What could only be considered an endless void stretched beyond the dark forest surrounding her large home? Whether it be the sky or the earth, everything was overshadowed and blended into each other. Phantom lights drifted around the twisted trees and plants within the property line of the manor, and the sound of screams and cries pierced the silence.

Along the twisting path leading to the fantastical mansion in the heart of the woods, Serena had collapsed from running. Her black lantern fell to the ground, shattering like the elusive starlight she had only heard of. The green flame went out on impact, leaving her in darkness. She hadn't realized that she'd been holding onto the handle until then. Now there were no torches lit along this trail either.

Lost in the dark, all she could do was cradle her hurt leg to her body. It wasn't broken thankfully but something was wrong with it. A sharp pain shot up through her knee whenever she tried walking and finally it gave out entirely when she left the trees.

If she followed the path, she would get home, but even that was a distant dream now. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she wiped away from them with tiny hands. If Rama saw her now, he would no doubt call her a baby.

She frowned at the reminder of what caused her to flee her home for a time. Rama taunted her about not having a family and that at least he still had them and was wanted. Rage, sorrow, and confusion had taken over her drowning out anything else and she lashed out with magic. He was polymorphed into a hideous toad before fleeing from her wrath. The same insults were repeated by his friends, and she ran into the woods.

Veles told her that while nothing living there would harm her, it was still dangerous to wander in the deep gloom. She thought she could try to control herself, and tend to her wounds, by separating herself from them.

Serena never expected that they would follow after her. While the forest would not harm her, it did not mean the same to them.

The sound of running feet echoed throughout the forest, coming closer until it sounded like it came right behind her. Serena's heart pounded in terror as she tried desperately to find an escape route; one without being seen or heard. There wasn't anywhere for her to run through except deeper inside these dark trees where even more screams could be heard. Her leg throbbed painfully as she tried to put weight on it again but gave way quickly. It took all of her strength just to crawl along the ground instead of trying to walk anymore.

A shadow fell over her body, making her flinch back into a ball. The figure crouched down beside her with its face hidden beneath a hooded cloak. A hand reached out and brushed away some of the dirt clinging to her pale skin. "Are you hurt?" a voice asked gently and softly.

"Veles? What are you doing here?" The words escaped her lips before she realized what was happening. The creature didn't answer and only looked at her with eyes so deep and mysterious that they seemed bottomless and full of secrets and mysteries. Serena couldn't help herself from looking up and meeting those depths and seeing something there that made her feel safe and protected.

"Silly girl," Veles said, chiding her slightly. That alone made her feel ashamed. "You ran off. Of course, I would look for you."

She smiled despite herself as he helped her sit upright where she could lean against him comfortably. After a moment, he picked her up, and the little girl was once again reminded of the difference in their height. She felt like an infant, which is exactly how Rama treated her, but this being had no such intentions towards her whatsoever. He spoke to her as if she were someone important, though she wasn't sure why, but it comforted her nonetheless. As much as it pained her to admit it, the feeling was mutual for both of them. They each needed the other desperately in their way.

"Sorry," Serena muttered, twiddling her thumbs. "I think I hurt my leg running from the other kids." Her voice trembled just enough to be noticeable when she tried speaking loud. It took all of her willpower not to cry out from the pain.

"If I had known that inviting other beings here would cause this, I wouldn't have done it in the first place."

Serena shook her head. "I know you did it for me because you wanted me to be educated and interact with others, Veles."

It must have been strange to see what looked like a mortal child speak in such a way, but Veles didn't seem to mind it. "I will be dealing with them. Can you tell me what happened?"

Serena hesitated before telling him what happened. She didn't want him to think less of her for how she reacted to things. Once she was done, she looked up at Veles who seemed to grow as frigid as a winter gale.

Not that she had experienced Winter yet herself. It was another thing that never happened in this gloomy world. There were no seasons, no celestial bodies in the sky, and the forest is forever dark and treacherous with things in bloom.

The mortals who were brought here told her such wonderful stories about their homes, and Serena longed for some difference in her home and to witness what she never did before.

"Is having a family that important?" Serena questioned. It was something that bothered her. Before Veles brought mortals to the mansion, it was just the two of them. She knew no one else, at least no one humanoid, and so it was strange to see those who looked vaguely like her.

"For some, it is their entire world. For others, it means nothing. It depends on the individual."

Serena nodded, grasping what he meant.

"Do I have a family?"

"Why? Do you want to find them?" Veles asked curiously.

Serena shook her head. "No. I have you. That's all I need."

"Then how about you see me as your older brother, then? I have been taking care of you all these years after all."

Veles chuckled lightly and brushed some hair away from Serena's face before smiling down at her fondly.

"Big brother...Veles?" Serena tried out, her young voice hesitant as she tried the foreign words. He smiled wider when she said his name again.

It wasn't until they were in front of the door that Serena realized she hadn't even thanked him for bringing her home. here.

She looked up to Veles who was watching over her with a look of pride in his eyes. "Thank you, big brother! Can you tuck me in and tell me a story before bed?" She grinned excitedly as Veles laughed warmly at this new development.

"Of course, little sister. I need to check the state of your injury regardless."

Serena barely noticed the magnificent hallways and passages Veles took to reach her room and only snapped out of being overwhelmed with happiness at being tucked into her bed. She had never experienced such a thing before; it felt like magic. The blankets were soft and smelled faintly of lavender and something else, but whatever scent it was, Serena found herself unable not to relax under its comforting warmth.

"Now, what kind of story do you want to hear."

"I want to hear about the moon or the sun!" Serena exclaimed happily while Veles chuckled softly beside her. It didn't take long for him to start telling her stories she'd heard many times before—stories she thought she knew by heart until she realized how much she missed them since she was too young to understand most of their meanings when they first happened.

Many, many thousands of years ago there lived a mighty king whom the heavens had blessed with a clever and beautiful son. When he was only ten years old the boy was cleverer than all the King’s counselors put together, and when he was twenty he was the greatest hero in the whole kingdom.

His father could not make enough of his son, and always had him clothed in golden garments which shone and sparkled like the sun; and his mother gave him a white horse, which never slept, and which flew like the wind.

All the people in the land loved him dearly, and called him the Sun-Hero, for they did not think his life existed under the sun. Now it happened one night that both his parents had the same extraordinary dream.

They dreamt that a girl all dressed in red had come to them and said: “If you wish that your son should become the Sun-Hero in deed and not only in name, let him go out into the world and search for the Tree of the Sun, and when he has found it, let him pluck a golden apple from it and bring it home.”

When the King and Queen had each related their dreams to the other, they were much amazed that they should both have dreamt the same about their son, and the King said to his wife, “This is a sign from the heavens that we should send our son out into the world so that he may come home the great Sun-Hero, as the Red Girl said, not only in name but in deed.”

The Queen consented with many tears, and the King at once bade his son outlined in search of the Tree of the Sun, from which he was to pluck a golden apple. The Prince was delighted at the prospect and set out on his travels that very day.

For a long time, he wandered all through the world, and it was not till the ninety-ninth day after he stated that he found an old man who was able to tell him where the Tree of the Sun grew.

He followed his directions and rode on his way, and after another ninety-nine days, he arrived at a golden castle, which stood in the middle of a vast wilderness.

He knocked at the door, which was opened noiselessly and by invisible hands. Finding no one about, the Prince rode on and came to a great meadow, where the Sun-Tree grew.

When he reached the tree he put out his hand to pick a golden apple; but all of a sudden the tree grew higher so that he could not reach its fruit.

Then he heard someone behind him laughing. Turning around, he saw the girl in red walking towards him, who addressed him in these words:

“Do you imagine, brave son of the earth, that you can pluck an apple so easily from the Tree of the Sun? Before you can do that, you have a difficult task before you. You must guard the tree for nine days and nine nights from the ravages of two wild black wolves, who will try to harm it. Do you think you can undertake this?”

“Yes,” answered the Sun-Hero, “I will guard the Tree of the Sun nine days and nine nights.”

Then the girl continued: “Remember, though, if you do not succeed the Sun will kill you. Now begin your watch.”

With these words, the Red Girl went back into the golden castle. She had hardly left him when the two black wolves appeared: but the Sun-Hero beat them off with his sword, and they retired, only, however, to reappear in a very short time.

The Sun-Hero chased them away once more, but he had hardly sat down to rest when the two black wolves were on the scene again.

This went on for seven days and nights, when the white horse, who had never done such a thing before, turned to the Sun-Hero.

“Listen to what I am going to say. A Fairy gave me to your mother so that I might be of service to you; so let me tell you, that if you go to sleep and let the wolves harm the tree, the Sun will surely kill you. The Fairy foresees this, but everyone in the world is under a spell, which prevents them from obeying the Sun’s command to take your life. But all the same, she has forgotten one person, who will certainly kill you if you fall asleep and let the wolves damage the tree. So watch and keep the wolves away.”

Then the Sun-Hero strove with all his might and kept the black wolves at bay, and conquered his desire to sleep, but on the eighth night his strength failed him, and he fell fast asleep.

When he awoke a woman in black stood beside him, who said: “You have failed your task, for you have let the two black wolves damage the Tree of the Sun. I am the mother of the Sun, and I command you to ride away from here at once. I pronounce a sentence of death upon you, for you proudly let yourself be called the Sun-Hero without having done anything to deserve the name.”

The youth mounted his horse sadly and rode home. The people all thronged around him on his return, anxious to hear his adventures, but he told them nothing, and only to his mother did he confide what had befallen him.

But the old Queen laughed and said to her son: “Don’t worry, my child; you see, the Fairy has protected you so far, and the Sun has found no one to kill you. So cheer up and be happy.”

After a time the Prince forgot all about his adventure and married a beautiful Princess, with whom he lived very happily for some time.

But one day when he was out hunting he felt very thirsty, and coming to a stream he stooped down to drink from it, and this caused his death, for a crab came swimming up, and with its claws tore out his tongue.

He was carried home in a dying condition, and as he lay on his deathbed the black woman appeared and said: “So the Sun has, after all, found someone, who was not under the Fairy’s spell, who has caused your death. And a similar fate will overtake everyone under the Sun who wrongfully assumes a title to which he has no right.”

More stories were told until Veles left, leaving her alone.

"I love my big brother," she whispered to the ceiling. It didn't take long for sleep to claim her once more after that.

The constant prodding of something sharp in her shoulder forced Serena from her fond memory to deal with whoever was doing it. She lifted her head and glared at Lucian who was standing a foot away from her cot. In his hand was a broken tree branch he had been using to get her to wake up.

“You were crying,” Lucian pointed out bluntly.

Serena wiped at her eyes with her dirty sleeves and knew it made things worse.

She got up off the cot and headed to the open door.

Lucian must have left to get that damned stick to begin with. That must mean the storm is over.

What greeted her was untold destruction. Bodies littered the streets along with parts of buildings and were often in pieces as well. There were very things that were untouched and undamaged. It was just this small hovel and two buildings in the distance that survived.

It was horrific, monstrous…and beautiful.

She wanted to learn how to channel this kind of raw power. Just thinking of it excited her with the possibilities before her. But first, she had to see what could be salvaged from this accursed village