Thorns of the Moonlit Throne
Volume 4 — Chapter 2: Entrance to the Celestial Verse
Writer: Sabbir Ahmed
The gateway shimmered like liquid starlight, stretching endlessly above and below. Shadows and light intertwined, forming a path that defied gravity. Each step felt heavier than the last, as though the very concept of reality questioned their presence.
Lyriana led the way, crown hovering above, pulsing in rhythm with the strange energies around them. Aryn followed closely, sword ready, though he could sense that steel alone would not save them here. Eryon's shadows stretched forward, probing the unseen threads that held the realm together.
"This place…" Lyriana whispered, voice tense. "It's alive. And it's aware of us."
Eryon's shadows flickered, forming shapes that tried to interpret the Celestial Verse. "It senses balance and intent. Every thought, every doubt… it responds."
Suddenly, the air vibrated with rhythm, soft but insistent, like a heartbeat. Words began to form in midair, short lines of celestial poetry—caiku, glowing faintly, twisting and shifting.
"Paths entwined, yet fall apart,
Unity is key to heart."
Aryn furrowed his brow. "It's testing us… with words?"
Lyriana's eyes narrowed. "Not just testing. Shaping reality. If we fail to understand the verse, the realm itself could erase us."
The path ahead split into multiple threads, each line of starlight forming a different route. The caiku in the air shifted in response to their hesitation. Some paths shimmered with stability; others wavered dangerously.
Eryon extended a shadow-hand toward Lyriana. "We must move as one. Balance is not just light and shadow—it is our unity. One falter, one doubt, and the Verse will punish us."
Lyriana grasped Aryn's hand, taking a deep breath. "Together," she said. "Every choice, every step… together."
As they stepped forward, the words of the Verse pulsed, responding to their unity. The path stabilized under their feet, forming a glowing bridge that led deeper into the Celestial Verse.
Above them, stars twisted into unfamiliar constellations, and a faint, melodic hum echoed through the void—a prelude to the caiku-loving villain who awaited, orchestrating the Verse like a cruel poet.
Lyriana exhaled. "Then let the test begin."