CHAPTER 12

The Fractured Celestial Bond

A Sky Consumed by Darkness

The heavens trembled as Malakar's power tore through the celestial barrier. The once-glorious stars, which had watched over Eldoris for millennia, flickered in agony as a swirling vortex of darkness spread across the sky. The Shadow born King's magic surged like a living entity, devouring the light.

Lyra barely had time to react before the tidal wave of darkness crashed down upon them.

"Shield yourselves!" Kael bellowed, slamming his staff into the ground. A shimmering barrier of celestial energy formed just in time, deflecting the worst of the attack, but the force sent Lyra and her companions staggering backward.

Alden caught her before she fell. "We can't withstand this forever," he growled, his sword gleaming with celestial runes.

Eryx, standing eerily still, watched Malakar with unreadable silver eyes. "He's not here to destroy us outright."

Lyra clenched her fists. "Then what does he want?"

Malakar's laughter echoed through the battlefield. "Come now, sister. You know the answer."

She met his gaze—a mirror of her own, twisted by years of resentment and power.

"He wants me," she whispered.

A King's Ultimatum

Malakar descended the ruined steps of the temple with slow, deliberate steps. His soldiers stilled at his command, the battle momentarily frozen.

"Lyra," he said, voice soft, coaxing. "You have been lied to your entire life. The elders, the scholars, the very kingdom you swore to protect—they knew about me. They knew about the prophecy. And they chose to keep us apart."

Lyra's heart pounded.

"It was for a reason," Kael interjected, stepping between them. "You were dangerous, unstable—"

Malakar's power surged in response, knocking Kael backward with an unseen force. "You mean I was inconvenient."

Lyra trembled, the weight of betrayal sinking deep into her soul. She had always felt different, always sensed a missing piece of herself. And now, the truth stood before her in the form of the brother she never knew.

Malakar tilted his head, his expression almost… pleading. "Don't you see? We are the celestial twins. Two halves of a whole. The prophecy never spoke of a singular ruler, Lyra. It spoke of us. Together, we could reshape the kingdom. Break the cycle. End the suffering."

Lyra swallowed hard. "At what cost?"

Malakar's gaze darkened. "At the cost of those who betrayed us."

A heavy silence followed.

Selene whispered beside her, "He's trying to lure you in."

Lyra's hands curled into fists. "I will never betray my people."

Malakar's expression remained unreadable, but something in his eyes flickered disappointment, perhaps.

"Very well," he murmured. "Then you leave me no choice."

The Trial of the Celestial Twins

Malakar raised his hand, and the air around them shifted. The ground beneath Lyra's feet trembled as a ring of dark energy formed a boundary around them, encasing them in a celestial arena.

Eryx swore under his breath. "A Trial of the Twins."

Alden's knuckles went white. "What?"

Eryx's voice was grave. "An ancient rite. When celestial siblings are at odds, they must battle. One will emerge victorious. The other… will be erased."

Lyra's blood ran cold.

Malakar smiled, stepping forward. "One of us will walk away from this." He unsheathed a blade of obsidian energy. "The other will cease to exist."

The arena sealed shut.

There was no escape.

Only the fight.

The Battle for Destiny

Lyra summoned her own celestial blade, its silver glow clashing against the suffocating darkness of Malakar's power.

He struck first.

Their swords collided with a thunderous crash, sending shockwaves through the arena. Lyra barely deflected his next attack as he moved with lightning speed, his strikes fueled by years of rage and sorrow.

"You fight well," Malakar murmured, pushing her back. "But you are holding back."

Lyra gritted her teeth. She couldn't bring herself to go all out. This was her brother. Could she truly destroy him?

Malakar sensed her hesitation. His smirk turned cruel. "That's why you will lose."

Dark tendrils wrapped around her, yanking her off her feet. Pain lanced through her body as Malakar's magic sank into her mind, visions flashing before her eyes—

A child, alone in the dark. Crying out for a sister who never came.

Lyra gasped. Malakar had been waiting for her all along.

Rage surged through her. He had suffered—but that did not justify his actions.

She gripped her sword tighter, summoning every ounce of celestial power within her. The golden mark on her arm blazed to life, countering Malakar's dark magic with a brilliant surge of light.

She broke free.

Malakar's eyes widened in surprise as Lyra launched her own attack, their blades clashing in a violent dance of fate.

Their powers were equal.

Their strengths matched.

But only one could survive.

A Desperate Gamble

As their battle raged, the celestial barrier of the arena began to crack. The magic binding them together was unstable—the prophecy never intended for them to destroy each other.

Lyra realized something in that moment.

The trial wasn't about winning. It was about ending the cycle.

She had to make a choice.

Her blade trembled in her grip.

Malakar lunged—

And Lyra dropped her sword.

A collective gasp echoed as Malakar's blade stopped inches from her heart.

"I won't kill you," she said softly. "And I won't let you destroy yourself."

Malakar's hands shook. "Lyra—"

"I choose a different path."

The celestial magic reacted.

The sky erupted in a cascade of blinding light, and the dark energy of the arena shattered.

Malakar staggered back as the power binding them dissipated. His expression flickered with emotion—anger, disbelief… and something else.

For the first time, he looked lost.

Lyra reached out. "Come back with me, Malakar."

His breath hitched. He took a step forward—

But then, a shadowed figure emerged from the battlefield.

"NO!"

A dagger of pure void energy plunged into Malakar's back.

Lyra screamed.

The assassin—a Shadow born traitor—sneered. "The throne does not belong to either of you."

Malakar staggered, his eyes flickering between pain and regret. "Lyra…"

He collapsed.

The world stilled.

And Lyra's rage erupted.

A surge of celestial energy exploded from her, shaking the battlefield as a golden storm of fury descended upon the Shadow born forces.

The war was no longer about the prophecy.

Now, it was about revenge.