The transition from the mortal world to Aethrion was nothing like Ariv expected. One moment, he stood on the warm soil of Dharavanar, the hum of life still echoing in his ears. The next, gravity loosened its grip, and his senses were drowned in a flood of light and sound. Colors that had no names, shapes that defied logic, and whispers that seemed to seep into his thoughts.
Then, as abruptly as it began, the chaos faded.
Ariv opened his eyes.
He was standing on a marble-like surface, but it wasn't stone—it pulsed faintly, like living energy. The ground stretched into an endless horizon, only to curve upward into the sky, where crystalline towers pierced a sea of stars. Above them hung three glowing rings, rotating silently, as if holding the entire realm together.
"This… is Aethrion?" Vaishnavi's voice trembled in awe.
"Yes," Rudraen replied, stepping forward like a soldier who had walked these grounds a thousand times. His dark cloak flowed behind him, its edges dissolving into faint embers of blue light. "The Heart of Creation."
Ariv followed slowly, his heart pounding—not from fear, but from the strange rhythm that seemed to sync with the locket on his neck. The metallic charm pulsed faintly, like it was alive.
They approached the Gates of Dawn—a massive archway of silver and sapphire, etched with runes that shimmered like constellations. As Ariv passed under it, the runes flared brightly for a split second.
"What was that?" Rohit whispered, stepping back nervously.
"Nothing you need to worry about," Rudraen said without turning. His voice was calm, but Ariv didn't miss the slight narrowing of his eyes.
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Scene 2: The Reception Hall
The citadel loomed ahead, an impossible palace floating above an abyss of swirling lights. Inside, the Reception Hall stretched endlessly, with ceilings so high they vanished into starlit darkness. The walls were lined with Mirrors of Eos, towering slabs of polished crystal, but their reflections were… wrong. They didn't show the group as they were now—they showed fragments of things that shouldn't exist.
Ariv froze as his own reflection wavered into something monstrous—a silhouette cloaked in flames of silver and violet, holding a sword that split the sky. Then, in an instant, it was gone, replaced by his normal self.
"What the—" he muttered.
"Don't trust the mirrors," Rudraen said sharply. "They don't lie, but they don't tell the truth either."
One by one, the others saw their visions:
Vaishnavi gasped softly as she glimpsed herself standing in a hall of spirits, her hands glowing as threads of light bound souls to bodies.
Neel stared coldly at an image of a shattered crescent moon bleeding light across a dark void.
Rohit chuckled nervously. "Mine just showed me punching a mountain. I'll take that as a compliment."
They kept walking until a group of attendants in white robes approached, their faces hidden behind veils of glass.
"The Queen has been informed of your arrival," one of them said, bowing slightly. "Please wait in the Solarium."
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Scene 3: Questions and Doubts
The Solarium was a circular chamber with transparent walls, overlooking a sea of constellations. The silence inside was heavy, broken only by Vaishnavi's voice.
"Why us?" she asked suddenly, turning to Rudraen. "Why drag us and our families here? If this was about safety, you could've just… protected us there."
Rohit flopped onto one of the crescent-shaped couches, pretending to relax. "If this is protection, I'd rather take my chances with creepy shadow monsters."
"Rohit," Vaishnavi snapped.
"No, he's right," Ariv said quietly, his fingers brushing against the locket on his chest. "You said this was about the Queen wanting to meet us. Why? What makes us so important?"
Rudraen didn't answer immediately. His gaze lingered on the endless sky outside the glass walls before he finally spoke.
"Aethrion isn't just a refuge," he said, his tone unreadable. "It's a crucible. The Queen doesn't summon people for small reasons. She wants to see what you'll do when the walls start breaking."
"The walls… start breaking?" Ariv repeated, his eyes narrowing. "What does that even mean?"
But Rudraen had already turned away, his jaw set, his expression cold.
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Scene 4: The Shadow of Doubt
Neel had been silent the entire time, standing near the edge of the Solarium, staring at the glowing expanse outside. His hands were buried deep in his pockets, but his knuckles were white.
If they don't learn the truth soon… they'll all die blind, he thought, his heart sinking like a stone in a dark ocean.
Across the room, Ariv sat alone, gripping the locket so tightly it left an imprint on his palm. What are you hiding from me, Mom? And why does this place feel like it knows me?
Suddenly, a deep, echoing chime shook the walls. Alarms followed—sharp, urgent, cutting through the serenity of the Solarium.
The attendants outside panicked, rushing in all directions. Through the glass walls, faint streaks of black tore across the sky like arrows of night.
Rudraen stood still for a moment, his cloak swaying gently in the rising wind. Then he spoke, his voice calm but heavy.
"They've breached the Outer Rings… again."
"What does that mean?" Rohit shouted, springing up from the couch.
"It means," Rudraen said, unsheathing the blade on his back as blue flames rippled along its edge, "this conversation will have to wait."
The glass walls shattered as a shadow claw punched through, dripping black mist.
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To be continued…