Chapter 2: Echoes of the Past
The moonlight faded slowly, but the memory lingered.
Elara awoke with a jolt, her skin damp with sweat. The dream still burned behind her eyes — not just a dream, but something more. A memory, ancient and aching, of a battlefield under blood-red skies. She had seen Caelum's eyes filled with pain, heard him whisper her name with his last breath.
She sat up in the small forest cabin Caelum had brought her to after they left the glowing garden. The fire in the hearth had dimmed to embers, and outside, the wind whispered through the trees like a forgotten lullaby.
"Another dream?"
Elara turned. Caelum stood in the doorway, holding a steaming cup of something herbal. His dark eyes searched her face with concern, as if he already knew the answer.
She nodded. "It felt… real."
He handed her the cup and sat beside her on the edge of the bed. "It was."
Elara sipped the drink, letting the warmth steady her shaking hands. "I saw you die. I felt it like it was happening to me."
"It did happen," Caelum said quietly. "Not in this life, but in one of the others. You were a princess, and I… I was a rebel."
"You died protecting me."
He didn't respond. He didn't have to.
Elara set the cup aside and looked at him. "How many times has this happened to us?"
Caelum's gaze dropped to the floor. "Six. This is the seventh."
"And every time, we lose each other?"
"Yes."
Elara's heart ached. "Why would a goddess curse us just for loving each other?"
Caelum was silent for a long moment before answering. "Because we defied her."
🌓 A Forbidden Vow
Hundreds of years ago, in a life Elara barely remembered, she had been a priestess of the Moon Temple. Caelum had been a starborn warrior—created from celestial light, never meant to love.
But they had fallen in love anyway. Secret meetings beneath the moon. Vows whispered over moonflowers. A promise to stay together through every life, even if it meant challenging the heavens.
When the Moon Goddess, Lunaria, discovered them, her fury split the skies. She could not destroy their souls, so she cursed them instead:
"Let your love echo through lifetimes,Doomed to end in sorrow's kiss.You shall find each other again,Only to lose what you miss."
🌲 Present Day – The Forest Cabin
Elara stood, pulling a cloak around her shoulders. "We can't keep hiding. If what you said is true, we're running out of time."
Caelum nodded. "We need to find Lyric. She's the only one who can locate the next shard of the Star Mirror."
"Lyric… the witch?"
He smiled faintly. "Witch, healer, seer. She has many names. And she's your oldest friend. In every life."
A strange warmth filled Elara's chest. "Then let's go find her."
🧙♀️ In the Whispering Woods
They walked for hours through thick trees and winding trails. Elara's senses felt heightened. Every sound seemed louder, every scent more vivid. The forest felt alive—watching, listening.
When they finally reached a moss-covered stone gate in the middle of nowhere, Caelum whispered, "We're here."
The gate glowed briefly, sensing his presence. Vines slid aside, revealing a winding path lit by floating orbs of blue flame.
At the end of the path stood a cottage made of twisted branches and stardust. Smoke curled from the chimney, and the scent of lavender and spell-fire drifted through the air.
The door creaked open before they could knock.
A young woman with silver-blonde hair and piercing violet eyes leaned against the doorframe. She looked at Elara and smirked. "Took you long enough, darling."
Elara blinked. "Do I… know you?"
"You will," the woman said. "I'm Lyric. And I've been waiting centuries to see you again."
🧩 The Shard of Memory
Inside the cottage, Lyric brewed a potion while Caelum explained everything. Elara watched her closely — the witch moved like someone who had lived a thousand lives. Graceful, chaotic, unbothered by time.
When Lyric finally set a tiny glowing vial on the table, she turned to Elara. "Drink this."
"What is it?"
"A memory potion. It will awaken one key memory — a piece of the puzzle. You'll need it to find the next shard of the Star Mirror."
Elara hesitated, then drank.
Instantly, her vision blurred. Her body remained in the room, but her soul was pulled backward—through lifetimes, through fire and snow and starlight—until it landed in a different body, a different time.
She stood in a palace courtyard, dressed in armor. Caelum stood across from her, bruised and bloodied.
"Run!" he yelled. "They're coming for you!"
"I won't leave you!" she screamed.
Flames consumed the palace.
The memory shattered.
🔥 Awakening
Elara gasped as she returned to the present. Her hands trembled, and her eyes welled with tears.
"We were soldiers," she whispered. "In love. And we died together."
Lyric handed her a glowing map. "That memory has unlocked the location of the next shard. It lies in the Ruins of Valis."
Caelum's face darkened. "That place is cursed."
"Everything about your love is cursed," Lyric said dryly. "Go anyway."
⚔️ Meanwhile — Rowan's Path
Far from the Whispering Woods, Rowan stood before the gates of the Moon Temple. His jaw was set, and his eyes burned with determination.
"She's with him," he muttered. "And he's going to get her killed again."
Seraphina stood beside him, her face unreadable. "You still love her."
"I always have."
"You must choose, Rowan. Serve the balance—or your heart."
He didn't answer. Deep down, he already knew the choice he'd make.
🌘 In the Shadows
Thorne watched the growing light on the horizon. His hands clenched into fists.
"They're gathering the shards," his shadow whispered.
"Let them," Thorne replied. "The closer they come to breaking the curse, the more they forget… that I was the one she loved first."