CHAPTER 12
As soon as her fingers wrapped around the bracelet, the world shifted.
A surge of warmth spread through her chest. Her surroundings dissolved into light, and then-
She stood in the shadows of the past, unseen, like a spirit watching fragments of a life once lived.
There she saw her mother, cloaked in deep crimson flames, stood by a window, her golden eyes dulled by sorrow. Across from her was a tall man, silver hair falling down his shoulders like liquid moonlight. His gaze was pained, his hands trembling as he placed a gloved hand on her cheek.
Her mother's voice cracked. "But you're leaving anyway, aren't you?"
A pause.
Tears gathered in her mother's eyes as she held a small, three-year-old girl, Sorayael, wide-eyed and quiet, resting against her shoulder. Beneath her cloak, a gentle swell. A child not yet born—Krios.
The man leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry. I couldn't stop him. But I'll find a way, I'll come back."
And then he was gone.
Her mother collapsed to her knees, trembling, holding her daughter tightly. "I'll protect you... I'll protect both of you. Even if it kills me..."
The memory fractured splintering like glass, and then, a deeper crack echoed through the void.
A sealed memory; one not of others, but of her own was breaking free.
Sorayael gasped as a new vision emerged.
A woman stood high above a vast cosmos, constellations swirling like rivers around her. The stars bowed. Galaxies spun beneath her feet. The air trembled with sheer power.
Everyone, figures shaped by light and magic, knelt before her.
The woman raised her hand, and the world answered.
She held Auctoritas, the divine authority of the celestial command.
Sorayael stared, stunned, unable to speak. It was a familiar scene.
'Wait.. is she.. my idol, Velthira?! The woman I read in a book?!' she was confused at the same time amused.
Until the woman slowly turned... and looked directly at her.
Their golden eyes met.
Sorayael stepped closer, hesitant. "Who.. are you?"
The stars faded. The memory unraveled like smoke in the wind, and Sorayael found herself standing in silence once more, back in the ruins of their old home.
But something within her had shifted, tilted like the axis of her entire world had moved.
She clutched the bracelet tightly, her knuckles white.
Her legs wavered, and she dropped to her knees in front of her mother's grave once more. The cold earth beneath her palms grounded her, but her thoughts soared in chaos.
Tears welled in her eyes again, not just from sadness, but from fear.
As she said those words, a quiet warmth bloomed within her chest.
It spread, slow and radiant, like a morning sun rising over long-forgotten mountains. Her heart beat stronger. Her mana surged to life, ancient and vast. Symbols etched in starlight appeared on her arms and spine, shimmering briefly before sinking into her skin.
A voice echoed faintly; her own voice, cold yet warm.
A shock of energy burst outward from her, lifting dust and debris, scattering the shadows.
Her golden eyes lit with fire.
Fifty percent of her true power awakened, cosmic in origin, reborn in a child's vessel. Not yet whole, but enough to shake the heavens.
Sorayael rose slowly, breathing hard, trembling slightly.
She looked up at the broken roof, through which stars now shone clearly. Her gaze burned with determination.
Then the warmth began to fade. The surge of power dulled just enough for exhaustion to crawl back into her limbs. Her body, still small and young, couldn't fully carry the burden.
Still dazed, she began her walk back to the manor.
The cold wind bit at her cheeks as Sorayael walked back under the starlit sky, her steps slow and heavy. The power still hummed faintly in her bones, but each breath felt heavier than the last.
By the time the manor came into view, her limbs were dragging.
The gates creaked open for her, sensing her presence. The guards stationed nearby were tensed in surprise but didn't speak. They'd never seen her like this before: dust-streaked, drained, yet radiating an aura not quite human.
Inside the manor, the halls were quiet. Midnight has long since passed.
She reached the main corridor, where light spilled faintly from under a door.
A soft, familiar voice.
He rushed to her from the stairs, his small feet pattering urgently on the polished floor. His eyes widened when he saw her pale face and trembling shoulders.
Sorayael blinked slowly, then smiled, worn, but warm. She gently ruffled his hair.
Krios frowned, clearly unconvinced. "You're lying," he mumbled. "Something happened. You're different."
She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him.
'who I was?' Krios was confused.
Sorayael placed a finger gently against his lips.
He didn't reply. He just hugged her tighter.
Moments later, they were curled up together on the couch near the fireplace in her room. Krios had fallen asleep beside her, his breaths soft and even.
Sorayael stared at the ceiling, hand resting protectively over the bracelet on her wrist. Her eyes were half-lidded, mind spinning with everything she had seen-everything she had been.