The sky above Thalorien had turned the color of bruised flesh, a sickly purple that bled into the horizon like ink in water. Kael stood at the edge of the Obsidian Spire, his boots crunching over shattered glass from the shattered lanterns that once lined the path. The air reeked of ozone and burnt wood, a stench that clung to his skin and hair. He tightened his grip on the hilt of his dagger, its blade etched with runes that no longer glowed. The light had been fading for weeks, but today, it had vanished entirely.
A gust of wind howled through the ruins, carrying the distant wail of something that wasn’t human. Kael turned, his breath shallow. The city of Veyrith lay behind him, its spires blackened, its streets silent. The people had fled or fallen, their voices lost to the void that now consumed the sky. He had stayed because he had no choice. His sister’s last words still echoed in his mind: *“Find the Lumen Core. Before it’s too late.”* But what was the Lumen Core? A myth, a relic, a lie? He didn’t know. Only that the light was dying, and with it, everything he knew.
The ground trembled beneath his feet, a low rumble that sent dust cascading from the broken arches overhead. Kael dropped to one knee, pressing a hand to the earth. The vibrations felt wrong—not the deep growl of a storm, but something else. A heartbeat. He stood, heart pounding, and ran toward the city’s center, where the great clock tower loomed. Its gears had stopped years ago, its hands frozen at midnight. But now, the tower shuddered as if waking from a dream.
Inside, the air was colder, thick with the scent of rust and decay. Kael’s fingers brushed against the walls as he climbed the spiral stairs, his boots echoing in the cavernous space. At the top, the door to the clock’s inner chamber was ajar, its iron frame twisted as if by some immense force. He pushed it open and stepped into a chamber that had not seen light in centuries.
The Lumen Core was there, suspended in a sphere of crystal, its surface swirling with hues of gold and silver. It pulsed faintly, like a dying star. Kael approached, his breath catching. This was it. The source of Thalorien’s light. But as he reached out, the ground shook again, and the chamber filled with a low, resonant hum. A shadow moved in the periphery of his vision.
“You shouldn’t have come here,” a voice said, smooth and cold as ice. Kael turned to see a figure standing in the doorway, cloaked in darkness. The figure stepped forward, and Kael saw the face of his former mentor, Elyon, his eyes hollow and void-like. “The light is gone, Kael. You know that. Why fight for a world that’s already dead?”
Kael’s hand went to his dagger. “I don’t believe that.”
Elyon smiled, a twisted thing. “You’re too late. The Core is broken. The only way to fix it is to sacrifice something—someone. And you, Kael, are the only one left who can do it.”
“No,” Kael said, stepping back. “I won’t let you use me.”
Elyon’s laughter echoed through the chamber. “You don’t have a choice.”
The shadows around Elyon coiled like living things, and Kael knew he had seconds to act. He lunged, dagger raised, but Elyon was faster. A burst of dark energy sent Kael sprawling, his head hitting the stone floor. Stars exploded in his vision, and he struggled to rise. The Core’s light flickered, its pulse weakening.
Elyon approached, his hand outstretched. “Give me your light, Kael. Let it go.”
Kael’s mind raced. The Core wasn’t broken—it was waiting. For a spark, a will to reignite it. He reached into himself, feeling the faint glow of his own light, the one that had kept him going all these months. It was small, but it was there. He poured it into the Core, willing it to burn again.
The chamber erupted in light. Elyon screamed, his form dissolving into shadows as the Core flared brighter, its radiance washing over Kael. The ground trembled, and the clock tower groaned as if awakening from a long slumber. The light spread outward, chasing the darkness that had consumed Thalorien.
When Kael opened his eyes, the sky was clear again, the purple fading into a warm gold. The city of Veyrith lay silent, but the air was different—cleaner, brighter. He stumbled out of the tower, his legs shaky, and looked up at the horizon. The light had returned, but so had the weight of what he’d done.
Elyon was gone, but the cost was etched into Kael’s soul. He had given up his own light to save the world. And as he walked through the ruins of his home, he wondered if the price was worth it.
