Arquen

There is a theory that absolutely everything is possible. That odds are just a measure of likelihood of finding the occurrence, rather than of something happening at all.

There is a theory that absolutely everything has happened, somewhere. That every possible direction has been traveled at every possible crossroads, each and every time the path has branched. Disaster and euphoria have both been found by countless people countless times. Worlds have ascended and been reduced to dust. They've also ascended and then been reduced to dust.

Arquen had never heard these theories in this particular reality as she lounged on a warm rock with her notebook and quill, watching the strong sunlight play off the gently swaying leaves around and below her perch. The story she was writing was almost complete, however she was hesitating to write the ending that was really the only way it could end. She wanted a happy ending...

Finally she put the quill to the page in resignation and wrote the words she dreaded.

Agatha looked up to the starry sky one last time as she felt the magic in her start to slide away, returning to the chaos of the cosmos. The pain was sharp, but the heavy weariness that pressed down on her was far stronger. In those short moments, Agatha gasped and crumpled to the ground to the alarm of the dragons around her. Ravensong darted forwards to lift her limp head from the unforgiving stone, but it was too late for even the famous healer to do anything for their friend. Their courage.

Their leader.

Ithosra turned his heavy head to the heavens and let out an unearthly moan. Birds flew into the sky in panic, but the flurry of motion and sound went unheeded by the horrified group.

Slowly a light lit the plateau from below the fallen form of Agatha, the light bloomed out in all directions, surging over the stones wherever it could until it vanished below soil or out of sight into deep crevices. Mbembe made a noise of surprise, and all eyes turned to the stoic dragon as he clasped his claws over his heart. "Magic. It is leaving us."

"T-that can't be!" Selentura cried as she tried to call forth a sparkle of her once unpredictable power, but found nothing but a coldness inside that replaced the warmth she had always known since Agatha had showed her the way. "Noooo!"

Arquen looked up from the book with a shake of her head. She didn't even want to consider losing magic, let alone write it, but there was no way to stop what her characters had started. She sighed again and finished the story with a heavy heart.

If she had only known that she had just documented another world falling into ruin, Arquen might have understood that there really was nothing she could do to stop it. Of course, she might have never lifted her quill again, too afraid to know what else might have happened...