35: Divine Silence
A strange and ominous phenomenon occurred in the moon temples across the land. The sacred fires, which had burned brightly for so long, suddenly flickered and died out. It wasn't due to natural causes like wind or rain, but rather as if the flames had simply ceased to exist. Despite efforts to relight them, the fires remained extinguished, leaving behind only cold, ashen remnants.
As the flames died, something else disappeared along with them. The oldest spirits, which were bound to specific locations such as stone altars, forest glades, and ancient trees, vanished without warning or explanation. It was as if they had been extinguished along with the fires.
The sudden loss of the flames and the disappearance of the spirits created an eerie silence. The world seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for something to happen next. The absence of the divine presence was palpable, and the lack of omens or farewells added to the sense of unease.
The event marked a significant shift in the balance of power and the natural order of things. The characters were left to wonder what had caused this sudden change and what it might portend for the future. The silence and stillness that followed the extinguishing of the flames seemed to be a precursor to something much larger and more complex.
The Dimming Flame
Mia sensed something was wrong before she realized what it was. During a morning ritual, she felt an unusual stillness. Her staff, which was etched with runes from her coming-of-age pact, normally pulsed with a faint light when she connected with the Divine Current. However, this time, when she reached out to touch the light she had known since childhood, she felt nothing. There was no flicker, no resistance, just a void.
Mia tried again, feeling a growing sense of panic and sweat beading on her brow. But the light was truly gone, not just blocked or dimmed. She stumbled backward from the shrine, gasping in shock. "I—I can't feel her," she said aloud. "I can't feel anything."
Her fellow clerics turned to her with concern, and one of them stepped forward, urging her to try again. Mia did, multiple times, but the result was the same. The truth slowly sank in, leaving her feeling cold and isolated. She realized that she was alone, disconnected from the divine presence she had always known.
The loss of the divine connection was a profound shock to Mia, and she struggled to come to terms with it. She had always relied on her connection to the Divine Current for guidance and strength, and without it, she felt lost and uncertain. The implications of this loss were far-reaching, and Mia knew that she had to find a way to understand and adapt to this new reality.
The Breaking Bond
Kaian sat in his den beneath the Oldpine tree, surrounded by the thick furs of his ancestors. His eyes were closed, but his wolf form stirred restlessly beneath his skin. He had always felt a strong connection to his pack through the Alpha Bond, a sense of unity that allowed him to sense their emotions and guide them without words.
However, something was wrong. The bond had weakened, and Kaian could feel the threads that connected him to his pack starting to fray. He could still sense them, but it was like trying to hear a voice underwater - faint and distant. The wolf inside him growled and snapped its jaws at shadows, sensing the disruption in their bond.
Kaian rose from his den, stepping out into the cold air. The moons were still visible in the sky, despite it being near midday, which was a clear sign that something was amiss. As he breathed in the frigid air, he heard a distant howl. It wasn't one of his pack members, but an older, wilder voice that seemed to be calling out to something.
The howl sent a shiver down Kaian's spine, and he felt the wolf inside him respond to the call. But it wasn't calling to him directly; it was calling to something beyond him, something that threatened the balance of their world. Kaian's instincts told him that this howl was a warning, a sign that something ancient and powerful was stirring.
As Kaian listened to the howl, he felt a sense of unease growing within him. He knew that he had to investigate the source of the howl and understand what it meant for his pack and their world. The Alpha Bond may be weakening, but Kaian's sense of duty and loyalty to his pack remained strong. He would do whatever it took to protect them and restore balance to their world.
The World Listens and Wait
A sense of silence and stillness fell across the realm, affecting those who were connected to the divine. It was as if the gods had withdrawn their presence, leaving behind a void that echoed with uncertainty.
In various parts of the realm, people who were attuned to the divine felt the impact of this silence. A dream-sister in Vael Myrr woke up to find that her spirit-guide was gone, and she couldn't even remember her own name. An oracle gazed into the Seeing Pool, only to see her own reflection staring back with wolf eyes, a sign that something was terribly wrong.
In the Great Library of Ishmar, a sacred place of knowledge, entire shelves of scripture turned blank overnight. The ink that had once held the words of the gods had vanished, as if it had never existed. This was not just a loss of knowledge; it was a sign that the gods were withdrawing their influence from the world.
This divine silence was not a sign of death or defeat, but rather a retreat. The gods were hiding, and if they feared what was coming, then mortals needed to prepare for war. This ominous warning suggested that the stakes were high, and the consequences of inaction could be dire.
The silence of the gods was a call to action, a warning that the world was on the brink of a great and terrible change. Those who were attuned to the divine knew that they had to prepare for the worst, to steel themselves for the battles that lay ahead. The fate of the world hung in the balance, and the outcome was far from certain.