ShananeShanane

In the grand city of Noctis-Lux, where gears and magic intertwine, a queen reigns over two opposing realms—the City of Light and the Dominion of Shadows. Queen Celestine Vaeloria, known as the Queen of Duality, bears the burden of balancing order and chaos. Gifted with both arcane magic and scientific intellect, she governs a world where light fuels progress, but darkness whispers forbidden truths.

When an ancient prophecy foretells the rise of a usurper who will shatter the fragile balance, Celestine embarks on a perilous journey to uncover the secrets hidden within her past. As she delves deeper into the mysteries of her lineage, she realizes that the true enemy may not be the rebels or the cultists lurking in the shadows—but something buried deep within herself.

With Lord Alistair Dorne, a ruthless enforcer of the Light Council, and Elias Veyne, a rogue scholar from the Shadow Syndicate, Celestine must unravel the truth before the city collapses into war. But as betrayal lurks at every turn, she is forced to answer one question:

Which side does she truly belong to—the Light, or the Dark?

The Queen of Duality

The moment Celestine stepped forward, the air shifted. The floating platforms trembled, as if sensing her presence, and a deep hum resonated through the corridor.

Then—the first platform collapsed.

"Move!" Alistair shouted.

Elias was already in motion, vaulting over the gap before the next platform could vanish. Celestine followed, feeling the stone tremble beneath her boots as she leapt.

Veyrion remained behind, watching. He did not need to run—this trial was not for him.

The corridor twisted in an unnatural spiral, platforms appearing and disappearing at random. But it wasn't just the shifting terrain they had to worry about.

Shadows coalesced.

From the swirling void, figures emerged—twisted humanoid shapes with glowing eyes and clawed hands, their bodies shifting like liquid darkness.

Alistair drew his blade. "They were waiting."

Elias let out a sharp breath. "Of course they were."

Celestine clenched her fists, calling forth the energy thrumming within her veins. The trial was not just one of endurance—it was one of judgment.

The Path of Reckoning had chosen them as its challengers.

And now, they had to prove their worth.

Celestine met it head-on, slamming her palm forward—light erupted from her touch, searing through the creature's form. It let out a shriek, dissolving into the air.

Alistair cut through another, his blade flashing. He moved with lethal precision, carving through the darkness like it was nothing.

Elias, bleeding but grinning, spun between platforms, daggers flying from his hands. Each strike found its mark.

But for every voidborn that fell, more emerged.

Celestine gritted her teeth. The trial was adapting.

The platforms ahead were shifting faster now, forcing them to keep moving. There was no time to think—only to act.

She sprinted forward, leaping onto the next platform just as the one behind her crumbled into the abyss.

A deep boom echoed through the corridor.

Celestine barely had time to turn before the largest voidborn yet descended, its body twisting like a storm given form.

This was the Sentinel of Reckoning.

It did not attack immediately. It merely watched. Judging.

Then, it spoke—its voice layered, as if thousands of whispers spoke in unison.

Chapter 22: The Path of Reckoning