Twins of the Eclipse

By Christopher Woods

Cyrus's life is stagnant as Elite Knight and prince to the Emperor of the Chaos. With his royal duties and his sister, Octavia, lingering over his head, he longs for adventure free from responsibility. His life changes when the Emperor Julius entrusts a young prisoner named Celine under his watchful care, but Celine has a deadly secret. She is searching for the one from the Chaos who murdered her mother. Cyrus is captivated by Celine's ocean eyes and the life of adventure he yearned for, but he soon discovers it came with a cost: the life of a brother in arms and Celine is the only suspect. Cyrus finds himself turning his back on his family to help Celine escape, thrusting himself into an uncontrollable conflict. When war breaks between the lands of the Order and the Chaos, Cyrus finds this fate was foretold seventeen years ago on his birth night. Two champions, born on the eve of the twin eclipse, must unite to banish an evil spreading deception across the world. One with the power to heal, and the other with the power to seal but marked with the sign of death. Only then will the balance be restored before it is too late.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jul 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098374884

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Copyright 2021

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

ISBN: 978-1-09837-487-7 (print)

ISBN: 978-1-09837-488-4 (eBook)

To my family—you are the reason I fight for my dreams

Contents

Twins of the Eclipses

Twins of the Eclipse

Where’s your passion, your reason to fight?

C yrus! There you are! Octavia’s voice bellowed across the courtyard commons. Must you be so insensitive with your training? She stomped as she walked through the grass to meet him. Why are you out here when you should be in the training field practicing your magic techniques or studying for your exams? You’re never going to improve by being lazy.

Cyrus sat under the shade of the tallest oak tree in the courtyard. It was his favorite spot on the palace grounds. He even carved his name into its trunk with one of the small daggers he kept attached to his ankle in a leather harness. Today, the sun graced the earth with its golden light. A gentle summer breeze wafted across the garden and whispered its warmth over his shaggy brown hair.

Calm down, Tavi. I already know everything the commander is teaching us in the class. He smoothed a single blade of grass between his fingers.

Octavia tapped her rawhide boot on the ground in front of him. Oh, really? She pulled out her sword from its sheath strapped on her back. Prove it. Fight me.

Cyrus made eye contact with her. Beads of sweat from his brow rolled down the collar of his white and ruby-colored tunic. He fumbled to find a reason to procrastinate the duel. Well, I mean…participants are forbidden to spar outside the training commons.

Another excuse. Figures. Octavia pointed the tip of her sword at his throat and noticed his choice of clothing. Where’s your uniform?

Cyrus remained silent, once again unable to find the words to defend his actions. He despised wearing his formal apparel. He preferred simple garb and trousers, trading tradition for comfort. Even his sword he swapped for the pair of daggers he received on his sixteenth birthday when he joined the rank of the knighthood.

You’re a knight and the son of the emperor. Why must you neglect every responsibility given to you? You’re wasting your potential.

I am not! Cyrus raised his voice, standing to move closer to his sister. The tip of her sword poked his throat and drew a droplet of blood. He winced in pain from the direct contact with the blade.

Octavia huffed. "Nothing changes. You are still unable to see past the end of your nose otherwise you’d have remembered that my sword was in front of you. After sheathing her weapon, she knelt next to him and placed her left hand in front of his neck, her palm facing the sun in the sky. A deep garnet-colored aura encircled her hands and healed his wound. She rose to her feet and her long, brown hair, secured in a ponytail, rustled in the wind. Her armless leather breastplate could not conceal her robust figure and powerful muscle tone. You state you know everything, and that you’re a master at your craft. Let’s test your knowledge. Part one. Show me the results of your training. Use your fire magic."

Cyrus rolled his eyes and leaned his lanky torso against the tree trunk. He outstretched his left hand, holding the blade of grass with his palm facing the ground, and focused his mind. In a quick flash, the strand of grass burst into a small ember, turned to cinders, and scattered across the lawn.

Proud of his accomplishment, he smiled at his sister. "See? I am adept with my magic."

Octavia crossed her arms. "You call that tiny ember a flame? Pathetic is the correct word, not adept. Your fire is unlike anything from those within your class. What it needs is dedication and refined skill."

Get off my back, Tavi! I never asked for this stupid fire magic in the first place.

No, but it’s the role you must accept. If you attended your training, you’d remember the history of magic and its purpose in this world. The elements are divided between the two lands. Fire and wind belong to the Chaos, and earth and water belong to the Order. Speaking of history, let’s move on to part two. A lesson in history. She smirked. "Do you remember why magic was divided?"

Cyrus may not have paid attention in his studies, but everyone knew the history of the last Great War that separated the lands into two—the Chaos and the Order. Emperor Julius of the Chaos and Lady Mae of the Order, once sworn enemies, had to work together to defeat the Oracle, Mara. After the enemy was vanquished, a barrier of magic forever separated the two lands.

He sighed. Yes. To end the Great War.

Octavia put her hands on her hips. Wrong, as usual. It was more than that. History taught us that magic was divided to balance the power of the Oracle. As a divine vessel to the twin gods, the Oracle is the master of all magic. Their mission is to maintain balance in the world, but during the last Great War, the Oracle, Mara, became corrupt with power, wanting to overthrow the twin gods, consume all magic, and become a deity herself. She used the strife and hatred between the Order and the Chaos against each other to aid her powers of deception. The war lasted for many years, and countless lives were lost, including our mother’s.

Cyrus remained silent, staring at a leaf that fell from the tree and landed by his feet.

Octavia continued, oblivious to his lack of interest. After Mara’s defeat, pieces of her darkness lingered in the hearts of humanity. When Lady Mae, a noblewoman from the Order, rose to assume the role as the new Oracle, she forfeited her authority, choosing to divide her magic as a way to preserve the balance and prevent the seed of corruption to blossom from the shadows once again. She’s renowned as a gentle leader who won the heart of Father and adopted a peace treaty between the lands. Her friendship with Emperor Julius is the reason we have peace to this day—but this peace came at a cost. Lady Mae raised a barrier, separating the realms as a way to protect the people from enduring another war.

Cyrus ran his finger through the grass, watching it blow in the wind. If you say so. But why does this concern me?

Octavia sighed. Part three. Do you know who is taught this magic and why it’s important?

Cyrus stared off into the distance. No. His voice was soft, almost inaudible against the wind.

Again, I didn’t think so. She took a breath. "Although the barrier prevents physical contact, magic serves as an aid in communication between the kingdoms. Here in the Chaos, magic is only taught to the royal family and the warriors who pass the tests for elite knighthood. In the Order, magic is reserved for the lineage of the monarch and the privileged soldiers selected to enter the Magic Academy. If they show great potential with wind or water