Chapter 5: Shadows of Love and Darkness
The morning sun spilled its golden light over the city, painting everything in warm hues, yet for Orin, the world felt unnervingly still. The echoes of yesterday's chaos lingered in his mind — the nightmare, the unleashed power, the school's destruction, and the sudden defeat of Hozane. Every muscle in his body ached from the effort, and though consciousness had returned, the memory of wielding such overwhelming energy left a lingering unease.
Beside him, Liriya walked quietly, her small frame tense, still shaken from the trauma. The golden Luminara wave pulsed faintly within her, unseen, a quiet beacon of power and mystery. Karisila floated near them, her serene, divine presence radiating calm, though the weight of yesterday's events hovered in the air.
"Orin… how did you… have so much power?" Liriya asked, her voice trembling, a mixture of worry and curiosity.
Orin shook his head, confusion and fear mingling in his eyes. "I… I don't know. I don't understand what happened to me."
Karisila's voice echoed softly in his mind, the words meant for him alone. "I lent him a fragment of power, just enough to protect you. But he wasn't fully ready to control it."
Liriya turned to Orin, a tender yet worried look in her eyes. "Everything she's telling me… Orin, you weren't even aware. You were blind to the guidance she offered."
Orin's gaze dropped, haunted, almost shivering. "So… this power… it's not permanent?"
"No," Karisila replied, her voice gentle, almost apologetic. "It lasts only for a brief time."
Orin clenched his fists, frustration and fear warring within him. "But… why did I dream that nightmare? Liriya… it wasn't like the shadows you showed me. It was… something else. Unique. Terrifying. It… it tore at my very heart."
Liriya's fingers tightened unconsciously around the invisible golden wave within her. "Orin… I need to tell you about the Luminara waves — the eight of them."
Orin stiffened, a shiver of apprehension passing through him. She led him away from the bustling streets, toward a secluded clearing where no one could hear, no one could interfere. The air seemed thick with anticipation, vibrating faintly with the cosmos' own hum.
"These waves," Liriya began softly, her voice filled with awe, "are scattered across the cosmos. Karisila told me all about them. The stories we've heard… they are true. But there's more, so much more, Orin. Secrets older than time itself."
She took a deep breath, her eyes reflecting wonder and reverence. "Long before the universe existed — before stars, galaxies, planets, even black holes — the Luminara Song began to resonate. Its notes, magical and mysterious, wove matter into being, shaping the very cosmos. And from its eight notes, eight divine beings emerged, tasked with maintaining balance across creation."
Her voice trembled slightly as she whispered their names:
Aurelios – God of Time
Nyxara – Goddess of Dreams
Zephyros – God of Winds
Pyrrhune – Goddess of Fire
Thalior – God of Dragons
Lumira – Goddess of Light & Truth
Vortigon – God of Chaos
Silvaris – God of Darkness
Orin blinked, disbelief etched across his face. "Eight gods? Are you… joking?"
"No, idiot," Liriya snapped playfully, though her eyes betrayed the gravity of her words. "Do you think I'd make this up now?"
Orin let out a nervous chuckle, but his mind was racing, trying to grasp the enormity of what she was saying. Liriya's voice softened, becoming a reverent whisper.
"All of the gods acted neutrally — neither good nor evil. Their purpose was to maintain balance. But Silvaris… he was different. He felt emotions. He sought connection, friendship even, with the other gods… but none reciprocated. None, except one."
She paused, as if steeling herself to recount a love story older than time itself.
"Nyxara," Liriya whispered, almost trembling, "the Goddess of Dreams. Silvaris… he loved her. He tried to confess, but Nyxara, being neutral, could not reciprocate. His heart ached, yet his duty called him. Desperate, he turned to Lumira, the Goddess of Light and Truth, seeking guidance on how to awaken feelings within Nyxara."
Orin listened, spellbound, as Liriya's words painted a scene of longing and cosmic stakes.
Lumira had told him, "I am the truth. My knowledge encompasses all the cosmos. To awaken Nyxara's feelings, you must understand her dreams. There is no other way."
Silvaris pleaded with Nyxara:
"Nyxara… why won't you hear me? I love you. I would do anything to be with you."
Silence answered him, until a soft, elegant voice flowed through the dreamscape:
"This is my dream realm, Silvaris. I hear you… your words, your longing, your love."
From the dream's shadows emerged a figure of ethereal beauty, wings of pure white fluttering gracefully, her gown a soft, radiant white. Nyxara herself.
"I am Nyxara," she said, her voice like the melody of creation itself. "Here, in my dreams, I shape reality. Silvaris… you are special. I have watched your tears, your devotion, and now, together, we may remain here, as long as we choose."
Overwhelmed, Silvaris fell to his knees, tears streaming freely. "Nyxara… finally… I… I LOVE YOU."
"I love you too," she whispered, stepping closer. Their lips met in a soft, lingering kiss, a moment of eternity encapsulated, sealing years of longing and pain in that single act.
Their embrace was pure, a union long awaited, a love written into the very fabric of the dream world.
But then… shadows stirred.
From Silvaris's body, darkness erupted, consuming the dreamscape. Nyxara's luminous form was engulfed, her beauty fading into encroaching blackness.
"Silvaris!" she cried. "Leave! You will be trapped here too!"
He shouted her name, but the darkness was relentless. Nyxara was sealed within her own dream, consumed by the shadows emanating from Silvaris. The dream world collapsed, and her presence in the cosmos vanished. Silvaris stood shattered, grief-stricken, the cost of his love laid bare.
Orin's voice trembled as he broke the silence: "Liriya… could Nyxara… be the shadow in my nightmare? The one that tore at me?"
Liriya nodded slowly, her face pale with fear and understanding. "It's possible… she was the Goddess of Dreams. Perhaps she was testing you… or warning you."
Orin's hands clenched, the memory of that horrifying nightmare flooding him — the terror, the pain, the surreal sensation of having his heart ripped away. Somewhere deep within, he knew the cosmos held secrets yet uncovered, dangers yet to emerge, and truths far beyond his comprehension.