The river ran backward on the day the Queen vanished

The river ran backward on the day the Queen vanished.

It started with a subtle ripple, an oddity that went unnoticed by many, a trickle of water that defied its usual course. But soon, the current began to swell, and the mighty river that had always flowed from east to west started to move in reverse. It felt as if the very laws of nature had been turned upside down. The riverbank, once solidly anchored in the earth, quaked as the waters pulled back toward the distant hills.

By noon, the waters had begun to overflow, surging against the banks and inching into the heart of the kingdom of Lysoria, where the Queen’s palace perched atop the highest hill. In the castle’s tower, the Queen stood alone in her chambers, gazing out at the bizarre scene. Her silver eyes narrowed in contemplation, and a single tear traced the curve of her pale cheek.

In the capital city below, people gathered in bewilderment along the river’s edge, watching as the current twisted and writhed like a creature ensnared. Merchants shouted in disbelief. Children pointed their faces a mix of wonder and fear. Yet the Queen’s advisors remained calm. Not yet. They had seen the signs, though they had not dared to voice them.

The Queen was gone.

Eldrin, the captain of the royal guard, was the first to reach the palace gates. He had been unable to get to the Queen’s chambers in time. The doors were locked, and when he and his men forced them open, they found only an empty room and the wind howling through the open window.

The Queen had disappeared without a trace, leaving no clues behind—just the endless backward flow of the river.

Eldrin’s heart raced as he made his way to the highest tower of the castle, where he had once stood beside the Queen. The air was thick with tension, and the ground beneath his boots vibrated with a strange energy that had overtaken the land. He could feel it in the very bones of the kingdom—something ancient and powerful had stirred.

The Queen’s disappearance was no mere accident. And the river? It was more than just an oddity. It was a sign.

But a sign of what?

The royal advisors were already assembled in the grand hall when Eldrin arrived, their faces pale and brows furrowed with worry. Among them was Minister Arlen, the Queen’s closest confidant. His thin lips were pressed tightly together, and his hands trembled slightly as he adjusted the silver spectacles on his nose.

“We must find her,” Eldrin said, his voice low yet firm. “The Queen is missing, and we are the only ones who can locate her. The river’s backward flow is a warning. I don’t know what it signifies, but I fear we don’t have much time.”

Minister Arlen looked up at him, suspicion narrowing his eyes. “You think the river’s strange behavior is connected to her disappearance?”

“I do,” Eldrin replied. “The Queen—she is not just the ruler of Lysoria. She is the guardian of an ancient magic. There are stories, legends, that speak of a time when the river would flow backward when the balance of the world would be thrown into chaos.”

Arlen’s lips tightened, but he remained silent.

The kingdom had always been steeped in magic. For centuries, the ancient Lifeblood River had been...land of magic. For centuries, the ancient Lifeblood River had been the source of power, a force that coursed through the very veins of the earth. It was said that the Queen, through her bloodline, held dominion over the river and its secrets. This connection was why she was so cherished by her people. And it was also the reason her disappearance—on the very day the river flowed backward—could not be overlooked.

The room was thick with silence as Arlen nodded slowly, his mind clearly racing. “We must search the forest,” he finally said. “The Eldertree is known to be a place of great power. If the Queen is anywhere, it may be there.”

Eldrin nodded solemnly. The Eldertree, an ancient giant at the heart of the Enchanted Forest, was a gathering place for magic, where the threads of fate intertwined. It was said to be the source of the Queen’s strength, a place few had ever seen and even fewer had returned from.

“I will assemble a team,” Eldrin declared. “We leave at first light.”

Minister Arlen paused for a moment before adding, “Be cautious, Captain. There are forces at play here that we do not fully understand. If we lose the Queen, the kingdom itself may be at risk.”

Eldrin clenched his jaw. “The kingdom will not fall,” he stated firmly. “We will find her.”

The journey into the Enchanted Forest was fraught with danger. The forest was alive, its ancient trees whispering in languages long forgotten, their roots creeping beneath the earth like the fingers of slumbering giants. The deeper they ventured, the more Eldrin sensed the air shift, thickening with magic. Each step felt heavier as if the land itself was aware of their presence.

By the time they reached the heart of the forest, the sun had set, draping the world in a twilight shroud. There, before them, stood the Eldertree—a massive, gnarled entity, its roots sprawling like an enormous spider’s web. The tree’s bark shimmered silver, its leaves glowing with an otherworldly light. It pulsed with an energy that made Eldrin’s skin prickle.

“This is where the Queen draws her power,” Eldrin murmured, his eyes fixed on the towering tree. “But… why would she come here now?”

A sudden rustle in the brush caught his attention, and he unsheathed his sword, his men mirroring his actions. From the shadows, a figure emerged—a tall, cloaked man with eyes that glowed like embers.

“You should not be here,” the stranger warned, his voice a low growl.

Eldrin stood firm, sword raised. “Who are you?”

The man smirked, revealing a row of sharp, gleaming teeth. “I have awaited this day,” he replied. “The day when the river runs backward. The day when the Queen’s reign comes to an end.”

Eldrin’s heart raced. The stranger’s words sent a chill through him. This was no ordinary man; he was a creature of magic, one who had been anticipating the Queen’s downfall.

“You will not stop us,” Eldrin declared, stepping closer. “We seek the Queen. If you know where she is, tell us.”

The man’s smirk widened, shaking his head slowly. “The Queen is no longer of this world. She is beyond the reach of men, beyond the grasp of magic.”

Eldrin tightened his grip on his sword. “Then tell me where she is, and I will spare your life.”

The creature’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “The Queen is gone, but her power lingers,” he said. “And it is now mine to seize.”

With a flick of his wrist, the stranger raised his hand, and the air around them crackled with energy. Eldrin felt the ground shift beneath him as if the very forest had come alive.

But Eldrin was not one to back down in the face of danger. He charged forward, his sword clashing against the stranger’s magical shield with a resounding clang. The creature hissed in irritation and swung his arm, sending Eldrin sprawling backward. Yet Eldrin was quick, his reflexes sharpened by years of combat. He rolled to his feet, eyes narrowed with resolve.

“Come then,” Eldrin growled. “If you believe you can stop me.”

The battle raged on, the air thick with tension. The air was thick with magic and steel. Eldrin fought with all his might, but the stranger’s power was too much to handle. It was only when the Eldertree itself seemed to awaken—its branches stretching toward the sky, its roots digging deeper into the earth—that the tide began to shift.

With a mighty roar, the Eldertree’s magic surged outward, shattering the stranger’s shield and sending him crashing into the underbrush.

Eldrin stood there, panting, his sword held high. The stranger had vanished, consumed by the very forest that had shielded them.

As the dust settled, Eldrin turned to his men, his thoughts racing. The Queen’s magic, intertwined with the Eldertree, had come alive. But what did it signify? What had truly happened to her?

He knew the answer would reveal itself soon enough.

For now, all that mattered was finding her.

Back in Lysoria, the river flowed backward, carrying the whispers of a kingdom on the edge of transformation. The Queen had disappeared, but the forces she had unleashed would not be easily undone. The time of reckoning had arrived. And with it, the adventure of a lifetime.

Eldrin’s journey was just beginning.

To be continued...