Page 83 of The Shattered Rite
She didn’t strike.
She didn’t have to.
She pressed her palm gently—against her younger self’s chest.
“I see you,” she whispered. “And I forgive you.”
The girl blinked once—then cracked like glass, shattering into a thousand glowing shards. The remaining children turned to dust with the wind.
Silence fell.
Eliryn stood alone again, shoulders shaking, breath ragged.
You faced yourself,Vaeronth said quietly, voice proud yet soft.And gave yourself the grace you deserve. Your pain is not weakness.
Eliryn wiped her face roughly with her sleeve, hating the tears but unable to stop them. “I still want to belong,” she whispered, hollow.
I know,Vaeronth replied, closer now, steady as the earth.But now you belong to something greater.
“I belong to you.”
You belong to yourself,came the gentle correction.I am simply fortunate enough to be yours.
She laughed then, raw and broken.
“Alright, old man. That was… actually quite nice.”
A pause.
I have my moments.
Her blade felt lighter now. Or maybe her heart did.
Eliryn raised her chin, took a shuddering breath, and stepped forward.
Let the next illusion come.
Let them all come.
She was ready.
You did well,Vaeronth said softly.You faced your own self-doubt and didn’t let it shake you.
“Then why,” she whispered, “does it still feel like losing?”
Because the pain you feel is not a puzzle to solve, he replied gently. It’s a price. And you’re still paying it.
She wiped her blade clean on her sleeve, movements sharp but hollow.
“I thought pain had a peak—you climb it and it’s done. Turns out it’s just a path that doesn’t end.”
A pause. Then, dry as ever:You'll grow stronger. Eventually.
She huffed a small, bitter laugh. “Stars, you’re insufferable.”
And yet, I'm not wrong.
She fell quiet, her breathing slowing as she pressed a hand against the stone wall for balance. Then, gripping her sword tighter, she pushed forward.
