Chapter seven : Awakening the Star
849 Words
🌸 Chapter Seven: Awakening the Star
Elara had expected the brothers to let her grieve a little longer. Instead, Kael dragged her to the center of the cavern the very next morning.
“You can’t afford to hesitate,” he said, arms crossed, ember eyes smoldering. “The shadows won’t.”
Her palms went clammy. “But I don’t even know what I did. That night… it just happened.”
“That’s the point.” His tone was hard, but beneath it pulsed urgency. “You can’t rely on accidents. You have to control it.”
Riven leaned against a pillar, smirk playing at his lips. “Easy, flame. You’ll scare her off before she starts.”
Kael shot him a glare, but Riven only winked at Elara. “Ignore him. Think of it as… finding your rhythm. Like dancing, only with a little more light and a lot more danger.”
Theron stepped forward, his presence soothing the crackling air between them. “We’ll guide you,” he said gently. “But the gift is yours. It will answer only to you.”
Darius said nothing, though Elara could feel his eyes on her, sharp as blades. Shadows curled faintly at his feet, restless, as though echoing his judgment.
Elara swallowed hard, glancing at the pool of water that reflected her uncertain face. “And if it doesn’t answer?” she whispered.
“Then you die,” Kael said bluntly.
The cavern fell silent.
Her heart lurched, but before fear could root her to the ground, something else rose inside her — defiance.
She lifted her chin. “Then teach me.”
Kael’s eyes flickered with approval, though his face remained stern. Riven clapped once, delighted. “That’s the spirit.”
Theron offered his hand, palm steady as still water. “Close your eyes, Elara. Breathe. Let the power come to you, not through fear… but through trust.”
And as she placed her hand in his, warmth spread through her chest — not fire, not water, not shadow or wind. Something different. Something hers.
The star inside her began to stir.
Elara stood in the cavern’s glow, her hands trembling as the starfire hummed faintly beneath her skin. The brothers formed a loose circle around her, their eyes watchful.
Kael was first. Of course he was.
“Focus,” he said, his voice sharp but steady. “Think of the fire that saved you. Picture it in your hands. Command it.”
She tried — oh, how she tried. Heat sparked in her palms, glowing faintly gold, but it flared too fast, searing hot. Elara gasped, stumbling back. Kael caught her wrists before the fire consumed her, his touch scorching but controlled.
“Good,” he murmured, closer than she expected. His gaze burned into hers. “But don’t let it own you. You own it.”
Her pulse quickened. She nodded, and he released her slowly, almost reluctantly.
Next came Riven. He bounded forward with his usual grin. “Enough of broody fire and doom. Try this.”
Before she could react, he caught her waist and spun her lightly, like a dance. The air stirred at their feet, lifting her hair, wrapping around her like an embrace.
“Don’t fight it,” Riven whispered in her ear, playful yet intent. “The wind isn’t meant to be tamed. Just let it carry you.”
She laughed — a breathless, startled sound — as her feet left the ground for the briefest moment. When he set her down, her cheeks were flushed, and so, if she wasn’t mistaken, were his.
Theron stepped forward next, his calm presence cooling the space Riven left behind. He knelt beside the pool, beckoning her closer.
“Water reflects what is within,” he said gently. “Touch it. See yourself.”
Elara obeyed, fingertips grazing the surface. For an instant, her reflection shimmered — not the frightened girl she knew, but a woman crowned in starlight. Power radiated from her, steady, unshakable.
Her throat tightened. “That’s… not me.”
“It is,” Theron said softly. “You just haven’t accepted her yet.”
Finally, her gaze drifted to Darius. He had lingered in the shadows, silent, but now he stepped forward. His eyes gleamed like obsidian.
Without a word, he extended his hand.
Hesitant, Elara placed hers in his.
Darkness closed around her — not suffocating, but enveloping, protective. She felt the brush of every heartbeat in the cavern, the shifting of stone, the pulse of the earth. The shadows whispered secrets in her ears, and she shivered.
When he released her, her knees were weak. His voice was low, velvet-dark. “Fear is your greatest weapon. Wield it before it wields you.”
Elara’s chest heaved, her starfire trembling at the edges of control. She met each of their gazes in turn — fire, wind, water, shadow. Each bond was different, yet undeniable.
And still, beneath it all, she felt another. A fifth thread, pulling at her soul from afar.
The one she dared not speak of.
- Writer
