The Celestial Saga: Realms

Chapter 1

Charmaine



The luminous sun spilled through my chambers. Golden rays stretched across polished stone and woven fabric. The warmth settled quietly over the room, gentle and steady, the way my morning typically started in my province. It was peaceful. I remained in bed longer than usual, allowing myself to once be lazy and not rush to duty. I traced the patterns carved into the ceiling above me with my eyes. Interwoven roots and branches spiraled outward from a central point, forming a living mosaic of earth’s design, stone shaped to resemble growth, balance, and connection. Tiny veins of crystal had been embedded between the carvings, catching the sunlight and scattering it into faint, shimmering reflections. It always grounded me. Everything we connected and had a place. I drew a small inhale and let the calm settle in my chest before rising from my bed. Duty never waited for anyone too long.

The dress I chose was a striking fusion of strength, elegance, and quiet authority. A design that commands attention without relying on excess movement or embellishment. The silhouette was structured and architectural, fitting closely through the bodice before flowing into a full, sweeping skirt that moves with controlled grace. Rather than soft or romantic, the shape felt deliberate and powerful, emphasizing posture, poise, and presence. The fabric appeared a rich forest green. Heavy, likely a silk or satin blend, with a subtle matte sheen that absorbs light rather than reflecting it, dark enough to feel regal and mysterious, yet organic enough to evoke nature, earth, and quiet strength.

I finished studying my reflection in the mirror. My skin a warm, radiant deep honey-brown, smooth and luminous as if it holds its own natural glow. The light seemed to settle on me rather than reflect, giving me a soft, grounded warmth. My face was gently rounded with full, soft features that balanced strength with calm. High cheeks, a smooth brow, and a naturally composed expression give me an air of quiet confidence and thoughtful awareness. My eyes were deep and observant, framed by long lashes and strong brows that gave my gaze a steady, assessing quality, the look of someone who feels more than she speaks. My lips were full and relaxed, often resting in a thoughtful, knowing expression rather than a smile. I approved my appearance and styled my long luscious chocolate locks with my magic as I made my way to begin my first duty.

I stood above the training arena, where the grounds were already alive by the time I arrived. Steel struck wood in a steady rhythm. Boots pressed into packed earth. Voices carried across the open field. Sharp corrections, and quick commands, controlled the sounds of effort and discipline. This was my favorite part of the morning. Watching my people grow stronger. I watched the junior and fresh warriors train with Cree and Netta, my head male and female guards. Netta stood near the doorway, already prepared before anyone else had thought to be.

At five-foot-six, she wasn’t the tallest in the guard, but she carried herself with a presence that made height irrelevant. Strength lived in the set of her shoulders and the steady balance of her stance was grounded, controlled, and ready.

Her skin held the rich tone of milky chocolate, warm and smooth, catching the golden light of the chamber in a quiet glow. Dark eyes missed nothing, sharp and observant beneath neatly shaped brows, her expression calm but alert. Her hair was pulled back in a practical style that kept it clear of her face, revealing strong features and the quiet confidence of someone who knew exactly who she was. Netta was striking, not in a way that asked for attention, but in the way she carried herself. She knew her worth and she never settled for less than it. There was nothing uncertain about her. Every movement was deliberate. Every decision was measured. When she spoke, it was direct, respectful, and without hesitation. Reliability wasn’t something she tried to prove, it was simply who she was. The energy around her was steady, protective and unshakable, that made her presence feel like standing behind a shield. It was why she stood where she did now.

Cree stood just behind the inner perimeter, exactly where he needed to be, close enough to intervene, far enough to see everything. At six-foot-one, he carried height with ease rather than intimidation. His build was strong and athletic, broad through the shoulders and solid in movement, the kind of strength built through constant training rather than show. He wasn’t overbuilt, but there was nothing soft about him. Every motion was efficient, controlled, and purposeful. His complexion was a deep brown, warm-toned and smooth, catching light along the planes of his face. Sharp features and steady dark eyes gave him a naturally serious expression, though there was often something quieter behind it. There was calculation, and observation, thought already moving ahead of the moment. He was handsome in a way that didn’t try to be. He was clean, confident, and unbothered. When he spoke, people listened, because Cree didn’t talk often. When he did, it mattered.

I watched them. Netta moved to the center of one training circle. She didn’t need to raise her voice. A young warrior lunged toward her too quickly, overcommitting his weight. Netta sidestepped smoothly, caught his wrist, and redirected his momentum downward. He hit the ground hard enough to feel it, not hard enough to injure.

“Control your center,” Netta said, offering a hand to pull him back up. “Strength means nothing if you give your balance away.” The trainee nodded, breathing hard. Netta didn’t repeat herself. Across the field, Cree ran a different exercise. Where Netta worked one-on-one, Cree worked in patterns. Four junior warriors now surrounded him, weapons raised, circling cautiously.

“Don’t attack me,” Cree said calmly. “Attack the opening.” One of them rushed. Cree moved before the strike finished, stepping inside the swing, redirecting the arm, and using the attacker’s momentum to send him stumbling past. Without breaking motion, he turned, disarmed the second trainee, and lightly tapped the third at the shoulder with the flat of his blade.

“Three of you eliminated,” he said evenly. “That took four seconds.” The fourth trainee hesitated. Cree looked at him.

“If you’re thinking about your mistake,” he added, “you’re already behind.” The trainee attacked. Cree disarmed him in two movements. He handed the weapon back.

“Again.” I smiled slightly. Netta built warriors through discipline. Cree built them through awareness. I had just begun to turn away from the training grounds when I felt it. A ripple, not through the air. The sensation was subtle. A disturbance along the network of energy that connected the realms, like tension pulled across a thread that should have been still. A moment later, footsteps approached quickly behind me.

“My queen,” the spotter said, breath controlled but urgent. He dropped to one knee. “A beacon has been activated.” My attention sharpened immediately.

“What’s the location?”

“Earth,” he said. I softened my expression. That alone wasn’t unusual. Earth generated more disturbances than any other connected realm, but the spotter hesitated.

“There’s more,” he added. “The signal is carrying an abnormal surge.”

My expression tightened. “Define abnormal.” I said slowly.

“It isn’t originating outside the portal,” he said carefully. “The energy is coming from the gateway itself.” That made no sense. The portals were stabilizers, not sources. I stepped away from the platform railing, my mind already moving ahead of the explanation. Every realm was connected by a single gateway, anchored in hidden locations and maintained by designated guardians. The portals allowed balance to flow between worlds, keeping energy stable and preventing collapse or overgrowth in any one realm, but they were not meant to be found. If humans discovered the Earth gateway, the consequences wouldn’t be curiosity. Humans would interfere with forces they couldn’t understand. My sisters and I would be in grave danger. They would exploit us, study us, and control us. That was why the portals existed in secrecy. That was why we existed. To keep them active, and hidden. Only one gateway remained permanently sealed. The Celestial portal. We carried celestial blood, but our existence had been declared a violation. I pushed that thought aside.

“Send for my sisters,” I said walking into the castle, the spotter following my orders. “Tell them it’s urgent!” I yelled as he ran in the opposite direction. It didn’t take long before the sky above Efatha darkened first. Not with storm clouds, but with the wide shadow of wings. Tanwen descended in a controlled spiral, heat shimmering faintly in the air as the massive dragon landed beyond the training field. Serena slid from the saddle before the creature had fully settled, already brushing ash from her sleeves from her riding gear. Serena’s hair fell in long, silky straight strands of deep brown, smooth as polished glass. It moved like liquid shadow when she walked, catching light in sharp, clean lines. There was nothing soft about it. It framed her face with precision, sleek and controlled, just like her power. When the wind moved through it, the strands shifted in a single unified motion, never wild, never out of place. Even at rest, there was a sharpness to her presence, a quiet heat that lived just beneath the surface.

“If this is another human pollution crisis,” she groaned as she approached, “I’m delegating it to their governments and going back home.” I didn’t respond yet. The ground shifted. Cold air rolled across the field a moment later as frost crept briefly along the grass near the outer gate. Avalon entered astride a massive white polar bear, its size nearly rivaling Tanwen’s bulk. The creature moved with silent strength, pale eyes scanning the area before lowering enough for Avalon to dismount. Avalon stretched once, slow and deliberate, then looked toward me. Avalon looked like their reflection in winter. Her hair flowed in long, wavy strands of luminous white, soft and fluid, moving like water even when the air was still. The color wasn’t dull or pale — it carried a faint sheen, catching light the way fresh snow does under the sun. Each movement sent gentle ripples through it, as if it had its own current. Where Serena’s presence was sharp, Avalon’s was calming, open, inviting, deceptively gentle. My sisters and I were identical in every way that mattered. We shared the same sculpted features. High cheekbones, warm brown skin kissed with a natural golden undertone, and eyes that carried a depth far older than their years.

“What’s so important that you disrupted my beauty sleep?” she asked flatly. I crossed her arms.

“You’re a queen,” I argued. “You needed to be up anyway.” Avalon exhaled through her nose, unimpressed. Serena stepped beside us. “Alright. What broke?”

“Nice to see you both as well,” I said sarcastically, pulling them both into a loving sisterly hug, to which they returned. I turned toward the portal chamber visible in the distance.

“The Earth beacon activated,” I said as I released the hug.

Serena groaned immediately. “Of course it did. Let me guess. Deforestation, over-mining, pollution, overpopulation, or all of the above?”

“Normally, yes,” I said. Serena stopped complaining. My tone had changed.

“This time the signal is wrong.”

Avalon’s attention sharpened. “Wrong how?”

“The surge isn’t coming from the surrounding region,” I said. “It’s coming from inside the portal.” Silence settled between us.

Serena frowned. “Maybe it’s a feedback loop?”

“It would have shut itself down,” Avalon replied immediately.

I nodded. “Exactly.” Serena’s irritation faded, replaced by something closer to concern.

“So what are you saying?” I met both their eyes.

“I don’t know.” That was the part none of them liked. I continued.

“If the portal destabilizes, humans could detect the energy spike.”

Avalon’s expression hardened. “Which means they could find it.”

“And if they find it,” Serena added, “they’ll try to open it.” I nodded once.

“We will investigate immediately,” Avalon dramatically declared, raising a sharp finger, much to Serena’s annoyance.

She exhaled sharply. “So we’re going to Earth.”

“Yes,” I confirmed. Avalon glanced toward the distant gateway structure.

“If the energy is coming from inside,” she said slowly, “then whatever triggered it is already there.” I didn’t answer because I was thinking the same thing. If something was inside the portal itself, then the problem hadn’t started on Earth. It started within the system.