Chapter 3: The Ruins of Valis
The moon hid behind thick clouds as Elara and Caelum stood at the edge of the Ruins of Valis.
What had once been a grand temple of starlight now lay in shattered silence. Massive stone columns were toppled and cracked, vines curling through ancient symbols etched in a forgotten language. The air buzzed with an eerie stillness, as if time itself had chosen to avoid this place.
Elara clutched the glowing map Lyric had given her. The second shard of the Star Mirror was hidden somewhere here. But so were the ghosts of countless lives.
"This place feels… wrong," she whispered.
Caelum nodded grimly. "It's not just cursed. It's alive."
They stepped through the broken archway. As they passed beneath it, the world shifted—shadows lengthened, the sky dimmed, and the temperature dropped sharply.
"Once we cross," Caelum said, "the Ruins see us as part of their story."
🏛️ The Trial of Memory
The path inside twisted like a maze. Statues of forgotten deities watched from alcoves, their eyes hollow and judging. As they moved deeper, the ground shimmered—then cracked open beneath them.
They fell—not down, but inward.
Suddenly, Elara was standing alone in a darkened corridor lit only by flickering moonlight. Caelum was gone.
"Caelum?" she called, but only echoes answered.
A voice—her own—rose from behind her.
"Why did you leave me?"
She turned to see a version of herself from a past life. This Elara wore a crown and royal robes, her eyes cold and filled with betrayal.
"You broke the promise," the queen-Elara said.
"No, I—"
"You abandoned him."
"I didn't mean to! I was taken—"
"You chose safety. He chose you."
The vision vanished, and Elara stumbled back. Her chest ached with guilt that wasn't entirely hers. Or maybe it was.
⚔️ Caelum's Trial
Elsewhere, Caelum knelt in a war-torn battlefield that smelled of ash and death. He looked down at his own hands—covered in blood.
A soldier's voice rang out, accusing. "You killed me."
Before him stood a past comrade—his friend from another life.
"I didn't know," Caelum murmured. "I tried to save you—"
"You tried to save her. Always her."
Caelum gritted his teeth. "She's worth it."
The ghost vanished, and the battlefield dissolved into stone and dust. He exhaled sharply and looked up. "Elara…"
🌫️ Reunion in the Hall of Echoes
The illusions faded. Elara and Caelum reappeared on opposite sides of a massive circular chamber with a shattered ceiling open to the sky.
In the center hovered the second shard of the Star Mirror, glowing like captured moonlight. But as they stepped forward, mist began to rise, swirling around them, taking shape.
Dozens of figures emerged—fragments of their past selves. Warriors, dancers, priestesses, rebels, lovers… all staring at the present versions with longing, pain, and warning.
Elara's breath hitched. "They're… us."
Each version whispered the same thing:
"You only have one chance left."
The mist thickened, and then the ground trembled. The voices stopped.
A deep growl echoed from below.
🐉 The Guardian Wakes
From beneath the ruins, the earth cracked open—and from it rose a massive serpentine guardian made of starlight and bone. Its eyes blazed silver, its body coiled with ancient energy.
Elara stepped in front of the shard instinctively. "We have to fight it!"
"No," Caelum said. "We have to remember."
"What?"
"The guardian was placed here by Lunaria. It only attacks if it senses doubt in our bond."
The dragon lunged.
Caelum pulled Elara close. "Do you trust me?"
Her heart beat wildly. "Yes."
They closed their eyes and held each other—and as the beast charged, their memory shards began to glow. Their love, layered across lifetimes, flared bright.
The dragon paused mid-strike… then dissolved into shimmering dust.
The shard floated down between them.
💎 The Second Shard
Elara picked up the shard. It pulsed with warmth, and the moment her fingers closed around it, she saw flashes:
A kiss in a library beneath falling snow.
Caelum carving her name into a tree.
Her laughing in a field of glowing lilies.
Caelum bleeding in her arms.
A crown falling to the floor.
When the vision ended, she was crying.
"We've loved each other so many times," she whispered. "And lost each other just as often."
Caelum took her hand. "But we found each other again. That's what matters."
Their fingers tightened around the shard together.
🧭 A Path Forward
As they left the ruins, the map shifted again. A new destination appeared: The City of Nightfall, the last known resting place of the third shard.
Caelum frowned. "That city is guarded by the Crimson Circle. Thorne's allies."
Elara looked into the distance. "Then we're walking straight into his trap."
🩸 Meanwhile – Thorne's Move
In the shadows of a red-lit chamber, Thorne stood before a mirror made of obsidian. In its surface, he saw Elara holding Caelum's hand. Their bond burned bright.
He smashed the mirror with his fist.
"She was mine first," he snarled. "I will not let her go again."
Behind him, a pale girl with golden eyes spoke. "Shall I prepare the Circle, my prince?"
Thorne smiled darkly. "Yes. Tell them to expect visitors… and make sure they don't leave."
🛡️ Rowan Watches
From a cliff overlooking the Ruins, Rowan watched Elara and Caelum disappear into the trees. His chest tightened.
"She chose him again," he whispered.
Seraphina appeared beside him, calm as ever. "Your path isn't over, Rowan. The prophecy hasn't decided yet."
Rowan's grip tightened on the sword at his hip. "Then I'll change the ending."