Page 2 of Ecliptic

The bird didn’t fly away. Instead, its body relaxed, and its intelligent eyes held my gaze as if thanking me. Its iridescent feathers shimmered in the moonlight, and as I reached out, its neck stretched to meet my fingertips.

Beneath the foreign sky, I stroked the magnificent creature who had trusted me enough to save its life.

It cooed and trilled at my scratches, then hopped back, padding its feet.

“What is it?” I asked—a perfectly sensible question to ask an animal.

It squawked again and ruffled its wings.

I checked for more injuries, but the bird swung its head, motioning for me to follow. The forest was full of life, light, and energy, but my eyes snagged on the dark tunnel twisting with thorns and heavy shadows.

“You want me to go in there?” I asked, unable to hide the quiver in my voice.

The creature let out one last chirp beforeswooping through the tunnel in a flash of light.

I waited with bated breath, hoping it would return, but it had been several minutes since the glint of its tail vanished in the darkness.

I tugged at the hemline of my nightgown and gnawed on my lower lip. I was already in so much trouble; what would a little more exploring hurt? It was clear my new feathered friend wanted me to follow. And even though I was barefoot, bleeding,and terrified, I knew I couldn’t leave the creature to be hurt or trapped again.

I dipped a toe into the tunnel, testing the whorls of darkness. Goosebumps rose along my skin and drained my warmth. I wished I could withdraw from this place, just as the sun had long ago, but I wouldn’t leave without knowing if the bird was safe.

I pressed on as thorns scratched me and ripped my nightgown and hair. A lump of dread formed in my throat, and my teeth clattered inside my head. I wrapped my arms around myself, attempting to protect my heart from the destroyed forest.

Just when I thought the dark had swallowed me whole, a flash of light arced before me like a shooting star. “There you are!” I cried as I ran to the bird perched on a fallen log, its gaze honed onto something in the distance. I peered over the trunk, following its star-lit eyes.

Ahead soared the most majestic tree I had ever seen. A canopy of gold, green, and pink leaves flourished from the towering titan. The bark looked healthy and strong, and the tree seemed to stand on its roots, creating hollow chambers within its trunk.

Inside the cavity, a man hung by his wrists, his head limp and shoulder blades protruding.

A scream charged up my throat, but the bird turned its head in warning, and I clamped my hands over my mouth.

Suddenly, a figure darker than the night materialized before the captive, and my whole body froze in terror.

The cloak of shadows leaned forward and placed his hands on either side of the man’s temples, forcing his gaze up. “Now that I’ve given you time to think, I hope your memory’s jogged. And know this, I shall not ask again,” said a booming voice that raised the hairs on the back of my neck. “Are you the Synodic Son?”

“I t…told you. I have no idea who that is. Please,” the chained man begged.

“Very well,” the figure droned, and his shroud of darkness shifted to reveal a man with pale skin and volcanic eyes that churned with unending destruction.

His mouth opened wide as the skin around his face and hands veined an inky black before dissipating into his pallid complexion. The prisoner’s back was to me, but I could tell by his shrieks and writhing body that something vital was being stolen from him.

Blood pooled on my tongue as I bit back my screams.

After what felt like forever, the screaming ended, and the dark being removed the shriveled corpse from the chains and threw him onto what appeared to be a pile of clothes. But as I peered closer, I realized it was a mound of bodies littering the desolate landscape.

Terror jolted my legs into action and propelled my feet as I ran back through the dark tunnel. Branches lashed at my face, and my bare feet split open beneath me, but the fear surging through my veins dulled the pain. I followed the ball of light to safety, running until I collapsed from exhaustion.

The bird gracefully landed beside me and gently pecked at my hair.

“Why did you show me that?” I cried into my arm. I couldn’t comprehend what I had just seen. It was so unnatural. So wrong. It was as if the captive had been siphoned of everything that made him…alive.

The flutter of wings brushed against my skin, and when I lifted my head, a flock of glittering birds encompassed me. Some shivered from within their nests, while others protectively draped their wings over sparkling eggs.

The creature had led me to a small patch of greenery surrounded by darkness and devastation.

Deep within my roots, I knew this was the shadowy man’s doing. He was the cause of the dying forest and was destroying their home.

“You need help,” I whispered as the birds curiously shuffled toward me. “You all need help.”

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