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“Boo!” Dinari crept from behind. She leaned forward and rested on Manak’s shoulders. “What's that?” She tried to grab the flicker of light glowing in Manak’s palms.
“Dina? You put it out.” Manak swished his palms. He pulled Dinari from behind and held her in his arms. “You had to come down here, didn't you?” He looked into her eyes and smiled. The kind of smile that always made Dinari shiver.
“What is that though? You amaze me with those spells and potions.” Dinari smiled back.
“Im practicing an elevation charm. This stone has the power to open up new paths and elevate the caster high up. Watch this.” Manak revealed a stone that looked like a glowing amber. “Ádábracá,” he mumbled. Just then, his body began to elevate ten feet above the ground. High up in the air, he waved his palm and the stone began to dissociate and then materialize into what looked like a small town with lots of people, food, animals, and bright lights.
“What is that place?” Dinari Marvelled. She had never seen a place so bright and merry her entire life. It was a complete contrast to Zahk, their village, and the world she knew.
“This is a new world and I'm going there. Come with me, Dina. Let's leave this darkness behind. Everything is right there waiting for us. It is true and real. The sun, moon, and stars dwell there. Let's elope tomorrow.” Manak’s eyes lit up. He was mesmerized by the little enchanting world in his palm. He swished his palms again and the world transformed into an ember before vanishing. Slowly he descended ten feet back to the ground.
“How do you know this place, Manak? How are you sure it isn't just ancient magic of the old world?” Dinari quizzed her betrothed. Dinari had known Manak for ten years and she knew when he wasn't playing games. The two had been betrothed to each other ever since they were ten years old.
Dinari knew that Manak had inherited ancient powers of mysticism from his father, Amanaka. Manak came from a long line of mystics in Zhak. His father was the great seer and custodian of the spiritual realm of Zhak before he mysteriously disappeared on the day the second piece of the sun was stolen again. Rumors had it that the shadowweavers had taken Amanaka with them so no one would come after them. The tale of the shadowweavers had long become a children’s tale in Zhak.
“This is real Dinari. The pathway opens up at noon. Let's leave before there is nothing left but shadowy darkness here.” Manak held Dinari’s hands in his.
“Dinari looked around her. Her eyes washed over the scenery of sparse dried vegetation and scanty run-down settlements in clusters. Burning fireplaces scattered across Zhak sent fumes to the sky. She looked up at the dark skies with outlines of what used to be the night stars and moon.
“What about our people Manak? We can't just leave everyone behind. I cannot leave my mother. That's just……”
“I don't care about the people.” Manak fumed as his eyes turned red.
For the first time, Dinari saw something beastly in his eyes and she felt fear. Instantly, she excused herself from his presence.
The next day at noon, Dinari sat between her mother's legs as the woman oiled her cornrows with shea butter. Zhak was dimly lit by the last piece of the sun that stood alone in the sky.
Dinari could not get over the previous night and the dreadful look in Manak’s eyes. “Mother, do you believe that there is a new world out there somewhere? A place that has all we don't have here and more?”
“It depends on what you choose to believe. There used to be so many rumors out there even before you were born.” Her mother took a deep breath. “More than thirty years ago, the resources of the world began depleting mysteriously. There was less to go around. Riots and rebels formed easily and soon, the world was reduced to clusters of people with a common goal - survival.” Her mother exhaled.
“The year you were born, the sun suddenly cracked into three places one afternoon and the world was thrown into disarray. Thereafter, one piece disappeared from the sky. Many seers including Manak’s grandfather disappeared too. The rumors then were that a group of powerful beings across the world called the shadoweavers were stealing celestial bodies and creating an extraterrestrial world for themselves somewhere in another realm. Some claimed to have seen dark shadows creeping through the skies. With the seers disappearing, the real story couldn't be deciphered. The shadowwweavers took them so that their identities would not be revealed. Ten years after that, another piece of the sun was stolen….”
“And that's when Manak’s father disappeared. Mother, do you not see a pattern?” Dinari turned and looked into her mother’s eyes. Shock, realization, and fear hit her all at the same time.“It's going to happen again today. The last piece of the sun will be stolen and we will be left in a world of total darkness and ruins. It's the seers, mother! They are the shadowweavers and it's no coincidence that they disappeared too.”
Just then, a dark shadow shrouded the dim sun. Dinari and her mother looked up. Behold, Dinari recognized the silhouette that was gazing firmly at the remaining piece of the sun high up in the sky. He simply enclosed it in his palm and instantly, total darkness ensued. In no time, Zhak was lit by torches and flames around its clusters.
“Listen to me, mother.” Dinari drew closer to her mother and whispered in her ear. She then sprinted back to the path where she had met Manak the day before. As she ran, her heart pounded. She halted just in time to find Manak. Glowing Amber lights emanated from both sides of his pants.
“I thought about what you said yesterday. I'm coming with you, Manak. I know you have the sun with you. I want that life. I want to experience a new world just as it used to be here.” Dinari walked up to Manak and hugged him. Before he could hold her, she swiftly retrieved the glowing piece of stone and Sun from him. She began chanting, “Ádábrácá” just as Manak had done.
The stone started to transform into this huge portal with so much light illuminating from it. This new world of wonder was now only a step away from Dinari.
“What are you doing?” Manak took two steps forward. Before he could say another word, the rest of Zhak emerged from the darkness within. His eyes dropped to the floor. He already knew what was happening and he was greatly outnumbered.
“You come from a long line of thieves. I can't believe I loved you.” Dinari spat.
One by one, the people of Zhak in complete awe let themselves through this new haven waiting on the other side.
“The world is big enough for all of us, isn't it? After all, what's in there belongs to us all.” Dinari gave Manak one more look of disgust before letting herself through the portal.
