Astren stirred with a sense of unease.
Rumors circulated about unusual winds blowing contrary to the mountains. The river shimmered momentarily before returning to its usual state. Farm animals avoided specific fields.
The world was transforming.
And only three children perceived the reason why.
Lyra's Pull
Lyra strolled toward the village center, holding a basket of herbs, when she paused near the ancient well.
A warmth tugged at her heart.
A gentle, relentless pull that was impossible to resist.
She placed her hand on the cool stones of the well.
And then,
The world shifted.
She gasped, gripping the stones as visions flooded her mind:
A figure of radiant white.
A hand extending toward her.
A whisper…
Follow the one marked by the eclipse…
You are his anchor.
Lyra staggered back, trembling.
"What… was that?"
She couldn't comprehend it.
But one thing was clear:
Whatever was happening to Stellan…
…she was somehow linked to it.
And the universe had just validated that.
Ren's Burning Edge
At the training grounds, Ren confronted three older boys who had ridiculed him the week before.
"Leave him be," one of them jeered. "The kid thinks he's some chosen hero."
Ren remained silent.
Instead, he stepped closer.
The tallest boy gave him a light shove.
Ren stood firm.
His eyes didn't even blink.
"Stop pretending to be tough," the boy shouted.
Ren breathed out slowly.
Something within him snapped.
Not in anger.
Not in hatred.
But in resolve.
The ground beneath him cracked — a sharp fissure spreading out like a spiderweb.
The older boys recoiled in shock.
The air turned heavy.
A shadow, previously merging with Ren, flickered behind him — visible only to him.
One boy muttered, his voice shaking,
"Ren… what are you?"
Ren smiled slightly.
"Climbing."
He turned away, leaving the boys silent in their fear.
The Seeker & the Priest
In the temple, Priest Helion arranged candles around the altar, his hands trembling. The incomplete eclipse lingered in the sky as if unwilling to depart.
The Seeker entered quietly.
"We must prepare," he said.
Helion swallowed.
"For what?"
The Seeker inscribed a symbol in the dusty floor. It radiated dimly — an ancient sigil, older than light and form.
"For the emergence of two forces," he replied.
"One destined to be lifted.
One destined to climb.
Both strong enough to reshape the roots of existence."
Helion sank to his knees.
"And the village? What will happen to us?"
The Seeker closed his eyes.
"You stand on sacred ground.
History is being rewritten here.
Your fate is already woven."
Helion's voice broke.
"Woven into what?"
The Seeker glanced toward the door — where Stellan and Ren resided.
"Into their ascent."
---
The Black Hole Tremor
Far beyond the realms of mortals…
within the endless, lightless expanse of existence…
The Black Hole pulsed.
It neither breathed nor thought.
It remembered.
Cracks of pale infinity rippled through its dark depths as two faint signatures stirred in the mortal realm.
Stellan Adrian
— the soft echo of balance and inevitability.
Ren Samael
— the fiery echo of ambition and defiance.
Something began to awaken within the void.
Not a voice.
A will.
The Black Hole slightly expanded — a cosmic tremor affecting every plane.
And in the unreachable realm above all, Sylvion and Kael immediately sensed it.
Kael's expression turned serious.
"Sylvion… the origin stirs."
Sylvion nodded, his gaze distant.
"The boys of the eclipse have started to influence the very foundation."
Kael's hands balled into fists.
"Then the universe isn't safe anymore."
Sylvion's expression softened.
"No…
It is merely awakening."
---
Stellan's Sudden Collapse
Back in Astren, Stellan approached the river to think.
Yet halfway there, his vision blurred.
The world warped.
Colors shifted.
Gravity felt off.
Lyra spotted him swaying and rushed over.
"Stellan!"
He fell to his knees, clutching his chest as if something inside him were being yanked out — like an unseen hand trying to claim him.
Lyra caught him just before he fell completely.
"Stellan! What's happening?!"
His eyes shone faintly.
A whisper escaped him:
"…it's calling me…"
Lyra held him firmly.
"No. Stay here. Stay with me."
Her voice — her presence — anchored him.
Slowly, painfully, he regained his stability.
Stellan gasped for air.
Lyra didn't release her grip.
"Stellan," she whispered, fear evident but resolute, "I think… I'm meant to help you."
He looked at her, his eyes trembling.
And for the first time since his awakening…
He felt safe.