Where The Stars Fall

Chapter Three: Sky Law and Stolen Light

Lyra learned many things in the next hour, sitting cross-legged at the edge of the crater while Solenne explained the situation with a serious expression on her small, luminous face.

There were eight constellations in the Great Sky, and each one was tended by a star-born creature — a guardian who kept the stars burning bright. For thousands of years, the guardians had worked in harmony.

But someone had begun stealing starlight.

"Not all at once," Solenne said, pacing the crater in tight circles. "Just a little, each night. But enough. The Constellation of the Bear has already lost three stars. The Constellation of the River is flickering. If nothing is done, the sky will go dark piece by piece, like candles being snuffed out."

"Who is doing it?" Lyra asked.

"We believe it is the Shadow Loom — an old and wicked enchantment that was sealed away beneath the earth centuries ago. Something has weakened the seal." Solenne stopped pacing and looked up at Lyra with those vast, starlit eyes. "We need someone who can travel to the five Starfall Sites — the places where stars have fallen before — and reawaken the seals. Only a human bound by sky law can do it. Only you."

Lyra thought of her warm bed. She thought of her grandmother. She thought of the sky going dark, night by night, until there were no more stars left to count.

She stood up and dusted off her knees. "Tell me where to go first."

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