Deep within the mysteries of the human mind lies the magical land of Cyntheisia, a land with passionate forests, tempting oceans, and soul chilling mountains. Countless unique creatures call this land home, and many come to life with a single thought. In Cyntheisia the power of imagination is endless, and is the cause for the diversity of life in this strange land. One thought in particular lead to the creation of a special elf named Elace.

Elace is special because she is what the inhabitants of this land call soul split. During the birth of this gentle elf, her innocent soul split in two. The brighter half of her soul remained in her infant body, and the dark half took form of an unknown being. Several elders of her village had witnessed this take place and immediately realized that Elace’s life was destined to change.

Fortunately, in Cyntheisia, being soul split is incredibly rare and is considered an honor. Soul split beings have powerful souls and are known for becoming heros. It is inevitable for the bright and dark vessels of the soul to fight until one remains. If the souls remain apart, the balance of Cyntheisia will be disturbed and cause chaos to spread throughout the peaceful world. In order to prevent the possible destruction of Cyntheisia, Elace is taught how to defeat her evil half and protect the balance of the world.

I panted, exhausted from the combat training I had just finished with my brother, Marlin. I moved to sit down on the comfortable meadow, wincing at the soreness of my body as I sat. The cool breeze felt heavenly on my caramel skin and I laughed when my brother fell back into the tall grass. He gave a lopsided smile before stretching on the ground and closing his hazel eyes to sleep. We rested at the clearing for a quite some time before deciding it was time to return home.

This was the usual routine for us. Ever since I was able to walk, we have came to the meadow to train, preparing me for my fight against my evil half. When I was younger I loved training, but as the years passed, I grew hesitant about my apparent fate. I began to question why I had to fight myself simply because others wanted me to. I started to doubt what others told me about the other half of my soul.

As a result, I had transformed from an energetic, young elf to an anxious, introverted one. I refuse to show my hesitance, though, out of the fear of disappointing those who work so hard to help me. I train as hard as I can to make sure that their efforts aren’t wasted. I’m determined to make them proud, but as the days creep closer to my unavoidable fight, I grow more unsure about the upcoming battle.

Months of training and preparation had passed before the elder sent me to fight. I wasn’t ready at any means, my hands trembled as I put on my light armor and brought my ebony locks into a ponytail. Tears pooled my forest green eyes as I allowed instinct to lead me to a cave at the edge of a nearby forest. I stood at the entrance of the threatening cave, gripping my sword tighter like it could magically give me the courage to face whatever lied ahead. I stalled for hours until I pushed myself to enter the eerie cave. I barely made it five steps before I froze, paralyzed by the beast in front of me.

A shadow like creature snaked its way out of the cave and stared at me with electrifying jade eyes. I felt its dagger like orbs cut into my soul, causing the anxiety and doubt I buried in me to emerge. I felt the pressure that had been given to me by others overwhelm me, leaving me frozen in front of my greatest foe. I stood there paralyzed, but the longer I observed the dragon like shadow, the more I felt like my doubts and hesitation had been justified.

I hardly noticed my sword drop to the dirt beside me as I gazed at the swirling eyes of my other half. I vaguely remembered stories of epic battles against evil beasts, but as I stared into the glassy orbs of the dragon in front of me, I saw a reflection of myself. My eyes widened in shock when I realized that this creature is not evil at all, it was just incomplete.

I suddenly felt drawn to the other half of my soul. The two of us slowly gravitated toward each other and I began to find the courage to cast aside my doubts and hesitation. The feeling was new, but it grew stronger as I moved closer to the darker part of me. I stood directly in front of my other half, feeling more whole than I had ever felt in my entire life. The feeling only increased as I raised my hand to the dragon's maw.

I realized at that moment that I had finished my battle. It wasn’t one of violence, but the battle within myself. I could feel my doubt and anxiety disappear as I watched the dragon close its eyes. I did the same as my hand touched the smooth scales of the dragons snout. A feeling of warmth had spread through me and I felt complete. When the warmth faded I knew that my soul was whole. I was no longer soul split.

It took hours before Elace made it back to her town. Villagers had gathered in joy to see her return home. Marlin had tackled her in a hug, demanding her to tell him every detail of her battle. The whole town had waited patiently as she explained the events that had taken place. Elace was happy to be home with the people she loved. She was happier when she realized that she could still feel the warmth that she felt in the cave deep within her.

Elace lived the rest of her life with the courage she had gained at that fateful moment. She was grateful for the confidence she had gained to face her problems. Her doubts and hesitations didn’t stop her from being the happiest she could be. The elf was no longer limited by what she thought she couldn’t do, or the fear of disappointing those she loved. Elace had gained the courage to push past her self restrictions and live her life how she wanted to, restoring the balance of Cyntheisia in the process.