tHE FOLLOWING ARE SHORT STORIES THAT GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE INTO THE LIFE OF THE CHARACTER’S IN “TALES OF AURORA”.

Every week, a new short story will be posted here!

3/8/2026

Character in the story:

At a dinner gathering with friends and family at South Gleamstead, now known as the Underground, Persephone’s mother, Lydia Dark, sat at the head of the table. Persephone’s mother moved easily among the dishes, passing plates of food and drinks around to everyone seated before her. The room was alive with noise. The adults talked loudly over one another, the younger children ran circles around the table, and the adolescents leaned close together whispering gossip and laughing behind their hands.

Persephone, only eight years old, sat beside her uncle Connor, caught up in conversation.

“Hey, Uncle, what did you and Mom do when you were younger?” she asked.

Connor chuckled and leaned back in his chair. “Oh, me and your mom used to be trouble.”

Persephone’s eyes widened. “Really!?”

“Oh yeah,” he said with a grin. “We used to wreak havoc up north. We sold people fake tickets to the Colosseum, stole food from the markets, and one time we even snuck into Auric Vale!.”

“Auric Vale!” Persephone gasped.

Everyone knew about Auric Vale. Only the Nova Terra Empire was allowed inside its borders. Most people did not even think about going there, out of respect and fear of the Empire.

Connor, who by now was clearly a little buzzed from the drinks, leaned closer to Persephone and lowered his voice to a whisper.

“Oh yeah,” he murmured. “That’s where your mom fell in love.”

Persephone shot upright in her seat and shouted without thinking.

“MY MOM FELL IN LOVE IN AURIC VALE!”

The room fell silent.

Lydia had heard every word.

Her expression hardened instantly. The bowl of salad slipped from her hands and clattered onto the table as she slammed her fist down.

“CONNOR! WHAT ARE YOU TELLING MY CHILD?”

Connor straightened quickly, his grin disappearing as the alcohol haze gave way to panic.

“Oh, oh, I’m… I’m sorry, it just…” he stammered, his voice shaking.

“That conversation ends now,” Lydia said sharply. “Now everybody hand me your plates.”

For a moment there was an awkward pause. Then, slowly, the guests began handing their plates back to Lydia for seconds, as if nothing had happened. Conversation gradually returned and the evening carried on.

But Persephone sat quietly.

The talk with her uncle stayed with her. It reminded her of something she had wondered about for as long as she could remember.

She had never met her father.

Now a new thought crept into her mind. If her mother had fallen in love in Auric Vale, could that mysterious lover possibly be her father?

Persephone looked down, then up toward the head of the table.

“Mom,” she said softly, stretching out her arm.

“Could you pass me the salt…”