The tower of Astrael was older than it looked.
Inside, the walls were lined with ancient symbols that shimmered faintly, as if they were alive. Lyra followed Seris through winding corridors until they reached a vast circular chamber filled with floating scrolls and glowing crystals.
“This is the Archive,” Seris said. “Everything we know about magic… is here.”
Lyra stepped forward slowly, her eyes wide with wonder. The air itself felt heavy, like it carried centuries of knowledge.
“Will this help me control my power?” she asked.
Seris turned to her. “It will help you understand it.”
Lyra hesitated. “And if I can’t?”
Seris’s expression didn’t change. “Then your power will control you.”
The words lingered.
Kael remained near the doorway, silent as always. But his eyes never left Lyra.
Seris raised her hand, and a scroll floated down, unrolling itself in front of Lyra. Symbols danced across its surface, glowing brighter as she stepped closer.
The moment she reached out—
The room shifted.
Light surrounded her.
Suddenly, Lyra wasn’t in the Archive anymore.
She stood beneath an endless sky filled with blazing stars. They pulsed like living beings, whispering in a language she somehow understood.
“You are chosen…”
Her heart pounded.
“Chosen for what?” she asked.
“To protect the balance.”
The stars began to move, forming visions—
A kingdom burning.
Shadows rising.
A figure standing alone… glowing with light.
Lyra.
“No…” she whispered.
Then she saw something else.
Kael.
Standing beside darkness.
Her breath caught.
The vision shattered.
Lyra stumbled back into the Archive, gasping for air. The scroll fell silent, its glow fading.
Kael rushed forward. “What happened?”
Lyra looked at him, shaken. “I saw… everything.”
Seris stepped closer, her expression serious. “The stars showed you the truth.”
Lyra shook her head. “No… not everything.”
Her eyes lingered on Kael.
There was something she didn’t understand.
Something he wasn’t telling her.
“What did you see?” he asked quietly.
Lyra hesitated.
“Nothing clear,” she said finally.
It wasn’t a lie.
But it wasn’t the truth either.
Seris folded her hands. “The stars have chosen you as their guardian, Lyra. Your power exists to maintain balance between light and darkness.”
“And if I fail?” Lyra asked softly.
Seris met her gaze.
“Then darkness will consume everything.”
Silence filled the room.
Lyra looked down at her hands, faint light flickering beneath her skin.
So this was her purpose.
Not just survival.
Responsibility.
Later that night, Lyra stood alone on a balcony overlooking the glowing city. The sky above Astrael shimmered with stars—but now, they didn’t feel distant.
They felt close.
Watching.
“You’re thinking too much again.”
Lyra turned.
Kael stepped beside her, leaning slightly against the railing.
“I saw something,” she said.
Kael’s expression didn’t change, but his voice softened. “What?”
Lyra looked at him carefully. “A future… maybe.”
“And?”
She hesitated.
“You were there.”
Kael went still.
“And?” he asked again.
Lyra looked away. “I don’t know what it meant.”
That part… was true.
A quiet tension settled between them.
Kael stared out at the city, his jaw tight. “Visions don’t always show the full truth.”
“Then what do they show?”
He didn’t answer right away.
“Possibilities,” he said finally.
Lyra studied him.
“You’re hiding something,” she said.
Kael’s gaze hardened slightly. “We all have things we don’t talk about.”
“That doesn’t mean they don’t matter.”
“They don’t,” he replied sharply.
The words hung in the air.
Lyra stepped back, hurt flickering across her face. “Maybe they do… to me.”
For a moment, Kael looked like he wanted to say something.
But he didn’t.
Lyra turned away, her chest heavy.
The stars above flickered softly.
And for the first time since they met—
There was distance between them.
✨ To be continued…
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Updated 11 Episodes
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments