My Fake Engagement With The Villainess Turned Real
Chapter 7: When The Stars Begin to Answer
As dawn's first light brushed against the horizon, it became painfully clear that the thunder which had rolled through the night was not merely an echo of a passing storm. Rather, it persisted, an insistent growl that seemed to reverberate from some primeval source, too steady and rhythmic to be the result of natural causes. The morning sky over Aurellia manifested an astonishing and unnatural brilliance, a kaleidoscope that shifted dramatically between shimmering silver and the soft luster of pale gold. While undeniably beautiful, the sight churned a hollow unease in my chest that grew more pronounced with each glance upward.
Amidst this strange atmospheric shift, I found Seraphina in the library's lower vaults, a sanctuary of wisdom tucked away from the chaos outside. She had not rested, her demeanor betraying a relentless pursuit of knowledge. Her eyes, though rimmed with the shadows of fatigue, held a determination that compelled her posture to remain unyielding, straight like an ancient spine of a long-forgotten tome. The very book that had captivated her attention the night before lay splayed open before her, its pages filled with a myriad of strange symbols glowing faintly in the muted half-light, they felt as though they were alive, pulsing with secrets waiting to be unveiled.
"The stars are responding," she announced, her voice steady yet unyielding, without bothering to glance up from her readings. "It has begun sooner than I anticipated."
I approached her with caution, each step deliberate, conscious of the faint hum of the Mirror reverberating in the far distance, echoing through the layers of stone that separated us. "What do you mean, responding?" I inquired, my curiosity piqued by the weight of her words.
She gestured with a slender finger towards the intricate series of constellations depicted across the left-facing page of the tome. "These formations correspond to the heavens as they were long before Aurellia ever drew its first breath. Once, they served as gateways through which divine essence flowed freely into our world. However, the sealing of the Mirror has closed those pathways. Now, however, they are stirring once more."
A surge of unease coiled in my stomach as I realized the implications of her statement. "And you think the Mirror is reawakening these ancient conduits?"
"It is not solely the Mirror," she declared, finally shifting her gaze to meet mine. Her voice remained calm, yet something distant lurked behind her bright eyes. "You must understand, the entire kingdom of Aurellia has been built upon the vestiges of a long-lost covenant. Every temple, every shrine, every stone of the royal palace draws its strength from the very essence that lies dormant beneath our feet. The Mirror is merely its heart, pulsating with the potential to reignite what has been lost."
The enormity of her revelation washed over me, leaving me momentarily breathless. The concept was so vast, so overwhelmingly grand that I struggled to comprehend its ramifications. "Then what happens when the heart begins to beat once more? What are the consequences?"
"Then Aurellia will transform into a beacon, an irresistible call that will summon the forgotten gods back into the mortal realm," she said, her tone chillingly serene.
A shiver cascaded down my spine at her dire proclamation, as the suffocating silence that stretched between us grew more palpable. The only sound breaking the stillness was the subtle rustling of parchment as she turned the page.
With a trembling gloved hand, Seraphina traced the next passage. "According to this ancient text," she whispered, her voice scarcely above a breath, "the covenant that binds our world was never designed to endure indefinitely. It stipulates that there must be a form of renewal a bond, a union between two souls that fate has entwined. One mortal and one of the illustrious Duskveil lineage."
I felt my breath catch, the realization dawning on me with a shocking intensity. "A union… you mean"
She nodded, confirming what I was loath to voice. "Our engagement."
For an agonizing interval, neither of us uttered another word. The heavy weight of the understanding settled between us, both frightening and yet imbued with an unexpected intimacy that seemed to defy the gravity of our situation.
"It was originally intended as a mere formality," she continued gently, her voice low enough to convey the gravity of her thoughts. "A convenient fiction crafted to silence the nobles and appease the demands of the court. But the ritual that took place at the Mirror must have recognized the authenticity of our bond, which is why it has awakened."
"The lie we crafted together has become painfully real," I murmured, grappling with the implications.
Seraphina met my gaze directly, and in her eyes, I glimpsed a fear that was alarmingly rare fragile, utterly human, and breathtakingly raw. "And with that shift into reality come unforeseen consequences."
Before I could formulate a response, the ground beneath us quaked violently, a deep tremor that sent dust cascading from above, causing the high shelves to shudder ominously. A muffled yet urgent voice echoed from the world above, sounds of upheaval breaking through the calm. Guards were shouting instructions while ominous bells tolled in a frenzied clamor, their sound reverberating down the corridors.
In a sudden burst of urgency, we ran.
As we dashed through the labyrinthine corridors, chaos reigned around us. Servants fled in confusion, their faces painted with fear, while soldiers rushed away towards the central courtyard, propelled by an instinct as primal as the tremors beneath our feet. Upon bursting into the open air, I beheld a sight that stopped me in my tracks the Celestial Mirror, once a placid artifact, now seethed with an unsettling energy. Its surface roiled and shimmered with radiant light, jetting upward like liquid glass transformed into a raging torrent. The reflection of the sky within it had inverted entirely; the stars shimmered beneath the surface of the Mirror, while an immense, dark shape strained audibly against the fragile barrier that separated our realm from the unknown.
"The seal is collapsing," Seraphina shouted, her voice barely cutting through the cacophony of the rising storm winds that whipped around us.
Nearby, King Aldric and his priests had gathered at the edge of the courtyard, frantically shouting incantations and invoking fervent prayers, their ceremonial robes snapping violently in the gusts. The High Priest raised his staff high, light flaring brilliantly from the crystal atop it, yet the Mirror's pulse was so overwhelming that it absorbed the illumination as though it were mere starlight in the face of dawn.
"Contain it!" the king commanded, his voice laced with an urgency that brooked no delay. "Seal it now!"
However, the solemn chants of the priests seemed to amplify the power of the enchanted Mirror rather than subdue it. As they raised their voices in rhythmic unison, the Mirror's glow intensified dramatically, erupting into a dazzling pillar of pure, blinding light that shot upward into the heavens like a beacon. The air around us crackled with raw energy, and the wind howled ferociously, scattering delicate petals, bits of debris, and shimmering sparks of arcane magic across the ancient stone courtyard. With instinct kicking in, I shielded my face with my arm as a powerful wave of palpable energy surged outward, causing the very ground beneath us to tremor violently.
As the luminous radiance began to wane, an awe-inspiring silence descended upon the scene, wrapping us in a blanket of trepidation. The Mirror stood resolute and tranquil once more, but something had fundamentally changed; its once-reflective surface was now transformed into a mesmerizing window into the cosmos. Gazing into its depths, I found myself confronted with a vast celestial expanse, stretching endlessly into an abyss of inky blackness, yet teeming with motion. Suddenly, within that eerie void, a singular golden eye emerged, opening gradually, its size comparable to the sun itself. It gazed out at us, unblinking, from beyond the ethereal veil of the universe.
A collective gasp rippled through the assembly of onlookers, a chorus of astonishment and dread. The High Priest, a figure known for his unwavering confidence, collapsed to his knees, his body quaking as if overcome by an unseen force. "The Eye of the Forgotten Star," he murmured, his voice barely audible amidst the stunned silence. "It sees us."
I felt my grip tighten around Seraphina's hand as she stood beside me, her voice quivering, though not from fear; rather, it resonated with a profound sense of realization, an awareness of something monumental unfolding before us. "The covenant has been acknowledged," she stated with a sense of gravity that tinged her words.
Then, as if on cue, an eerie stillness engulfed the courtyard; every torch and lantern, even those casting warm flickers from within the palace, extinguished simultaneously, plunging us into darkness. Shadows surged across the cobblestones, weaving their way through the crowd, and a sudden chill enveloped the air like a creeping fog. The Mirror began to resonate once again, this time emitting a soft, rhythmic hum that echoed throughout the plaza, reminiscent of the gentle sound of a creature breathing softly in its slumber.
"Seraphina," I croaked, my voice parched and strained from the tension hanging in the air. "What happens now?"
Her response came as a mere whisper, laced with an urgency that sent shivers down my spine. "Now, it begins choosing."
"Choosing what?" I implored, my heart racing with an unquantifiable mixture of dread and curiosity.
"Who among us will serve," she replied, her eyes flickering with a myriad of emotions, each more layered than the last.
Above us, the clouds began to twist and churn, coalescing into a mesmerizing spiral of light interspersed with streaks of shadow. The stars, usually bold against the backdrop of daylight, began to flicker one by one, dimming painfully until naught remained in the firmament except for that singular, all-seeing golden eye.
And in the brilliance of that pulsating light a radiance that seemed to permeate every corner of the courtyard I heard it; a voice, faint yet undeniably present, calling my name. It resonated deep within me, echoing with ancient tones that stirred something primal in my soul.
To be continued...