the gathering storm

The mirror's images faded, but the weight of what Lira had seen remained, pressing down on her chest like a heavy stone. She could still feel the visions, still see the faces of those who had come before her—the countless versions of herself, each one embodying the power of the sun, each one facing a similar choice. Some had chosen to let the sun die. Others had fought to keep it alive. But every time, the same consequence echoed across time: light would eventually fade into darkness.

Lira took a shaky breath and pulled her hand back from the Mirror of Souls, her mind spinning, the swirling images still dancing in the back of her mind. The room felt smaller now, the air thick and heavy with the knowledge she had just unlocked. She wasn't just Lira. She wasn't just a girl wandering through a broken world. She was something more. She was the god who had once burned with the sun's fire, the same god who had failed to save the world in the past.

She stumbled back, her knees nearly buckling under the weight of it all.

Thorne, ever watchful, moved forward, steadying her with a firm hand on her shoulder. His touch was cool, but his voice was gentle. "Are you all right?"

Lira blinked rapidly, trying to clear the fog in her mind. "I—I don't know."

She turned her gaze back to the mirror, half-expecting it to reveal some new vision, some further piece of the puzzle. But the glass was dark now, its surface smooth and unbroken, as if it had never revealed its secrets at all.

"You've seen what you needed to see," Thorne said softly, stepping away from her. "The path before you is clear, Lira. You are the key. The choice is yours to make."

The words echoed in her mind, but they felt empty, hollow. The choice is yours. It was a cruel thing to say to someone who didn't even know who she was. Who had no idea what it meant to be a god reborn.

"Do you think I'm ready for this?" she asked, her voice small, almost lost in the vastness of the chamber.

Thorne looked at her with a quiet intensity, his amber eyes searching. "No one is ever ready for the burden of destiny, Lira. But that doesn't mean you won't rise to it when the time comes."

Lira swallowed hard, the weight of his words settling heavily on her. She felt the pull again—the pull of the sun's dying light, the pull of the power inside her that she didn't understand. It was as if something inside her was waiting, watching, urging her to take the next step, to embrace her past, her power, and the responsibility that came with it.

But what if she failed? What if she didn't have what it took to save the world—or to destroy it?

"I don't even know where to start," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "How do I even begin to understand all of this?"

Thorne's gaze softened, and for a moment, Lira saw something akin to compassion in his eyes. "You don't have to understand everything at once. No one expects you to. But I can help you find the answers."

Lira looked up at him, her heart heavy with doubt. "And how are you going to help me, Thorne? What do you know about all of this?"

He paused, as if weighing his words carefully. Then, with a deep sigh, he said, "I was once part of the Sunpriests' order. I know their secrets. Their lies. Their desire for control. I left them long ago, but I've kept an eye on their movements. They're growing desperate, Lira. They know you're here, and they'll do anything to capture you."

The revelation hit her like a blow to the stomach. Thorne had been one of them? A part of the very order that had helped destroy the world, that had caused the sun to falter and fall into its twilight state?

"How can I trust you?" she asked, her voice sharp, her suspicion rising. "You were part of the people who did this. You were part of the ones who let the sun die."

Thorne's face darkened, and for a moment, Lira saw a flicker of something—guilt, regret—pass through his eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it came.

"I didn't know what I was a part of," he said, his voice low and bitter. "I was a child, Lira. Just like you. I thought I was doing what was right. But when I learned the truth—when I saw the consequences of their actions—I had to leave. I couldn't be part of their lies anymore. And I've been trying to fix the damage ever since."

Lira searched his face, trying to find the truth in his eyes. Was he telling the truth? Could she trust him?

"I don't have anyone else," she whispered, almost to herself.

Thorne's gaze softened again, and he took a step closer to her. "You have me. And soon, you'll have others. People who will help you, protect you."

Lira glanced down at her hands, her mind still reeling. There was so much she didn't understand, so much she didn't know. The world, her past, the truth of who she was—everything felt like a shattered puzzle, pieces scattered across time and space. How was she supposed to put it all together? And how could she trust anyone, even Thorne, when the world was filled with so many lies?

She took a deep breath and looked back up at him. "What do we do now?"

Thorne's face was serious, his voice firm. "Now, we go to him. We find Cael. He's the only one who can help you fully unlock your power. And he'll be able to teach you how to control it. But we have to move quickly. The Sunpriests will come for you soon, and we can't risk them getting their hands on you."

Lira nodded, though uncertainty still gnawed at her. She wasn't ready. She wasn't ready for any of this. But what choice did she have?

Thorne turned toward the door, his expression grim. "Pack your things. We leave immediately."

Lira hesitated for a moment, then followed him out of the room, her thoughts scattered and her heart heavy. The journey ahead of her was uncertain, fraught with danger, and full of unknowns. But she knew, deep down, that there was no turning back now.

As they stepped into the ruined courtyard, Lira glanced up at the sky—the endless twilight sky that stretched above them like a canvas of fading light. The sun hung there, a pale orb, its once-bright glow now a mere memory. She felt a pang of loss, a longing for something that was no longer there.

But something else stirred within her—a faint flicker of fire, deep inside her soul. The god within her, the one she had seen in the mirror, was waking up. And though she didn't know how to control it, she knew one thing for certain: she wasn't alone in this fight. And she wasn't going to let the sun die without a fight.

Not this time.

The world might be broken, but she was the one who could heal it. The question was: would she? Or would she let it burn again?

Only time would tell.

Thorne turned to her, his face shadowed. "Ready?"

Lira nodded, her resolve hardening. "Let's go."

Together, they walked into the unknown, the weight of the world on her shoulders. And with every step, Lira could feel the power within her awakening, as though it were reaching out to her—guiding her toward whatever fate awaited her.

The storm was coming. And it would not wait.