Chapter 12: Paths That Converge
334 Words
The moon hung high above Moonvale.
Its pale light bathed the ancient ruins in silence.
Cassian remained where the Messenger had left him.
His sword was still in his hand.
But his thoughts were elsewhere.
"Lyra..."
The name escaped his lips like a prayer.
The Messenger's words refused to leave his mind.
"You really know nothing."
What did he mean?
Who exactly was Lyra?
And why did everyone seem to know something about her except him?
A cold breeze swept through the ruins.
Cassian glanced toward the cracked floor.
The laughter had stopped.
Yet...
The feeling of being watched remained.
He slowly sheathed his sword.
"I'll find the truth."
"No matter what."
Without looking back, he left the Moon Temple.
---
Far away...
Orion walked alone beneath the night sky.
No escort.
No soldiers.
Only silence accompanied the Commander of the Wraith Guardians.
The elderly Guardian's warning echoed in his mind.
"If you leave now... the Council may never forgive you."
Orion's expression remained unchanged.
"The Council is not my concern."
"If the seal breaks..."
"The world will become everyone's concern."
He disappeared into the forest.
Heading toward Moonvale.
---
Inside the Sanctuary—
Lyra stood before the shattered Mirror Chamber.
She couldn't stop thinking about Cassian.
He had looked frightened.
Alone.
Just as he had looked on the day she lost him in her previous life.
A lump formed in her throat.
"I promised..."
"I promised I'd save you."
As tears threatened to fall—
The broken mirror suddenly shimmered.
A single reflection appeared.
Not Cassian.
Not Orion.
A little girl.
She couldn't have been older than eight.
She smiled at Lyra.
Then whispered only three words.
"You're too late."
The mirror went dark.
Lyra stumbled backward.
"What...?"
The chamber fell silent once more.
---
Elsewhere...
Deep beneath the Moon Temple...
A pair of ancient eyes slowly opened.
A voice echoed through the darkness.
"So..."
"The child has returned."
The chains surrounding the enormous shadow trembled.
One link...
Snapped.
---
To Be Continued...
- Writer
