Order
The new gods had awakened. They took the lands with them into the darkness, casting shadows over every good deed, every good thought; bringing hatred, greed, and sacrifice. It was a pitiful world, void of love and meaning.
She still remembered when the colors were there, when the sea and the city weren’t painted black, blue, and all the tones of gray. The moon rising wasn’t greeted with terror. It used to inspire awe. She cast her gaze out of the room she was staying in, seeing the fog-covered shores. She had arrived in the city late at night by the sea that had taken the lives of her fellow travelers. Blood had to be paid for safe passage. So it was. So it had become.
She always carried a sacrificial knife. But she hadn’t cast the other passengers to the sea. It had been the captain, bringing extra with him to soothe the gods and their perpetual hunger for bodies. She carried the knife with her so that others would see that she wasn’t to be their blood sacrifice. But the truth was, she had never used it. She wasn’t made for this world. Not like this.
Life was meant to be more than transactions and the pursuit of gains. It had to have love. Otherwise, it was meaningless. Her convictions didn’t make her weak, as the others would say and had said. They made her strong. Stronger than them. She would fix it. She would fix the city where it all started. Where the gods spread their tentacles to other cities and lands, governing everything with hate.
When the morning fog cleared, and the city was soothed for another day, she and the like-minded would gather. They would form an order, raise the old gods to fight the new ones, and she would take her place beside them and sacrifice her life for a better future.
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I stretched the concept of mystery with this one. This was meant to be a voice-driven mystery about voyage and return, written in the omniscient third person. I pushed the boundaries to fit the narrative that I had. I think this one needs more polishing, but with proper work and attention, it could be a great story. I would love to see our protagonist mingle with the order and see what they could do. I wish I could have used an omniscient third-person point of view. I sometimes fear I have lost the omniscient voice I used to have in my books. I remember one reviewer stating that they loved how I broke the fourth wall, and even the fifth, as they noted.
Thank you for reading! Have a day of connections, love, and meaning, and see you tomorrow ❤
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