the sun burns (4)

They spoke of a time when the sun was revered, not feared; when it was a giver, not a taker. Her hand lingered on a particular symbol—a spiral enclosed by rays.

She’d seen it before, in the tattered pages of a book she’d scavenged years ago. It was the mark of Solis, the forgotten god of the sun. According to myth, Solis had once walked among mortals, teaching them to harness the sun’s power without succumbing to its wrath.

But the stories ended in fire and betrayal, with Solis retreating to the heavens, leaving humanity to fend for itself. Nadia didn’t believe in gods, but she believed in power.