"Vaelora brynn nael illurath kai shaen;
Twen veyra rais nael darka kai daun.
On kaeth aureth, on draen vael;
Kaen lor Eiljonn myr nael marin."
Translation:
Vaelora shall burn with light and shadow,
Two veils shall rise in darkness and dawn.
One will take flame, one will wield the word.
The fire of Elyon will cleanse the sea."
Nobody remembered when those words were first spoken. Some said they were sung before the shaping of the world, when Elyon breathed the stars into being. Others whispered that they were born from sorrow, a warning wrapped in prayer. The verses were carved into stone and salt, carried by the priests of every kingdom. Kings waged wars beneath its banner. Mothers taught it as a lullaby. Sailors murmured it before every voyage.
And still, no one could tell whether the prophecy promised salvation or ruin.
It waited in silence, like an ember beneath ash, for the day the sky would open, and its meaning would be made known.