CHAPTER LVIII
"The Daughter of the Mountain God"
The morning sun peeked through the translucent curtains, casting soft golden rays across my face. But unlike other mornings, today felt heavier — like the air itself was burdened with secrets. I sat on the edge of my bed, still tangled in the fragments of the dream — or whatever it was — from the night before. My heartbeat hadn't settled, and I could still feel the cold wind of that illusion dancing over my skin.
Just then, the door creaked open, and Olivia stepped inside. Her usual warmth was replaced with concern.
"Celeste," she said hesitantly, her voice low but urgent, "can I ask you something?"
I nodded slowly. "Of course."
She paused for a beat, trying to gather the right words. "Last night… who were you with?"
Her question froze me. My brows furrowed. "What are you talking about?"
"I saw you," she said firmly now, stepping closer. "I saw you on something… some kind of dark, glowing vehicle. It wasn't anything from here. It moved like it was gliding through space itself. You were on it — riding into the night. It felt… wrong."
My mouth went dry. "You saw me?"
She nodded. "Don't you remember?"
That's when it hit me — like a flood crashing into a fragile shore. The dream. The illusion. The labyrinth Cael had pulled me into. The twisted reality. The exit door. Her dead body. The darkness. The voices. All of it. It hadn't just been a figment of sleep.
It had happened.
It was real.
The edges of my vision blurred as the memory stabbed its way back into my consciousness. "Oh God," I whispered, gripping the edge of the table to steady myself. "It wasn't a dream…"
Olivia came closer, her eyes wide with alarm. "What do you mean?"
"I saw things," I said, my voice trembling. "I felt things. I escaped something. A trap. It was Cael — she created it all. A world where nothing was what it seemed. Fire was a door, water was the path. And she—she told me things I can't unhear. I escaped… or at least I thought I did."
She stared at me in shock, then immediately grabbed my hand. "We're going to Ivory. Right now."
We rushed through the corridors, the urgency in her pace matching the chaos brewing in my chest. When we finally found Ivory, she was standing in the garden, whispering to the flowers — as she often did when she needed clarity.
"Something's wrong," Olivia blurted out before we even reached her. "Celeste… she's been trapped in something. A dark illusion — maybe black magic."
Ivory turned sharply, her usually serene face etched with worry. "Tell me everything," she commanded.
I told her everything. I didn't hold back. The twisted maze of Cael's creation. The illusions that felt like death. The dark whispers that still echoed in my ears. The terrifying sensation that I wasn't just dreaming, but living another reality.
Ivory stood silently for a long time after I finished. Then she said in a voice I'd never heard from her before — grave, almost ancient, "This is more than strange. This is unnatural. You've been touched by a deep magic. One that isn't supposed to exist anymore."
"So what do we do?" Olivia asked, gripping my arm tightly.
"We need someone who understands dark webs," Ivory replied, "who knows the roots of illusion and black magic."
Olivia glanced at her. "You mean… your mother? Queen Seven — Katrin Laufey?"
Ivory nodded slowly, with a seriousness that made my stomach tighten. "Yes. My mother."
I turned to her, confused and a little surprised. "I've heard of her. But… she never comes to gatherings, never appears in public. And when she does, she's always completely covered. Why?"
Ivory's eyes softened. "Because my mother… is no ordinary queen. She's the daughter of the Mountain God. Her body is so pure, so untouched, that even sunlight burns her. A single ray of sun turns her skin black. Not in a way that harms her — but in a way that marks her. Her purity is both her power and her curse. She stays hidden because the world doesn't know how to handle something that pure."
I was silent — imagining a woman so divine, so untouched by the ordinary, that even light itself could not reach her.
"She's not just pure in body," Ivory continued. "She's pure in soul. She sees through illusions, through lies. She sees the magic that hides in shadows. If anyone can tell you what's happening, Celeste… it's her."
I nodded, my heart heavy and confused, but one thing was clear — this wasn't just about a dream, or a trap.
It was a deeper calling. A darker truth.
And the only way to understand it… was to face the one who had lived her life in darkness and light alike.
Ivory looked at me with a furrowed brow, her voice laced with hesitation and concern. "But… Celeste, taking you out of this land without informing Cael… it could be dangerous. Incredibly dangerous."
I felt Olivia's grip on my arm tighten as Ivory continued, her tone lowering to almost a whisper.
"You don't understand. Cael… she's not just any ordinary being. Her rage, when awakened, is unlike anything you've ever seen. She can shift forms — her wrath is monstrous, unstoppable. Once she loses control, she becomes something else entirely… something even I'm afraid of."
Ivory's eyes flickered to the window, where the morning light poured in like golden silk. "And let's not forget — outside these palace walls, people are still searching for both of you. The whole realm is in chaos. The hunt hasn't ended. They're still looking for Cael… and for you, Celeste."
A chilling silence settled in the room, and for a moment, I could hear my own heartbeat — steady but growing louder. My breath caught in my throat. We were trapped — even with all this knowledge, we had nowhere to go, and no way to reach the one person who might hold the key to it all: Queen Katrin Laufey.
I stepped forward. "Then how do we reach your mother? If we can't leave, and we can't risk telling Cael… what do we do?"
Olivia suddenly raised her head, eyes gleaming with an idea. "The communication mirror," she said urgently.
Ivory blinked. "The what?"
"The large one," Olivia replied, her voice quickening. "The enchanted mirror in Cael's room — the one hidden behind the secret door near her wardrobe. It's not just for reflection. It's a communication channel — old, powerful magic. I've seen her use it once… when she didn't think anyone was watching."
Ivory's eyes widened, realization dawning on her face. "Of course… that mirror was created by the High Seers. It can connect to anyone across time and distance — even someone as guarded as my mother."
"But," she added cautiously, "getting into Cael's room, accessing that door… it's risky. Very risky. If she senses even a flicker of our presence, she won't just be angry — she'll become something else. Something cruel. And unforgiving."
The room felt colder now. The shadows clung to the corners as if they, too, were afraid of what we were about to do.
Still, I looked at both of them — Olivia and Ivory — and I said quietly, "Then we'll have to be careful. But we don't have a choice. If there's even a chance your mother can help me understand what's happening to me… then we need to take it. We can't waste another second."
Ivory nodded slowly. "Then tonight… we make our move."
And just like that, the three of us stood in silent agreement — preparing to step into even darker waters, with only a flicker of hope guiding our way.
To be continue....