Ziaka and the orphans of Diadel

By Sabrina, age 14

“Guys, hurry up!” Ziaka exclaims as she runs back into the shadows. She tosses her long, silky, brown hair behind her shoulder as she motions for the boys to come join her. A dark haired – boy duc down low as he ran across the exposed street and into the darkness where Ziaka is hiding. “Mason, we’ve got to hurry, they’re headed this way.” She explained. The other boys catch up to them and crouch in the dark alleyway. “The coast is clear. Go now!” she urges to them. The group scurries across the streets trying to blend in with the crowd. “Hey!” a man’s voice yells from a corner. Ziaka looks back and runs as fast as she can out past the city and into a dry field. The group continues running until they reach a forest. “What do we do?” a boy with brown hair asks. “If we go into the forest, they’ll trap us.” “They won’t, we run out of the forest and into the garden before they can reach this spot.” She replies. He gives her a worried look. “It’ll be fine Liam, just trust me.” The group reaches the other side of the forest and reaches a sheltered garden filled with fruit trees and crops growing from the ground. They all pull out a cloth bag and begin picking and pulling and bagging the fruit. As they’re doing this, a boy named Cial notices that a group of trees closest to a path that leads to another town are a depressed mix of black and gray colours and are shriveling up. “What happened to these trees?” he asks to the group. Ziaka turns and walks over to the cluster of trees, she reaches out and touches one of the blackened leaves. “Gradeon has been infected.” She informs them. “Another city? Already?” Mason asks. She turns to him with a solemn look on her face as she answers; “Yes, Mason. Already. They’re moving quicker than ever.” A boy named Jace crinkles his eyebrows together as he anxiously questions; “But what will happen if the gardens are overtaken by them?” Ziaka looks pained as she responds; “Then we’ll have to find another way to get our food.” They all slowly nod. “We should go.” She announces. They all put away their bags and head toward the trail back to their hideout.

When they reach the dingy, warehouse-like room, they all empty the pickings into a large basket on an old table. “Just to be safe, I don’t think we should go back there anymore.” Ziaka says. They all look at her “Then where will we get our food next week?” a tall, thin boy named Percy asks. “I know a place.” She answers. “How far is it?” he questions while running his fingers through his jet-black hair. “About an hour’s walk.” She says. They all start to groan in protest. “Silence.” Ziaka commands. They all grow quiet. “I will go out myself and retrieve what we need when the time comes.” Another tall, thin boy steps forward. “I’ll go.” He offers. Ziaka turns and looks at him. “Thank you Shallon, but it’s too dangerous.” He looks disappointed “You can’t go alone.” He protests. She closes her eyes and a chipped vase comes flying at her, Shallon starts to put himself between the flying vase and Ziaka, but she shoots out her arm and just before the vase crashes into her hand, it stops, and she moves it back to the table with her tele-kinesis. Shallon looks embarrassed. Ziaka eyes flicker over to him. “Things like that are why I am better off to go then you.” She states. He nods and sinks back into the group. “Go get one piece of fruit and one vegetable.” Ziaka instructs. They all walk over to the table. Once they have all gotten their pieces and sat down against the dark walls, she goes and takes an apple and carrot. As she sits down against the wall by Mason and Liam, Liam speaks up and asks; “What will happen if the Shadowomen come here?” Ziaka continues staring at the ground. “We fight.” She answers. He gulps. She swallows the rest of the apple and looks up to see all the boys staring at her with wide eyes. She realizes that they’re scared. “But I doubt they’ll come here.” She adds. “Besides, the survivor’s hideout is completely protected. Security, traps, alarms. It would all be fine.” They all have the same look on their face, the look you have when you’re trying to make yourself believe something that you don’t think is true. Ziaka gets an idea. “Here, let’s all gather around the pit and remember how we all survived this long in the first place.” She announces. “Hopefully that’ll calm them down.” She thinks. They all gather around the dark pit surrounded by blackened rocks. As everyone gets settled, Ziaka touches the center of the wood, and it instantly sparks to life with blue fire. Ziaka begins speaking in a tone that makes the entire room seem to be sucked back to the days she was talking about.

“Over 2 decades ago, the shadowomen found eachother, regular girls who all found a common interest in shadows and the dark. But they spent too much time alone in the dark, and when they died, they became… Shadowomen. Creatures that look like regular women, but are all grey and sad. Anything they chooses to breathe their breath of death upon, becomes like them, animals, grass, trees, buildings, even entire cities, and all their people with them. When they started to realize what their special breath could do, they banned together and tried to turn all of Diadel into their own shadow-kingdom. When this was just at its beginning, a brave man named Alec Ginnis created “Admirable Academy”, a school to educate all people with special talents. I was one of them. I never knew my parents, and so one day a young woman named Amala Fortson found me as a baby. She took me in and brought me to the academy, where I grew up. But when I was 5, a terrible tragedy occurred, the Shadowomen discovered Admirable Academy, and purged all of the school and its students there into the darkness of the shadows. But me, being 5, I ran away when I first saw it, and from that point on I lived alone in the forests, hiding from the women-like monsters that destroyed everything I ever knew. They continued to take over many cities of the planet, but had to gain strength and rest in between. They also had to come up with well-working plans, because people were banding together to try and stop them. They were constantly looking for me, since I was the last of the talented. They grew their numbers very much. Today, they rampage throughout the cities so fast, no one has time to run, and so much of the planet is now theirs, no one can stop them. But, over the years, nature restores itself. It grows back green grass, small bushes, and the bottoms of shadowed trees. The Shadowomen are currently working to find a way to put all of Diadel into the shadows, forever. And that is why we are here, orphans who have lost our parents at the academy, to the cities in the realm of the shadows, or other ways. We have found each other and will find a way to stop the Shadowomen from reaching their goal. So we sit here today, in a time of waiting, a time of learning, and we will figure out how to stop them. Together.” They all look up from the fire and to Ziaka. “You really think that we’ll be able to stop them?” Jace asks. Ziaka turns to him. “Yes. I do.” They all stare into the fire for a long time more. “It’s late. You should all get some sleep.” Ziaka suggests. They all stand up, walk down the hall and into their rooms except for Shallon. He moves closer to Ziaka. They don’t look at each other, but they know what to say. “Do you really mean what you said?” he asks. Shallon and Ziaka were part of the oldest of the group, and he was the first one she found. They had known each other for over 6 years. “I hope so.” She responds. Shallon’s tone switches to a peaceful one as he says; “Remember when we first met?” she recalls the day that she was running throughout the city when she passed him hiding by the garbage bins behind a ruined building. He had been there for a few months, since his parents hadn’t come back from a trip into a nearby city. The city was overtaken by the shadows. She looks over at him with sad eyes. “Yeah, I do.” But he only seems to remember the good times. “We pretend it was all a game, the running and hiding, the scavenging. It was so imaginary and carefree.” He recalls. She smiles. “We were on our own for so long.” “Almost 3 years.” He answers “Yeah. And then we met Jace.” She responds. “I didn’t like him at first.” Shallon confesses. Ziaka looks over to him, “Why not?” she asks. Shallon starts to turn pink as he replies; “You loved him.” She bites her lip. She could trust Shallon, there was no hiding it now. “So?” she questions. “I- you… I thought you loved me.” He stutters. “Back then though, not now. When we were 12.” He adds. She turns to him. “I did.” He stares at her. “But, I think it was just the thrill of the thought of love, and we were always together, it- it’s hard to not develop strong feelings. We were all each other had.” She explains. He looks down. “I guess.” “But, you don’t still love me, right?” she asks. “No. not that way at least. But you’re still one of my best friends.” He replies. She nods. He stands up and starts to walk towards the rooms as he turns around and asks; “Ziaka? I never said that I used to love you.” She looks up and answers; “I know.” He looks confused for a moment before she adds; “You didn’t have to. I always knew.” He smiles at her and walks down the hall and into his room. She stays there for a few minutes watching the blue flames lick the wood and feeling the heat crawl up her neck and face. She starts to feel her eyes droop, and extinguishes the fire to just a small cluster of embers. She stands up and start to walk down the hall, just as she hears a door open. Percy pokes his head out. “Hey.” He says. “Shouldn’t you be asleep?” she scolds. He shakes his head. “I can’t it’s too hot.” He says. “Oh, well I just put the fire out, so it should get cooler now.” She assures. “and… I couldn’t help but overhearing-” Ziaka sighs. He looks embarrassed. “Sorry, it’s just… I knew you and Shallon were close, but, I never thought you… loved each other.” He confesses. “It was a long times ago. We were just kids, and it was mostly our imaginations. We were more just… best friends.” She says. He fidgets with his arm uncomfortably. “Y-yeah. Sorry for bothering you, thanks for putting the fire out. Goodnight.” He retreats back into his room. She sighs and heads to the very end of the hall, opens the big doors with her handprint and locks them again.

The next morning, Ziaka wakes up, gets dressed and walks out to the main room, where most of the boys already are sitting. “Morning.” Jace greets. “Morning.” She replies. They all sit there in silence.”Wait… were you, waiting for me to eat?” she asks. They all nod. “No, go ahead.” She tells them. They all walk over to the kitchen and grab an apple and a cup from the table, then fill it up at the tap. Once they have all sat down to eat, Ziaka goes and gets her food. Once she sits down, Liam comes closer to her. “What are we going to do today? If it isn’t safe to leave the fortress.” He asks. She thinks for a moment. “I suppose we should start training.” She suggests. He look at her with a shocked look. “Training?” he questions, a little louder than before. The other boys look over. “Yes.” She says. “Why?” Cial juts in. “Well, if we’re going to fight… then-” “Hold up, we’re fighting?” Liam asks, while running his hands through his dark hair. Ziaka looks at them all with a serious look in her eyes. “Did you all really think that we would just sit around while the Shadowomen take over the entire planet?” they all try not to make eye contact. She starts at Shallon. “Did you know about this?” she asks him. He looks at her nervously. “Well, you see Ziaka… it’s just that, nobody else has powers, like us, and well..” Mason steps forward. “We don’t know how to fight.” He says. She sighs. “Look, I get that you don’t know how to fight, but that’s why I’m going to teach you. Also, we don’t know that you don’t have powers.” He looks at her surprised. “Wait, are you saying that you think we could have powers too?” he asks. She shrugs. “Sure. Some people that do have the gene, don’t find out until something around them makes their body realize it.” They all look even more confused. She takes a deep breath, and then exhales slowly. “The chemical that gives us powers doesn’t start being released until it’s needed. When your body recognizes that your powers are needed, it starts to release the chemical, which lets your powers start to work.” She explains. Jace raises an eyebrow. “And, how come we never knew about this?” she looks at them. “I don’t know I guess I just thought everyone knew.” She says. “Don’t forget, we weren’t all raised at Admirable like you were.” Percy reminds her. “Yeah, my parents never taught me anything… were always out trying to steal money or something.” Nico says. Ziaka has a sad look in her eyes. “At least you knew your parents.” She muses. “Barely.” He responds. After a few moments of silence, she seems to come back to reality. “Okay!” she claps her hands. They all jump a bit. “Follow me.” She commands. They all follow her as she walks over to the wall opposite the hallway. She places her hand on the wall, and a piece of the wall in the shape of door disappears. “Woah! How long has this been here?” Liam asks. “Forever.” She replies. He turns to Jace with a shocked look. He shrugs. They all enter a clean room filled with punch-bags, padded armor for practice and helmets. Their eyes all widen, then travel over to where Ziaka was standing, with her arms crossed, and a suspicious smile.

“Alright, That should be good for today!” Ziaka shouts after a couple hours of throwing punches, learning self defense and such. They all let out a sigh of relief. “Finally” Percy murmurs. “Hey! Percy!” Ziaka calls. He slowly turns to her, gulps, and responds; “Sorry.” She raises an eyebrow. “No, don’t apologize. If you think you didn’t need to train for this long, then let’s see what you’ve learned.” He nervously walks back over to her. She spins around and high-kicks him right in the face. He stumbles backward, and then falls down. The other boys in the background laugh. “Ow.” He groans. As he starts to get up, he all of a sudden flies off the ground, shoots up to standing position, but continues moving forward, and lands on his front, barely catching himself with his hands. Ziaka’s eyes widen. He looks up at her. “What was that?” he asks as he stands up much more carefully this time. She walks him over to a set of weights. She picks up a 50 pound and hands it to him. “Try to lift this.” She says. He reaches out and grabs it. “Hey. This is so light.” He exclaims as he tosses it up in the air, but it goes much higher then he anticipated. They both take a step backward as the weight falls back down and lands with a thud. “Ziaka… what’s going on?” he asks again. She slowly looks up at him and says; “Percy, I think you’ve unlocked your power… super strength.” Applause comes from the boys behind him. Ziaka smiles at him. “Congratulations.” Once they all quiet down, and start to walk back to the main room, Ziaka warns Percy; “I know you’re excited, but… be careful. Don’t use your power anywhere except training.” He groans, but doesn’t try to argue. “Okay, get some water and take it easy for a while.” Ziaka suggests. They walk over to the sink, grab their cups and fill them up with water from the taps. Once they sit down; Jace speaks up; “So, how was Percy able to just trigger his powers into coming in like that?” Ziaka thinks it over for a few moments. “I think, it was his mentality at the time. He was nervous, and eager to prove himself. Am I right?” she questions as she looks over at Percy. He nods while keeping his eyes down. “Like I said before, your powers come in when you need them, or when you can fully trick yourself into thinking that you need them.” They all seem interested all of sudden. She rolls her eyes. “Don’t try to do that. It’s not a good idea. It can cause problems with your control over your powers, and it can leave with responsibilities that you’re not ready for.” Their smiles all fade away. “But, how come Shallon doesn’t have powers, if you and him were out there for so long?” Cial asks. Shallon and Ziaka meet eyes. She nods. Shallon stands up and goes to the center of the room. For a few seconds, he disappears completely. They all gasp. When he reappears, Ziaka joins him in the middle. “Shallon does have powers, it just wasn’t of any relevance or importance until now.” They all look confused. “Okay, okay. I mostly just didn’t want her to tell you because I wanted to spy on all of you.” He confesses. They all start to get angry. “Calm down.” Ziaka says. “Let’s all get some rest for now. I will see you at dinner time.” She says as she retreats to her room.

At Dinner, all the boys are already sitting down and eating by the time Ziaka came out of her room. She was a little annoyed by this, since they would usually wait until she said it was okay for them to eat, but she let it slide. She had too much to think about right now; what with Percy discovering his powers and the increasingly speedy pace of the shadows. “Hey, um Ziaka?” Mason calls to her. She gives him a one minute sign and gets a kiwi and some water, then walks over and sits down beside him. “What is it?” she asks. “So… after Percy triggered his powers and everything, I was kind of wondering I-” “Stop” Ziaka interjects. He looks up at her. “What?” he asks. She sighs. “I’m not helping you to trigger your powers earlier than they’ll already come.” He pouts. “Aw, come on. Please? Then I’ll be ready to fight when the time comes.” He pleads. “No, Mason. I told you it’ll leave you with unwanted consequences.” He stands up all of a sudden. “Then I’ll just have to figure it out on my own.” He says. Ziaka stands up too. “Mason, I told you no. It’s not safe.” She says, a little more authoritative this time. “No, You’re not in charge of me anymore. If I think that getting my powers is what’s best for me, then I’ll find a way to do it.” He continues. Everyone starts to look over at what’s going on. “DO I have to remind you about everything I did for you? If it weren’t for me, you’d be dead, Mason!” she argues. “That’s it! I’m leaving!” he shouts. As he turns to walk towards the door, he swings his fist, and a vase smashes against the wall. He turns around and looks at the vase. Zaika’s eyes widen. He throws his hand to the ground, the ground shakes. Ziaka’s eyes burn with fury. “You knew.” She says quietly, disbelievingly. He smirks. “How could you, Mason!?” she shouts. “YOU KNEW THAT GETTING YOURSELF ANGRY WOULD TRIGGER YOUR POWERS AND YOU STILL DID IT!!” He crosses his arms. She shakes her head. “Well, now you’re going to face the consequences.” She reminds him right before she turns and walks towards her room, slams the door, and locks it. The room stays silent. Suddenly, the purple fire in the center of the fire pit goes out.

The next few weeks were more or less the same. Eating, training, sleeping. Many more of the boys discovered they had powers. Cial discovered he could jump with extreme force, so that he was able to push himself off the ground to very high heights. Liam learned that he could shoot fire out of his hands, and burn and melt things when he touched them at will. Everyone had found their power, except Jace. One afternoon after everyone had left the training room, he walked over to where Ziaka was cleaning up. “Hey.” He greeted. she looked up from the ground. “Hey, what’s up?” she asks. “So, I think that I’ve been training really hard and… it’s been a while so… I was jus-” “Wondering why you haven’t gotten your powers yet?” she interjects. He looks down at his shoes. “Well… yeah. It’s just that everyone else isn’t working as hard as me, and their powers all came in so much sooner.” He explains. She sighs. “Look, Jace. I know It’s hard not having something that everyone else has… and I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but, maybe you don’t even have powers. There’s nothing wrong with that either.” She says. “but then I won’t be able to help, or fight, or do anything useless at all. When the time comes, I’ll have to stay behind. You’ll say it’s too dangerous for me.” He complains. “You can have hope.” She encourages. “As long as there’s hope, the shadows cannot fully take over.” She says. He almost argues, but then silently nods and walks back to the main room.

One morning, a few weeks later, Ziaka woke up to knocking on her door. No one had ever knocked on her door before. They all listened to her and never questioned her judgment. She snapped her fingers and transformed into her everyday outfit, and cautiously opened the door. She saw Jace waiting there with a worried look in his eyes. “What is it?” She asked. “It’s happened.” He replied. “What?” she tried to question, but he just walked down the hall. She followed him. He led her to the door, and few other boys came over. He turned the knob and revealed the outside. He walked out onto the grassy field. She went after him. Cial and Liam came too. When they got about a kilometer away from the fortress, the ground turned a blackish grey colour. Ziaka gasped. “Is that?...” Liam started. “The Shadowomen.” Cial finished. “I was right?” Jace asked. Ziaka swallowed. “I’m afraid so.” “What do we do?” he asked. “It’ll be spreading soon. We can’t wait for them to attack us, we have to stop them first.” She ordered. “Well then why have been sitting around training for this whole time?” Liam asked. “Because, it was too dangerous, you weren’t ready, and I didn’t think it was this bad.” She explained. “Isn’t just as dangerous now?” Cial questioned. Ziaka crossed her arms. “Yes, but you’re all ready.” She reluctantly said. “But what about me?” Jace interjected. “I don’t even have powers!” “I don’t want to be rude or anything, but… I don’t think you have powers buddy.” Cial said. Jace looked down. “Maybe not. But that’s okay!” Ziaka tried to cheer him. “Yeah, yeah.” He dismissed. “Jace…” “Don’t.” he told her. “So.. should we tell the others, or?” Cial asked. Ziaka perked up. “Yes. Let’s go.” She suggested. They walked back to the hideout and went inside. The other boys were sitting around the empty fire pit, discussing their powers. When the group walked in, they became silent and looked up at them. “It’s time.” Ziaka announced. They all went and sat down around the pit, Ziaka waved her hand over the fire, and the blueish-purple flame erupted. “We have to stop the Shadowomen before they find out how to keep the shadows locked in forever. We’ll have to travel to the place where the shadows started; The Mountain of Shadows. We’ll have to work together using our powers to finish the once and for all. I’ll have to go first, distract them, and then you can all sneak in and surround them. When I say “Now” you all use your powers to push them into the giant purple flame that I’ll conjure up.” Shallon looked at her. They met eyes. “You can’t do that.” He told her. “Shallon, I know what I have to do.” She objected. “No, there’s another way. We can… push them off of a cliff or something.” She shook her head. “They would just get up without a scratch.” “Then let someone else.” He pleaded. “It has to be me!” she shouted and stormed off into her room. “What was that about?” Mason asked Shallon. “Yeah, like… I know she likes to seem tough and in charge but, why’s it gotta be her?” Percy questioned. Shallon shook his head. “It’s not like that.” He said. “What do you mean?” Mason asked. “She’s… there’s this, prophecy thing from the academy about the one who destroys the Shadowomen.” Shallon explained. “And?” Percy prompted. “It’s… It’s her.” He said.

The next morning, Ziaka woke up early. She pounded on all of the boys’ doors. They came out of their rooms quickly. No one spoke a word as they each took a fruit and some water, sat down around the fire and ate. “Finish up quickly. It will take a while to get there.” Ziaka told them as she stood up and went into the training room. “What’s she doing?” Mason asked Shallon. “Probably… practicing?” he replied. “Well, she told us to hurry up, so she better not be the one that’s late.” Mason said. “Mason, I’d much rather be later than on time for this one.” Shallon told him as he left the room and into the training room. “Hey.” He greeted her. He found her sitting on the bench with her face in her hands. He sat down beside her. “What is it?” he asked. She removed her hands, straightened up, and looked at him. “You know what I have to do.” She said. “No, you don’t. We’ll find another way.” He argued. “There is no other way, Shallon!” she exclaimed. “There will be.” He said. She didn’t look convinced, but smiled at him anyways. “Thanks.” She said. He pulled her into a hug. She felt strange. They had known each other for year and years, but they hadn’t as much as hugged in so long. Maybe it was part of the whole teenager thing. When he pulled away, he saw out of the corner of his eye, Mason watching them through the doorway. He caught his eye, and Mason shrunk down and looked away. Shallon stood up. “Come on, we’ve got a world to save.” He said to her. Ziaka smiled again got up as well. They walked out together. “Oh, hey…” Mason awkwardly said. “What are you doing here?” Shallon asked. He looked down. “I… just came to look for you.” He explained. “Right…” Shallon teased. They all walked out to the main room to the rest of the group. “Okay. Let’s do this.” She announced. They all looked at each other and stood up. “You all have to distract them while I sneak inside and create the fire.” She told them. “Fire?” Mason asked. “Yes, now come on let’s go.” She brushed off. Mason looked at Cial, confused. Ziaka started to walk out of the shelter. Shallon followed her, and the rest of the boys went too. They walked for a hour in silence. They ground was gray, the plants were dead and everything was quiet. When they reached the base of the mountain, they skies grew dark, but not with clouds, it was like a grey haze had fallen over everything. “I suppose this is it?” Cial supposed. “Yep.” Percy agreed. “Come on. We can’t let them spot us.” Ziaka ordered. They followed her up and around the steep, rocky pathway that led upwards. At the top of the mountain, they could see a great, gray castle-like building. “That’s where they are right?” Mason question. Ziaka just nodded. When they reached the entrance, there were two giant doors. They all stopped and looked at Ziaka. She took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.” With that she grabbed the knocker of each door, pulled with all her strength, and led the way inside.

The inside of the castle was dark. They couldn’t see their shadows, because the whole places was shadows. Everything that should be solid was just a black or gray silhouette. Liam went to lean against the wall as Ziaka was inspecting, but instead fell right through. They heard a scream and looked over to see nothing. There was banging on the wall, the wall that Liam had fallen through had turned solid, and he couldn’t find the way out. “Help!” They heard in a muffled way through the wall. “Liam!” Jace exclaimed. “We have to find him!” he said. “You can search, I need the rest of you to stay with me.” Ziaka ordered. They nodded and Jace went off. “I know where they are, but you have to let me go first.” She explained. “What!? I thought you said we would distract them while you created the fire or something.” Mason questioned. “I realized that it’s better for them to be focused on me, and then you can come and divert their attention.” Shallon gave her a worried glance. She gave him an “It’s fine” look. They walked up some stairs and to a dark door. “Stay behind, and don’t come in until you hear me say: “Until the light is restored.”’ Mason looked confused. “That’s a random thing to say.” He mused. But Cial didn’t think the same. “But that’s…” he started. “What the light returner from the prophecy is supposed to say right before the light returner’s curse hap- no!” Shallon exclaimed. But Ziaka had already run inside. He tried to go after her, but Percy stopped him. He grabbed him and didn’t let him out of his super-grip. Shallon struggled against him, but Percy refused. “Look, I know it’s hard, but you’ve got to let her do whatever it is she’s doing.” He told him. “NO! You don’t understand!” Shallon argued. “I get it! You love her.” Percy said. “What? No. She’s… my best friend. The person who was there for me in the hardest times. Yeah, I love her, but not like that, it’s so much more than that. We’re… family.” Shallon told him. Cial stepped forward. “We all are.” He said.

“Well, well, well.” A quiet and muffled voice said. It sounded as if there was a layer of thick smoke around her. “What is a little girl doing here? Have you given up? Come to surrender?” The woman asked. Ziaka looked up at the shadowed figure. The rest of them were slowly closing in around her. She wanted to call for them, but she had to muster up enough anger to produce the fire. This was a once in a lifetime thing. The leader came closer to her. “Why do you stick around those boys?” She hissed. “They’re my friends.” Ziaka said. “Leave them, and join us.” She invited. “Why would I ever do that?” Ziaka asked. “Because the rest of Diadel will soon be shadows anyways, so why not become like us and marvel in the glory of the darkness?” She explained. Ziaka shook her head. “I would never.” The leader grew angry. “Then I suggest that you surrender right now, unless you want to see those friends of yours tortured in ways much worse than the shadows.” She sneered. “We will never surrender. Not until the light is restored!” Ziaka shouted. Suddenly, the doors burst open and Percy ran in, followed by the rest all of the boys. Even Liam and Jace had managed to get back in time. Ziaka couldn’t see Shallon, but one of the shadowomen appeared to have a punch go through her stomach. She wasn’t solid, this was why nothing except the light restorer’s special power would work. She turned around and punched Shallon, apparently she was solid enough for that, he appeared and stumbled over. Mason punched the ground, and the floor rippled out and some of the shadowomen were knocked over. Cial jumped over and landed next to one of them, she tried to follow him with her eyes. Liam threw a fireball at one of them, it passed through, but left a blackish burn. As they were all distracted, Ziaka summoned all her strength, she focused on a building spark in her heart, willed it grow and reach outside of her body, she opened her eys to see a purple flame growing behind her and gaining spaceby the second, she closed her eyes again so as to concentrate. While her eyes were closed, one of the shadowomen came close to her, and tried to purge her mid into darkness, to stop the flame from growing. “Ziaka!” Jace shouted. She opened her eyes just in time to see his hand reaching towards her, and a blueish force come shooting out of his hand. It froze the SHadowoman for a second, then she broke out of it. “What was that!?” he shouted. “I told you! Your powers only come in when you really need them!” Ziaka shouted back. At that very moment, the purple fire engulfed all of the Shadowomen and they all disappeared. The boys felt a force sweep over the land, a light that had been restored. The castle turned colourful once more. They looked and saw the purple flame disappear, and Ziaka along with it.

“We did it!” Liam rejoiced. Jace fell down on his knees. “What’s wrong, Jace?” Liam asked. Shallon looked very concerned too. “guys, what is it?” Cial questioned. “Sh- she’s gone.” Jace stuttered. Shallon ran over to where she was standing just a minute ago. Nothing. Percy went after him. “I told you!” Shallon yelled. Percy jumped back. They all looked over at him. “There was no other way.” Percy told him. “She sacrificed herself for us, for us… for everyone.” He said quietly. “The light restorer’s curse.” Cial mused. “That means…” he started “It really was her.” Jace cut in. Shallon nodded. Percy helped Jace up. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.” Shallon suggested. He led the way back to the fortress.

When they reached the familiar shack, the grass was no longer grey, and they could see lights coming from the nearest city; Gradeon. “It really worked.” Percy said. Shallon nodded and wiped away a tear “Hey, she wouldn’t have wanted you to be miserable, she would have wanted us all to celebrate the victory.” Percy told him.

That night, as they watched the beautiful orange-pink sunset colours fill the sky for the first time in years, they laid out flowers over a marked spot in remembrance of Ziaka. It felt right to honour her with flowers that she had helped restore. After everyone except for Jace had gone inside, Shallon stayed out to talk to him. He knelt down to where he was sitting, silent tears streaming down his face. “You loved her, didn’t you?” Shallon asked. Jace looked at him and smiled. “Yeah… but it was so much more than that.”