The auditorium hummed with quiet anticipation as students gathered, their voices hushed. Professors stood at the stage's front, exchanging low words while strange devices flickered and buzzed around the room. At the centre, the Cosmos Map spun slowly, casting soft, golden light across the space.

  Seraphina moved toward it, drawn by its rhythm. She had seen it only hours ago, but in this moment, surrounded by the weight of expectation, it felt distant, almost unfamiliar. Her mind wasn’t on constellations or star maps. It was still tangled with the relic’s warmth, the flicker of Lumos still lingering at the edges of her thoughts, a soft, insistent pulse that hummed deep within her.

  “There you are,” Alessa’s voice sliced through the fog in her mind, sharp and curious. “You disappeared after we talked. What happened?”

  Seraphina focused on the glowing device, her voice low.

  “Needed air. Got caught up in my head.”

  Alessa’s brow furrowed.

  “After everything with Umbra, I get it. You sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Seraphina replied, though her voice was tight. The words felt like a lie.

  Thorne appeared beside them, arms crossed. His gaze was softer than usual, shadowed with concern.

  “You don’t have to pretend, Sera. I saw what happened earlier.”

  The relic, the light, Lumos—it was all too much right now. She couldn’t let them see how deep it went. Not yet.

  “Later,” she said, her voice low but firm. “Let’s deal with this first.” She gestured toward the Cosmos Map.

  Alessa didn’t buy it, but she fell silent, giving Seraphina space. Thorne, too, seemed to understand. They all knew she was carrying something heavy, but now wasn’t the time for explanations.

  Professor Lumiere’s voice cut through the hushed murmur of voices.

  “Activate your device using your Lumina Arts. Harmonise, collaborate, and avoid catastrophic failure if possible.” He raised his hand with an air of finality. “Begin!”

  Thorne adjusted his lute, glancing at the glowing contraption at the centre of the stage. His voice wavered as he spoke.

  “I’ll start with the music—set the pulse. You two sync your patterns with me.”

  Alessa studied the golden rings of the device, brow furrowing.

  “Wait. Look at the patterns.”

  Thorne hesitated, strumming a soft chord.

  “Patterns? What kind of patterns?”

  “Constellations. Ancient ones. If we map our energies onto them at the right intervals, we can activate it.”

  Seraphina blinked, glancing from the rings to Alessa.

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’ve read about these devices. They work by aligning with ancient constellations—energy follows patterns, and patterns open paths.” Her voice was steady despite the pressure of time.

  Thorne sighed and adjusted the tension of a string with practiced precision, his brow furrowed in focus.

  “So, what, we trace them? With our Lumina Arts?”

  “Exactly,” Alessa said, voice firm. “I’ll show you the first pattern. Sera, you’ll astralcraft it. Thorne, keep the rhythm steady.”

  “I always said that you were going to paint us a solution, Sera!” Thorne quipped.

  Alessa raised her hand, conjuring a constellation in brilliant golden light, its stars pulsating with delicate, precise motion.

  “This is the first one. Try to match it with your energy.”

  Seraphina nodded, taking a steadying breath. She focused on the glowing constellation, her hands trembling as she reached out. The light felt distant at first, then warmer as she summoned the energy. But as her fingers traced the pattern, it wavered. The golden strands flickered and faded.

  “Focus,” Alessa urged. “Don’t let it collapse.”

  Seraphina tried again, but the energy felt slippery, elusive. The constellation shimmered, but it wasn’t steady. Sparks of erratic energy shot through the air as the device pulsed in agitation.

  “No—no!” Thorne groaned, the music dying as the rings spun wildly. A crackling surge of energy surged through the auditorium.

  Seraphina froze, her heart thundering. “That wasn’t it,” she murmured, low and defeated.

  A murmur rippled through the room. A few students exchanged uncertain looks. At the edge of the stage, Professor Stellaris exchanged a look with Lumiere but didn’t intervene.

  Alessa let out a long breath. “We can fix this. We have to.”

  Thorne set his jaw, frustration turning to resolve. “Alright. Again. Let’s not give up now.”

  Seraphina exhaled, gathering herself. She couldn’t afford to fall apart. Not here. Not in front of them. “Okay,” she whispered. “We can do this.”

  Alessa raised her hand once more, pulling another constellation from the air, this one even more intricate. Seraphina focused, clearing her mind of doubt. The relic’s presence pulsed inside her like a distant echo, urging her forward.

  Thorne began to play again, his notes low and grounding, building the pulse that they needed.

  “Let’s try again,” Alessa said, her tone firm, but warm.

  Seraphina extended her hands, this time more sure of herself. The first constellation formed in the air with steady light, its golden strands weaving together in perfect harmony. As the music shifted to match the rhythm, Seraphina felt the energy click, the hum of the device aligning with their movements.

  The second constellation appeared in brilliant gold, its stars settling into place with fluid grace.

  “Perfect,” Alessa breathed, her illusions shimmering as the pattern locked into place. “One more.”

  Thorne shifted the melody again, his fingers moving deftly over the strings, raising the pitch. Seraphina moved faster now, her hands carving through the air, the golden threads solidifying with each motion.

  The third constellation was born in a flash of light, its stars sharp and clear. The rings of the device spun faster, synchronizing with the final energy pulse.

  A deep, resonant chord from Thorne echoed through the room, marking the final connection. The device hummed with power, a brilliant beam of light shooting upward, cascading constellations across the ceiling. The ancient stars unfolded in patterns of light, filling the room with energy and wonder.

  Alessa smiled, her usual sharpness softened by a rare warmth.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  “See? I told you we’d figure it out.”

  Thorne grinned.

  “We’re kind of amazing, huh?”

  Seraphina laughed, the weight in her chest lightening, her nerves loosening their grip. For the first time in hours, she felt like they had accomplished something together. Until the voice cut through her thoughts—soft, ancient, and undeniable.

  A rift approaches.

  The words came unbidden, cold and calm, wrapped in the ancient, celestial cadence of Lumos.

  “What does that mean?” she thought, her voice shaky.

  Trust your light. Answers will come when needed.

  Thorne leaned in closer, his voice cautious.

  “What was that?”

  “Nothing,” Seraphina said quickly, shaking her head as if to clear the voice from her thoughts.

  The energy in the room was palpable as the glowing celestial contraption hummed softly, its mechanisms spinning in rhythmic harmony. The trio stood, catching their breath, still riding the high of their success. Around them, a few students whispered in awe, but the trio’s attention was drawn to the figures now approaching from the far side of the room.

  Headmistress Magdalene glided toward them, her poise commanding as ever. Behind her, Professor Stellaris walked at a more measured pace, her eyes fixed on them with an unreadable expression. Her faint smile was a quiet contrast to Magdalene's forceful aura.

  Magdalene was happy, looking uncharacteristically like Alessa’s illusion from earlier.

  “Well done, my champions,” she said, her voice warm, almost affectionate. “You’ve done far more than activate a device today. You’ve proven yourselves capable of unity—a rare and powerful skill.”

  Seraphina’s heart fluttered, the praise lighting a fire of ambition within her. She glanced at Alessa, standing tall beside her, and at Thorne, whose quiet pride mirrored her own. They had done it. Together.

  Magdalene’s voice continued, wrapping them in its weight.

  “Just as Fira, Aquila, and Zephyr blended their mastery of the elements, so too have you woven light, sound, and cosmic energy. This is the essence of a Luminary—the ability to orchestrate power, to find harmony in chaos.”

  Seraphina felt the heat of her words, the recognition she so desperately craved. But there was something about the weight of Magdalene’s gaze that unsettled her.

  “You’ve proven that you can harness power,” Magdalene continued, her voice softening. “But the path of a Luminary is one of sacrifice. It will demand more than you expect.”

  Her words were heavy, meant to inspire and to warn in equal measure. Seraphina swallowed, sensing that there was more to this than mere encouragement.

  Professor Stellaris stepped forward, her calm presence grounding them.

  “Impressive work, you three. You’re starting to understand the connection—not just with the device, but with each other. That’s something powerful in itself.”

  Her eyes flicked between them, the words both a compliment and a caution.

  “Explore it. It may lead you farther than you think.”

  Alessa tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly.

  “What do you mean, ‘lead us farther’?”

  Professor Stellaris paused, her smile just enough to soften the tension in the air.

  “There are places, both within Aetheria and within yourselves, that will require your combined strength. Your bond will be your greatest weapon and your greatest challenge.”

  Thorne shifted, uncomfortable. Seraphina’s pulse quickened again, this time with the same unease that had begun when Magdalene first spoke. The same nagging whisper from earlier returned: A rift approaches.

  Magdalene’s eyes flicked briefly toward Stellaris, and a fleeting, subtle tension passed between them—something unreadable, yet palpable. Stellaris turned her gaze back to the trio, as if choosing not to acknowledge the moment.

  “Unity,” Stellaris continued, her voice steady and soothing, “is your strength. But understanding it, nurturing it, is the key to what lies ahead. You’ll need each other. More than you realize.”

  “You three have only begun to scratch the surface,” Magdalene added, her voice like a silky thread pulling them deeper. “But in time, you will rise. Your potential is boundless. And you—” She paused, letting the words linger. “—are destined for great things.”

  With that, she turned and walked away, her footsteps quiet but purposeful, leaving the trio to absorb the weight of her words. Stellaris lingered a moment longer, offering a quiet nod before turning to follow Magdalene.

  As the two women walked away, Seraphina could still feel Magdalene’s presence, like an unseen hand on her shoulder. But Stellaris’ words lingered more in her heart—a quieter promise of guidance.

  Seraphina said nothing, her mind heavy with unspoken thoughts. Something was shifting. And whether it was the destiny Magdalene had promised or the warnings Stellaris had offered, she couldn’t quite tell.

  At the end of the day, the three of them sat in the quiet of Lumina Gardens. Thorne leaned back against the bark of a nearby tree, his instrument resting across his lap, fingers tapping absently on its strings. Alessa sat with her legs crossed, her gaze focused on the horizon, the last rays of light filtering through the branches, soft and warm.

  “What a day,” Thorne muttered, his voice laced with fatigue.

  Alessa turned to him with a small smile.

  “Your music was steady. Really steady. It helped.”

  Thorne gave a half-shrug, eyes flicking to Seraphina.

  “It’s easier to find rhythm when you’re not sure what you’re playing for.” His tone softened. “But you… you handled yourself with that device. That was something else.”

  Seraphina hesitated, picking at the sleeve of her jacket.

  “It was… overwhelming,” she admitted. She tried to keep her voice steady, but it faltered despite her efforts. “I felt it inside me. Like it was trying to pull me somewhere.”

  Alessa’s gaze sharpened.

  “What kind of pull?”

  Seraphina closed her eyes briefly, as though trying to sort through the emotions that still tangled her mind. The sensation was still too raw, the warmth beneath her ribs, the faint, golden voice that seemed to hum with purpose. She had almost told them everything—about Lumos, the relic, the weight of the prophecy that hung over her. But the truth felt too heavy to share. It was as if speaking it aloud would make it more real, and she wasn’t ready for that.

  “It felt like… it knew something about me. Or maybe I knew something about it,” she murmured, her voice low. The pressure in her chest deepened, a surge of heat rushing through her veins. She almost gave in, almost said it—Lumos. But she didn’t.

  Alessa’s eyes softened, but she said nothing, as if sensing Seraphina’s inner struggle.

  The pull, the warmth. The light.

  Seraphina quickly turned away, unwilling to let the others see the fear in her eyes—the fear that they might not understand. Or worse, that they might think she was losing herself to something beyond her control.

  “And what about Magdalene and Stellaris?” Thorne said, breaking the silence that had settled over them. “They don’t seem like they agree.”

  “I’m not sure they do,” Alessa murmured. “But they want us to think we do.”

  The air felt colder now, the rustling leaves filling in the silence between them. Seraphina looked down at her hands, trying to piece through the sensation from earlier—the pull, the warmth, the weight of words.

  “Trust in the light within you.”

  Lumos’s voice, faint and golden, echoed once more in her thoughts. Seraphina shivered, trying to push it away. The presence felt like an echo, like the remnants of something ancient, powerful, and unknowable.

  “I don’t know what it means,” she whispered, her voice tight. “But it feels… important. Like the next step is coming, whether I’m ready for it or not.”

  Alessa placed a steadying hand on her shoulder.

  “You are ready, Sera,” she said softly, her voice unwavering. “You’ve already proven that. You activated the map. You stood your ground in front of Magdalene.”

  Seraphina glanced at her, but doubt still clouded her thoughts. Had she really proven herself? It never felt like enough.

  Thorne strummed his instrument again, the sound light, almost playful, as if trying to lift the mood.

  “I guess we’ll figure it out together.”

  The words lingered in the air, but Seraphina couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. The wind shifted, sending a chill through the garden. A rustle of leaves. A fleeting movement in the shadows.

  Somewhere nearby, hidden in the shadows of stone and foliage, Umbra watched. Her gaze calculating, patient.

  “Such hopeful lights,” she murmured to herself, voice edged with steel. “But they forget… shadows give definition to light. And when those shadows rise…”

  Her words lingered in the cool evening air, chilling and steady as the rustling wind swept through the branches.

  “We’ll see how brightly they burn, then.”