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Student @ Nnamdi Azikiwe university
The City That Woke at Midnight
<p><br/></p><p>Everyone in Eldermere believed the city slept at night. Doors were locked, lanterns dimmed, and silence wrapped the streets like a blanket. But that was only true for ordinary people.</p><p>At exactly midnight, when the clock tower struck twelve, Eldermere woke up.</p><p>The stone roads shimmered softly, ancient symbols glowing beneath the feet of those who knew how to see them. Shadows stretched and whispered secrets, and the statues that stood frozen during the day slowly turned their heads, watching over the city they had sworn to protect centuries ago.</p><p>Liora had discovered the truth by accident.</p><p>She was just a baker’s daughter, used to waking before dawn to knead dough and light ovens. One night, exhausted and unable to sleep, she followed a strange humming sound outside her window. As the clock struck twelve, the world around her changed. The air felt alive, heavy with magic, and the city breathed like a living thing.</p><p>That was when she saw them—the Nightkeepers.</p><p>They walked calmly through the streets, half-human, half-myth, carrying lanterns filled with starlight. Their duty was simple but dangerous: to keep the magic of Eldermere balanced and hidden from those who would abuse it. When they saw Liora watching, they didn’t erase her memory or chase her away. Instead, they bowed.</p><p>“The city chose you,” one of them said.</p><p>From that night on, Liora lived two lives. By day, she baked bread and smiled at customers. By night, she learned the language of spells, the history of forgotten wars, and the truth that magic always comes with a price. She learned that Eldermere had enemies—creatures trapped between worlds, waiting for the city’s defenses to weaken.</p><p>When the clock tower finally cracked and time itself began to slip, it was not the kings or scholars who saved Eldermere. It was a baker’s daughter who understood both ordinary life and magic. Someone who knew that the strongest power is not spells or swords, but the courage to protect what others never even notice.</p><p>And so Eldermere still sleeps peacefully at night</p><p>because someone is always awake, guarding it.</p>
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