Chapter 47

There was no way she felt at all mentally prepared. Everything that was important to her was slipping through her fingers. Tinasha clutched tight to Oscar’s shoulders. That simple action sent pain shooting through her body, but she ignored it. Fear of loss had her trembling. “…Don’t go.” That was all she wished for. Tinasha could stand four hundred years if it meant seeing him again. The girl knew she was capable of holding out alone. Thinking of him waiting for her in the future would allow her to overcome any difficulty. That was why she didn’t want him to disappear. Tinasha buried her face in Oscar’s chest, clinging to him. His body heat warmed her shivering frame. She drew a breath. Nothing happened. This time she took a deeper inhalation and let it flow out. He was still stroking her head. It’s okay. He’s right here with me… Yet just as relief began to rise, the warmth that was surrounding Tinasha suddenly vanished. Slowly, she opened her eyes. A destroyed cathedral filled with soldiers staring at her. That was all that was before her. She looked all around like a lost child. “…Oscar?” she murmured, but there was no one who would answer. Stunned, she looked down at her own empty hands. “Ah…” Large, fresh droplets formed in the corners of the young woman’s eyes, which now seemed like gates to an ebon abyss… She burst into pained wails and sobs. Knowledge of the madness that had afflicted Tuldarr’s prince, the potential king, was buried along with him. The following year, a young and beautiful queen took the throne. She possessed striking beauty and a great deal of power. As a ruler, she was both wise and deeply compassionate to her subjects. Tuldarr, a nation long characterized by its solitude in the world, began to open up to other countries. This was a story of a time far in the past, now long buried in the pages of history. END OF UNNAMED MEMORY ACT ONE