Cherreads

Memories Like a Dagger

SolAce
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Synopsis
“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is like a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” — Anonymous Whistle remained perched onto his shoulder, black head cocked and its eyes even cockier. Kalani grinned though, despite his disheveled hair. Training against loud noises had been going well, and it wouldn’t be long till they officially moved to the city. Anticipation made his heart fly high. Finally… his family would move to the illustrious Nael, capital of the kingdom of Karst. Yet the world beyond those small routines was far less gentle than the stories suggested. Kingdoms and tribes hid their violence well, their dangers flowing quietly beneath polished surfaces. You didn’t need to dive in to be taken; brushing against it was enough. And so ‘They’ took everything. What remained of him was sealed away, buried where names lost their meaning. Revenge required survival, and survival required obedience. Then she appeared. Not as rescue, and not as hope, but rather as something that didn’t fit. She moved through his world without caution, wings catching air where no fresh wind should exist. Her optimism wasn’t comforting. It was reckless. He told himself to ignore her. Yet he found himself noticing details he had long trained himself not to see: the rhythm of her voice, the way she tilted her head when thinking, and how she flew free like how he used to. He never looked at her for long. “This changes nothing,” he would murmur, though the words rang increasingly hollow. His emerald eyes lingered a second too late, following the outline of wings he knew he should not reach for. Objective first. Always. And yet, some costs are harder to measure than others. … Update Schedule: 2 chapters every month Cover found on Pinterest; artist unknown ;~;
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Chapter 1 - Prologue

Have you ever thought that a fallen coin below the gaze of the sun is similar to our world?

For the forgotten object, light sheds its warmth onto one side, and yet on the other, the shadows spread their inky fingertips, reigning over what they claim is theirs.

And like that, the world— the inhabitants— do the same: some live out their lives in blissful peace while others converse with their inner demons. But that said, our appearances are different.

One tribe can resemble birds, their wings spanning wide enough to fly high into the sky. Broad rabbit ears, snakelike tails, and wolven strength— just to name a few more. And yet, they call themselves 'humans'.

Perhaps it's because, in spite of their external features, their forms do mirror ours. Perhaps it's due to the same, elemental powers we wield and a similar but common tongue. Or perhaps... it's to distinguish themselves from the animals that we normal people feed on or take as pets; the rest is up to your vivid imagination.

However, we've missed one more side to our race like the last side of the coin— its rim, a place where light and darkness collide from the slightest nudge.

But that's where the rest of them are. That's where I am: a human who walks on a fine line between insanity and rationality.

- Kalani Walkers -