Anora Evergreen had a seemingly normal and perfect life until her parents became souls of the sea. Recurring nightmares guide her to the one place that echoed unstoppably in her dreams, Thornwood. There she will learn the truth about her world. Her whole life was a lie. She was born Anora Eurydice, and she is anything but human. Zodiac signs are no longer just a mythological term. Two thousand years ago, fate had another destiny in store, one where zodiac creatures are real, bearing distinctive eyes, marks, and powers. A coven of balance, a human representative, and the Diviner hold all the power. Will her existence prevent an all-out war between humans and zodiacs OR Cause irreversible damage to all living entities?
"The light burning so brightly from our hands is
destiny proving that we were fated all along."
"Oh, please, don't do this!" I shout for the world to hear me.
"It is done," Adonis says as he holds me down with much force.
He is dying, my soulmate and the love of my life. It feels like
my whole world is crashing down. He decided without telling me. I had to find out from the enemy that he had a plan all along, and this plan did not include us ending up together, instead, he sacrificed himself for me and our coven. My heart has been ripped
out of my body completely, seeing him take his last breath.
I didn't have the chance to tell him that I love him. We never
got the time to say those words to each other, but I know that we both knew it anyway. We went in so many circles to find each other, afraid of hurting others' feelings. It turns out that in the end,
it was only us who got hurt with barely any time spent together, a regret that would remain forever.
I would never have imagined having this life, not even in my
deepest fantasies. The reality that is now known as my life is far fetched and unbelievable, but it has been my destiny since birth. Our world started two thousand years ago, but my destiny started with Melia, my mother.
That day should have never happened. It was supposed to be a
day filled with celebration and love as I was turning fifteen. My
parents would follow their weekly routine, and thereafter we would have a celebratory dinner for my birthday. Their routine
was like clockwork, they would leave at daybreak once a week to find the best salmon the sea had to offer, sell the majority of it to the local Silverton markets and keep a few pieces to themselves for special meals.
I would meet them at the checkpoint that we agreed upon as soon as dawn approached. This routine of ours remained unchanged for years until the day of my birthday when dawn was
approaching, but mom and dad did not return.
The currents were strong and uneasy, so I allowed time to pass without getting worried, but when their boat returned piece by piece, I knew. It was a destructive storm that loomed over their boat while the Gods of the ocean slammed their hammers of thunder down onto them. They fought their toughest battle yet, just
to keep their boat afloat. Sadly, their best was not enough that day. All control of the boat was lost and they landed into the merciless
tides of the Silverton Sea.
Nature returned their lifeless bodies to shore for me to find.
Healers were scarce in Silverton, only to be summoned when
absolutely necessary. Their journey would have been too long, and they would have never arrived in time to save my parents. Seeing them like that froze my entire body and mind, the only thing I felt was shock and horror. Finally, denial took over as I kept on screaming for them to open their eyes. Some townspeople saw the event occurring, pleading with me to leave the scene while they gather the local undertaker to transport their bodies to the Silverton funeral home, but I refused.
My request to them was simple, leave me be while I wait for the
undertaker alone. As the night grew longer, most people made
their way home until it was only me left. The shock and
tremendous heartbreak must have turned into exhaustion as I was unable to keep my eyes open. The bright light of a full moon awoke me, when I scanned around the area where their bodies laid hours earlier, it was empty, they were gone. The only explanation
I had is that it must have been wild animals, scavenging for their next meal who dragged their lifeless bodies away.
I have never been the same after that. My mom used to describe me as a hazel-eyed girl with princess-like golden brown hair. I only allowed my hair to grow long because of my mother's request. Some people would say that my vibrant personality faded
and I became a shell of my former self after my parents passing, and they were right.
A few days after their passing, while I sat in silence, crying my
eyes bloodshot red, a white messenger dove reached my doorstep. The dove carried a beautifully carved wooden heart-shaped box
around its neck. Inside was a marvellously shaped copper-gold pendant necklace made by Silverton's finest blacksmith, Aiden Heartswater. The necklace had an enclosed opening containing a few dry leaves from a special tree mom and I called Amelia. Our family were never acquainted with many people, and the
only true friends we had were the Bowmen's. I grew up alongside Bailey, and she is the closest thing I have to call a sibling, we are
like sisters. After mom and dad passed, the Bowmen's were kind enough to take me in and raise me like their own daughter. Night terrors, sweats, and tremors awakened me night after
night for the past one thousand eight hundred and twenty-five
days, five years to make it less complicated. I kept having the same recurring dreams clinging to me as a demon clings to its victim. The dreams started idealistic with mom and dad walking beside
me, smiling from ear to ear. Then they slowly fade into nothing, while the word Thornwood repeated itself until they were completely gone.
I started realizing that in all truth, I never really knew my
parents as people. The only thing they ever mentioned about their past, in secret was the very same name that haunted my sleep, Thornwood. Eavesdropping was not polite in their household, and
I therefore never questioned the significance of Thornwood.
Turning twenty has led Theresa to question my plans for the
future as I was moving into adulthood. My parents always wished
for me to further my studies, but places of learning are scares in this world and most people will live a mediocre and uneducated life, working as artisans. This is the norm most are used to, having
the opportunity and gold to further education is a blessing to those fortunate enough.
Preserving nature while modernizing the world we live in has fascinated me since childhood. The Silverton nature reserve is where I spent most of my time, alongside Amelia was my happy place. Mr Heartswater had an in-depth conversation with me, informing me that Thornwood is the centre of history, with a
world-renowned college specializing in history, and nature. Mr Heartswater mentioned that Red Valley College is like nothing that I have ever seen before, encouraging me to follow my
heart to see what Thornwood has in store for my future. After the recurring dreams, this was the only way I could think of to make them stop, it made sense. Red Valley College only accepts a few students a year, and the price to attend the college is steep. Luckily, my parents left me a decent sum of gold to secure a comfortable future in the event of unforeseen circumstances. Bailey was also accepted into a weapons crafting course. Bailey
is a brilliant weapons crafter, a skill that she has learned from her parents. The demand for weapons engineers has been on the increase in recent years. This is due to a brewing war that looms over smaller towns. The Bowmen's did not speak of the war to me, they have tried to shelter me as much as they could, but I knew
that a war occurring shortly was inevitable. I only wish that I knew earlier what the war meant. But nothing with the Legend of Mr Eurydice was clear from the start. The
legend of Mr Eurydice said that he was the greatest seer the world has ever known. It sounded more like a folktale than anything else. Most humans despised the mention of his name, they hated him
for the hand he played in trying to alter the future. He disappeared for thousands of years, no one knew if he was just mortal and died, leaving behind only the legend of the words he spoke and the supposed visions he saw.
His name was a highly debatable subject among both humans and zodiacs. Some even mentioned that he never existed, that it was just a fiction of Hammadian's imagination. A made-up story to scare all living into fearing the future. Finding out about the Eurydice heritage took time. I had to find my truth first, and when
I finally learned the entire truth, it was already too late, a new war has begun.
For three years, Shane and Yvonne were wed, sharing heated nights, while his devotion clung to his ex. Yvonne strove to be a dutiful wife, yet their marriage felt hollow, built on desire rather than real warmth. All changed when she became pregnant, only for Shane to thrust her onto the operating table, warning, “Either you or the baby survives!” Broken by his cruelty, she vanished in grief and later returned, radiantly accomplished, leaving everyone awestruck. Haunted by remorse, Shane begged for another chance, but Yvonne only smiled and replied, “I’m sorry, men no longer interest me.”
When Corynn mustered up the courage to tell Elliot about her pregnancy, she unexpectedly found him gallantly helping another woman from his car. Her heart sank as three years of effort to secure his love crumbled before her eyes, compelling her to leave him behind. Three years later, life had taken Corynn down a new path with someone else, while Elliot was left grappling with regret. Seizing a moment of vulnerability, he pleaded, "Corynn, let's get married." Shaking her head with a faint smile, Corynn gently replied, "Sorry, I'm already engaged."
Desperate to handle her grandmother's towering medical bills, Gianna agreed to a contract marriage with Tristan, the enigmatic man she'd once shared a one-night stand with. She assumed they'd fulfill each other's needs and dissolve the arrangement once the terms expired. Unbeknownst to Gianna, this marriage was a dream Tristan had clung to for ten relentless years. Certain she was just filling someone else's role, Gianna prepared to leave when that other woman returned. But Tristan, his eyes burning with unspoken emotion, seized her trembling hand and declared, "You’re mine. Now and always."
Maria took her sister’s place and was engaged to Anthony, a disabled man who had lost his status as the family heir. At first, they were just a nominal couple. However, things changed when things about Maria were gradually exposed. It turned out she was a professional hacker, a mysterious composer, and the sole successor to an international jade sculpting master… The more that was revealed about her, the less Anthony could rest easy. A famous singer, an award-winning actor, an heir of a rich family—so many excellent men were chasing after his fiancee, Maria. What should Anthony do?
When Zora was sick during the early days of her pregnancy, Ezrah was with his first love, Piper. When Zora got into an accident and called Ezrah, he said he was busy, when in actual fact, he was buying shoes for Piper. Zora lost her baby because of the accident, and throughout her stay at the hospital, Ezrah never showed up. She already knew that he didn't love her, but that was the last straw for the camel's back, and her fragile heart could not take it anymore. When Ezrah arrived home a few days after Zora was discharged from the hospital, he no longer met the woman who always greeted him with a smile and cared for him. Zora stood at the top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression, "Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore, so let's get a divorce." The man who claimed not to have any feelings for Zora, being cold and distant towards her, and having asked her for a divorce twice, instantly panicked.
Rose looked at the reports in her hand and was in shock... The reports said that she was one month pregnant, however, how can she get pregnant when she didn't have any man in her life... "Was it because of that dream? Could I get pregnant because I have sex in my dream?" She thought... She didn't have any mental problems, however, except for this she can't able to think about anything... However, she still didn't get out of her surprise when she met the man in her dream... Kevin Davis looked at the reports in her hand and asked, "Is this child mine?" However, Rose didn't answer but asked... "Was that night not a dream?" Kevin was angry because it was his first time and she thinks it was a dream... Kevin forced her to marry him however, Rose didn't want it... She wanted to abort the child but he didn't let her... In the end... Rose agreed to marry him... She looked at Kevin's blue eyes and said, "I will marry you, however, I had two conditions..." "First, after marriage, you can't control my freedom, I still had the right to do whatever I want. Don't worry I won't harm the child." "Second, if I ever found out that you had cheated behind my back then I will leave with my child and you can't stop me..." Both of them got married... However, after she falls in love with him... She found there are hidden secrets in his past...