and leaving her fate uncertain.
Who Appears
- MaevythProtagonist; crosses the warded arch to Mortasia, resists a mimic voice, finds her home abandoned, and is knocked unconscious.
- MelanthaGuide who urges Maevyth through the portal with an incantation while Solassion soldiers close in.
- AleysiaMaevyth’s sister; possibly seen through the arch, later mimicked by a luring voice in the forest.
- Solassion soldiersPursuers who arrive at the archway, forcing Maevyth’s hurried passage.
- Shadowy figureUnseen assailant who strikes Maevyth from behind inside the cottage.