The following day, I woke up to the sound of a rooster crowing, and my heart raced. My sixteenth birthday should have been a joyous occasion together with family and friends. But the Gatál had to ruin it by summoning me to Castle Halcía, a fortress of evil covered in perpetual darkness.

Wait, no! I won't let them win and spoil the most important day of my life. I'm going to enjoy it!

Jutting my chin, I leaped out of bed and donned my fanciest peasant garb--a sapphire-blue dress with gold trim, the national colors of Halcía. Like Mama and Papa, I could rebel in little ways that didn't get me killed. 

That morning when I entered the kitchen for my birthday breakfast, three presents lay on the kitchen table, wrapped in parchment hand-painted by Mama. The room was decorated with flax ribbons that my mother had dyed purple and frayed until they coiled in tight curls.

It almost made me forget about the ominous appointment.

"Happy birthday, my little hawk," Mama exclaimed as she gave me a warm hug.

Papa wrapped his arms around me too. "Happy birthday, Helena." His voice sounded happy, but his eyes betrayed his worry.

"Thank you," I said as I looked around the kitchen. "It's beautiful."

"You can open your presents this evening at your party," Mama said. "Lena said she's coming, and she's bringing friends with her."

"I can't wait!"

Even though I loathed the idea of traveling to the eerie castle on my birthday, I refused to mope. This was the most important birthday of my life, and we would celebrate it properly.

"Until your appointment, you can help me in the field," Papa said. "And if you manage twenty bundles per hour, I have a special surprise for you tomorrow."

"Really? What?"

He ruffled my hair. "I can't tell you, or it wouldn't be a surprise. But let's just say it has something to do with my ..." He lowered his voice to a faint whisper. "Lab."

My eyes widened, and I clasped my hands over my mouth. "Oh, that'd be amazing, Papa!"

"Andreas, we talked about this," Mama said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Just a little experiment," he said to her with a wink. "Careful in the forest, my lovely starlight."

Mama gave Papa a critical look before her face broke out into a smile, and she gave him a peck on the lips. "Don't forget the cart is picking Helena up at the thirteenth bell."

Forget? Not likely.

***

As time droned on, I picked up the heavy bundles of wheat and tossed them onto our wooden cart. I felt like an achy animal--flies buzzed around me, and I swatted at them in aggravation. Cicadas sang in the early afternoon heat.

How did my father do this work year after year with that brilliant mind of his? How did he not curse every day of his life after the takeover?

With a casual glance, I noticed that Papa was hacking down the grain on the far end of the field.

He won't notice if I just take a little break.

Bending down to the ground, I picked up an imaginary sickle and twirled it in my hand. In my mind's eye, a Shadow Rider appeared before me with a frightened Halcían family in his grasp.

Let go of them--they're innocent, I hissed at the dark lord.

The dark knight turned to me, a metal mask obscuring his entire face--even his eyes. None of you are innocent.

You have one last chance, I growled as I brandished my fake weapon. Hand them over or face your end.

With a mirthless chuckle, the dark lord drew his broadsword. My, my, aren't you a feisty one? He pointed the tip of his weapon towards me. Leave now, and I shall spare your miserable life.

I narrowed my eyes at him. Never!

With all my might, I lunged myself at my attacker, wielding my airy sickle to and fro. In a fury of lunges and parries, I dueled the dark lord until he breathed his last.

Filled with gratitude, the little Halcían child grasped my leg. Thank you, Helena! she cried. You saved us!

How can my family ever repay you? the father asked.

"The fight for justice is reward enough," I whispered to myself.

A broad smile swept across my face as I imagined telling Lena about my tales of glory and adventure. She listened, enthralled by my heroic feats.

Damn, we'll save the world together, Lena said as she gave my shoulder a playful punch.

My fantasy soon came to an abrupt end.

Without warning, several strands of black fog rose from the field like the mists on the Bogman Moors. The wispy fibers weaved and meshed into each other until a ghastly Shadow Rider emerged from the darkness.

The Rider's deep, eerie voice slithered towards me like an eel and burrowed itself into my mind as he savored each syllable of my name.

He-le-na ...

Unable to breathe, I simply gaped at the monstrous creature. A metal mask covered his entire face and cast a dark shadow over his eyes. Dressed in black, the evil creature sauntered towards me as his cape fluttered in the breeze.

Desperately trying to keep calm, I tried to get Papa's attention, but he just waved at me with a smile as though nothing was wrong.

When I turned back, the Shadow Rider reached out to touch me. He dwarfed me in both size and strength, and my courage failed me as I retreated from his grasp. A gale whipped across the plain, and I shivered in fear.

The Gatál have discovered your father's secret. Run!

Who are you? I asked, my eyes wide with fear. Before he could answer, a raven descended and landed on the Rider's shoulder, and I gasped. My gods, he's real! I thought with a shudder.

There's no time. Find your mother and hide!

A muffled voice pulled me back to reality. "Helena!" Papa shouted as he shook my shoulder. "What's the matter?"

My voice trembled as I pointed at the Rider. "Can't you see him?"

"See what?" Papa shielded his eyes from the sun. "I don't see anything."

When I whipped around to face the Rider, he'd disappeared. The raven croaked as it flew across the field.

My heart pounding, I searched the wheat fields as far as my eyes could see. He'd vanished into thin air. Like he'd never been there at all.

Did I imagine it?

No, it was real.

What if it's nothing?

A vision, perhaps?

Was the Rider warning me? If so, why? A Gatál wraith had no business warning one of us Halcían peasants that we were in danger.

That was tantamount to treason.

Would a Rider truly risk himself to protect me and my family?

The thought itched at me and made cold tingles crawl down my spine.

I'm not crazy. I'm not.

I need to tell Papa.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Papa asked as I approached. "You look like you've seen a wraith."

I have.

"Why don't you get a bite to eat?" he said. "You can start again after lunch."

Words tumbled from my lips before I could restrain them. "Papa, does Mama have visions?"

My father furrowed his brow. "Visions? What kind of visions?"

"Just now, I was pretending to fight a Shadow Rider, and then one appeared right in front of me."

With a faint chuckle, Papa placed his calloused hand on my shoulder. "I've always admired your creativity and imagination."

"No, Papa," I insisted, shrugging away from his touch. "I know what's real and what isn't." I took a deep breath. "The Rider told me he knew our secret. Your secret."

My father dropped his sickle to the ground, and it landed with a thud. "What did you say?"

"He was scary--he wore a mask and their black leather uniform, and he told us to run."

"Helena, if you're bored, you can venture into the forest with your mother. But you should never joke about ..."

My face flushed with anger. "I'm not kidding, Papa," I said, my voice terse. "He looked wispy, like the fog on the moors. The mists congealed into the form of a Shadow Rider."

Papa's eyes widened. "You're serious, aren't you?

Before I could reply, black clouds swept across the sunny autumn sky as though some force had covered heavens with a blanket of darkness. Papa blanched as he watched the unnatural patterns swirl like a whirlpool above us.

Skeletal fingers traced down my spine, leaving an icy chill in their wake. My teeth chattered as a wintery gale rushed across the field.

As I clutched my upper arms in fear and cold, a voice echoed across the field.

Why didn't you listen? I told you to run!

___

A/N: Thank you for reading! I divided this chapter into two parts to make it easier to read. But before you move on, could I ask you to give a quick vote if you liked the chapter?

A/N:

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