The day the river ran backward

The river ran backward on the day the Queen vanished.

The river was always the Queen's favorite place. She'd sit on a rock, dipping her toes in to let the fish nibble on them. So, it was no surprise that her favorite scholar, Kai, immediately noticed that the river began fleeing when the Queen wasn't anywhere to be found. It also helped that she left a note—"Follow the river," it had said, but of course, the river led out of the kingdom and into the deep woods.

The Queen disappeared three days ago, and the kingdom is in utter chaos. The crops are dying, which halts trade, causing panic among the people. The king had died a few years ago, which meant the kingdom had no leaders except for the few council members the Queen left behind.

Kai stood at the riverbank, watching in disbelief as the water, once steady and calm, now churned backward like a desperate thing trying to escape. The Queen’s note was crumpled in his hand, the ink smudged from his grip as he stared at the words again: Follow the river.

His mind raced. Why would she go into the Deep Woods? The place was forbidden for good reason. Legends whispered of ancient spirits that roamed beneath its tangled canopy, of dangers that even the bravest knights of the realm dared not face.

“Foolish,” Kai muttered, though there was an edge of guilt in his voice. He had always admired the Queen, and while he was just a scholar, a man of logic and books, he couldn’t help but be drawn into the mystery she left behind. The council had done little but bicker and send frantic messengers to distant kingdoms, begging for aid.

The river was more than just a lifeline for the kingdom—it was tied to its very magic, its essence. Kai had spent years researching the kingdom's hidden history, the forgotten bonds between the royal bloodline and the River Guardian, an ancient entity said to reside somewhere in the Deep Woods. But those were only half-remembered myths. The Queen’s note, however, was real, and with the crops failing and unrest growing every day, Kai knew time was running out.

“I need to go,” he whispered to himself, his resolve hardening. He tucked the note inside his cloak and glanced back toward the capital, where the palace towers loomed. There would be no approval from the council for what he planned to do, no support from those too paralyzed by fear and superstition.

That evening, in the Palace

In the grand hall of the palace, the council argued amongst themselves as usual. Old men, tired and bitter from years of managing a kingdom that had slowly begun to wither after the King’s death. Lord Athor, one of the more influential members, slammed his fist on the table, his voice rising above the others.

“The Queen is gone! We must assume the worst!” he shouted. “We cannot sit here hoping she’ll return. We need to focus on consolidating power and preparing for a possible invasion from neighboring kingdoms that smell our weakness. Without leadership, we’ll be picked apart.”

Others murmured in agreement, but Lady Evina, one of the few women on the council and an old friend of the Queen, shook her head. “The Queen left us with instructions. We cannot abandon hope. If we act too soon—if we declare her dead without proof—the kingdom may never recover. We must buy more time.”

“And in the meantime, the people starve!” Athor shot back.

Amid the bickering, no one noticed Kai slip into the hall. He had long since given up trying to reason with the council. They were too wrapped up in their schemes, and their fears. He had made his decision. Without a word, he turned and left, heading back to the river. His journey was just beginning.

The Journey Begins

With nothing but a small satchel of supplies and his knowledge of the ancient texts, Kai set off along the river’s strange new course. The trees thickened as he moved away from the village, the air growing colder, the ground softer beneath his boots as the path took him toward the Deep Woods. He knew little of what to expect once he entered, but the Queen’s note burned in his mind. If she had gone there, if she had left him a clue, then there had to be more to this than just a simple disappearance.

The woods were darker than he remembered from his youth, and the deeper he went, the more the world seemed to shift. Time felt strange here as if the air itself was thick with magic. The river’s backward flow trickled beside him, eerily silent compared to its usual cheerful gurgle. The deeper he ventured, the more uneasy he became. It felt as though something—someone—was watching him.

After hours of walking, he spotted something unusual. The trees parted ahead, revealing a small, overgrown path that wasn’t marked on any map. The Queen had spoken of hidden trails leading to the River Guardian’s domain, but he had thought them myth. Now, standing at the threshold, he wasn’t so sure.

Just as Kai prepared to step onto the path, the air shimmered, and from the shadows emerged a figure clad in dark robes. He froze, heart pounding. The figure stepped forward, revealing the face of Elara, the Queen’s estranged sister.

“I was wondering when you would arrive,” she said, her voice smooth but guarded. “You’re a little late, Kai.”

He blinked in shock. “Elara? But… you were—”

“Exiled?” she finished for him. “Yes, well, sometimes exile is a useful thing.” She glanced at the river behind him, the water flowing in reverse. “The Queen left you that note, didn’t she?”

Kai swallowed, nodding.

Elara’s eyes narrowed. “Then you should know—this isn’t just about finding her. The river’s flow is tied to something much older. Something she disturbed.” She stepped closer, her voice low and urgent. “The Queen didn’t just disappear, Kai. She’s gone to break the bond our family made with the Guardian centuries ago. If she succeeds, the river won’t just reverse—it will consume the entire kingdom.” Kai stared at Elara, trying to make sense of her words. "Break the bond? What are you talking about?"

Elara sighed, brushing a strand of dark hair from her face. "Our family isn't just a line of monarchs, Kai. We’re bound to the land, tied to the magic that sustains this kingdom. The river is at the heart of it. Centuries ago, the first Queen forged a pact with the River Guardian—a spirit that controls the flow of time and life here. In exchange for prosperity, the royal bloodline agreed to safeguard that bond. But the Guardian’s power is dangerous, too much for any one person. And now, the Queen is trying to sever that connection."

Kai felt a chill crawl down his spine. "But why would she do that?"

"She’s trying to control the river, Kai. She thought if she could break the bond, she’d be free of its influence, free to rule without the Guardian's oversight. She wanted to take its power for herself." Elara’s voice dropped. "And it’s tearing the kingdom apart."

Kai glanced at the river, its backward flow more ominous now. "If the Queen wanted the Guardian’s power, then where is she? Why would she leave a note telling me to follow the river?"

"Because she needs you." Elara’s gaze darkened. "The bond between our family and the Guardian is blood magic, Kai. She can't break it alone."

His stomach twisted as the realization hit. "She’s going to use me."

Elara nodded. "Yes. You’re her scholar and the only one left who knows enough about the old magic to help her complete the ritual. The river has already begun reversing—it's a sign the bond is weakening. If she severs it completely, the river won’t just flee. It’ll turn against us, flooding the kingdom, drowning everything."

A wave of anger surged through Kai. The Queen had been like a mentor to him, and yet she had dragged the entire kingdom into ruin for her own ambition. "We have to stop her," he said, fists clenching. "Where is she?"

Elara hesitated, then pointed toward the deeper part of the woods. "The Sanctuary of the River Guardian. That’s where she’s headed."

Kai had read about the Sanctuary in old texts, though he’d never imagined it was real. Supposedly, it was the heart of the Guardian’s power, hidden deep within the forest where time and space themselves could bend. Few had ventured there and returned.

Elara stepped forward, her face set with determination. "We need to get there before she completes the ritual. If she succeeds, it won’t just be the river that’s lost. The Guardian controls more than just water—it governs time itself. The past, the future… it could all be rewritten."

Kai’s mind raced. "Why are you helping me? The Queen exiled you."

Elara’s expression softened, a flicker of sadness in her eyes. "She’s my sister. But more than that, this kingdom is my home too. I won’t let her destroy it."

The Journey to the Sanctuary

The forest thickened as they ventured deeper into the woods, the air growing colder and heavy with magic. The river twisted and wound beside them, its reversed flow a constant reminder of the Queen’s growing power. The trees seemed to whisper as they passed, and more than once Kai thought he caught movement in the shadows, though when he looked, nothing was there.

Elara walked ahead, her steps confident, but Kai could see the tension in her shoulders. She had lived in exile for years, banished by her own sister for reasons still unclear to him. Yet now she was risking everything to stop the Queen. It didn’t make sense.

"Why did the Queen banish you?" Kai asked after a long silence.

Elara didn’t answer right away. When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet. "Because I knew too much. I knew about the bond with the Guardian, about the old magic that ties us to the river. The Queen feared that if I understood the power we held, I would challenge her. So, she sent me away."

Kai’s brow furrowed. "But you never wanted the throne?"

Elara shook her head. "No. All I ever wanted was to protect the kingdom. But the Queen was blinded by her ambition. She thought she could break the bond and control the Guardian’s power for herself."

Kai didn’t respond, but the bitterness in Elara’s voice lingered in his mind. He had always seen the Queen as a wise and benevolent ruler, but now he wasn’t so sure. How had he missed the darkness growing within her?

The Guardian's Warning

As they drew closer to the Sanctuary, the forest grew stranger. The trees twisted unnaturally, their branches reaching toward the sky in shapes that made Kai’s stomach churn. The river was no longer a gentle stream but a roaring, reversed torrent, surging with unnatural strength.

"We’re getting close," Elara said, her voice tight. "Stay on guard. The Guardian doesn’t take kindly to intruders."

Ahead, the trees parted, revealing a clearing bathed in a soft, eerie light. In the center stood a massive stone altar, ancient and worn, surrounded by a swirling mist. And there, at the heart of the clearing, was the Queen.

She stood before the altar, her hands raised, chanting in a language Kai barely recognized. The air around her shimmered with power, and the river surged violently at the edge of the clearing, its backward flow growing stronger.

"Stop!" Elara shouted, stepping forward.

The Queen turned slowly, her face pale and hollow. Her once regal presence was gone, replaced by something cold and desperate. "You shouldn't have come here, sister."

"You’re destroying everything!" Elara cried, stepping toward her. "This isn’t the way. The Guardian’s power isn’t meant to be controlled."

The Queen’s eyes flashed with anger. "I don’t expect you to understand. You’ve always been content to live in the shadows, to let others rule while you watched from the sidelines. But I was chosen to lead this kingdom. I will not be bound by the whims of an ancient spirit!"

Kai’s heart pounded as he watched the confrontation unfold. The Queen’s hands glowed with dark magic, the energy swirling around her, feeding off the river’s reversed flow. He could feel the power pulling at him, urging him to join her, to complete the ritual.

"Kai," the Queen called, her voice softening as she turned to him. "You understand, don’t you? You’ve studied the texts, the magic. You know the Guardian’s power is too great to be left unchecked. Together, we can free the kingdom from its hold. We can rewrite the future."

Kai hesitated, the weight of her words pressing down on him. But then he looked at the river, at the chaos it had caused, at the dying kingdom they had left behind. And he knew—this wasn’t the answer.

"The bond exists for a reason," Kai said, stepping forward. "You can’t just break it. The Guardian’s power isn’t meant to be controlled by anyone, not even you."

The Queen’s expression darkened. "So, you’ve chosen to side with her." She raised her hands, the magic surging around her.

But before she could act, the ground trembled, and the air thickened with a presence Kai had never felt before. From the mist surrounding the altar, a figure began to emerge—tall, ethereal, with eyes like liquid silver. The River Guardian.

"You have broken the pact," the Guardian’s voice echoed, deep and resonant. "The balance must be restored."

The Queen faltered, her magic flickering as she stepped back. "I… I did this for the kingdom."

"For yourself," the Guardian corrected, stepping forward. Its gaze shifted to Kai and Elara. "The bond cannot be severed, but it can be renewed."

Kai’s breath caught in his throat as the Guardian’s eyes locked on him. "Blood for blood," it said. "One of royal lineage must sacrifice themselves to restore the flow."

Elara stepped forward without hesitation. "Take me."

"No!" the Queen cried, but it was too late. Elara stepped onto the altar, the Guardian’s power wrapping around her in a glowing mist.

With a final, tearful glance at her sister, Elara whispered, "I forgive you."

The light engulfed her, and in a blinding flash, the river’s flow stopped, then reversed back to its natural course.

Epilogue

The kingdom began to heal. The crops grew again, the people’s panic subsided, and the river, once feared, became a symbol of renewal. But the Queen, broken by the loss of her sister, abdicated the throne, leaving the kingdom in the hands of a new council.

Kai, now a trusted advisor, often found himself at the river’s edge, watching its gentle flow and remembering the sacrifice that had saved them all. The Guardian’s words echoed in his mind, a reminder of the price of power: The balance must always be restored.