Thorns of the Moonlit Throne
Volume 4 — Chapter 1: The Distorted Horizon
Writer: Sabbir Ahmed
The skies over Arvandor were wrong.
Not with storm or fire, but with subtle fractures—constellations shifted overnight, rivers reflected stars that did not exist, and time itself seemed to hiccup. The citizens whispered of strange dreams: memories that did not belong, events that never happened.
Lyriana Vael stood on the Moonlit Palace balcony, crown glowing faintly, shadows weaving with light. She had felt cosmic disturbances before, but never like this.
"Aryn," she called, turning to him. "Something beyond the stars is changing our world."
Aryn approached, eyes narrowing. "I've felt it too. It's subtle… but powerful. Almost as if reality itself is being rewritten."
Eryon emerged from the shadows, voice low and urgent. "Not subtle. Precise. Someone is altering the threads of fate. This is beyond any prophecy we've faced."
Lyriana's gaze turned to the horizon, where the air shimmered in impossible patterns, almost like written script etched in starlight. "The Celestial Verse," she murmured. "It calls to me. Whoever—or whatever—is behind this is writing destiny as if it were a poem… a cruel, precise poem."
A whisper of wind brought a faint melody, rhythmic and haunting, words forming in the air:
"Balance wavers, hearts confined,
Stars must dance to verse aligned."
Lyriana's eyes widened. "Caiku… a caiku. Someone is shaping reality through poetry."
Aryn gripped her shoulder. "Then this isn't just a fight for Arvandor—it's a fight for existence itself."
Eryon's shadows coiled protectively. "And we'll have to enter the Celestial Verse to stop them. It's a realm older than kingdoms, older than gods. Its guardian… or villain… understands balance in ways we can barely imagine."
Lyriana took a steady breath, her crown pulsing. "Then we go. Together. We will protect Arvandor, its people… and its freedom from anyone who tries to script it."
Above the horizon, stars shifted once more, forming a swirling gateway of light and shadow. Beyond it lay the Celestial Verse, a realm where words could shape reality, and where a caiku-loving villain awaited.
Lyriana squared her shoulders. "The next chapter of our destiny begins now."