CHAPTER 31

The Rift Between Worlds

 The Celestial Awakening

A blinding pulse of divine energy radiated from Lyra as she hovered above the battlefield, her body encased in shimmering celestial light. The moment she embraced her ascension, the heavens had trembled, the very fabric of reality shifting. The Gate had closed, and with it, the balance of power in Eldoris had irrevocably changed.

Eryx, now mortal once more, staggered backward, his hands trembling as he touched his own chest—he could no longer feel the celestial energy that had once burned through his veins.

"It's… gone," he whispered, a hollow look in his silver eyes.

Lyra descended slowly, her feet barely touching the ground as the celestial sigils that adorned her skin pulsed with an ethereal glow. She turned to Eryx, her voice softer than before, but carrying an undeniable authority.

"No," she said. "It was never truly yours to begin with."

Eryx exhaled sharply, pain flickering in his expression, but before he could respond, a deafening roar erupted from the skies above.

The battlefield quaked. The shadows shifted.

And then, the sky split apart.

From the abyssal tear in the heavens, figures began to descend—the Shadowborn, creatures of pure darkness, their forms shifting like liquid void. Their piercing red eyes burned with hunger, their jagged claws dripping with ethereal corruption.

A voice, low and taunting, echoed through the shattered air.

"You thought closing the Celestial Gate would be the end?"

A figure stepped through the rift, clad in obsidian armor laced with pulsating dark veins of power. His face was hidden beneath a horned helm, but his presence was unmistakable.

Malagar, the Forgotten King.

Kael immediately drew his blade, stepping protectively in front of Lyra. Alden did the same, his own magic igniting around his fists.

"Stand back," Kael ordered. "He's mine."

But Malagar merely laughed, the sound like shattering glass.

"Your mortal weapons will not save you," he sneered. "Not against me."

Lyra took a step forward, her celestial aura clashing against Malagar's darkness like a battle of two opposing suns.

"You will not take Eldoris," she declared, her voice resonating with celestial power.

Malagar tilted his head. "Oh, little queen… I do not need to take it. I only need to burn it."

And then, with a snap of his fingers, the world erupted into chaos.

Flames engulfed the sky. The once-pristine palace shook as the first wave of Shadowborn descended upon Eldoris, their screeches splitting the air. Guards rushed to defend the kingdom, but their swords barely made a dent in the monstrous creatures that moved like living shadows.

Selene stood atop the palace walls, her midnight cloak billowing as she unleashed wave after wave of arcane energy. "We're outnumbered!" she shouted, dodging a Shadowborn's strike.

Lyra landed in the heart of the battlefield, celestial energy radiating from her hands. She lifted them skyward, calling forth a divine barrier that slowed the advance of the creatures.

But Malagar merely smirked, raising his obsidian blade.

"You have no idea what true power is," he whispered.

And with a single slash, he shattered her barrier.

Pain exploded in Lyra's chest as she was flung backward, her body skidding across the scorched ground. Alden caught her, gripping her shoulders tightly.

"Lyra! Are you—"

Before he could finish, Malagar's voice rang through the battlefield.

"Surrender the Celestial Empress… or watch your kingdom fall."

In the midst of the chaos, Eryx stood still, his gaze locked onto Malagar. A storm of emotions raged in his silver eyes—anger, regret, but most of all, a terrifying realization.

Malagar wasn't just attacking Eldoris.

He had come for Lyra.

Kael moved beside him, blade ready. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Eryx clenched his fists. "That's because I have."

Kael frowned. "What do you mean?"

Eryx's jaw tightened. "Malagar… he was my master."

Kael froze, shock flashing across his face. "You… served him?"

Before Eryx could respond, Malagar's voice cut through the battle.

"Come to me, Eryx. It is time."

A deadly silence fell over them.

Lyra's eyes widened. "No…"

Eryx turned to face her, something breaking in his expression.

"I never wanted this," he murmured. "But fate is cruel."

And then, before anyone could stop him—

Eryx walked toward Malagar.

Lyra ran forward, her breath shallow. "Eryx, don't do this!"

Eryx didn't turn back. "You don't understand, Lyra. I was never meant to rule, but I was always meant to be… something else."

Malagar's lips curled. "He finally accepts his destiny."

The Shadowborn parted as Eryx stepped toward Malagar. And then, to everyone's horror—

Malagar plunged his obsidian sword into Eryx's chest.

Gasps echoed. Lyra let out a choked scream.

But then—

Eryx gripped the blade… and smirked.

Malagar's eyes widened.

Eryx's voice came in a whisper. "And you… have always underestimated me."

A pulse of celestial energy erupted from Eryx, blinding everyone.

When the light faded—Eryx was gone.

And so was Malagar

The Vanishing

A stunned silence blanketed the battlefield, punctuated only by the distant crackle of smoldering fires and the faint cries of the wounded. The once-majestic kingdom of Eldoris stood on the brink of ruin, its walls scarred by war, its people shaken by the horror they had just witnessed. But amidst the destruction, one question burned brighter than the flames consuming the palace spires—

Where were Malagar and Eryx?

Lyra's breath came in uneven gasps as she stumbled forward, her celestial aura flickering like a dying star. Her mind still reeled from the moment—the way Eryx had allowed Malagar to pierce his chest, the way his energy had erupted in a blinding explosion of celestial light, consuming both himself and the Shadow King in an instant. Now, both were gone—vanished as if they had never existed.

Kael, battered but still standing, surveyed the battlefield with sharp eyes. His knuckles tightened around the hilt of his sword. "This doesn't make sense. No one—not even a celestial—could just disappear like that."

Selene stepped forward, her midnight cloak fluttering as she pressed a trembling hand to the air where they had vanished. The space was warped, an unnatural distortion that sent shivers through her. "They didn't just vanish," she murmured, her voice tinged with unease. "They were pulled… somewhere else."

Alden's face darkened. "Somewhere else?"

Selene nodded. "The rift that Malagar opened… it wasn't just a passage for the Shadowborn. It was something else entirely." Her fingers traced the air, and for a moment, a faint glow pulsed at her touch—a remnant of whatever force had taken them. "They weren't destroyed. They were transported."

Lyra clenched her fists, her golden sigils burning with celestial energy, reacting to the very fabric of the disturbance. "Then we need to find out where."

Kael looked at her, his expression hard. "And what if it's a trap?"

Lyra turned, her eyes glowing with determination. "Then we walk straight into it."

The battle had ended, but its scars remained.

The once vibrant streets of Eldoris now lay in ruins—smoke curled from shattered homes, banners of the kingdom lay trampled in the dirt, and the palace, though still standing, had suffered irreparable damage. The people of Eldoris—wounded, grieving, exhausted—gathered in clusters, tending to the fallen, comforting the lost.

From the high walls of the city, Lyra watched it all.

Her heart ached as she gazed upon her kingdom. Though she had fought with all her might, victory felt like an illusion—a fleeting dream in the face of everything they had lost.

Kael approached her, his armor battered but his spirit unyielding. "You should rest," he said, his voice softer than usual. "You've done enough."

Lyra shook her head. "No. We won a battle, Kael, not the war." She gestured to the sky, where the shattered rift still lingered like a scar across the heavens. "Malagar isn't gone. Eryx isn't gone. And whatever this was… it's far from over."

Alden joined them, his arms crossed. "The people need hope, Lyra. If they see you standing strong, they will follow."

Lyra exhaled, steeling herself. "Then let's give them something to fight for."

She turned, striding toward the palace steps, where the remaining leaders of Eldoris—generals, scholars, warriors, and mystics—waited. Their expressions were solemn, but when Lyra approached, there was something else in their eyes.

Hope.

"The celestial forces have awakened," she declared, her voice carrying over the ruins. "We are no longer fighting alone. But neither are we safe. Malagar may have vanished, but his return is inevitable."

She lifted her gaze to the people gathered before her. "Eldoris will not fall. Not today. Not ever."

A murmur ran through the crowd, growing in strength until it became a resounding cheer—a declaration of defiance against the darkness that loomed over them.

Kael smirked beside her. "You always did know how to rally a crowd."

Lyra turned to him, her expression resolute. "It's not just words, Kael. We need to prepare."

Selene stepped forward, her dark eyes unreadable. "And what exactly do you propose?"

Lyra looked toward the fractured sky, the echo of Eryx's last words still lingering in her mind.

"We find him," she said. "And we end this war before it begins again."

A Message from the Void

The night was eerily silent.

After hours of repairing what they could, the city had finally settled into a fragile peace. Fires were extinguished, barricades were reinforced, and the wounded were tended to. Yet, Lyra could not sleep.

She stood alone on the palace balcony, her gaze fixed on the celestial constellations shifting above. The stars… they were different now. Their patterns had changed, aligning in a way she had never seen before.

A chill ran down her spine.

Then—a whisper.

So faint it could have been the wind.

"Find me."

Lyra stiffened, her breath catching in her throat. The voice was unmistakable.

Eryx.

She turned sharply, scanning the shadows around her. The palace was quiet, save for the distant footsteps of the night guards patrolling below.

And yet… she could feel him.

A pulse of celestial energy burned through her mark, and suddenly, the air before her rippled like water. She reached out instinctively, her fingers brushing against something—something unseen yet tangible.

Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, it vanished.

Her heart pounded.

He was out there. Somewhere. And he wanted her to find him.

"Lyra."

She turned to see Kael standing in the doorway, his brow furrowed. "What is it?"

She hesitated for only a moment.

Then she met his gaze, and for the first time since the battle ended, a new certainty settled over her.

"I know where we need to go."