Lyra's POV
We crash through the portal and hit soft ground. Purple grass cushions my fall, but I still roll twice before stopping. My lungs burn from the thin air of the last world, and now this place smells like cinnamon and electricity.
"Everyone alive?" Zain's on his feet instantly, scanning for threats.
"Define alive," Nyx groans, pushing herself up. "Because I feel like I got kicked by a steel horse."
Energy blasts tear through the portal behind us—Kael's people are still shooting. But the portal wavers, then snaps shut with a sound like breaking glass.
Silence.
We're in a forest, but nothing like the ones on Astrana. The trees tower hundreds of feet high, their bark shimmering silver. Purple leaves drift down like snow. Twin suns blaze overhead, one gold and one pale blue, casting strange double shadows.
"They can't follow," Ren says, checking his scanner. "The portal closed. It'll take them hours to calculate new coordinates and reopen it."
"Hours we need to use wisely," Zain says. He turns to me, his expression unreadable. "How do you feel?"
I flex my hands. Power still hums beneath my skin—unfamiliar but exhilarating. Like I've been walking around half-asleep my entire life and someone just threw cold water on my face.
"Different," I admit. "Stronger. I can feel the magic now. Really feel it."
"That's one seal broken out of probably dozens," Zain says. "Your body will need time to adjust to each new level. Push too hard too fast, and you'll burn yourself out."
"How do you know so much about suppression seals?"
His jaw tightens. "My parents were researchers. They studied forbidden magic, including sealing techniques used by the Galactic Council. They died for that knowledge."
The way he says it—flat, emotionless—tells me there's an ocean of pain underneath those words.
"I'm sorry," I say quietly.
"Don't be sorry. Be ready to fight." He gestures at the forest. "The Codex brought us here for a reason. Another trial is coming."
As if summoned by his words, the trees around us begin to glow. Symbols carve themselves into the bark—the same ancient Starborn language from before. The Codex's voice echoes through the forest:
"TRIAL TWO: PROVE YOUR MIND. SOLVE THE MAZE OR BE CONSUMED."
The ground trembles. Roots burst upward, weaving together to form walls of living wood. Within seconds, we're separated—each of us trapped in our own corridor of shifting forest.
"Guys?" I call out, but my voice sounds muffled, like the trees are swallowing sound.
I'm alone.
Panic flutters in my chest, but I force it down. Breathe. Think. This is a test. The Codex said "prove your mind," not "prove your strength." This is a puzzle.
The walls around me shift, rearranging themselves. I try to remember which way I came, but the forest keeps changing. Left becomes right. Forward becomes backward.
Then I notice something. The symbols on the trees—they're not random. They're coordinates. Star positions. A map.
My theoretical magic knowledge finally matters. All those hours studying ancient languages while other students practiced combat spells. All those nights translating texts no one else cared about.
I press my hand against the nearest symbol. It pulses warm under my palm, and suddenly I understand. The maze isn't meant to be walked—it's meant to be read.
I start tracing the symbols, following their logic. Each one points to the next. The walls shift around me, but I'm not lost anymore. I'm following the path written in light and ancient words.
After what feels like forever, I emerge into a clearing where the others are already waiting. Nyx is panting, her hands scratched from climbing. Ren's clothes are torn. Aria looks exhausted but unhurt.
Zain stands perfectly composed, not even breathing hard. Of course he solved it first.
"You made it," Aria says, relief clear in her voice. "I wasn't sure—"
"TRIAL TWO COMPLETE. PRIMARY KEYBEARER AWAKENING: 10% PROGRESS."
Another seal breaks.
This time I'm ready for it, but the power still hits like lightning. My magical display flickers:
C-RANK - LEVEL 2 UNLOCKED
"Two ranks in one day," Nyx whistles. "At this rate, you'll be A-Rank by next week."
"If we survive that long," Ren mutters, staring at his scanner. "The portal energy is building again. Kael's team will be here in less than an hour."
"Then we keep moving," Zain decides. "The Codex will guide us to the next trial."
"Wait." I grab his arm without thinking, then immediately let go when he looks at me. "Why are you really helping me? You could've stayed at the academy. You're the golden student—they'd forgive you for anything."
His gold eyes hold mine. "The people who suppressed your power are the same people who killed my parents. The Luminal Order—a secret faction within the Galactic Council. They've been eliminating Starborn bloodlines for centuries." His voice drops. "You're proof their genocide failed. And I intend to help you become powerful enough to expose them."
"That's why you were in the library that night," I realize. "You were looking for the Codex."
"For three years. And then you walked in and activated it in five minutes." Something that might be a smile touches his lips. "Ironic, isn't it? The weakest student in the academy holds the key to everything."
Before I can respond, Nyx curses loudly. "We've got company!"
Armed figures are emerging from the forest—not Kael's team. These are different. They wear black armor marked with a symbol I recognize from forbidden history texts.
The Obsidian Syndicate. The criminal organization that controls half the illegal tech trade in the galaxy.
"They tracked the Codex activation," Zain says grimly. "This just got significantly more complicated."
The lead mercenary raises a weapon. "The Starborn heir is worth ten million credits alive. Stand down and we'll make this easy."
"Ten million?" Nyx whispers. "Damn, girl. You're expensive."
Zain's ice magic flares around his hands. "They're not taking her."
"Touching," the mercenary sneers. "But you're outgunned, kid. Prodigy or not, you can't fight all of us."
He's right. There are at least twenty mercenaries, all armed with military-grade weapons. We're exhausted from two trials. Even Zain can't fight those odds.
But then the forest starts to glow again.
Not with the Codex's power. With something else. Something older.
The trees themselves are responding to us. To me. Like they recognize Starborn blood.
An idea forms—crazy, desperate, but it might work.
I press both hands against the nearest tree and pour my newly awakened power into it. "Please," I whisper. "Help us."
The forest explodes into motion.
Roots surge from the ground, grabbing mercenaries and yanking them off their feet. Branches swing like whips, knocking weapons away. The trees themselves become a living shield between us and danger.
"Did you just—" Ren stares. "Did you just command an entire forest?"
"I don't know!" I'm as shocked as he is. "I just asked!"
"Starborn had a connection to living things," Aria breathes. "It's in all the legends. They could speak to nature itself."
The mercenaries are retreating, overwhelmed by attacking trees. But their leader locks eyes with me before disappearing into the forest.
"This isn't over, heir. The Syndicate doesn't give up. We'll be hunting you across the galaxy."
Then they're gone.
I collapse to my knees, drained. Commanding the forest took everything I had. Zain catches me before I hit the ground.
"Easy," he says, and for once his voice is gentle. "You pushed too hard."
"But we're safe."
"For now." He helps me stand, keeping one arm around me to steady myself. "But you just revealed your power to the Obsidian Syndicate. They'll tell others. Soon, everyone will be hunting you."
A new portal shimmers into existence. The Codex speaks:
"TRIAL THREE AWAITS. REST PERIOD: SIX HOURS. WARNING: MULTIPLE HOSTILE FORCES CONVERGING ON CURRENT LOCATION."
"Six hours," Nyx says. "That's not much."
"It's enough," Zain decides. "We rest, we eat, and then we move. Ren, can you set up perimeter alarms?"
"On it."
As the team makes camp, I sit against a tree, my whole body aching. Zain sits beside me, close enough that our shoulders touch.
"You did well today," he says quietly. "Two seals broken. Two trials passed. You're already stronger than half the academy."
"I'm terrified," I admit.
"Good. Fear keeps you alive." He pauses. "But so does trust. And whether you realize it or not, you're building a team who'd follow you anywhere."
I look at Nyx joking with Ren, at Aria healing minor wounds, at this group of strangers who became allies in less than a day.
"What about you?" I ask. "Would you follow me?"
Zain's gold eyes reflect the double sunset. "I already am."