A Melodious Warp

Siren's Harmony

**Dasha (POV) **

[Kaarmanet, Castle of legends]

I was summoned to the Castle by Queen Cahaya to discuss an urgent matter in the middle of the night. My stomach turned in anticipation because something similar had happened seven years ago when King Vann told me about a prison break that was about to happen and thanks to Kyrah I was able to get to the criminal. But that scene was one of the most horrific ones I'd ever encountered in my life. My skin crawled even thinking about it; he looked pale and malnourished, and his eyes were red and bulged out dangerously while his hair had fallen everywhere leaving a defined trail to follow him. By the time I got to him, he was leaning over a dead body consuming its soul and darkening his own, surrounded by 17 others in a worse state than the body the criminal stood over. At the time I thought it was a one-time bizarre occurrence, but now for some reason, I feel that was only the beginning.

Queen Cahaya walked into the meeting hall along with King Vann and a twelve-year-old Kyrah in tow, with a smile that always comforted me. As she sat down, though, her expression turned somber making my gut tighten with an unknown fear.

"Is everything, alright?" I began breaking the looming silence, "It is odd for you to call for me this late."

"Hmmm..." Queen Cahaya hummed looking at the floor before she began, "Dasha, you were crowned the King of Shadow Creatures because only you are capable of understanding them and their varied cultures, helping to bring Kaarmanet together: the same way, I was crowned the Queen of Mystical creatures; Cahan, the King of Chaos; Big Bro, the king of Dragons; and Vann, the King of mages and non-mages. So that Kaarmanet would never be divided: for land or power over other creatures living here."

"I understand," I answered when she paused, "and I've always tried my best to be true to my duties as the King of Shadow Creatures. Have I made a mistake or neglected my duties? Please tell me what I have missed!"

"Nothing!" King Vann answered with a sigh, "Yet, everything!"

"I... I don't understand, King Vann," I responded in confusion.

"What he means is that we don't know what has been missed, but there is definitely something going on." Queen Cahaya explained, "You remember the prison break?"

My stomach turned to a knot at the mention of that incident.

"It is not something I can ever forget, Queen Cahaya." I told her, "I have spent the last seven years trying to figure out why he did, what he did and most importantly what caused him to act so darkly. I have tested the water, food, water sources, fields, woods, peaks... everything, but everything is normal. There is no sign of the Warp, that spread in Dradnet anywhere in Kaarmanet."

"But it is here!" Kyrah spoke for the first time.

"Do you have any idea where?" I quired softly.

"No..." She answered dejectedly, "But something bizarre happened a little while ago and momsy called you immediately."

"And what was that, sweetpea?" I asked using a nickname only I used with her.

"Well, I can't tell you what exactly, but it was different... because I couldn't see anything, I just heard weird sounds, people screaming and growling, then I heard a tune..." She broke off mid-sentence as her little frame shuddered.

"We're all right here, darling," Queen Cahaya encouraged softly, patting her shoulder, "Go on, tell your Dash, what you heard and felt. You know you are safe, right? We are all here to protect you!"

"But Momsy you can't protect me or anyone from it!" She answered seriously, in that moment our little Kyrah looked a lot older than her age.

"Hey, sweetpea," I said kneeling near her so she could feel my presence better, "We may not be able to protect but we can figure a way to maybe neutralize it or stop it before it happens. But you'll need to tell me about your vision for that."

"Honestly, I don't think you can stop it from happening but I do know you can fight it; so, I'll tell you everything," Kyrah answered turning away. She closed her heterochromatic eyes and stood still as a statue before speaking in a voice deeper than her usual sweet one,

"The mind is probably the, most, scariest place that ever existed; but the power, sound has on the mind is often forgotten. A melody with such power is out in a village, east of Shadow Islands; making the minds hearing it, dance to its tunes. But the dance to this melody only leads to the darkness never comprehended by an intellectual mind. ENTER THE VILLAGE BUT WITH THE RISK OF SUCCUMING TO THE MELODY FOR IT CAN NOT BE STOPPED BY NOTHING LESS THAN THE HARMONY OF A SIREN!"

"A Melody with power and a Harmony of a Siren?" I said looking at her in utter confusion. Nothing she said made sense, how can a mind dance to a melody, and how can a melody lead you to darkness? And what power does sound have over the mind? "This doesn't make sense, sweetpea. Did you see, hear or feel anything else?"

"No!" Kyrah said quietly.

"I know it doesn't, that is why we called for you." King Vann explained, "Every time we ask, this is all she says and nothing else. We thought you might have lead as you have been investigating it for the last seven years."

"I'll look further, and try getting more information from that village Kyrah spoke of," I answered thinking hard, "But the most confusing part of everything is the mention of a SIREN. Sirens haven't been around for over a thousand years. Well, to be precise, my father killed them all for their unique magical auras and also because he believed Sirens were a curse to the shadow world."

"Then the Harmony of a Siren?" Queen Cahaya probed.

"Never heard of such a thing, but the only place I read about it said it was a mere myth," I answered.

"What myth, Dash?" Kyrah asked intrigued.

"The myth says that once a Siren with the strongest sense of music, created a harmony with great power when she found out her child was stillborn. She held her dead baby and sang with all her heart. Once she played the harmony at the end of her song, her baby came to life." I answered, "But no one has ever heard such a harmony or a song ever. That being said, I should get going I have to plan the classes for my students before I can investigate the village."

I had just reached the doorway to the secret passage when I felt Kyrah's tiny hand on mine stopping me.

"Dash!" She called, "There is something I didn't tell anyone else."

"What's that, sweetpea?" I asked.

"Well..." She trailed before continuing, "Before I heard all of that, I saw something but if I tell you, you'll be sad."

"Why?"

"Because your heart broke before it all started!"

"How?"

"Kiah!" Kyrah said lowering her head, "She will break your heart before the melody strikes..."