Chapter 83 – The Prophecy of Celestara
The ancient ruins of Celestara lay shrouded in mist, hidden deep within the Silverpine Vale where time itself seemed to hesitate.
Jean stepped carefully over the moss-covered stones, Luxclade humming with an eerie resonance. Whitney growled low beside her—not in threat, but in reverence.
This place was sacred.
This place was old.
"This is where Celeste first touched the mortal world," Jean whispered.
At the heart of the ruins stood a crumbling temple shaped like a starburst, its spires broken, its altar half-buried beneath ivy. And yet the air shimmered with presence—a divine stillness.
Jean knelt before the altar and placed her hand on the symbol of light etched into its surface.
She spoke only two words.
"Guide me."
The world vanished.
---
Jean opened her eyes to starlight.
She stood on a reflective sea of nothingness, stars above and below. A soft wind carried voices from beyond the veil.
Then, Celeste appeared.
Not as the blinding goddess of battle and flame, but as a woman wrapped in light, her expression both sorrowful and proud.
"You have come far, Emissary," Celeste said, her voice echoing across the stars.
Jean bowed. "I seek the truth. About Rourke. About the fallen Emissary. About me."
Celeste nodded. "Then you must hear the words that were sealed long ago."
She raised her hand, and from the stars emerged a forgotten inscription—words once etched into the Celestaran sky.
> "When the last daughter bears the blade of light,
And wolves guard the sun from the night,
The blood of kings shall fall like rain,
And the Dragon shall rise again."
Jean stared at the words, heart pounding.
Celeste continued: "You were not merely chosen. You were born under this prophecy. The last daughter of Luther. The Emissary of Light. Your path was written in the stars long before your sword was forged."
Jean stepped back. "You knew this? From the beginning?"
"I did," Celeste said. "But the prophecy is not fate. It is warning. The Dragon Lord Antares stirs. The succession war splinters your family. And worse still—"
She turned her gaze away, pained.
"One of my kin has turned. A god has fallen to shadow."
Jean felt her pulse quicken. "Which god?"
Celeste's light dimmed. "The name has been erased. Even we dare not speak it now."
Jean clenched her fists. "Then what do I do?"
"You must unite the Emissaries. Before they are hunted. Before they fall like Aelon."
"And Rourke?"
Celeste's eyes burned brighter. "Find him. But beware, Jean. He stands at the edge of the storm. And if he crosses it… he may not return."
The stars began to fade.
Celeste's final words rang in Jean's ears:
> "The light you wield can save this world…
…or destroy it."
---
Jean awoke at the altar, trembling. The stars were gone. The air was still.
Whitney licked her hand.
"Did you hear it too?" she whispered.
The direwolf nodded once.
Jean stood, her resolve forged anew.
"Then we start. We find the Emissaries. We find Rourke. We stop the Dragon Lord."
She turned from the ruins.
The prophecy burned behind her like a second sun.
---