The quill trembled in Zara's hand as she traced the final line across the parchment. Ink pooled unevenly where her fingers pressed too hard against the desk, smudging the edges of what was supposed to be a simple map of the city square. She sighed, brushing a stray curl from her face, and leaned closer to inspect her work. It wasn't perfect her lines were jagged, her labels uneven but it would do. Or so she thought.
A sudden flash of light seared through her mind, blinding her to everything but the image that burst forth unbidden. Her breath hitched, and the quill clattered to the floor as her vision blurred. For a moment, the workshop around her dissolved entirely, replaced by an unfamiliar world bathed in golden twilight. Towering trees with leaves like shards of crystal shimmered under a sky streaked with hues no painter could replicate. A river carved its way through the landscape, glowing faintly as if lit from within, while strange creatures flitted between branches, their wings scattering sparks like fireflies.
Zara stumbled backward, clutching at the edge of the desk to steady herself. The vision vanished as abruptly as it had come, leaving her gasping for air in the dim candlelight of her small, cluttered workspace. Her heart pounded wildly, and sweat trickled down her temples despite the chill in the room.
"Not again," she whispered, pressing a trembling palm to her forehead.
This wasn't the first time this had happened not by far. Ever since she was a child, maps had haunted her dreams and invaded her waking hours. At first, they'd been mere flashes, fleeting glimpses of places she didn't recognize. But over the years, the visions had grown stronger, more vivid, until now they felt almost tangible as though she could step into them if she dared.
She glanced down at the map on the desk. Something about it seemed… wrong. Squinting, she leaned forward once more, her pulse quickening. There, etched faintly into the ink, was something she hadn't drawn a winding trail leading out of the city limits toward hills that didn't exist on any known chart. And beyond those hills… a dense forest unlike anything she'd ever seen before. It looked eerily similar to the one in her vision.
Her stomach churned. She grabbed the map and crumpled it into a ball, tossing it onto the pile of discarded drafts beside her chair. "Enough," she muttered aloud, trying to shake off the unease creeping up her spine. "It's just my imagination."
But deep down, she knew better.
For as long as she could remember, people had warned her about gifts like hers. In the bustling trade city of Olorun, cartography was both revered and feared. Maps weren't just tools they were keys to secrets hidden beneath mountains, behind locked doors, or buried in forgotten ruins. And those who could see beyond the ink? They were either hailed as prodigies or cursed.
Zara fell squarely into the latter category.
"Still burning candles late, I see."
The gruff voice startled her, and she turned to find Master Kofi standing in the doorway, his wiry frame silhouetted against the flickering torchlight from the hallway. His dark eyes scanned the room, lingering briefly on the crumpled maps littering the floor before settling on Zara. Despite his stern demeanor, there was a softness in his gaze a hint of concern masked by years of practiced indifference.
"You should rest," he said, stepping inside. He picked up the discarded map she'd thrown aside moments earlier, smoothing it out with calloused hands. As he studied it, his brow furrowed. "What is this?"
"It's nothing," Zara replied quickly, snatching the paper back. "Just practice."
Kofi raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. Instead, he crossed the room and placed a steaming cup of herbal tea on the corner of her desk. "Drink this. You look like you've seen a ghost."
She forced a laugh, though it sounded hollow even to her own ears. "Maybe I have."
He gave her a long, searching look before turning toward the door. "Don't stay up too late, girl. These walls hold enough secrets without you adding to them."
As the sound of his footsteps faded down the corridor, Zara sank into her chair, clutching the map tightly in her hands. Secrets. That word echoed in her mind, taunting her. Whatever lay beyond those hills, whatever truth her curse sought to reveal it terrified her. Yet, somewhere deep inside, curiosity burned brighter than fear.
And she couldn't ignore it forever.