The Vanishing of Queen Aminata

The river ran backwards on the day the Queen vanished. It was a strange sight—the gentle waters of the Karella flowing uphill, swirling and defying the current, leaving the villages along its banks confused and bewildered. People gathered at the river’s edge staring in awe and whispering. Some said it was a curse, others believed it a miracle. But everyone sensed that something profound had shifted the kingdom.

In the heart of the kingdom of Negus, where the lush hills met the gleaming towers of Neralla, the news of Queen Aminata’s disappearance had spread like wildfire. She was a woman of unparalleled wisdom and kindness, beloved by her people. She had guided them through droughts, fended off invaders, and presided over their most sacred ceremonies. To imagine her gone, without word or trace, felt as impossible as the rivers reversal.

Adila, a slender teenaged girl with wind-tousled hair the color of night and bright blue eyes, watched the strange waters from a distance. She was one of the onlookers at the riverbank, but unlike the rest, she wasn’t just any villager. She was the queen's niece, though the title had always felt distant, more rumor than reality. She and her family lived humbly, her mother running the town bakery and her father tending to the gardens of the city square. The queen’s status felt worlds away from her life, yet she couldn’t shake the strange feeling of connection she felt in the river’s unsettling transformation.

Around her the crowd murmured anxiously.

“Have you ever seen anything like it?” asked a man, his voice wavering.

“A bad omen, no doubt,” said a woman with an anxious frown. “The Queen’s disappearance – now the river running backwards? Something is terribly wrong.”

Adila turned to listen but found her gaze being pulled back to the river. She couldn’t help but take a step closer, compelled by an instinct she didn’t understand. Her heart pounded as she reached the river’s edge, where the water seemed to pulse with an unusual energy. She felt a strange, inexplicable pull, as if something in the current was calling her name.

Before she could understand what, she was doing, Adila stepped into the water. It was cold and shockingly clear, almost unnaturally so, and she felt a tingling sensation creep up her legs. Then, out of nowhere, she heard a voice.

“Adila.”

She froze, her heart leaping into her throat. She spun around, but no one was there. The other villagers were too absorbed in their own whispers and theories to notice her. Swallowing her fear, Adila looked down at the water, where her reflection shimmer back at her. She was transfixed by the fact that her eyes were the same color as the water, but then suddenly another face – a regal, pale face with the same eyes that seemed to pierce into her soul appeared.

It was Queen Aminata.

Adila gasped and stumbled backwards, her heart racing. The Queen’s face faded from the water, replaced by her own reflection, her eyes wide with shock. But the voice lingered in her mind, soft but insistent.

“Adila, follow the river.”

“Adila!” A familiar voice called from the crowd, jolting her out of her trance. She looked up to see her mother, Alata, making her way toward her. Alata’s face was a mixture of worry and exasperation. “What are you doing in the water? I’ve been looking all over for you!”

“I... I thought I heard...” Adila trailed off, unsure of how to explain what she’d seen. “It’s nothing Mama. Just...just curious about the river.”

Alata’s eyes softened, but her brow remained frowned. “Curiosity can be dangerous, Adila. Especially with what’s going on.” She looked over her shoulder, her gaze lingering on the crowd before she turned back to Adila. “We need to get home. The kingdom is unsettled, and it’s not safe to wander alone right now.”

Adila nodded, though she felt a pang of frustration. Her mother’s concern was well-meaning, but it had always left Adila feeling stifled. She glanced back at the river after she stepped out, the Queen’s voice still echoing in her mind like a faint whisper.

Back at the bakery that night, Adila couldn’t shake the strange pull she’d felt at the river. She found herself lying awake long after the rest of her family had gone to bed, her mind racing with questions. The Queen’s face had appeared to her, of that she was certain. And her voice, though soft, had sounded as real as any whisper. Follow the river. What could that possibly mean?

She slipped out of bed and went to the window, peering out at the distant glow of Aerelia’s lights. The river ran through the city, cutting a glistening path through its heart. She could see the faint silhouette of the castle, its towers piercing the night sky, a symbol of the Queen’s strength. But now, with Aminata gone, the castle looked like an empty shell, a reminder of a vanished power.

Adila’s hand drifted to her throat, where she wore a simple pendant – a gift from the queen herself, given to her when she was only a child. It was the only reminder she had of her connection to the royal bloodline, a bloodline that felt more like a dream than a reality. But now, that pendant seemed to warm against her skin, as if urging her forward, calling her to act.

Before she knew what she was doing, Adila found herself reaching for her cloak. The house was quiet, her family fast asleep, and the air outside was crisp and silent. Taking a deep breath, she slipped out into the night, her heart racing with equal parts fear and exhilaration.

She made her way back to river, her steps light and quick, her mind focused on the memory of the Queen’s face in the water. The night was still, the moon casting a silver glow over the landscape. The river seemed calmer now, though it continued its strange, unnatural backward flow, winding its way up through the kingdom like a snake curling back towards the safety of its home.

As she reached the riverbank, she hesitated, her heart pounding. The Queen’s words echoed in her mind, a gentle command that carried the weight of destiny.

“Adila, follow the river.”

With a final glance back at the city she called home, Adila stepped into the water. This time the chill didn’t bother her; she felt a strange warmth radiating from within, as if her very blood had been stirred by the river’s magic. She waded deeper until the water reached her knees, then her waist. Each step felt as though she was crossing a threshold, moving beyond the boundaries of her old life.

The current tugged at her, urging her forward, and she surrendered to it, letting it guide her upstream. She didn’t know where she was going or what she would find, but she knew, in the depths of her heart, that this was where she was meant to be.

Hours passed, and dawn began to break, painting the sky with hues of pink and gold. Adila’s legs were tired, but she pressed on, the determination fueled by the memory of the Queen’s voice, the soft command that had drawn her from her quiet life and set her on a path she couldn’t yet comprehend.

As she rounded a bend, she saw something up ahead – a faint glow, like the light of a distant star, shimmering just above the river’s surface. She felt a thrill of excitement, her heart beating faster as she moved closer. The glow grew brighter, illuminating the water with an ethereal light, and as she approached, she realized it wasn’t just light; it was a figure, standing in the middle of the river, cloaked by mist.

The figure turned, and Adila gasped. It was the Queen.

“Adila,” the Queen said, her voice soft but clear, carrying over the water like a song. “You’ve come far. But your journey has only just begun.”

Adila stared at her, her voice caught in her throat. She felt an overwhelming mixture of fear and awe, but more than anything, she felt a deep, unshakable resolve.

“What...what must I do?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

The Queen smiled, a look of pride in her eyes. “Follow the river, Adila. Follow it to its source. There, you will find the answers you seek – and perhaps, a way to bring me home.”

And with that, the Queen’s image dissolved, leaving only the faint glow of dawn reflecting off the river. But Adila felt no fear now, only a burning determination. She knew, without a doubt, that she was ready to face whatever awaited her on the path ahead.

With one last glance back at the distant city, Adila set off, following the river upstream, her heart pounding with the thrill of adventure and the weight of destiny.