Thorns of the Moonlit Throne
Volume 4 — Chapter 6: Confrontation of Verse
Writer: Sabbir Ahmed
The labyrinth narrowed, walls shifting with every heartbeat. Glowing caiku lines floated in the air, forming traps, illusions, and sometimes deadly starlit spikes.
Ahead, a figure appeared—tall, elegant, quill in hand, a swirling orb of constellations orbiting him. The aura of authority, precision, and artistry radiated outward.
"Ah," Caelum Virex's melodic voice echoed, "the Moonlit Queen and her companions finally reach my penultimate stanza. How… predictable, yet charming."
Lyriana stepped forward, crown glowing in harmony with her shadow. "Your poems have twisted reality, Caelum. You've endangered lives. Stop, or we will end your verse."
Caelum's laugh resonated like music. "End my verse? Child, reality itself is my poem. Every star, every shadow, every heartbeat—it bends to my rhythm. And yet… your unity is fascinating. Let us see if it can survive the next line."
He scribbled in the air with his cosmic quill. The labyrinth shifted violently—corridors twisted into impossible angles, rivers of starlight surged upward, and illusions of Arvandor burning enveloped them. Each word he wrote became reality, testing courage, trust, and composure.
Aryn drew his sword, moving instinctively to shield Lyriana from a wave of starlight. Shadows coiled around him, guided by Eryon, countering the distortions. "We can't fight him with force alone," Eryon warned. "His caiku shapes everything!"
Lyriana's crown pulsed as she focused inward. "Then we fight with unity, heart, and choice."
She extended her hand, merging light and shadow with Aryn and Eryon. Their combined aura resonated with the labyrinth, stabilizing some of Caelum's manipulations.
Caelum paused mid-verse, quill hovering, studying them. "Intriguing… You survive because of harmony, not defiance. Perhaps the final line will show whether your hearts can write a verse even I cannot predict."
Lyriana met his gaze, unflinching. "Then we will write our own verse, Caelum. One that even your poetry cannot erase."
The labyrinth pulsed, the final trial beginning—the direct confrontation of wills, hearts, and fate itself inside the Celestial Verse.