Secret in the Ruins

The Elders passed on stories for thousands of years, about a time when the land flourished with magnificent beauty. A Utopia, if you will. Before the dark ages, the land thrived with lush green and purple vegetation. The flowers lit up the night with their bioluminescence quality. The crystal-clear blue waters flowed with abundance. One drop could cleanse and refresh the entire body. Animals were extremely diverse. There were walkers, swimmers, jumpers, hoppers, crawlers, slithers and even flyers. Throughout the universe, highly evolved multi-dimensional beings, came to the planet to exchange knowledge. These beings agreed to the name Patagonia, the heart of the universe. Every plant, animal and being shared a connection and magical abilities. Everything lived by a light code, which can be found within the heart. This code was the key to perfect harmony for all life on Patagonia.

3000 years ago, a darkness was created from a void in the Universe. The darkness spread throughout the land and slowly infected everything. Once the darkness touched the heart of any being, the light codes disappeared and were replaced with dark codes. The infected lost their magic. Some became consumed by fear while others were obsessed with power. Legend goes, the only way to possess unlimited power was by becoming the keeper of the heart. A mission to find the heart of Patagonia became a diehard obsession for the infected. The search continued relentlessly for 2000 years. One day an opening that led into the center of Patagonia was discovered. The heart was found and removed from its place.

Following this event, the entire world went dark. Violent wars broke out. Patagonia released her wrath upon the inhabitants of the planet. She waged war by environmental ruin causing a cataclysmic decline. High winds, hail, floods, and wildfires initiated the destruction. Over time the darkness grew. The darker Patagonia became the more severe and dangerous the weather was. Thunderstorms produced deadly lightning strikes that lit up the skies with terror. The tornadoes were miles wide ripping away everything in its path, leaving nothing but dust. Waterspouts, tropical cyclones, and extratropical cyclones ruined most outlander cities. The end of the age brought upon the final event. One giant earthquake shook the four cardinal directions. The earthquake triggered an eruption of a super volcano and a great tsunami. This event is well known as ‘The Great Epox’.

The desolate land sent a ripple of terror throughout the verse. All the plants were gone. The water became toxic, eventually drying up. The animals did not survive. Patagonia was fully infected with death and darkness. The light, love and truth were lost.

The ones left behind had to retreat into a giant dome shaped barrier for protection and survival. The inhabitants of the new city, Alabaster, were told nothing outside the barrier survived. In the dome, the Elites control the environment. They have kept people alive for 1000 years. If anyone tries to leave the dome, the Elites remove them, and they never come back. No one knows what really happens to them, although there are stories they are recycled somewhere in the center of Patagonia.

The vaccination was supposed to help people heal and protect them from the darkness. Instead, it made them transform into one kind of being, vanishing their magic in the process. Eona and Penny’s Elders hid the day everyone received a vaccine. Their families passed on the only genetic magic codes able to re-active the heart of Patagonia. Each family had a different gift of magic. Eona’s family carries the gift of sight and Penny's family carries the gift of the elements. Both family’s were sworn to secrecy.

An ear-splitting sound Came from the Kitchen.

“Eona, snap out of it!” Pandora said while slamming her cooking pot on the table.

Eon's mom often snaps her out of the visions.

"How many times do I have to tell you, If the Elites were to find out about your visions, they would take you away from me, just like they took your father!"

Tears gently roll down her face while gazing at his sigil on the wall..

"Having visions is a sign you are a Mage, and the Elites will find out if you don't learn to control yourself!!!"

With tears swelling up in Eona's eyes, she stands up, lashing out with a bit of frustration.

"Mom, the infinite holds the answers to our past and can restore the Utopia! The Elders believed it would free all of us from bondage and suffering! So did Dad and I do too! How can I stop thinking about it!? You used to....

Before Eona could finish, Pandora tensed up from the heavy feeling sinking in her stomach.

"That is Enough!!! Those days are over. I rebuke the foolish curse the Elders sealed upon this family. Now go on and leave me be!"

Eona’s father and mother used to spend endless nights searching for the heart of Patagonia. Sylas has been gone for about ten years now. One dark cold night when Eona was a little girl, Sylas went to search for the heart of Patagonia and never came back. It was assumed by Pandora, Sylas was taken away by the Elites. Pandora’s heart was stolen from her when Sylas never returned. She stopped searching for the heart of Patagonia. She slowly lost her magic and became a normie, like everyone else.

Eona is devoted to finding the heart, even if it costs her life. She knows the truth. Her visions are getting stronger. She can't suppress them anymore. Leaving at dusk is the only way to escape the dreadful place of Alabaster. Except at night the watchmen will be on high alert. Eona thought to herself... Before she could get her head on straight. Eona darted to her friend Penny's shelter.

“Penny, Penny, Penny” Eona exclaimed while searching for her friend. “Where are you?”

“Over here” Penny said in a concerned voice while she was walking out from the backside of the shelter.

“You have to help me!”

“Not again.. I can't keep having your back all the time Eona. Your last mission nearly got me in the slammer. My mom didn't speak to me for a week!” she exclaimed.

Penny knew, Eona was without a doubt invested in her missions and would go without Penny's help which would most likely land her in the slammer. As always, Penny caved. For the rest of the day the girls planned the escape. Neither of them could sleep on this night. Tossing and turning in their beds with knots in their stomachs. The anxiety set in.

Suddenly, a little sparkling whisper appeared flying in her window. “It’s time,” softly spoken like the gentle breeze of the wind.

The whispers are friends of the Mages. Whispers are about the size of human hands, only Mages can see them. The elders passed down stories about whispers being annihilated in ‘The Great Epox.’ But this whisper found Eona on her last trip to the ruins. Fae is Eona’s secret whisper.

“Alright, let's go” Eona said quietly. Eona hopped out her window and snuck around each shelter carefully. Penny met her at the tunnel by the moment the moon was over the high tower, as expected.

“Sneaking out was a nightmare. Are you sure you want to do this Eona?? We can turn back now before it is too late...” Penny whispered hoping Eona might change her mind this time.

“Yes, you know I have to. I have no other choice.” Eona shrugged with determination. Penny knew she had no other choice.

“Okay, when you hear the watchmen tumble on the Hightower that is your sign it is all clear.” Penny nervously explained.

Eona waited for a few minutes. She felt the wind abruptly pick up causing the dust outside the dome to stir, clouding out the barrier. She then heard the loud crashing sound. Eona dashed through the dark tunnel and across the dusty desert rock as fast as she could.

Once Alabaster faded over the horizon, Fae felt safe enough to turn on her light. A feeling of accomplishment came over both of them once they reached the Ruins. The ruins are an ancient city leftover after the Great Epox. There is only rubble, empty rooms full of dusty ash and walls made of smooth copper stone. It smells awfully musty like stagnant air recycling itself through the old ash.

Eona has been on a few failed attempts to these ruins before. Instinctively, Eona knows the heart is here somewhere. The only problem is, she doesn't know exactly where. The ruins are quite large in size, five Alabasters could fit in this place. It can be daunting searching for the heart in this mess. Time is not on her side when it comes to this difficult mission.

“This time feels different.” Eona said to Fae.

“I can feel the heart this time.” As Eona gets closer to the heart, the tingling feeling inside her chest grows. She walks over a collapsed pathway to a different structure. This structure has never been searched before. Once Eona steps her foot inside the opening of this ruin, she became overwhelmed by her body vibrating from head to toe.

“It has got to be here!” “Wait. Oh my gosh! Look over there! My dad has been here!”

Fae looked curious when she glanced over at Eona running up to a strange blackish grey marking on the wall.

“It is my dad’s sigil... My dad wrote these when I was a little girl. These were meant for protection."

Eona begins to trace the sigil with her finger. Before she could finish, the wall disappeared. Eona looked inside and saw something. There it was a golden heart necklace. Next to the necklace was a note from her father.

“HE WAS HERE!!” Eona screamed with excitement.

But before she could read the letter, her eyes clouded with tears. A tear drop fell on the locket which activated a mysterious light inside. An illuminated quartz crystal is spinning in the center. Upon touching the crystal, her own light codes were activated. These light codes have been dormant for thousands of years.

Fae gasped with excitement and wonder while staring at Eona. Eona’s body was now hovering in midair. Her skin and eyes were emitting a bright white light. She transformed into a beautiful ancient elf. Long ago the elders used to share stories about these beings. The most magical of sorts... Fae couldn’t believe this was really happening.

“Eona you are Elven.” Fae said. While quickly whisping around her body in amazement. “You have white hair, long ears, and a crown!! Your eyes are beaming with light! You are filled with light!”

Eona knew it. She felt the greatest love in her heart. She could feel all the magic running through her veins. For a second, she nearly forgot about the letter.. Fae whisped the letter right up to her in urgency. Eona swiftly grabbed the letter and read it.

Dear Eona,

I knew you would find it. Once I got here, I had a vision of the Elites coming to find me. It is too late for me. I have to leave and divert them from ever finding this place. I have taught you all that you need for this mission EONA. You know what you have to do now, so trust yourself! Go restore the heart in the center of Patagonia and bring back the light and love. (What has been lost) I love you so much. I am so proud of you!

P.S. Please tell your mom this for me. My Golden star, I love you. My heart will always be yours. "Always with you, never without you".

Love, Dad.

With tears in her eyes and love in her heart, Eona put the locket around her neck. Eona and Fae set off on a journey to find the center of Patagonia.